Shamanic Soul Retrieval

A central theme in shamanic work is treating soul loss through the process of soul retrieval. This can be a confusing topic for those not familiar with shamanic thought or shamanic healing.  So, what does it actually mean? Soul loss in its essence is a tearing apart from one’s own nature. It’s a splitting that occurs within oneself. 

Psychologically, soul loss can be explained by what we consciously separate from through defensive and protective mechanisms that delegates this content into the unconscious and out of our conscious awareness for the means of safety, survival and maintaining emotional stability in overwhelming moments or distress. 

In confronting moments of overwhelm, neglect, trauma, loss, accidents, illness, abuse or even repeated moments of rejection and shame our inability to consciously tolerate these experiences and their intense emotional energies see these portions of ourselves fragment and split off into the unconsciousness where it doesn’t continue to overwhelm the egoic structures of the conscious mind. 

This disconnection or even dissociation can save us temporarily but in the long run this protective and defensive strategy lingers there unconsciously in the background, clouding our perception, leaving one feeling unable to tolerate certain emotional states and internal energies, continuously reacting to undigested and repressed traumatic and emotional material and a loss of vital life force energies.

Our fragmented and disowned parts will return again and again until we have the courage and compassion to reabsorb them back into conscious awareness with care, affection and love. At some point this energy must be reconciled in order for us to become whole again. This is the true path of healing.

Shamans are skilled in altered states of consciousness and work with different realms of existence including the conscious and unconscious mind. We can accurately perceive through ‘second sight’ or shamans sight aspects of our client’s self which is marginalised, split off, fragmented, in soul loss and therefore in the unconscious, underworld aspects of their being.

Shamanic soul retrieval can be a deeply emotional and moving experience. It’s like sadness and elation rolled into one. The pain and the remedy. Uniting with a part of ourselves we have long been estranged and separated from. A part that desperately longs for love and renewal. In over a decade of work I am always so moved by the potent beauty of performing soul retrievals. It’s often a profoundly moving process. 

Every shaman receives instruction and information about what our clients need via our relationship with the Spirit world. The Spirit world and our helping spirits and power animals are our eyes, ears, our knowing. It is this world of Spirit that guides and instructs what and how we heal within our clients.  

True seership is necessary with soul loss as part of the soul can leave the body completely or the soul can even be held captive in the energetic or soul structures of another person. We can be in soul loss from former timelines carrying a karmic inheritance in this lifetime. I have seen a plethora of examples hence accurate insight and discernment is needed. 

A common misconception for new clients is that I take them through some kind of inner process for them to locate this aspect of their self that is missing. Yet this is not what occurs. This aspect of the client is totally unconscious to them and we cannot heal or integrate that which is unconscious. We are blindsided by it. This is where shamanic skills are needed to be the bridge between the conscious and the unconscious, between spirit and matter, and between psyche and soul.

For me in my shamanic practice I psychically attune and dialog telepathically with these parts of the psyche in soul loss, and less frequently, if they wish to remain clothed in shame and secrecy or unwilling to come forward due to distrust and apprehension, my power animals or upper world guides do the bridging and communicate the worldview of the part in soul loss and tell me what is needed to approach healing and integration.

Insight is often not enough for a soul part who has fled due to severe trauma or repetitive trauma of any kind. This takes patience and repeated attunement and care when working with soul parts that have severely separated from the core aspect of who we are. We need to learn to hold space for the aspect of self who was sacrificed into the unconscious and who holds the painful sometimes soul-wrenching pain from long ago. 

Healing soul loss via the means of shamanic soul retrieval is the gift of the shaman – we journey and use our ability to use altered states of reality to perceive, interact and effect healing with these parts. We divine this information with our psychic skills and ability to work with different states of awareness. That is our gift and our offering. We are bridges, diviner’s, seers. From my perspective, this is largely why people seek us out. We help give conscious light to the darkness and those hard to see places and offer a healing bridge for those parts to find their way home again. 

We often intuitively know if we have soul loss, our instincts and intuition can sense it. If you feel you are suffering from soul loss or have experienced overwhelming trauma in the past, feel free to reach out, and I would be honoured to work with you so you can begin the journey of becoming whole again.