How I found Shamanism
My practice is a project in progress. It started when I was a young girl growing up in San Francisco. I have always had a strong connection to spirit. But, I have not always let others know this about me. Growing up in a traditional Sicilian family with strong ties to Catholicism this wasn't the type of thing you shared openly.
As an adult, I searched for that spiritual tradition that would embrace me and confirm what I already knew deep in my being. I dipped my toes in Taoism, Native American Studies, Ayuvedic Healing, Tarot, Metaphysics, Reiki just to name a few. But none gave me the answers I was looking for.
Then one day, I went to the Crystal Fair in San Francisco. One of the mediums approached me and told me he was guided to give me a reading at no charge because he was being guided to do so. Up until this moment, I had been battling pain from a car accident that happened a couple of years before. I managed to run myself over with my own car. At the time it happened, I knew the spirits were trying to get my attention and give me a message, but I was in denial about what that message was.
This medium sat me down and as he looked off into another reality he delivered the message. I came from a long line of female healers. On both sides of my family! My initial reaction was "yeah right". But then he said something that nearly knocked me out of my chair. His exact words....."They are telling me the car is just the beginning if you don't embrace your path." I sat... eyes in the headlights... mouth hanging open... He asked if that meant something to me and I told him an emphatic YES! Up until that time, I was working as an esthetician and massage therapist offering Reiki in my facial and massage sessions. Never, ever, referring to myself as a healer. That was a title I thought belonged to others, but not me. I went home that afternoon in shock and fear. It wasn't as though he told me something I didn't know. The problem was he told me something I did know. And I had been successfully avoiding it for all of my life! But, I knew in the core of my being his words were truth.
It didn't take long for things to start into motion. The spirits were not going to let me out of this easily. A few days later, I decided to clean out my book shelf. I am an avid book lover. I have books that I got when I was a child in my collection. I have read about 95% of them but there are a few I just never got around to. Or I wasn't ready for them so they are waiting for me to evolve. The book that fell off the shelf onto the floor is one of those very books. It was The Way of the Shaman by Micheal Harner. I bought the book in 1990 and tried to read it. At the time, I guess I wasn't ready because I never finished and I put the book on the shelf and there it stayed for over a decade.
I decided to read it that day. And I read it in a little over a day. I couldn't put it down. Every page had something on it that pertained to my personal experience. In those two days I realized I had been practicing Shamanism my whole life but it didn't have a name. I finally after a lifetime of searching found my way. Since the book was published in 1980 and we didn't have internet back then I decided to do a google search on the author. I knew of him from a friend that had been trying to get me to go to a workshop. I soon found the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. I wanted to get a healing. My thought process was that if I was going to go down this path as a "healer", then the healer should heal herself first. I contacted a woman on the list who was located about 40 minutes from my house. But I misunderstood her when I made the appointment. When I arrived I realized I wasn't signed up for a healing. I was signed up for a five session series in Shamanic Counseling. This was exactly what I needed! The spirits were taking my hand and guiding me in a way they never did before. The person with whom I made the appointment turned out to be Sandra Harner, the creator of Harner Shamanic Counceling and the wife of Micheal Harner. I worked with her for a year after my 5 sessions were over. There was much learning during that time and much freedom gained. Spiritual autonomy...... something I knew nothing about, or thought I didn't. I eventually started taking workshops to learn more about the healing aspects of shamanism so that I could help my clients. But I must say, most of my education has come straight from my beautiful, compassionate, helping spirits.
My life if very different now. I could not have made this transformation without the help of my spirits and also, importantly, my husband Brad. He has and continues to support me every step of the way. At the time of this writing we are in the middle of a global pandemic. I have been unable to work in my healing space as a massage therapist and esthetician, but my healing practice flourishes. With the help of my Helping Spirits and Zoom, I have been able to give others the gift of spiritual autonomy and healing from my home in Pacifica.
My practice is rooted in Core Shamanism. Core Shamanism is based on age old practices in many different cultures. It is the universal and non universal practices combined with sonic drumming to 'journey' into non ordinary reality in an altered state of being in order to communicate with compassionate spirits. These other worlds where spirits reside are the 95% of reality that is unseen. As author Duane Elgin says, We only see 5% of matter. the rest is unseen. This is were the healing, wisdom and power happen. The healings that I offer may include some of these core shamanic healing modalities as taught by The Foundation For Shamanic Studies and my beautiful, compassionate, healing spirit helpers.
Shamanic Counceling
Soul Retrieval
Power Animal Retrieval
Shamanic Divination
Extraction Healing
Psychopomp - Healing and transformation for crossing over.
Space clearing
Song Doctoring
My practice is located in Pacifica, California and I offer remote sessions via telephone and Zoom.
I am currently enrolled in the Three Year Program of Advanced Initiations in Shamanism and Shamanic Healing.
If you are in need of healing, please contact me. Distance work is very effective. I have learned this in a big way since the onset of Covid-19. Please care for yourself.
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