Hi Dear Community,
How are you out there?
Firstly, apologies for the unintended long delay between articles… just as I started to have figurative piles of research around me on ‘Women in Shamanism’ and ‘Living Myths’ to share in article form, life, or more so my own shamanic path, beckoned me into a deeper initiatory journey this summer.
I haven’t spoken much about my own journey in the context of Soul Seed Gathering, unless you’ve met me in-person or, have followed since the beginning.
For a long time I didn’t know where we (Soul Seed and I) began or ended.
And, even as I started to get clarity around this over the last few years, I still didn’t know exactly how much of ‘myself’ to present in this work. Then, our small dedicated team last year placed me as the sole bio on our website. I was reminded that in 2018 Jaba Teresa, a Kogi indigenous elder, medicine woman and seer in Colombia, told me - if you’re not going to be the face of it who is? We’re not going to be.
I needed these reminders, that of course this work couldn’t exist in this form without me. I’ve been the steward of it for 7 years, and with this research for 4 years before that. I’m the sole writer and contributor (for now) other than a few guest articles.
So let me share a little more personally…
This Institute is the first full guidance from spirit I had, of what my work could look like on my path. The vision that was shown to me 7 years ago was so vast, I was so overwhelmed by it, that it humbled me into simplicity of daily listening and responding. This was crucial, because there was a lot to learn. The adventure it has led me on since will be shared more so one day…
Woven alongside my passion for herstorical research and storytelling with medicine women, female shamans and elders, has also been my own shamanic path or, more accurately, my path to becoming a Shaman. This is something I’ve only recently been able to name as such. For most of my journey I would have balked at the idea of ever naming myself a Shaman (I don’t think we’re ever meant to give ourselves that title).
This is also with the recognition that the word ‘Shaman’ is from the Tungus word ‘Šaman’, and is an imperfect word that has come to define unique cultural practices, roles and interactions with spirit, across the world. I’ve been advised that the clarity in communicating the role, in a way that it’s understood at this time, is more important than the political correctness.
When it came through for me in full force, in a way I could no longer deny, I resisted it with every ounce of being, until I finally surrendered and asked to be shown the way.
I’d been shown the way all along. A deep remembrance, and a recognition, with each elder I’ve sat with, each technology I’ve experienced, and each territory I’ve been invited to work in.
A full body shake each time I have come upon cultural deep herstorical knowledge that is guiding me deeper into myself and the world.
It was reflected to me earlier this year, that what makes me good at weaving herstorical, cultural and shamanic knowledges across the world, and across time, is because of who I am in the shamanic realms.
The urgency I have felt with bringing this work to the world, has had to be harnessed with a slowing down, and stepping out, or choosing to actively not go along with our fast-paced culture, to truly listen, learn, be humbled and initiated fully along the way.
The responsibility I feel with this knowledge sharing, alongside learning with elders and communities, has been crucial to cultivate. In our ‘age of information’ and ‘open access’ learning what is, and what absolutely is not meant to be shared, until someone is ready, has been vital to walk with rightly...
This mirrors the responsibility I feel whenever I hold space for clients, as I know what this can open up. There is still a shock, witnessing what is taking place in many ‘new age’ spiritual, and medicine spaces. This urges me to speak more to the wisdom, strength and deeper understanding that is required to walk these paths well, and with full power, for every individual involved.
The beauty is there in the calling for healing, connection and belonging that our communities desperately need, but the way it has been quickly warped by people, culture and energies with confused intentions, is shocking to witness and understand. The lack of accountability and elder guidance has allowed many people to run astray, to ultimately their own detriment.
At the beginning of my own path 10 years ago. I was fortunate to meet teachers, elders and guides who’ve been touch points and reflections of what, and who, is truly in alignment.
In the past I have avoided speaking to more of this directly, until recently it dawned on me how many people have entered into the spiritual, and medicine spaces, and have no idea what energies they’ve opened up to, attached themselves to, or received.
We’re needing more wisdom, in the nuance of who to trust, and work with. Many seemingly beautiful healers themselves don’t know what they’re channeling or interacting with.
I’ll be speaking to more of this on my personal Substack.
This summer was largely spent with clients disentangling and learning what was true, and, what was illusionary or, distortion in their healing paths so far. This has deepened my own path.
Then, there was also important pilgrimages to lands such as Ireland, Morocco and Spain that have opened up whole new avenues of research and storytelling to share here.
Research and Stories I had to go and live first, to tell the tale.
For shamanic wisdom woven into a research and storytelling context - our next cohort for our Living Research Program begins Nov 1st!
our students have shared how much this has supported them alongside their own academic research and understanding by opening new pathways and allowing all their senses to be included.
others have shared how much this has transformed their own life and experience of the world itself.
More on this to come… feel free to read the updates on our website here.
& Email soulseedgathering@gmail.com to step into one of the spaces!
We begin November 1st for a now extended 8months, with an extended payment plan option.
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