The shamanic way - or shamanism - is one of the oldest forms of healing, and has been dated back at least over 10,000 years by a number of anthropologists and historians. It is largely regarded as a spiritual practice, and not a religion, cutting across various different cultures throughout the globe. Its origins are said to be in the Tungusic and other tribes of Siberia. While there is some debate, some prominent scholars argue that the word saman came from this region - meaning 'to know' - later transforming into the word shaman.

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Leading authors in the field include, although are not limited to, Sandra Ingerman (see Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self, 1991), Dr Alberto Villoldo (see Mending the Past and Healing the Future with Soul Retrieval, 2005), Dr Carl Greer who is a clinical psychologist and shamanic practitioner (see Change Your Story, Change Your Life, 2014), and Professor Roger Walsh who is a professor of psychiatry, philosophy and anthropology (see The World of Shamanism: New Views of an Ancient Tradition, 2007).

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The shamanic approach often involves the individual - i.e. the person called a 'shaman' in certain societies and now more commonly referred to in the western world as a shamanic practitioner - enduring certain catastrophic events or crises, which turn into a form of spiritual initiation. This may involve life threatening adversity - as has been the case with Justin Soul Warrior - where intense mental, spiritual and physical challenges need to be overcome in order for the shamanic practitioner to become what is known as a 'hollow bone' - i.e. where they are free of much of what has blocked them from the light, including experiencing various forms of ego death, and are able to then use themselves as clear vehicles to support others. Some practitioners attend courses to help bring about an in-depth exploration of their psyche and soul - and induce similar initiations in a more controlled environment - so that they can understand what the soul's journey is all about. In addition, through proper and careful self-inquiry, we can all become our own 'personal shamans' due to the fact that we can access the 'collective psyche', not to mention that we are all part of the same whole and the same one consciousness, which is what we call Source.

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In any event, it is important for us all to be aware that, as Villoldo puts it, 'Shamanism is not a course, but a life journey.'

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Out of this, the shamanic practitioner is said to acquire certain abilities to channel healing energy and accurate guidance from what is often referred to as the hidden realms. These are essentially those dimensions we cannot normally see in daily life and are ultimately linked back to Source - or what we may call Spirit, God or Christ Consciousness. A central tenet of shamanism is that everything, from a rock to a living person. is connected to Spirit. In that sense, the only thing that is truly real is Spirit itself, while everything else - although having an important intrinsic value - is temporary, like passing clouds in the sky. The shaman provides the link between the known physical world and Spirit. While the shamanic practitioner often focuses on helping individuals, they are also concerned with their whole community, environment and planet.

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A key intention is to help support people at the soul level. The soul is our spiritual self, which goes beyond the body and world of form and is the bridge between the human experience and Source. Every soul has a mission & path designed to uncover the key lessons we are meant to learn, and enable us to navigate the turbulence obscuring our truth, so that we can once again become whole, find our purpose, and unite with Source. This represents our reason for being here in this lifetime and what Justin Soul Warrior refers to as the Soul-Source Trajectory.

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Ingerman explains that what usually occurs in most humans during their soul's journey is a form of 'soul loss'. This often happens due to trauma, either in this life or past lives if one chooses to believe in such things, but in any case this life tells us all we need to know. During soul loss, parts of our soul hide away in order to survive the impact of that trauma. Symptoms appear as a range of dis-eases that humans encounter including a feeling that something is 'missing' in our lives - a longing - as well as mental health problems, grief, addictions and even some physical illnesses. The goal then becomes to find out about these missing soul parts, and engage in a process of learning and healing in order to help them return. This is known in shamanic practice as soul retrieval. Part of this process of healing may involve the discovery of esoteric notions such as soul contracts, which many of us may have signed, often unconsciously, in this lifetime or past lives, and which need revealing in order to assess what they mean and whether they require breaking if they are holding us hostage in some form. Some soul contracts are benevolent and should be cherished as they are something we agreed to in order to ensure we fulfill our purpose for being here on earth.

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Related to this is a grander scheme of things. Some call it the Divine Plan or Great Awakening and involves both a purging of the 'dark' aspects that have cast a shadow over this world and our psyches for generations, largely summed up by the human ego (in particular, its more negative aspects), and the rising of Christ Consciousness. This is unavoidable and references have been made to it in many sacred texts and prophecies through the ages. In that sense, we are all going through a type of global soul retrieval, where our shared quest is to reunite once again with Source. The real truth is we never left Source, we only think we did. But that 'thinking process' (which makes up much of the ego) has been heavily conditioned, hence the need for a process of awakening and healing.

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A number of shamanic techniques may be used. This includes meditative trance, various rituals such as prayer, connecting with nature and shamanic journeying, and divination such as the use of runes. These are all incorporated by Justin SW, as well as his own Soul Scrolling Technique©

(see Soul-Source Trajectory Reading©). 

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Please note; There is a prevailing belief amongst some that shamans are usually involved in providing plant based medicines, such as ayahuasca ceremonies. However, while this may form a part of the approach in certain areas, it is only one small facet. Justin Soul Warrior does not provide any form of shamanic medicinal properties, nor does he provide any advice or guidance around such matters. In addition, while shamans were traditionally seen in some societies as 'healing the sick', one must realise that, especially in the modern day, the client is solely responsible for their own healing process and journey, no matter what kind of guidance or healing they may receive from a shamanic practitioner.

 

Finally, some have argued that the modern form of shamanism is a type of 'cultural appropriation' and we must always remain sensitive to the original cultures from which certain shamanic practices may have been gleaned. Traditionally, a shaman is appointed by others and not somebody who merely claims themself to be a shaman. This is why we call ourselves shamanic practitioners, shamanic healers, or shamanic life coaches. With that said, much will depend on the precise context, practices and artefacts being used. Many argue that the 'initiation' part is key - where events take place in a person's life that are undeniable in terms of spiritual, mental and physical intensity leading them to the shamanic way. They are essentially 'called' by Spirit. In addition, there are global themes found across different populations that cannot only be relevant to a specific culture, but to the collective psyche of humanity and represent cross-cultural archetypes of spiritual life - something the great psychiatrist Carl Jung spoke about in his own study of shamanism.