| Soul Retrieval: A Shamanic Technique, Part II by Irina H. Corten In the second of her successful three-part series of articles about this ancient shamanic practice, Dr. Corten takes us on another fascinating journey to non-ordinary reality. This time we'll discover how we can use soul retrieval to recover damaged body parts or regain lost knowledge of our true spiritual Self. Last time I wrote about soul retrieval - a shamanic healing method that restores life energy and wholeness to individuals who have suffered physical or emotional trauma (to read the previous article, click here). On this occasion, I would like to describe two subcategories of soul retrieval: one that heals specific body parts and another, called "soul remembering", that helps people regain lost knowledge of their true spiritual Self. Retrieving the body through the soul Soul retrieval for body parts is done similarly to the more general soul retrieval previously described. The shaman journeys to non-ordinary reality and asks Spirit for help in manifesting the "soul" or life essence of the client's ailing body part. Usually it appears in the form of an image or set of images. These are embraced by the shaman, carried back to ordinary reality, and blown into the body part. If the client prefers not to be touched in that particular area, the energy is directed there through the head or heart center. What happens in this type of healing is that the retrieved positive energy replaces the intrusion of harmful energy and increases the body's ability to resist illness. The method works remarkably well for minor ailments. It also helps with more major ones, especially after repeated treatment. There are reports of cures of even such serious maladies as cancer and heart disease. However, one must understand that this is not a substitute for conventional medicine. Shamanic healing addresses the psychic and spiritual aspects of illness, thereby complementing the therapy offered by physicians. I would like to describe how I used body-part soul retrieval with a particular client. Linda was a 46 year-old divorcee. She complained of excruciating pain in her neck and shoulders, which was the result of her ex-husband's abuse of her. He used to beat her in that area with his fists. Her doctor found no physical cause for her continuing pain. Aphrodite's healing power Linda was also experiencing chronic pain in her left foot that had been caused by a horse stepping on it a couple of years earlier. A fractured bone there had healed, yet the pain lingered on. Linda added that she suffered from habitual depression and a feeling that she was an unattractive and unworthy person. In my shamanic journey for Linda, my Power Animal took me to an environment that looked like ancient Greece. We found ourselves on the shore of the Aegean Sea. I saw a beautiful young woman walking on the sand along the water's edge. She was wearing a silky white tunic and light leather sandals braided around her ankles. Her luxuriant hair was swept up in coils and interwoven with pearls. I realized that she was Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. A white seagull swooped down and fluttered its wings behind Aphrodite's shoulders. Laughing, the goddess lifted her elbows, placed the palms of her hands on her shoulders, and I saw them starting to glow with a soft rosy light. Aphrodite then removed her left sandal and dipped her bare foot in the warm aquamarine water of the sea. Linda was very happy to receive Aphrodite's image and the energy that came with it. Several weeks later she called me to report that her neck and shoulder pain was gone and her foot pain was minimal. She also said that the awareness of the goddess power within her was helping alleviate her emotional pain from having low self-esteem. We were deeply grateful to Spirit for enabling this healing to take place. Remembering one's soul The other technique I would like to discuss is called "soul remembering". According to shamanic belief, when we are born into this world, the essence of who we truly are often becomes obscured and distorted by family and social conditioning. We are taught to play certain roles, accept established values, think and act according to people's expectations. Gradually, these criteria become internalized, creating a limited self-image. Our perspective on life becomes narrow and we lose the awareness of our creative and spiritual potential. To restore the client's memory of his or her higher Self, the shaman journeys to non-ordinary reality and asks Spirit to reveal this knowledge in the form of a strong visual image. This image is then blown into the client's body or drawn as a picture and given to the client for inspiration. When I was learning this healing, I was particularly intrigued by the idea of producing a picture. Since my artistic proficiency is at the level of an average 10-year old, I thought it would be quite a challenge to attempt it. Oddly enough, my first client turned out to be an artist. Jim was an art major in college. He told me that, although he loved his studies, he was not satisfied with his creative work. He showed me some of his pictures - mostly watercolor landscapes and a few charcoal portraits. They were good from a technical standpoint, but pretty conventional in style. Jim said he felt frustrated by his inability to be more original. He also told me that his parents were unhappy with his choice of major because they regarded the study of art as impractical. In my journey for him, I was shown a figure of a youth glowing with golden light. He was standing on top of a mountain that was floating above our planet. He clapped his hands, and several large urns or vases appeared before him. They were filled with beautiful crystals, each of a different color. The boy began dipping into these vases, scooping up the crystals, and throwing them vigorously upward. Vastly expanding, they formed fanciful patterns against the sky, like fireworks. Down on earth, crowds of people watched this display with excitement and joy. Some of the crystals fell from the sky into their hands, and people took them away as cherished treasures. Although my pictorial representation of this vision was pretty primitive, Jim seemed well pleased with it and with what it represented. An encouraging trend About half a year later, he sent me a letter and some snapshots of his new work. They were bold, colorful abstract designs, quite different from his earlier ones. He wrote that, although he still had not discovered his personal style, he now felt much freer to experiment. He also informed me that he was volunteering as an art tutor in a school for handicapped children and was considering a second major in psychology and a career as an art therapist. The positive results obtained in my work with clients have convinced me that soul retrieval in all its forms is a healing method that deserves broad recognition in our society. This is beginning to happen. A shamanic practitioner I know was recently asked to provide soul retrievals for certain companies contracting with a local health maintenance organization. An insurance company designed a new wellness plan for these companies that included massage, naturopathy and shamanic work. Employee education on soul retrieval work was provided as part of the process. Let's hope that this trend will continue to grow. Copyright © 1998 Irina H. Corten | 
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