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moonvoiceHai, look, a new article!
ZOMG, I haven't done one of these in aaaaaaaaaaaaaages.
Not under filter or friends-lock because... well it's going up on my website anyway.
But for those who are not interested in the slightest in my woo-stuff, DON'T READ!
The Transient Soul, and Soul Injury
It has been my own experience, as a practitioner of neo-Shamanism, that the soul (or souls, if you believe in more than one) is a transient rather than static collection of energy. Unlike other religions, which may suggest that the soul is a permanent fixture that cannot be harmed or damaged, many different forms of shamanism (whether in the form of traditional animisms, or neo-Shamanisms) believe and suggest that the soul can be wounded, injured, split, and fragmented in many ways.
There is very little in this world that is permanent, or not influenced by other forces of energy. Glaciers move, mountains erode, whole continents float on a supporting bed of molten rock. The soul is no different, it is affected and changed by the forces around it. When these forces are mostly supportive, the soul grows towards a greater connection to the souls around it; nature, other people, other land masses. A person lives in greater harmony with other people, and is better able to help other souls to grow. When the forces around a soul are mostly unsupportive, or worse; when a person experiences trauma that affects them on all levels, the chance for soul injury occurs. When one considers that the body can be injured, and the ‘mind’, it is not a small stop to also consider that the soul can be injured too.
We have doctors, alternative health practicioners, psychologists and psychiatrists, and many other professions that are suited to addressing the harm that the body and mind can experience. Some jobs are better suited to holistically addressing harm than others; some people are better suited to healing than others. But which profession specifically treats the injured soul? The answer is found in many ancient, and also contemporary practices of soul healing (also known as soul retrieval, extraction, cleansing, etc.) that are located in many Indigenous cultures worldwide, and also in contemporary neo-Shamanisms. It was, and is, the ‘Shaman’ who trained – among other things – to know how to spot symptoms of soul injury, and know how to help nurture that soul back to health.
I believe that the soul can be fragmented, or wounded. That – after certain types of trauma – the soul can split off into different ‘pieces.’ The majority of the soul stays with the person, so that they are able to function and live; though often not thrive. And the frightened, hurt, or damaged soul fragments tend to find their way into the Otherworlds (which is the location – I believe – for all souls, it is after all where many lands of the dead are found), where many different things can happen to them.
Events that can cause soul injury
The two most obvious ones that I see personally are:
- Abuse of ANY kind, at any age, including but not limited to; sexual, physical and emotional abuse, general bullying and domestic violence.
- Surgery (major or minor).
Other causes of soul injury are:
- Sudden, unexpected trauma like car accidents, being mugged or attacked, being exposed to catastrophic natural disaster (e.g. losing a home in a fire, or storm).
- Being in a war zone.
- Chronic pain. (Sometimes chronic pain can actually cause – rather than be a response to – soul injury.)
- Loss of a loved one (particularly a spouse, child, or parent). This can include the loss of pets.
- Being deliberately harmed by other, experienced (or inexperienced) people who work with energy or ‘magic.’ This was more of a reality for those Indigenous cultures who competed with each other for resources and may attack a ‘Shaman’ to undermine a community.
I’m sure I’ve probably missed things, but you get the idea. Anything that can be considered hard for any person to take, can potentially cause soul loss.
It’s important to recognise that these things will not always, or even often, cause soul loss. And that a person is more likely to experience soul loss if they are in a spiritually, emotionally or physically unsupportive environment.
Symptoms of soul loss
I feel these symptoms don’t necessarily always indicate soul loss. And they don’t always suggest an absolute need to locate someone experienced in soul healing either; after all, many people do eventually learn how to heal and aid their own soul.
- Feeling a sense of differentness after a particular event. Phrases like ‘I was never the same after that day,’ or ‘I lost a part of myself,’ or ‘I want to get that part of me back again,’ or ‘nothing has tasted the same, nothing has felt the same since then.’
- Pervasive feelings of numbness, or a feeling of detachment from the world, including other people and animals, plants etc. in nature. Chronic and persistent feelings of loss that may not be easily explained.
- Chronic illnesses that don’t have a genetic component; unexplained or sudden onsets of eczema and other dermatological complaints, gastro-intestinal upset, chronic and unexplained joint and nerve pain, tension headaches and migraines, etc.
- The development of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Remember that depression and anxiety can have additional environmental and genetic components and while soul healing may help – it is not a ‘cure’ to be used in lieu of therapy or if necessary; medication.
- The presence of low self-esteem, or even self-hatred. Dissatisfaction with the self, the body, or the mind.
- An inability to ‘let go’ of something that has occurred. If it is the loss of a loved one, it may be a feeling of being tied to that person years after the loss has occurred; in a way that stops you from moving forward. A sense of ‘hanging on,’ even if you know you don’t want to.
Luckily, the soul, mind and body tend to work as a unit; rather than three separate ‘wholes.’ So therapy for a mental illness can actually help with soul healing too. And physical therapy for a chronic pain complaint, can help the mind to gain greater equilibrium (as the body experiences less pain) and the soul to become more whole. Likewise, soul healing and soul retrieval can aid mental illness and chronic health problems.
Soul healing tends to come in different forms:
Soul Retrieval - This is when a shaman, or neo-Shamanist (the list of terms I could use here goes on a long way!) journeys into the otherworlds in order to locate soul ‘fragments’ and return them to the client or person in question.
Soul extraction / banishing / cleansing - The act of removing any metaphysical ‘dirt’ or wounds from a soul, usually by sucking them out of spirit and then removing them from the body. Soul extraction is usually necessary with someone who also needs soul retrieval, as if you have gaps or spaces in the spirit, other energies often volunteer to fill them in (whether you like it or not).
Working with other spirit guides - One practice I do, and have known others to do, is to actively interact with another person’s spirit guides and support and work with them – sometimes intensively – to help the healing of the person in question. This can be a very benign or gentler form of healing, especially for folks who may not be willing to commit to more intensive soul therapies.
If you think you have experienced soul injury
There is a serious shortage of qualified shamanic practitioners able to perform soul retrievals / extractions and provide adequate aftercare (something that I personally think is very important), particularly when compared to the amount of people who have experienced soul damage. Some shamanic practitioners won’t work long-distance, others will. They can be found by searching ‘soul retrieval’ (though if you’re being asked to pay a set fee that is extortionate, keep looking!), or asking around spiritual communities. You can even find people experienced in soul healing in many different religions and cultures.
I recommend that you don’t work on your own soul if you suspect it is injured or harmed, especially if you have no otherworld / journeying experience (I can’t stress that enough). The otherworlds can be dangerous, even for people with whole and healthy souls. It is especially dangerous if you are already fragmented and vulnerable; particularly because your senses may be dulled, or your sense of self-confidence shattered.
One way to start soul healing work, is to address any physical and mental issues you have through avenues like Western medicine, therapy, life-coaching or alternative health modalities. The other is to start looking for guides and teachers in your life who can provide a greater sense of literal and metaphysical support. These are things you can safely do, which are empowering and also help you to take charge of your healing. It sounds simple, but you would be surprised how many people don’t even take simple steps to take control of their healing journey. Sometimes doing something that seems like a ‘little,’ actually helps a lot.
I has a link:
http://www.wildspeak.com/vilturj/heal/soultransience.html
ZOMG, I haven't done one of these in aaaaaaaaaaaaaages.
Not under filter or friends-lock because... well it's going up on my website anyway.
But for those who are not interested in the slightest in my woo-stuff, DON'T READ!
The Transient Soul, and Soul Injury
It has been my own experience, as a practitioner of neo-Shamanism, that the soul (or souls, if you believe in more than one) is a transient rather than static collection of energy. Unlike other religions, which may suggest that the soul is a permanent fixture that cannot be harmed or damaged, many different forms of shamanism (whether in the form of traditional animisms, or neo-Shamanisms) believe and suggest that the soul can be wounded, injured, split, and fragmented in many ways.
There is very little in this world that is permanent, or not influenced by other forces of energy. Glaciers move, mountains erode, whole continents float on a supporting bed of molten rock. The soul is no different, it is affected and changed by the forces around it. When these forces are mostly supportive, the soul grows towards a greater connection to the souls around it; nature, other people, other land masses. A person lives in greater harmony with other people, and is better able to help other souls to grow. When the forces around a soul are mostly unsupportive, or worse; when a person experiences trauma that affects them on all levels, the chance for soul injury occurs. When one considers that the body can be injured, and the ‘mind’, it is not a small stop to also consider that the soul can be injured too.
We have doctors, alternative health practicioners, psychologists and psychiatrists, and many other professions that are suited to addressing the harm that the body and mind can experience. Some jobs are better suited to holistically addressing harm than others; some people are better suited to healing than others. But which profession specifically treats the injured soul? The answer is found in many ancient, and also contemporary practices of soul healing (also known as soul retrieval, extraction, cleansing, etc.) that are located in many Indigenous cultures worldwide, and also in contemporary neo-Shamanisms. It was, and is, the ‘Shaman’ who trained – among other things – to know how to spot symptoms of soul injury, and know how to help nurture that soul back to health.
I believe that the soul can be fragmented, or wounded. That – after certain types of trauma – the soul can split off into different ‘pieces.’ The majority of the soul stays with the person, so that they are able to function and live; though often not thrive. And the frightened, hurt, or damaged soul fragments tend to find their way into the Otherworlds (which is the location – I believe – for all souls, it is after all where many lands of the dead are found), where many different things can happen to them.
Events that can cause soul injury
The two most obvious ones that I see personally are:
- Abuse of ANY kind, at any age, including but not limited to; sexual, physical and emotional abuse, general bullying and domestic violence.
- Surgery (major or minor).
Other causes of soul injury are:
- Sudden, unexpected trauma like car accidents, being mugged or attacked, being exposed to catastrophic natural disaster (e.g. losing a home in a fire, or storm).
- Being in a war zone.
- Chronic pain. (Sometimes chronic pain can actually cause – rather than be a response to – soul injury.)
- Loss of a loved one (particularly a spouse, child, or parent). This can include the loss of pets.
- Being deliberately harmed by other, experienced (or inexperienced) people who work with energy or ‘magic.’ This was more of a reality for those Indigenous cultures who competed with each other for resources and may attack a ‘Shaman’ to undermine a community.
I’m sure I’ve probably missed things, but you get the idea. Anything that can be considered hard for any person to take, can potentially cause soul loss.
It’s important to recognise that these things will not always, or even often, cause soul loss. And that a person is more likely to experience soul loss if they are in a spiritually, emotionally or physically unsupportive environment.
Symptoms of soul loss
I feel these symptoms don’t necessarily always indicate soul loss. And they don’t always suggest an absolute need to locate someone experienced in soul healing either; after all, many people do eventually learn how to heal and aid their own soul.
- Feeling a sense of differentness after a particular event. Phrases like ‘I was never the same after that day,’ or ‘I lost a part of myself,’ or ‘I want to get that part of me back again,’ or ‘nothing has tasted the same, nothing has felt the same since then.’
- Pervasive feelings of numbness, or a feeling of detachment from the world, including other people and animals, plants etc. in nature. Chronic and persistent feelings of loss that may not be easily explained.
- Chronic illnesses that don’t have a genetic component; unexplained or sudden onsets of eczema and other dermatological complaints, gastro-intestinal upset, chronic and unexplained joint and nerve pain, tension headaches and migraines, etc.
- The development of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Remember that depression and anxiety can have additional environmental and genetic components and while soul healing may help – it is not a ‘cure’ to be used in lieu of therapy or if necessary; medication.
- The presence of low self-esteem, or even self-hatred. Dissatisfaction with the self, the body, or the mind.
- An inability to ‘let go’ of something that has occurred. If it is the loss of a loved one, it may be a feeling of being tied to that person years after the loss has occurred; in a way that stops you from moving forward. A sense of ‘hanging on,’ even if you know you don’t want to.
Luckily, the soul, mind and body tend to work as a unit; rather than three separate ‘wholes.’ So therapy for a mental illness can actually help with soul healing too. And physical therapy for a chronic pain complaint, can help the mind to gain greater equilibrium (as the body experiences less pain) and the soul to become more whole. Likewise, soul healing and soul retrieval can aid mental illness and chronic health problems.
Soul healing tends to come in different forms:
Soul Retrieval - This is when a shaman, or neo-Shamanist (the list of terms I could use here goes on a long way!) journeys into the otherworlds in order to locate soul ‘fragments’ and return them to the client or person in question.
Soul extraction / banishing / cleansing - The act of removing any metaphysical ‘dirt’ or wounds from a soul, usually by sucking them out of spirit and then removing them from the body. Soul extraction is usually necessary with someone who also needs soul retrieval, as if you have gaps or spaces in the spirit, other energies often volunteer to fill them in (whether you like it or not).
Working with other spirit guides - One practice I do, and have known others to do, is to actively interact with another person’s spirit guides and support and work with them – sometimes intensively – to help the healing of the person in question. This can be a very benign or gentler form of healing, especially for folks who may not be willing to commit to more intensive soul therapies.
If you think you have experienced soul injury
There is a serious shortage of qualified shamanic practitioners able to perform soul retrievals / extractions and provide adequate aftercare (something that I personally think is very important), particularly when compared to the amount of people who have experienced soul damage. Some shamanic practitioners won’t work long-distance, others will. They can be found by searching ‘soul retrieval’ (though if you’re being asked to pay a set fee that is extortionate, keep looking!), or asking around spiritual communities. You can even find people experienced in soul healing in many different religions and cultures.
I recommend that you don’t work on your own soul if you suspect it is injured or harmed, especially if you have no otherworld / journeying experience (I can’t stress that enough). The otherworlds can be dangerous, even for people with whole and healthy souls. It is especially dangerous if you are already fragmented and vulnerable; particularly because your senses may be dulled, or your sense of self-confidence shattered.
One way to start soul healing work, is to address any physical and mental issues you have through avenues like Western medicine, therapy, life-coaching or alternative health modalities. The other is to start looking for guides and teachers in your life who can provide a greater sense of literal and metaphysical support. These are things you can safely do, which are empowering and also help you to take charge of your healing. It sounds simple, but you would be surprised how many people don’t even take simple steps to take control of their healing journey. Sometimes doing something that seems like a ‘little,’ actually helps a lot.
I has a link:
http://www.wildspeak.com/vilturj/heal/soultransience.html
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no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 08:20 am (UTC)I see the soul as an organic thing, a part of the body. It can be injured, it can die, it can grow back. The idea of multiple souls has sparked my interest too. Old ones waste a way, to be replaced with new growth. I'm looking for something that can explain my experiences, and this *might* be it.
The idea of soul loss struck a nerve too. During my first year at art school (I can't remember the exact trigger) but I was unhappy there, and one day I remember waking up and feeling like I'd lost something. That was the day I believe my manic depression made it's presence felt. Perhaps "the black dog" is itself a transient soul.
*ponders*
Thanks for sharing this.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 02:03 pm (UTC)When I was reading it, I thought my own soul might be fragmented, though I don't necesarily feel as detached as I feel disconnected from everyone and everything around me. But there's no real way for me to tell since I don't have any IRL friends who practice any sort of spirituality, much less proficient in something like soul retrieval.
:|
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 10:56 pm (UTC)I don't know what to think of souls other than that I believe they exist and can change/be injured, so this is great input. Working with guides has helped a wound in my soul. I smiled when you mentioned them.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 11:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-03 03:25 am (UTC)<3
no subject
Date: 2008-07-03 01:59 pm (UTC)The really valuable part, however, is the last paragraph, suggesting that people who fear they've experienced soul loss take their journey into their own hands, with the methods they may already have available to them, rather than risking life, limb, and wallet, paying someone for a retrieval or attempting to journey and find their missing pieces on their own.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-05 10:36 pm (UTC)/always glad to see new material out of you
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 12:53 am (UTC)You mentioned that people in present times don't often deliborately mame one another on a metaphysical level... Well... you might want to mention the occasional self appointed internet shaman who runs around pulling shit or the self appointed internet wizard ceramonial magician kin of eclectic chos or something post modern sounding... Also, you may want to mention cult leaders be they a high priestess of a Wiccan coven with an inflated ego or the pastor of a fundamentalist church who may or may not know what he's doing to people. Yeah, I'm pretty jaded about religion, but I do suspect a great many religous leders *are* actually maming their followers deliborately or otherwise.
Also, I'm a little leary of those who say, "Don't do it yourself. It's too dangerous for you to try. Leave it to the experts." OK Those weren't your exact words, but if I didn't know you, I'd think you were suspect. You did suggest good "real world" ways of healing. No harm in that. :) Might I suggest you add perhaps a meditation or... something that isn't as intense as running around the other world dreding up pieces of your inner most being...
I'm more ramblign and putting ideas out there. I'm not trying to be overly criticle.
Having said all that, your article was very straight forward and well organized which isn't something I often see in the world of metaphysics. You didn't beat around the bush, and you simply stated what you think very clearly.
Thanks for writing this.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 03:19 am (UTC)I'll probably mention it in another article (probably more specifically on deliberate / psychic soul harm and soul extraction). There are too many exceptions to really discuss them. I myself have experienced deliberately soul severed, and know how to do it myself.
Also, I'm a little leary of those who say, "Don't do it yourself. It's too dangerous for you to try. Leave it to the experts."
*shrugs* To me, it is exactly the same thing as a surgeon saying 'please don't do your open heart surgery on your own, it's too dangerous and leave it to the experts.' I would be more suspect of a surgeon who DIDN'T tell me to do that. So feel free to think I'm suspect, since I've said that exact quote that you've listed to others before regarding soul retrieval.
I think what qualified shamans do is a skillset that requires similar training (in terms of length) as qualifications like being a lawyer or surgeon. I also think that it's irresponsible of me to take a blase attitude towards the soul. I wouldn't want surgeons to take a blase attitude towards my body before they cut into it with a scalpel.
:)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 03:20 am (UTC)You know, I think this is one of the most valuable parts of the article as well. *hugs* Thanks for saying what you said. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 03:23 am (UTC)Perhaps someday i will be able to find someone who can help me find them.
I hope so too, *hugs* Though from what I've read of you, I think of you as being spiritually competent, maybe one day they will come back to you naturally.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 03:24 am (UTC)It's something that I believe is explored / examined in some aspects of psychological teaching; that we shut parts of ourselves off, in order to survive. Shamanists tend to explain it as an external severing, but in psychology it can be an internal dissociation.
Either way working with it consciously can create some pathways towards healing.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:04 am (UTC)And I understand where you are coming from. I said that if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were suspect. Having said that, I think the best spiritual leaders teach people how to teach themselves. OK, you can't do this terribly well or responsibly from the net, so I'm not telling you to train people to be shamans over the net or something! EEK! That'd be the other extreme.
Perhaps there are smal things people can do that is not full on soul retrieval but are construcive mediations or visualisations that may help a person toperhaps call peicesof their soul home.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:21 am (UTC)But absolutely, more people need to learn how to do this - and are learning completely on their own, sadly - and due to a shortage of good, neo-Shaman teachers, it can be a real struggle.
So it is something I want to start exploring more I guess. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:23 am (UTC)Helped me too actually. I'm always so glad when I hear that others have really good, healing relationships with their guides too.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:23 am (UTC)*hugs you and YOUR woo stuff*
take that!
Aha!
Can't get away from my hugs!
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:24 am (UTC)I do think you may have experienced some soul hurt, maybe not to the extent where actual fragmentation occurred, but enough that you feel real pain / anguish relating to yourself from time to time.
But I also think you're really committed to healing, you're a very passionate and strong person, and all of those things will help. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:46 am (UTC)I've finally admitted to myself that I was a Heathen for most of my life in some capacity, and I'm now bemoning the fact that many of us are solitary, some just because of lack of contace with other Heathens, others because their local Heathen kindreds/ lodges... whatever are insane or racist or out right dangerous.
So I have been wondering if there is a way for newbies like me to learn more about the true essence of Heathenry (recently invented non- word)... To my mind, the propper way ot learn things like this is to live and learn with and from some one who lives it. Cook, clean, hunt, carve, perform ritual, look after kids, fight (i.e. sparing etc.)... just live Heathenry with a Heathen or with allot of 'em. Arguing about Fokish verses Universlaist won't make any real difference. I'm a Universalist. I can still learn the essence of Heathenry from some one who is Folkish or Tribalist or some other "ist" so long as it isn't "white supremicist" or "inane.... no ist". lol
In your case, I suspect shamanism is the same. You likely really have to live it to learn it. The Internet doesn't quite allow for that... yet.
Having said that, I really think there are a few things you can give other people aside from good informative articles. Perhaps some spychic self defense techniques or meditation that help you listen to your own heart and soul or... in my case... ways to deal with piles and piles of anger.
These things would give people a few more tools to draw from their mental tool box if some one does try to take advantage.
Like I said, it was a good article. I loke your stuff.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:48 am (UTC)I find myself wondering about how spiritual teachers and students can use the Internet to further advance...
I see allot of spiritual types or self described spiritual types misuesing the Internet. The YouTube pagan community is, quite frankly, one big farse, and it's very sad.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:52 am (UTC)I'm that lame. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 04:54 am (UTC)Exactly. I have some faith that the universe does help students to find good teachers; but not enough that it will happen for every genuine seeker. A lot of genuine seekers get stuck with shoddy teachers. A lot of genuine teachers get stuck with students who only want to be spoonfed their lessons.
And I mean that's in real life, that doesn't even begin to touch on additional problems of internet teaching... Eeks.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 05:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-06 01:10 pm (UTC)*pokes tongue at u*
*smooch*