Every time we enter our inner world something changes. There would be little point in engaging in soul practices which transport us to other realms if we then come back to physical reality unaffected. The shamanic journey was my introduction many years ago into this inner reality. This powerful practice has been around for thousands of years; hence, it must work or no-one would practice it or seek its guidance. It has certainly worked for me and significantly transformed me and my life.
My first shamanic journey opened up a mythic world of astonishing creatures and mentors, who knew me, and were eager to have the most interesting conversations. I did not know what to make of it all, particularly given the strict religious indoctrination that I had undergone since childhood. This world was unusual and yet so familiar. There was a part of me that thought I was definitely destined for hell and there was this other instinctual part of me that just knew I had been welcomed home. I chose to listen to my instincts and explore this remarkable landscape and its inhabitants. I allowed it to take me to where I needed to go.
If I asked you to share with me what your strongest value was and what you would die to protect? What would be your answer I wonder? Having been so controlled in my life particularly spiritually, I would without a shadow of a doubt name freedom as my strongest and deepest value.
The shamanic journey is all about freedom. Hence, another reason why it resonated so strongly with me, because it connected me directly to spiritual power. Thankfully, this method has no need for any religious hierarchy, gurus, pastors or priests to intervene on our behalf. It puts power directly back into our own hands. I loved the autonomy and independence to find my own answers and visceral truth that I gradually learned to trust and embody.
Intention and compassion infused with humility and the willingness to benefit all of life underpin the shamanic journey. It is important to enter the imaginal realms with an intention or question because, this fuels the journey, keeps us on track and takes us where we need to go or who we need to find to assist us. Having compassion for ourselves and those whom we meet in our journey prepares us for heartfelt connections. Compassion also reminds us that with every journey we take it is essential to bring something back that will benefit others, including the living earth and the more than human world.
Every time we journey there is an energetic shift. Gradually we notice that we are no longer energetically aligned with restrictive worldviews, unhelpful behaviours, certain people and places. We develop a meaningful connection with the natural world and find our place in the cosmos. Our soul’s intention for this lifetime is found here. We can journey into our physical past, past lives or into our future. There are beautiful spaces to rest and rejuvenate. Entering our dreams, conversing with an illness or an emotion are all avenues of exploration.
This work highlights that we are never alone. All beings in physical reality and the imaginal world are interrelated along the web of life and we are one within the soul of the world.
An ethical mindset is required ensuring that when we enter sacred space our intention is not merely transactional. Relationships take time to develop. Helpers, healers, guides, and allies inhabit this world, they have a life and story of their own that is revealed over time. I visit a mentor who lives in an enchanted forest next to a body of water. When we meet they make me tea and we sit next to the lake and converse. An enlightening and relaxing thing to do. There is a special place where I meet with all my helpers at night, under the starry sky around a campfire where we enjoy each other’s company. These journeys make my heart sing whilst strengthening relationships.
Similar to dreams our journeys can disappear if we do not capture and ground them in some way. I have documented in my journals every journey I have taken over the past two decades. Yes, I have, for I am the Journal Queen! This grounding practice has been invaluable, because I can see how my life has evolved and healed over time through the guidance I have received.
Soul Praxis is the result of a journey I took in the very early days of my practice, I was seeking to find my soul’s intention for this lifetime. The answer I received from an ancient alchemist was “teach them about their soul.” I had no idea what that meant at the time because my soul was still in limbo between conventional religion and my emerging personal spirituality. Years later this same alchemist offered me a symbol to work with which gave me insight into a major dilemma I was grappling with at the time.
Soul work is my magnificent obsession, I can’t imagine living life any other way!
