Instinct injury
Growing up, I remember many meals sitting at the kitchen table after everyone else was done, looking at the meat on my plate. I didn’t like the texture. It was overcooked and stringy. I would chew and chew and eventually force myself to choke it down. My mom wouldn’t let me leave the table until everything on my plate was gone. Even now years later, I’ll clean my plate even if I’m full. These childhood experiences began my journey with food. The unintended consequence led to shutting off my natural instincts around hunger and nutrition. I...
Shamanic masks
This weekend in preparation for the beginning of the ancestral healing medicine wheel, I journeyed to my family totem. The helping spirits showed me one of my ancestor grandmothers from pagan times dressed in a wolf fur with the head pulled up over her crown. It was night, and the clan was gathered around a fire in the middle of the forest. This middle-aged woman led her tribe in ceremony. She merged with the wolf and began dancing. She channeled an incredible raw power – wild and free. Her spirit soared, and her energy was electric. Wearing...
“What if I don’t think I’m an empath?”
I frequently receive inquiries about the “Energy Essentials for Empaths” class saying, “Help!I’m drawn to your empaths class, but I’m not sure why. I don’t think I’m an empath.” Over the years working with people who are sensitive to energy, I’ve noticed a pattern that occurs early on for some empaths. In cases of more extreme childhood trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics, the empathic child sometimes creates hard, impenetrable boundaries out of self-preservation. These rigid walls provide a buffer from the energy that would otherwise be...
Hungry ghosts – ancestral suffering beings
In my shamanic healing practice, two of my interests often intersect. I specialize both in compassionate depossession and ancestral healing. Over the years as my skills have grown, I often use these modalities together. The suffering being attached to the client can be an ancestor from much earlier in the lineage. As I prepare for a session, I create a layer of sacred space and open my intuition. The helping spirits bring guidance when the underlying issue is ancestral. Sometimes the ancestor grandmother or grandfather steps forward into the...
The four elements
Shamanic cultures honor four elements – earth, water, fire, and air. Our long ago forebears revered the sun, land, rivers, and sky and respected their power and wisdom. Each is unique. Earth - grounding, mulching Water - cleansing, purifying Fire - combusting, transforming Air - inspiring, cleansing Because the four elements make up the natural world, they are considered to be the building blocks of life. Most living beings consist of all four. For humans, we eat food and live in shelter provided by Mother Earth. A large percent of our...
Anxiety and control
Back in December, I felt nervous about my upcoming trip home to Minnesota to visit family. The anxiety slowly built throughout the month, and I attempted to manage it by keeping myself busy, being organized, and managing my schedule. Controlling my feelings and environment worked as an antidote until it didn’t. A week and a half before Christmas, I took my car to the local dealer for the usual oil change and tire rotation before driving eight hours each way. I had taken along my computer so I could work while I waited. In the diagnostics,...