| Soul Retrieval: A Shamanic Technique, Part III - Working with non-human Subjects by Irina H. Corten Dr. Corten's third journey into non-ordinary reality is dedicated to retrieving lost soul parts of our animal friends. Like children, they're much more trusting than most human adults, and therefore more open to receiving spiritual healings. Here the author tells us about her shamanic experience with her two dogs. In the last two issues (click to read Soul Retrieval Part I and Part II) I wrote about the uses of shamanic soul retrieval for human subjects. Humans, however, are not the only beneficiaries of soul retrieval. In the shamanic world view, everything that is alive is believed to have soul (vital essence) and is therefore capable of soul loss. Shamans retrieve souls for animals, plants and even things which in Western culture are considered inanimate, suche as rocks, water or earth. Soul can be restored to a piece of land that has suffered violation at the hands of man, to a home where unhappy experiences have taken place, to an institution that has lost its vitality, and so on. The basic method is always the same as I previously described, namely, a journey to non-ordinary reality, an appeal to the Spirits for guidance, and a retrurn with soul parts that are then blown into the recipient. Retrieving souls for non-human subjects is often easier than for human ones, with the exception of children. This is because children and non-humans are more trusting and open to receiving spiritual healings than most adults are. Also, their problems are usually less complicated for the shaman to diagnose. For me, working with such subjects is sheer joy, and I would like to describe how I accomplished soul retrievals for my two dogs. My male Airedale terrier, Duffy, came to me from an animal shelter as a young adult. His history was unknown except that he had been abandoned by his owners. His tail had a kink in it from a break that had healed without proper treatment. He was undernourished but otherwise healthy, and had an energetic, playful temperament characteristic of his breed. He was pretty well trained in basic obedience, but it was clear to me that the training had been very heavy-handed. He carried out the commands nervously and fearfully rather than with the enthusiasm of a dog accustomed to be rewarded with love. He was easily startled by loud noises and voices, but the saddest thing of all was his behaviour when someone happened to move an arm above him. Cowering, he would drop to the floor in abject submissiveness and lie there trembling. It was quite obvious that he had been regularly beaten. Over the months of living with me, Duffy gradually relaxed and became more confident and secure, but his fear of a human arm moving above him continued to haunt him. It pained me to see it, and finally I decided to do a soul retrieval for him. Then the question arose: How in the world would I get him to lie still long enough for me to do the journey and blow the soul parts into his body? Normally, whenever I lie down on the floor next to Duffy, he takes it as an invitation to play and begins pawing and licking me. Much to my surprise, he behaved differently on this occasion. As I rattled and chanted softly to invoke the Spirits, a sense of calm settled ove him. Nor was he disturbed by the sound of shamanic drums when I turned on the CD player. He lay down next to me and soon fell asleep. In the first scene of my journey I saw a farm yard on a warm summer afternoon. Duffy, a very young puppy, was basking under a tree with his mother and siblings. Suddenly, a large pair of human hands appeared and abruptly yanked him away. This suggested to me that his initial trauma in life had to do with being removed from his canine family too early. Next, I saw Duffy as a young adult accompanying on a hike in the mountains. Chasing a squirrel, he took a false step and tumbled down a steep slope. He hurt his shoulder and rib rather badly and was whining from the pain. His master, however, was unconcerned and harshly called Duffy to follow him. In the last scene of the journey, I saw this man beating Duffy with a stick. I was not sure if the imagery I saw reveled actual events in Duffy's life or constituted a metaphoric representation of his abuse. Regardless, the energy of the traumas felt very real. I carefully gathered the soul parts, brought them back, and blew them into Duffy's chest and head. Thereupon, he stood up unhurriedly and walked out of the room in a manner that I could only describe as regal. The consequences of this healing were noticeable. While Duffy's fear of abrupt arm movements did not completely disappear, it abated to the point of occurring only occaionally and far less intensely than before. My other Airedale, Lada, came from a breeder. Having been well treated, she did not have Duffy's emotional problems, but at age two she developed hip dysplasia and underwent surgery involving partial removal of her hip joints. Recovery was painful and slow, but eventually she regained near-normal mobility. During her convalescence I took care of her with as much love as I could possibly offer, yet I could still see that she was suffering from post-surgical trauma. There was a sadness and listlessness about her, and I felt that a soul retrieval was definitely in order. In the journey, my Spirit Helper showed me a scene in a forest glade. I saw Lada crawling pitifully through the grass, dragging her aching legs behind her. Then a tall, graceful doe emerged from the woods. She approached Lada and stood over her, nuzzling her affectionately. As this was happening, Lada became transformed into a strong-legged, frisky dog. She stood up, licked the doe, and the two of them began galloping side by side through the sunlit meadow. I understood that Spirit was not only showing me Lada's soul part but giving her a power animal as well. I embraced both Dog and Deer and blew them into Lada with a blessing. After this soul retrieval, Lada soon returned to being like her old self before the surgery. It is possible that eventually my dogs' problems would have resolved themselves without treatment, but I am convinced that, at the very least, the soul retrievals expedited Lada's and Duffy's recovery and gave them extra months, if not years, of physical and emotional well-being. Copyright © 1998 Irina H. Corten | 
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