or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26

Snake Medicine
Shamanic Healing through Soul Retrieval
by
Victoria Marina

In contemporary society it is not uncommon for us to arrive in adulthood with a pervasive sense of loss of trust accompanied by a long list of betrayals and disappointments. While there are currently a wide range of therapies available to assist us in the healing process, many are turning to the ways of the indigenous peoples in an effort to find health once again.

Shamans view most psychological imbalances as an indication that soul loss has occurred. Traditionally, if a community member experienced depression, loss of energy, sickness, or malaise, the Shaman would immediately consult with his Spirit Guides to determine if soul-loss had indeed occurred. In addition, he might ask very specific details about the individual's life, including stories from early childhood through adulthood. The shaman would listen for clues leading to either an event or a series of events where the loss may have occurred. Or he may choose to work directly with his spirit allies without hearing any of the client's story.

If he determined that a soul retrieval was in order, the Shaman would prepare during the day and typically journey for the lost soul during the night in total darkness. This was usually done inside the client's house or dwelling. In North America the Shaman would usually prepare through prayer, meditation, fasting, and the avoidance of certain foods and other impurities. One or more assistants were there as well, to drum and to watch over the Shaman's physical body while he journeyed into the Spirit World. After all the preparations had been completed (which may have included burning sage, gathering witnesses, singing, and chanting) the Shaman would journey to the Lower, Middle, or Upper Worlds, being guided and protected by his helping allies. He would look for the lost piece or pieces of the recipients soul. When he had fully recovered them, the Shaman would blow the energy back into his (client's) body, often into the heart area and the top of the head. At this point, any necessary instructions would be communicated, and most likely the client would be given into the care of his family and friends, while the shaman retired to a resting place. Soul-retrieval today is based on the same principles. The primary difference is the function of the support system after the retrieval has occurred. In tribal communities, most families lived together, often in one dwelling. Sometimes the men and women lived in separate housing, but there still existed a strong familial bonding which served to support the member who was experiencing the loss. This arrangement also provided a safe environment for physical and emotional recovery and the integration of the energy which had been retrieved by the Shaman.

In today's Western Culture, it is often left up to the individual and her small group of supporters, to weather life transitions. We are expected to 'maintain appearances' even during times of extreme stress. Even illness or death of a loved one doesn't excuse one from the daily responsibilities of being in the world, or if it does, it is only briefly. It is in early childhood that we learn society's expectations of 'appropriate behavior' (which varies culturally) and we then internalize those rules. The family itself has a great influence on how the child will choose to incorporate these guidelines, for while one family may adhere rigidly to the norm, another may reject traditional values and structures in favor of a more open and flexible system. It is often at mid-life when these expectations are seriously evaluated and one decides whether to keep them or not. This internal struggle between what has been taught and what is 'truly one's own' is often what brings on the awareness that soul-loss has occurred. Many times the child willingly gives up a 'piece of her soul' in order to be loved and accepted in the family of origin. In other circumstances it just leaves; unable to witness and endure the horrors of abuse and neglect.

Egyptian Mystery

The Bible has a verse in ISAIAH 30:6 that gives a clue to the mystery of the WINGED SERPENT.

Speaking of EGYPT it says,

"From whence come the young and old lion, the viper

and FIERY FLYING SERPENT."

SOULART