Mediumship readings vs. shamanic healing sessions
I sometimes receive inquiries about whether I can talk to the deceased. The answer is yes and no. For clients who are looking for a connection with departed loved ones, I suggest working with a medium who can communicate with those in spirit form and bring through loving messages of reassurance that their soul lives on even though they are no longer in physical form. A session with a medium can be comforting and help move through the stages of grief. An evidence-based medium will share points of information such as a nickname or a song with...
Kinetic energy
Yesterday morning I reached for something in the cupboard and a vase leapt off the shelf and shattered into a thousand pieces when it hit the floor. I spent the better part of an hour vacuuming and cleaning up the mess. Glass shards flew everywhere. At first I was irritated with myself for not being more present when I opened the cupboard door. But then I recognized this as a gift. The remainder of the stress and anxiety I had been feeling since the middle of November released with the breaking of the vase. This is not the first time things...
Sweet childhood memories of family friends
Some of my happiest memories from childhood were Wednesday evenings. Throughout later elementary, junior high, and high school, my parents were part of a small group that got together every week. Dave and Lois Torgerson published the local newspaper and every Wednesday after they put the paper to bed, they met for a house party, rotating locations. They called themselves the “bowling gang” - a bit of a misnomer because bowling wasn’t involved. They would have a few beers, talk, and laugh. Both my parents were normally pretty serious people,...
Self-care and bobcat tracks
I’m doing self-care today after teaching a four-day workshop. I slept in so my cat got a late breakfast, much to her dismay. She made sure to stand on my belly and press on my full bladder just to make sure I wouldn’t forget. This usually works, but this morning I resisted. Then I had a 90-minute massage with my go-to therapist, Kate Madson of Intention Massage. (Yes, this is the location that I use to see clients in Baraboo.) Kate is an amazing bodyworker, and she took great attention with my aching muscles this morning, which were stiff...
Experiences after being in sacred space
Yesterday I travelled to Dodgeville, WI, to teach a workshop. I’ve been at this retreat center many times before - most often as a student and several times as an instructor. As I drove on Highway 60 along the Wisconsin River, there were many sandhill cranes flying over and then landing in fields. Even though I’ve lived in Wisconsin since 1991, my heart still leaps when I see a crane. I flashed back to a return trip home from the same retreat center a number of years ago. I had attended an intensive five-day class as a participant, and I was...
Journeying at home
Shamanic journeying is the backbone of many shamanic classes and drum circles. Once we develop the basic skills, we can also journey on our own at home to receive the same kind of insight. In shamanic journeys, a repetitive percussive sound helps us enter into trance and travel into the spirit realms. If you are interested in journeying at home, a good first step is to explore and find a comfortable sound that allows you to relax and trust. Many people use a drumbeat to journey. There are drumming tracks on YouTube, as well as drumming CDs....