A dear friend asked me the other day if I am a shaman. I almost jumped out of my skin as I wonder about that quite a bit these days and I felt a higher consciousness challenging me, through my friend, to take a stand on the matter. So I took a deep breath and answered him with as much conviction as I could muster. “I’m training to be one.” Then I added hopefully, “I’d like to be a shaman.”

I take my apprenticeship with White Elk, my spiritual teacher, very seriously and I spend a lot of time pondering the implications of it:

• What does it mean to be a shaman or healer, someone who can align his or her body, mind and spirit to bridge the physical, astral and spirit worlds and create a sacred space?
• What role can a Native American/Celtic shaman play in a Western society that values logic and male, or warrior, energies over intuition and female, or Goddess, energies?
• How can I best use my shamanic skills to accelerate my personal, and therefore planetary, transformation?
• How do I remove blockages in my ability to experience a profound faith in my abilities and destiny?

Becoming a shaman: From an early age, I always somehow knew that there were other realities than the physical world and that they were magical and fantastical. Fear stemming from a troubled childhood kept me from exploring that sense to any great extent. It was not until I underwent a near-death-experience when I was 17 that I began my journey in earnest. I remember reading accounts of out-of-body journeys into the astral realm and I really craved such an experience as I used to really not enjoy being a physical being. The thought of escaping my body really appealed to me. As hard as I would try though, I could not ditch my body and I now understand why.

All of my astral experiences and training have been based on my body being actively involved as a vessel to hold the combination of physical, astral and spiritual energy. When this energy blending exercise is done with loving intent, the body becomes the center of a sacred space. Within this space, we can tap into infinite mind, explore other realities or past lives, communicate with non-corporeal entities and best of all, healing can take place. Inga and I believe this to be a useful skill for every one of us to have, shaman or not. As I learn to be a shaman, I see my role as that of spiritual facilitator, teacher, coach, collaborator and healer.

Shamans in a Western society: Inga and I have no shortage of “clients” who seek the above-mentioned shamanic services so there is definitely a place for shamans in our society. As many of you know, Inga has been working full-time in this role for going on four years. I, on the other hand, work full time in the business world. My first instinct is to learn my shamanic craft and leave that world for a job like Inga’s. I would love to do just that but a number of factors have kept me right where I’m at:

• The 10th house in my natal astrological chart is designed to enable me to bring expansive, spiritual energy into the work environment in a harmonious and balanced way. (Jupiter and Neptune in the 10th house, ruled by Libra)
• I am an Information Technology Manager and it is my job to enable people to access the information they need and facilitate the collaborative efforts of diverse groups to create harmonious, sustainable methods of communicating and sharing knowledge.

My spiritual mentors, White Elk and Jesus, actively led me to my current and prior job to actively practice my shamanic craft in a constantly changing, demanding environment. I asked to be guided to where I could best be utilized and this is where they placed me. I often struggle with this as I think I could do more elsewhere but time and time again, they show me how I am in the best possible place and time to serve Infinite Mind.

I am told over and over that my primary role is to build and maintain a sacred space, as described above, in the work environment. My ego craves a much more visible, active role but my heart agrees with my mentors that this is the optimal role for me to play. Secondly, I am to respond to requests from individuals and groups for coaching, facilitation and collaboration. I am often told that meetings just go better due to my mere presence. Is that validation of my primary function or what? So, clearly, there is an evolving role for a shaman in the business world.

Accelerating personal and planetary transformation: Some of you have heard me describe our personal fears as road signs that lead us down the path of spiritual growth. Why? Because these fears are precise indicators of where our physical and emotional blockages are located. These fearful blockages are impediments to the full flow and alignment of physical, astral and spiritual energy required to create a sacred space. Many of us have been guided by Inga to communicate with and heal those fears. We are all amazed at how easy this is to accomplish and at the healing outcome. I know I marvel at how my personal power exponentially increases as I heal and remove these blockages to my energy flow. I also realize that I’m operating at a mere fraction of my full potential. Our society has done little to prepare us for the implications of bringing such divine personal power online in our daily lives.

Developing a profound faith in my personal power: When Jesus showed up during one of my guided meditation sessions with Inga and announced that I was now one of his apprentices, he told me to not worry any more as I now belonged to him. This occurred back in the fall of 2000. So, have I stopped worrying in the face of such divine reassurance? Have I found comfort in knowing that I am exactly where I need to be to best achieve personal and planetary transformation? (Place your bets now!) Nope! Why? I must have an energy blockage that I have not yet sought out and dealt with. (Duh!!) I certainly have fears around being good, or worthy, enough to be a shaman so there’s the road sign. I’ve just been ignoring it.

I said above how easy it is to journey mentally into those realms that I sensed as a child. People come see Inga and with her assistance, discover truly amazing things about themselves, the lives they have led and the role they are here to play. So what’s the catch? It’s wanting to face those fears and actually taking effective measures to remove them! I honestly don’t think we are afraid to face those fears. The demons we carry around are never as powerful as we thought. I think we are not sure we want to accept responsibility for being so divinely authorized to wield such personal power to heal and transform ourselves and the world around us. */:-)