Shamanism – Shamanic Healing for Humans & Animals

A Path of Remembering and Renewal

Shamanism is one of the most ancient healing traditions of humanity. It has been practiced, in various forms, across continents and cultures for tens of thousands of years. At its heart lies the understanding that everything is alive, interconnected, and imbued with spirit. When illness, trauma, or imbalance disrupt this web of connection – within a person, a family, an animal, or even a place – shamanic work seeks to restore harmony and alignment with the greater whole.

What Is Shamanism?

The word shaman comes from the Tungus people of Siberia, where it referred to a healer, seer, or spiritual intermediary – one who “sees in the dark”. A shaman traditionally journeys into altered states of consciousness to seek information, guidance, or healing on behalf of the community. These journeys are not symbolic or imaginative, but real experiences within expanded states of awareness. They require discipline, focus, and the support of helping spirits – often in the form of animals, ancestors, or luminous beings.

While the specific rituals and cosmologies vary from culture to culture, many core elements remain: the ability to enter non-ordinary reality, to interact with spirit allies, to retrieve lost soul parts or power, to extract foreign energies, and to guide others through times of crisis and transformation.

A Note on Terminology and Integrity

Out of respect for the tradition, I do not call myself a shaman. In indigenous cultures, this was never a title one could claim. It was given by the community, often after years of initiation, service, and recognition. A true shaman would never declare themselves one.

I refer to myself as a shamanic practitioner – someone trained in the foundational practices and disciplines of this path, walking with reverence, responsibility, and in service to healing. My training took place in England under Simon Buxton, whose work was initially rooted in the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS), founded by Michael Harner. Harner’s “Core Shamanism” distilled universal methods from traditional shamanic cultures and made them accessible to people in the modern West.

Simon later left the FSS to continue developing his own evolving body of work, recognizing – as I do – that a living tradition must be allowed to grow and transform. The essence of shamanism is not static. It is rooted in experience, not dogma.

Today, the word “shaman” is used widely – often superficially. Much of what is called “shamanic” in the wellness or esoteric scenes lacks depth, initiatory grounding, or real connection to spirit. I believe it’s important to speak to this not in judgment, but in clarity. This work touches souls. It works with energies and realms that affect people on the deepest levels. It deserves respect and skill.

The Shamanic Calling and the Crisis of Initiation

In many traditional cultures, the path of the shaman is not chosen – it chooses the individual. The “call” often arrives through a life-altering crisis: physical illness, deep depression, near-death experiences, psychological collapse, or overwhelming visions. What might look like instability or pathology through the lens of modern psychiatry is understood in shamanic traditions as a spiritual emergency – a rupture that demands transformation, not suppression.

Psychiatrist and scholar Roger Walsh writes in his paper “The Making of a Shaman” about what he calls a developmental crisis: a breakdown of the old self, followed by a slow and painful reorganization of identity, meaning, and capacity. In cultures that recognized these states as initiatory, the one undergoing such a process was supported and guided. In our time, many are left alone, misunderstood, or medicated into numbness.

Not every crisis is a calling. But for those who come through such an experience with vision, healing gifts, and the capacity to serve others, it may mark the beginning of a lifelong journey – a journey of healing not only for themselves, but for those they are called to help.

My Way of Working

My practice is rooted in traditional training and direct experience. It includes core methods like soul retrieval, power restoration, and the clearing of intrusive energies. But over the years, I’ve also come to see that even sacred traditions must adapt to remain alive.

Some common approaches – though well-meant – can unintentionally create new problems. For example, in traditional soul retrieval sessions, practitioners often try to find out why a soul part left. This can involve storytelling or visual journeys that bring traumatic images to the surface. But I’ve seen that these stories, even if accurate, can imprint new layers of fear or suffering into a client’s psyche – especially when the “why” is no longer relevant to the present healing.

In my work, I focus on what matters most: retrieving and reintegrating the lost energy, without dramatizing the wound. It is possible to do this gently, efficiently, and without retraumatizing. Healing should bring relief, not more burden.

I trust spirit to show what is needed. Sometimes this happens in minutes. I don’t stretch things out unnecessarily. My task is to listen, to open space, and to let the healing unfold through me – not from me.

The Helping Spirits

I work in collaboration with guides, allies, and helping Spirits who come in service of the Light. Some may appear as animals, some as nature beings or mystical beings, gods and goddesses from various cultures and times, angels, Christ-energy, or ascended teachers from ancient times or from previous lives – my own or those of the client. I do not control who shows up, nor do I invoke anything from ego or will. I create the container, invite the Light, and listen deeply. What happens beyond that is spirit’s work, not mine.

Every session is as unique as the person receiving it. I offer myself as a vessel – a hollow reed through which Spirits and helpers can work. Sometimes this comes as words in the Old Language, sometimes as healing songs or tones that support the process and the unfolding of healing. I follow what arises – with presence, trust, and openness.

Shamanic Healing for Animals

Animals are deeply sensitive beings. They carry trauma just as humans do – especially when they’ve been adopted, moved frequently, mistreated, or disconnected from their natural instincts. I offer shamanic support for animals to help restore balance, safety, and vitality. The same principles apply: power retrieval, energy clearing, and healing of the subtle body.

Remote work for animals is often just as effective as in-person sessions. I work with dogs, cats, horses, and other companions – always with respect, consent, and in cooperation with their spirit and the field they live in.

Evolution and Trust

I honor the training I received. But I also know that teachings must not become cages. True shamanic practice demands flexibility, creativity, and humility. It is a co-creation with the invisible. What worked in one era or for one person may not be what’s needed now.

Everything that doesn’t move, decays. In this path, we must let go of methods – even beloved ones – when spirit shows a more direct way. This is how the work stays potent. It grows through us, becomes personal, becomes real.

I do not walk this path alone. Every healing is a collaboration – with you, with spirit, and with the deep knowing that lives in the bones of this Earth.