What you need to know
about shamanic healing and soul retrieval
Alida Birch,
Introductory & Advanced Trainings in Shamanism
E-mail: AlidaBirch@yahoo.com
A WAKE-UP CALL
"All illness is homesickness" Diane Connelly
All illness has a spiritual identity. Alida identifies the spiritual nature
of the illness, its location in the body and removes it and any blocks
to the healing process. Alida then calls forth all her spirit helpers
to provide information and directions for next steps. These may include
shamanic counseling, soul retrieval, the retrieval of power, soul remembering,
and referrals to other health practitioners and modalities. Alida is a
firm believer in utilizing all available resources. She herself, is a
cancer survivor and has great empathy and compassion for those confronted
with chronic and life threatening illness.
An EXTRACTION might be recommended by my spirit helpers to mobilize both your body's and the universe's healing power for your benefit. Below is an article on extraction that was published in 1993.
Shamanic Extraction by Alida Birch © 1993
If a person has power loss or soul loss, a spiritual intrusion can come
in to fill up the empty space and cause a physical illness or pain. An
intrusion by definition means that it is inside the body. Shamans believe
that illness originates on a spiritual level. From the shamanic perspective
there is no differentiation between body, mind, and spirit.
There are three major ways for picking up an intrusion. The first is a
negative thought form, such as anger, that a person has directed toward
you. This thought form can crystallize in your body if you are not filled
with power and your own vitality. This exchange of anger happens all the
time in our society. In contrast, many shamanic cultures recognize the
power of negative, unresolved feelings. They would not go into a gathering
or a heated confrontation without first protectingthemselves by gathering
their power
The second form of intrusion is self-created through unresolved grief,
anger, sadness, and fear. If you don't have methods for processing and
expressing those emotions, they can turn against you. Feelings have tremendous
power and can be transformed into energy that will solidify in your body,
manifesting as illness or causing pain. I think we have all experienced
how our emotions can wear down our vital energy and leave us feeling depleted.
The third method of picking up an intrusion is by happenstance. If we
have lost power and vitality, we are a void waiting to be filled up. A
wandering intrusion may locate in this void and call it home.
Another method is by constantly lowering our life force through the use
of alcohol and strong drugs. I am referring to the compulsive use of tobacco,
cocaine, marijuana, heroin, among others. These substances have very powerful
spirits and can cause an imbalance/intrusion.
Intrusions are not evil. They don't have a personality. They simply believe
they are at home in your body and don't like to leave. When I remove intrusions,
I do not try to kill or damage them, I simply move them on with great
compassion. I ask that the intrusions be neutralized and that their power
be used in a more constructive way.
The job of a shaman is to remove the intrusion from the body and transform
it into a form that is harmless. Frequently once the intrusion is removed,
there is an empty space where it was. The shaman may then do a soul retrieval
or power retrieval to fill that space, protect from further intrusions,
and restore the client to wholeness. Although I have seen miracles happen
as a result of extraction and soul retrieval, I always encourage the people
I work with to pursue the type of healing they are most comfortable with.
If that means the client wants to combine orthodox medicine with shamanic
healing, that is fine with me. Many MD's are opening their hearts to shamanism
and support their patient's choice to seek out a shamanic healer.
Testimonial from Susan in Virginia: "Thank you so much for the priceless gift which you gave me! Your heart sings with God's Love and you are also very talented. The timing which I received your healing tape, brochure, and sacred feather couldn't have been better. You are a true blessing to this planet! (You are ) really helping me to recover from false beliefs. The details of (the) healing session ...were remarkable! My life has been Blessed in many ways through your work."