Power Animals and Spirit Guides: Fundamentals in Shamanism

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Saturday, March 28th, 2015
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Power Animals and Spirit Guides: Fundamentals in Shamanism

Workshop Leader: Gaye Hanson, Blue Flowing Water Woman,  has twenty years of experience in the practice of shamanism.  As a shamanic practioner, she does individual and group session work and has been teaching at the introductiory level for fifteen years.  Gaye is also an aboriginal nurse, consultant and spirit led helper with a passion for supporting people in finding connection and balance.  

Workshop Description: The invitation to explore the world of shamanism awaits you.  This two-day workshop in basic skills provides the foundation for practicing shamanism individually or with a drumming group.  You will learn to engage the shamanic journey as a method for connecting with universal wisdom, the protection of power animals and guidance of spirit guides. This workshop is the pre-requisite for advanced workshops in soul retrieval and extraction.

The workshop will help people to:

Build confidence, knowledge and skills to participate in smudging ceremony, prayers, and shamanic songs.

Receive an overview of the history, principles, and practice of shamanism in the lineage of Manfred Lukas.

Experience a brief introductory shamanic journey with instruction, guidance, and support.

Use drums and rattles.

Learn the ceremony for retrieving and supporting power animal integration.

Dance with your power animal.

Experience rock divination.

Connect with and learn from your spirit guide through a shamanic journey.

Put together a toolkit for leading and supporting a drumming group.

Brief Description of Shamanism: Shamanism is the practice of working with energy connected to the natural world and the universe for the purpose of helping people.  In understanding health from a shamanic perspective there is nothing more important than identifying and learning about your power animal. Knowing our power animal tells us a lot about ourselves and provides guidance on how we should live our most balanced life. For example, a bear needs hibernation time in the winter and an owl is better suited for work at night. The character power animal can be identified by a practitioner through a shamanic journey any time after conception. Once identified, a brief ceremony is used to bring the power animal back and assist in the process of integrating it into their energy.

In learning to journey in the shamanic tradition, the first connection is with intent and the second connection is to your character power animal. The purpose of the connection is to ask for and receive guidance and protection throughout the journey. Along with using smudge to cleanse and balace your personal energy and the space you are journeying in, power animal connection is the most important method of protection. Power animals are also helpful in providing assistance in everyday life.

Once identifying your power animal, it is important to research the animal, learning as much as possible about its natural habits, social structure, mating, food preference, energy cycles and habitat.  The best source of information is biological research. As you learn more about your power animal, you will identify aspects of the power animal that will help you live your best life. For example, someone connected to wolf which is a meat eating predator would be advised to have meat as part of their diet. In addition, the wolf needs a pack or social group both at work and in home life to be happy. Other animals are more solitary.  

To find out your power animal, there are a number of options. You may attend a two day workshop where you can learn to retrieve power animals and receive one during the experience. Another alternative is to book a session in person or at a distance with a shamanic practitioner.

Gaye Hanson is a Whitehorse based Shamanic Practitioner who teaches shamanism in the Old Buffalo Institute tradition which was established to honour the legacy of Manfred Lukas.