Shamanic/Priestess work

Shamanism is an ancient spiritual path for awakening, raising consciousness, healing, divination and, in many cases, peacemaking. Shamanic healing is based on the oldest healing practices used by indigenous peoples in, for example, the Americas, Siberia and Northern Europe.

Concepts and techniques such as visualisation, guided fantasy journeys, soul retrieval, timeline travel and many others are borrowed from ancient shamanic practices. So, what is shamanism?

Shamanism is a spiritual path. It holds no dogmas; instead, it offers a path to awakening. The shaman seeks his or her own personal and direct communion with the sacred and does not need an intermediary. Hence the word shaman, which comes from the Tungus tribe in Siberia, and has been translated as ‘the one who sees’, ‘the one who knows’ and ‘the one who sees in the dark’. The shaman sees and knows the essential truth about the nature of reality and the place of the human within that reality. Shamanism helps people to heal, regain their balance and find a true purpose that puts them in harmony with all our relations: the stone, plant and animal beings with whom we share this planet; and to help find a deep sense of belonging on this earth, our home. Another key element that characterises a shaman is that she or he works under direct and conscious guidance of spirit teachers and other helpers. The objective of shamanism is to bring healing, sacred teachings and spiritual guidance to the people. The shaman’s job is to maintain balance and harmony. (Chris Luttichau)

Similar to shamanism, priestesses in communities carefully observed the patterns and rhythms of nature. Attuning to earth’s cycles, priestesses honoured the Great Mother by performing sacred seasonal rituals. Women, seen as an embodiment of the Great Mother, were deeply revered, honoured and celebrated, for like the earth, a woman too was able to grow life within her. Later in history, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian priestesses lived in holy temples. They, too, worshipped the Great Mother, the Goddess in her many forms. They served the spiritual needs of the community as well and were also held in high esteem. Numerous hierarchies and historical events ensued.  The natural spiritual and mystical practices of priestesses were viewed as evil. Their power, greatly misunderstood, was thought to be a dark force that needed to be annihilated. Thousands of priestesses were persecuted and put to death for their beliefs and spiritual practices. Those managing to escape death fled their holy temples and went underground into hiding.

Today, in the midst of a two-thousand-year period of patriarchy, a modern-day priestess is emerging. She brings to present times richly-steeped ancient wisdom, integrating past spiritual teachings and modern influences. She holds within a deep moon-water essence, and her mission is to help bring to fruition the vital life-force energy of the almost forgotten Divine Feminine.