In all cultures across the world for tens of thousands of years, people have experienced being able to connect with benevolent beings of what is called the "unseen" world--whether you call them spirits, energies, or aspects of consciousness--for effective guidance and healing. These beings take on many different forms; sometimes a power animal like Bobcat, Raven, or Bear; other times some kind of teacher in human form like a Buddha, Osiris or Mary; a Freya, Pan or White Buffalo Calf Woman. Other times these beings come as archetypes, tutelary deities and compassionate entities of the Earth, like a fire element, gnome or tree spirit, depending upon what is needed by you at the time. In shamanic terms we call these beings Helping Spirits or Compassionate Spirits. Connecting with them, and receiving the great love, beauty, power and affirming companionship that comes from that relationship is your birthright and an ability everyone has coded deep inside.
Learning how to connect with these magnificent, powerful beings is a great gift and can give you the means to create a much more meaningful, graceful and fulfilling life where you fully recognize and accept the inherent wonder and magic of your own soul and of your true belonging and purpose. These helping spirits will also help you to perceive and appreciate exactly where you are in the moment, without needing to strive to be better or different. From this place of acceptance, sovereignty and love, your life comes into greater balance, awareness and creative joy on all levels. We need this for our own sake, and the world today especially needs each of us to live, choose and create from this loving, inspirited joy as well as from a deep acknowledgement of our connection to all life.
This gathering is an introductory talk designed to give you a sense of what this practice is about, help you navigate your questions, doubts, hopes and interests; and will conclude with an experience of what it's like to go into a natural trance state and begin the process of meeting the compassionate spirits that are there to be your allies in life.
Image Artist: Cathy McClelland