Contemporary Shamanism

is based on ancient and universal understandings of earth-based peoples and is the oldest spirituality known to humans. It is a path of knowledge, healing, wholeness and good relationships with oneself, each other, the earth and the spirit worlds.

The ancient shamanic worldview spoke about magic, interconnectedness, power, and the sacredness of all life, connected and interwoven through the universal tree of life. Humans were one part of this intricate web and even though they had their specific tasks within the web, their task was neither more nor less important than the task of all other beings. Survival and abundance were based on good relationships within (personal power) and without (the power of the tribe, the land and the spirits). If one of these relationships was out of balance the shaman was called and s/he then journeyed to the spirit worlds to find the root cause of these imbalances. The healing often included the whole tribe and the land, because every imbalance affects not only the individual but the whole web. The healing could come in form of extracting the dysfunctional energies and bringing back the life force of the client, it could come in form of stories and ceremonies or through making amendments with the spirits of the land that were disrespected. Healing and ceremonies often lasted a long time and ended only when balance was restored for all.

Never before has the need for this balance been greater,
When we lost our connection to the land we also lost our sacred connection to the universal tree of life. Many of us became aliens on our own home planet with a superiority complex and major soul-loss. And since soul-loss means power-loss we opened the door for dis-eases and imbalances. It is of uttermost importance that contemporary shamanic practitioners not only heal themselves but also their connection to the sacred land they live on. They tap into the ancient wisdom still held within the land and do special ceremonies, may they be for healing, gratitude or acknowledgement of specific events. (Although we learn from the ancient teachings we do not borrow place specific sacred ceremonies or stories from tribal cultures but journey to the spirits of our place to find our own... hand-tailored to the powers of the land and the people.) These interactions with the land restore balance to the land and ourselves... healing our souls while at the same time healing the soul of the land. The need for this mutual communion is as important on pristine land as it is urban or sub-urban environments. This attitude of equal and sacred beings in an equal and sacred world may well be the most important survival and living tool during these times of earth changes. Restoring a healthy relationship with the land and the spirits/powers that dwell there is of uttermost importance in the healing practice of contemporary shamanic practitioners.

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Shamanic Healing

When a contemporary shamanic practitioner is asked to do a healing s/he takes a journey into non-ordinary reality - the lower, middle or upper worlds – and together with the helping spirits is able to find the root cause of the (physical, emotional, mental or spiritual) pain and suffering of the client.

The practitioner then forms a healing and loving triangle between herself, the client and the helping spirits, and together removes and brings in whatever is ready at this time
so the client can find more loving ways of being.
Some shamanic healings are pure miracles while others take time and the participation of the client; however, in any way shamanic healing is gentle, loving, non-judgmental and hand-tailored to the needs of each individual client.
A great part of shamanic healing is also to (re)connect people with the natural world around us.
This can be done through outdoor ceremonies, medicine wheel teachings, communing with trees, sitting in silence while learning to observe the greater-than-human world, including integrating the ancient truth and wisdom that “We shape the land, the land shapes us, as it is within so it is without”


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Shamans and shamanic practitioners are most often asked
to find answers to life's questions (divination)
bring back lost power (power animal or spirit helper retrieval)
bring back lost life energy (soul retrieval)
respectfully remove intrusions and spirits that don't belong there (extractions and depossessions)
guide the souls of passed on people to where they need/want to go
(the world beyond death)
ceremonies for people, animals, spaces and places
space and place clearing/empowering


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Power Animal and Spirit Helpers

In my experience, Power Animals offer their help so we can learn this lifetime’s lessons. They have never lost their connection to the Garden; they still live in paradise, connected to all of creation and knowing how to live. They help us to understand our bodies and its language, they help us to understand who we are, show us what we’re doing – for better or for worse – and love us unconditionally… gently poking, reminding, protecting, and guiding us home to our real selves. They are our helpers, teachers, guides and protective shields, they help us to find our personal power and give us access to universal power. They connect us into our bodies and they show us how to be wild and free children of the earth. Some people have one Power Animal while others have many… numbers, size and shape don’t matter as long as we keep the connection going and remember that we are never alone and have tremendous help in learning our lessons and connecting us to our bodies and the earth.

Spirit Teachers dwell in the higher realms and have a much broader outlook.
Often they are spirits that have walked in a physical body and know how painful life can be, and, living in a place of unconditional love, they want to help us
and remind us of who we are and how much help is waiting to be accessed by us in the spiritual realms.

Please note that the spirits we communicate with when journeying will never try to "make" us do something... their goal is not to be another control freak in our life...they want to help us in ways that can work for us, and we always have the choice whether to listen or not.
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Bringing back power

Removal of energies that don’t belong there
Whenever we lose personal power (which can happen anytime in our lives, but very often in early childhood or before) we are prone to intrusions, energies that may not have our well-being in their mind.
They may present themselves in form of self-destructive thoughts, illness, misfortune, and localized physical pains or a change in personality.
A trained shamanic practitioner can move these energies in respectful ways to where they need to go, and fill the now empty space with the personal power of the client.


Power Animal Retrieval
The shamanic practitioner journeys with her/his helping spirits to find Power Animals willing to support the client and fill him/her with much needed spiritual power. Some of them may be personal ones that had to leave for whatever reason, others may come to teach, heal, balance, guide or protect for as long as the client needs them.

Soul Retrieval
Parts of the soul may leave for many different reasons, but mostly because of a traumatic event, like abuse – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual– birth, accidents, loss, abandonment, words, etc.
Naturally people try to fill the emptiness inside with all kinds of different replacements, like food, alcohol, shopping, drugs, TV, computers and many other addictions.
Soul loss is a major contributor of the environmental crisis we have created.

Some Effects of Soul Loss
Soul loss can manifest as chronic illness, deficiencies, chronic depression, phobias, addictions, fears, or thoughts like "I don't belong here..."
" I haven't been the same since..." I lost myself that day..."
The shamanic practitioner journeys with her helping spirits to find the soul parts willing to come home and helps the client to integrate these parts into everyday reality.

Space and Place clearing/healing
Spaces and places can hold painful or dysfunctional energies and a trained shamanic practitioner can remove these energies in respectful and safe ways. Space clearing usually brings amazing results, place healing can be a longer process until trust between the spirits of this place and human beings can be re-established.
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Ceremonies & Circles
Ceremonies have always played a huge part in earth-based cultures because they speak directly to our whole being… body, mind, emotions and spirit. They connect us to our bodies and the earth, and help us to understand the intricate dance of life, death and resurrection and our part in it, and they also acknowledge the many worlds beyond this one.
Many of these ceremonies help us to stay connected and balanced within and without, or remind us where we belong and what our responsibility is. Some are to mark rites of passage, others to celebrate food, water and shelter including the beings that provide us with all this, or to welcome babies into this world and send the ones in the process of moving on to the other side.

Marianne conducts Solstice and Equinox Ceremonies, an annual Valentine’s Celebration for the Earth, Tree of Life Ceremony, and Rites of Passage Ceremonies on request. If you are interested in participating in any of these ceremonies, please send Marianne an email and ask to be put on her BCC mailing list

Worldwide Equinox Drumming Circle in Gratitude for the Earth, September 20,08, Victoria, Lawn of the Legislature. For other places and more info please go to "What's Up"



Marianne holds Healing Drumming Circles on every second and fourth Tuesday, Shamanic Journeying Circles on a monthly basis, and outdoor healing ceremonies for the earth on request. You can find out more about time and location by emailing Marianne.
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Shamanic Sessions
When Marianne is approached to do shamanic healing she usually starts with a divination journey – with permission of the potential client – to find out if we can work together and to get information what needs to be done. After sharing this information with the client s/he decides if s/he wants to come for a session. A normal session starts with creating a sacred space and inviting the helping spirits to be there. After stating the intention Marianne usually starts with removing energies that may have helped the client to survive but are now getting in the way and are ready to be removed. This may happen in form of extraction or depossession or both combined. Marianne likes to involve the client in this process, talking about what she is seeing and asking ongoing permission to remove these energies. In her experience this not only creates trust between the healer and the healee but it also helps the client to understand how and why these spirits/energies came into their lives and to full heartedly welcome their new/own energies back, however, some healings work miracles without any explanations. The next step is to bring back the lost power in form of soul retrieval, power retrieval or creating a new story to live by. Most sessions are a combination of counselling, energy work, core shamanic healing, ceremonies and stories/songs/movement to support the integrating process and end with closing the sacred circle and space with much gratitude.
Some people expect shamans to do miracle healings in one hour, but even though miracles can and do happen this is usually not the case. Healing is a process and major changes can happen within one hour it makes a lot of sense to come for more session to deepen and integrate the healing. Marianne also recommends that clients come to or go to shamanic circles or ceremonies...shamanism is so much more than healing, it is about balancing our relationship with the world greater than humans, it is about a worldview, a way of being in the world... something that is currently not supported by the powers that pretend to be.

Shamanic Teachings
Marianne teaches shamanic healing techniques in different workshops, from basic shamanic journeying for every day connecting and healing to the path of the wounded healer... introducing the most common shamanic healing tools in an ongoing dance between self healing and healing others. She also teaches about the shamanic worldview through retreats, ceremonies, workshops and circles.
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All My Relations
Shamanism is a way of being in good relationships with all. Here are some tools that may help you get going.
Love yourself and remember, to love is to be happy with
Treat everyone as an equal searcher on the journey of life
Treat all life as an equal participant in the dance of life
Hang out with a tree. Listen to it, there’s great wisdom in its teachings
When going to a different place than you live in, introduce yourself, ask permission from the spirits of this place to enter it, ask them to teach you and pay attention to everything that happens
When leaving a place, give thanks for all you’ve received, in whatever shape or form it came in.
Be aware that the conscious universe mirrors your thoughts, feelings and deeds, whether you’re aware of them or not.
There is no such thing as a free lunch... balance your giving with your receiving, never take more than you can give back.
Contrary to popular belief it’s not money that makes the world go round, it’s our balanced and equal relationships with all there is, within and without.
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