Powerless to Powerful

Shamanism is the oldest spiritual practice known to humankind. We know from archaeological evidence that shamanism was practiced all over the world for at least 40,000 years. However many anthropologists believe that the practice dates back over 100,000 years. Today Shamanism is alive and undergoing a rebirth as many seek out its healing effects to cope with the complexity and intensity of modern day living.

The Concept of Power/Energy from a Shamanic Perspective
When a person is well and whole we consider that they have most of their power and are able to access it readily. They are not missing significant parts of themselves or their vital energy. These people make choices for themselves, are independent thinkers, and are not readily influenced by peer pressure. Physically they may have some ailments, but they have or are developing lifestyle management strategies to maintain a good quality of life. Emotionally they are grounded, they can choose how they want to express their emotions, and they are willing to work with their emotions, as they understand that they are a guide to growth and wholeness. Spiritually they feel purposeful and understand that they are a part of a larger whole.
When an individual is experiencing soul or power loss they are like a battery that is losing its charge. They have a hard time making good decisions, are easily swayed by the culture at large, bounce around through life from one mishap to another, and have a difficult time manifesting a nurturing life.
Physically and emotionally they can be experiencing:
· disease
· chronic conditions that won't heal
· low energy
· depression
· anxiety
· panic attacks
· ungrounded fears
· hopelessness and despair
Spiritually they often are not aware of divine and earthly support that is available to them, they have difficulty connecting with a direction in life, and they may not have grown as a person for many years.
How Does Power/Energy/Soul Loss Occur?
Soul loss can occur instantaneously when an individual suffers a sudden trauma such as an accident. At the moment of the unexpected harmful or frightening event, a part of the soul may leave the body to assist the psyche to remain somewhat intact to survive the incident. If the incident is severe enough the departed soul piece may relocate itself somewhere that it deems safe, and it may be separated from the remainder of the body & soul until the awareness of its loss is achieved and reclaimed with the assistance of a shamanic practitioner. Difficult birth experiences can cause soul loss. Other experiences such as physical, sexual or emotional abuse can cause soul loss over a period of time. Living a lifestyle far removed from one’s true purpose can cause soul loss. Self-destructive behaviour is often the result of soul loss and it can contribute to further loss.

How is Power/Energy/Soul Loss Healed?

Some soul pieces will return to an individual spontaneously as that person develops a lifestyle that is healing and nurturing. When an individual realizes that healing is needed and is willing to experience their woundedness and vulnerability this sometimes puts out a signal to call missing pieces home.
Other times the soul loss is so deep and profound and the separation from the
body/mind is vast and perhaps longstanding so the missing soul pieces will not return on their own. It is situations like these that require individuals to reach out and seek assistance from others who have been trained to do this work.
Soul retrieval is an ancient and still powerful healing method that assists one to reclaim their lost power and become whole.

A practitioner who undertakes soul retrieval work usually enters a trance or shamanic journey state to allow a part of their consciousness to leave their body and travel into dimensions where lost soul pieces reside. Assistance from power animals and benevolent spirits is often called upon for this work. Vast territories of otherworlds, known as non-ordinary reality in shamanic terms, must be explored to find the missing pieces and this assistance greatly increases the efficiency and outcome of the search. The practitioner becomes the seeker, retriever and messenger of the lost soul pieces. Sometimes the practitioner and their spirit allies must negotiate with and convince the departed soul pieces to return to their human home as they are not always eager to do so as they do not realize that time has passed since the traumatic incident or they are not happy with the client’s chosen lifestyle. Information is shared back and forth between practitioner and soul pieces until all are satisfied that reunion with the human client is timely and benevolent. The practitioner will then prepare them self to temporarily receive the energy of the departed soul pieces into their own being so that it may be transmitted to the client. Once the soul energy is received, the practitioner will transition from non-ordinary reality to ordinary reality to deliver the soul energy to the client in the ways that have been specified by the energy itself. Along with the transmission there are usually requests and guidelines from the soul energy about its care and maintenance as it reintegrates with the client and brings healing transformation with it.

Soul retrieval is not a quick fix but it does have the power to initiate healing processes for the body, mind and spirit.

Additional Information About Soul Retrieval
http://www.bpewellnesschatham.com/services/shamanic-techniques/
http://www.sandraingerman.com/soulretrieval.html
http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com/members/jkuykendall.htm
http://www.shamanportal.org/article_details.php?id=277