ShamanTalk

ShamanTalk

By Rhonda McCrimmonReligion & SpiritualitySpirituality
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ShamanTalk episodes

  • 41. What’s the point of all this work anyway?

    When we’re called to walk a path of personal and spiritual transformation, it can be easy to lose sight of what we are going and what we are trying to achieve. Or perhaps we’re aiming for something that doesn’t exist?

    So what are we trying to achieve? Enlightenment? Always being Joyful & in Flow space? Being Happy?

    I’m going to burst some bubbles here… life ebbs and flows and when we’re happy and in flow state… then super! But how easily are we knocked out of that space when life happens around us? When we are faced with hardship, loss, break-ups and breakdowns?

    Then we’re not happy or joyful. Old stories and behaviours come up – we find ourselves acting in ways that really don’t serve us. But it’s happened before we even realise.

    So what is it we need?

    We need a toolkit – that’s the point of the work. To build an effective, supportive toolkit that we can open at any time and know we have what we need to be able to ride this wave called life. We may not become an enlightened being – but we can become effective shamanic people.

    But there’s a step to this that many people miss. And that’s the action and the work it takes to awaken our inner healer, fill our toolbox and move through life with as much grace as we can muster.

    Some steps we can take include

    1. Building confidence with our spiritual work
    2. Learning how to work with our resistance
    3. Finding Spiritual momentum and overcoming self-limiting beliefs to transformation
    4. Working with effective boundaries in our life
    5. Overcoming and avoiding the Blame Game
    6. Understanding our shadow and how we can understand and integrate our worst bits
    7. Learning how to be vulnerable and admitting when we need help – whilst also standing in a place of radical self-responsibility
    8. Recognising and releasing old stories – we stay trapped by the stories we tell ourselves and those we have been told by others.

      9. So, take those steps every day – whatever it takes, find a way to work towards a tool kit that actually works for you.

      Activities this week

      1. Write down all the self-care, spiritual steps, meditating, journaling, mantras, behavioural changes, counselling techniques, reiki, shamanic (or otherwise) steps you take or have taken in your life to support your personal and spiritual growth.

      Spend some time and celebrate those steps.

      Don’t let that voice come in that says ‘I should be doing more’ or ‘this isn’t good enough’

      Just spend some time in gratitude and thank yourself

      Do this at least once a week to keep yourself motivated and in a positive place.

      Don’t know how to Journey? No worries. I got you.

      You can sign up for my free monthly live online introduction to Shamanism training here.

      30 min
    9. 40. Six ways to work effectively with difficult interactions

      This week I give you 6 steps and things to think about. We will work within the Drama Triangle map. Coupled with the Blame work from a couple of weeks ago, it’s a powerful combination for transformation and change!

      And if you’ve done the Drama Triangle work with me already (I know many of you have taken my drama triangle workshop) – listen anyway. This work is about layers and peeling those back.

      In case you aren’t familiar with the Karpman Triangle, it represents the dynamics of unhealthy and manipulative relationships. Each corner of the triangle depicts a role that people play in the game of a dysfunctional relationship. One corner is the victim (please help me); one corner is the rescuer (the over-responsible, controller); and the third corner is the persecutor (the villain, the bully, the superior one).

      So how do we escape these archetypes and create healthy conversations free from blame and invalidation of others?

      The 6 steps I’ll talk about in this podcast are:

      1. Realise that you are repeating a pattern. Stand back and observe your pattern.
      2. Under any circumstance, do not become defensive. Keep a neutral attitude.
      3. If you find yourself feeling like a victim, learn to take responsibility for yourself instead of blaming others for how your life is turning out.
      4. If you find yourself feeling like you’re taking on too much responsibility, back off, allowing others to take on their own responsibilities, even allowing others to fail if that happens.
      5. Refrain from the following: blaming, criticising, accusing, lecturing, scolding, monitoring, threatening, preaching, obsessing, over-reacting, or under-reacting. Instead, focus on being neutral. Ask yourself, “How can I bring a blessing to this situation?
      6. Escape the FOG. FOG stands for Fear, Obligation, Guilt.

        7. Rituals & Journeys

        1. Go on a Journey with your Guides and ask to be shown a repeating pattern or behaviour that needs to shift for you. Ask to be shown in a clear and understandable way. Also ask for any actions (for example a ritual, apology, a life change) that you can take to start shifting that pattern or behaviour.
        2. Go on a journey and ask for a ritual to carry out that will unhook us energetically from a person or situation that we find difficult to step away from or avoid being triggered by.

          3. This could be a Fire Ceremony where you write down all your blame, hurt, guilt and fear and ask the fire to transform that for you.

          If you need more confidence or support with ceremonial work click here for a free pdf to support you.

          Podcasts episodes that support this episode

          Episode 36

          Episode 37

          Episode 24

          Don’t know how to Journey? No worries. I got you.

          You can sign up for my free monthly live online introduction to Shamanism training here.

          35 min
        3. 39. Letting go of the Past and Weaving Shamanism into your Future
          The purpose of looking to the past is to not wallow in it, but rather to integrate it so that we can wholeheartedly embrace where we want to go in the future. Integrating the past is about deeply acknowledging what was and taking with us any wisdom arising from our experiences.
          All of us have had difficult or painful experiences in our lives, and some of us more than others. Having the courage to look at these experiences and say “that was very difficult for me” is the starting point for integrating the past.
          And, by acknowledging the past we allow it to stay in its rightful place ― the past, so that we may move on. Unwillingness to work through and integrate difficult experiences can often result in what is unresolved resurfacing in the future.
          But what is also important is to remember that our past is part of us and has helped shape us.
          Integrating our skills and lessons is also important. Do not discard your past learnings because you feel different or know differently. Everything we learn has value. Initially, I felt my years in accountancy were wasted. But I’ve gained so much experience, knowledge of people, knowledge of the struggles of corporate women, understanding of how to run a business. That has brought amazing value to my life now that I’ve embraced what I want to keep and released what I’m done with.
          I think it’s so important to shed the old stories that don’t serve us but hold onto our skills and knowledge. Those are always supportive for us in some way!
          I heard a lot about transferrable skills in my corporate life!
          Remember, Shamanism can be thought of in terms of ‘as well as’ rather than ‘instead of’.  If we can weave it into our lives, it will inform and enhance all our endeavours.
          Journeys for this week
          1.     It’s important to weave shamanism into our lives. Go on a Journey with your Guides to the Middle Realm and ask to be shown the difference energetically when you merge your worlds and what it looks like when you don’t.
          2.     Ask your Guides to take you on a healing journey to the Upper Worlds to give you something that will support you to integrate all parts of your life in a seamless flow.
          24 min
        4. 38. How to Make Decisions Without Fear | A Shamanic Approach
          I’d like to start off by thanking the Spirit of Horse and the guidance and wisdom that has been gratefully received this month.
          At the end of Horse month, I did some intuitive readings via Facebook and there was a theme! Lots of people had decisions to make.
          So I’ve created this podcast to support us as Shamanic People to make informed choices and the Guides have given me a list of things to think about when making decisions.
          Important life decisions can be challenging to make. They are often complicated, involving many factors, some of them with competing interests. The stakes may also be high. But daily decisions can also be hard to make, we may feel a bit crippled and end up stuck doing nothing.
          So listen and hopefully the information will support you in creating momentum in your decisions.
          Slow down
          Accept that making decisions can be hard
          Aim for integrity.
          Many different paths can nurture your soul. There is not necessarily a right and wrong way.
          Go with the Flow – taking the path of least resistance.
          You are your own No.1 priority in this life, and you have to live with your decisions on a daily basis. Be careful about making a decision to keep others happy.
          Don’t fear the consequences.
          What is your gut/instincts telling you?
          Ask advice but avoid giving your power away to others.
          Activities
          This is a Listening exercise. A way to work that will support you to listen to yourself.
          Set your sacred space and call in your Guides. Write down what you’re thinking about with regards to the decision you have to make. Don’t correct, edit or think – just write. Don’t think about the order, just allow the words to flow out. If you don’t want to write for any reason, record yourself talking.
          Then read it/listen back as if a friend were talking to you asking for advice. How does it sound now? What would you say to that friend? How does it feel hearing the choices? When you’re complete you can throw out or burn the paper.
               2. Got a difficult decision to make? Don’t ask your Guide – ‘what should I do?’ This is akin to fortune-telling and you won’t get far. Try doing a      journey asking what healing or support you need to make the decision for yourself.
          3. BUILD A VALUES LIST | Download this FREE value list building exercise and go through it in your own time.  
          Having a values list that you can call on any time you need to make a decision is going to be a game-changer for your decision-making process. I HIGHLY recommend that you do this exercise.
          30 min
        5. 37. How to free yourself from Toxic Self-Blame
          Self-Blame: The Ultimate Emotional Abuse
          Last week I talked about Blame and got really into the nitty-gritty of that. I was speaking to a group of my students and they brought up the idea of Self-Blame. I also had some emails about that as well.
          So last week talking about Blame we focussed on blaming external people, thigs and situations for our woes.
          This week we will hone in on Self-Blame. I talk about the manifestations of self-blame so that we can start to pinpoint and categorise our issues. We can also know that we’re not alone and that we absolutely can overcome these issues we face
          We’ll examine
          >>>What is Self-Blame?
          >>>Some possible origins of self-blame
          >>>Six ways how self-blame manifests itself in a person’s life.
          Toxic Self Criticism
          Black & White Thinking
          Chronic Self-Doubt
          Poor Self-Care or Self-Harm
          Unsatisfying Relationships
          Chronic Shame, Guilt & Anxiety
          And I share how to work with your Inner Child & the ancient Hawaiian art of Ho’PonoPono.
          This week’s Ceremony
          This week we will work with Self-Healing through the Ancient Art of Ho’ponopono. We are specifically going to concentrate on our Inner Child.
          These are the steps.
          Find some gentle music you can play. Here’s a link to one I use: https://open.spotify.com/track/6YtsJUCBB41QSllt3bNSn4?si=wcwPhU5aRY6a7wq697XiLQ
          You can repeat this music for a longer experience. I recommend at least 10 mins and as much as 30 minutes if that feels right for you. You can also build up to this over time.
          Set your Sacred Space. If you’re not sure what this means check out my free Introduction to Shamanism training here 
          Start playing your music using the repeat function to ensure you can go as long as you wish without being disturbed.
          Take some deep breaths and feel yourself landing in your space. Connect with your Guides (join the training to find out how to do that) and commit to leaving your Daily Cares at the door. You don’t need those, and they’ll be there when you get back.
          Ask your Guides to connect you with your Inner child. Where do you feel that in your body? How do you feel? Notice the feelings that arise – you may be uncomfortable, emotional or feel resistance to the work. That is all OK. Just observe, don’t worry about doing it ‘wrong’ and trust the divine holding of the Universe.
          When you feel connected (or even if you don’t or are not sure)- then begin to repeat these words:
          I’m Sorry
          Please Forgive Me
          Thank You
          I Love You
          Really feel the words resonate through your body as if you were talking to your Inner child. You don’t need to know the details, just allow the magic of the words to flow through you. Continue with this process until you feel a sense of completion. I recommend a minimum of 5 minutes but ideally 10 minutes or more.
          Complete your Ceremony by closing your Space, giving Gratitude and go outside into Nature. Get your feet on the ground if you can (or open a window) and allow Nature to ground you and bring you back to centre.
          You can repeat this ceremony as many times as you feel drawn to and can apply it to many areas of your life.
          Report back in the ShamanTalk Facebook Group – sacred sharing is an important part of the process!
          Also, my slip of the tongue, check out Episode 16 Recapitulation if you haven’t already.
          41 min
        6. 36. Escaping the Blame Game

          May is the month of Horse – Freedom is Yours

          You have freewill and are capable of making powerful choices for yourself.

          Powerful choices that will mean that you experience freedom in a new way.

          Escaping the Blame Game

          I had an interesting week… one of our family called it a ‘Blip in Harmony’. My big lesson was realising how Blame still plays a big role in my Psyche.

          I thought, and wrote, and journeyed, and wrote and walked and wrote…

          And I realised that although I no longer live in a Blame Space, I am definitely visiting too often… without even realising it.

          This week I am bringing my sneaky Righteous Blame out and into the light… and I invite you to join me!

          So, this week I talk about how Blame sneaks up and manifests in our lives.

          And also, what we lose when we play the Blame Game.

          What happens to us when we live in a space of blame is that we give all of our power away to other people.

          Think about it. If you are constantly blaming others for your problems/issues then you are powerless to change it – because it’s someone else’s fault.

          And often when we take blame out of the equation we find that we are all in the same boat. Struggling to make sense of this life and live in a way that brings us meaning.

          I talk about how it is important to know the difference between Escaping the Blame Game while still holding true to our boundaries.

          Blame is insidious and it is the wind that gives momentum to negative drama in our lives.

          Becoming free from it is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself and others.

          Here are the Journeys and Activities for this week.

          1. I want you to sit down and write a very honest list of all the instances in your life where you are blaming others for being/doing/saying something that is making you unhappy. How it would feel to be free of the energetic burden of blame?
          2. Journey with your Guides and ask what it would feel like to be free of blame. This may be an Upper, Middle or Lower World Journey. Your guides will know best.

          3. Journey with your Guides and ask to be shown the energetic effects of Blame on you & on others. Also ask for either a healing an action to tale to begin to escape the Habit of Blame.

            4. I would love to hear your experiences so please share in the ShamanTalk podcast Facebook group.

            Don’t know how to Journey? No worries. I got you.

            You can sign up for my free monthly live online introduction to Shamanism training here.

            36 min
          4. 35. Finding Freedom in Connection with Others

            May is the month of Horse – Freedom is Yours

            You have free will and are capable of making powerful choices for yourself.

            Powerful choices that will mean that you experience freedom in a new way.

            Finding Freedom by opening up to others

            Working with Horse Spirit will remind us that freedom of choice, personal responsibility and direct revelation are all key components of an effective shamanic person.

            But I think there is one part of being an effective shamanic person that is sometimes missed and it’s vitally important. And that is being part of a sacred and trusted circle of people.

            I see a lot of people who do this work alone. I hear various reasons for that.

            1. You’re new to Shamanism and haven’t found a tribe yet
            2. You don’t feel safe sharing your practice with others or that you won’t be welcomed
            3. You feel you might be ridiculed or outcast
            4. Avoiding being in a group to spare yourself from the reflections of others
            5. You don’t feel good or worthy enough to be part of a tribe
            6. It’s never crossed your mind that you need anyone else… you’ve always worked alone.
            7. You’ve had a bad experience in the past and you prefer to work alone now rather than be hurt or feel unsafe.
            8. You like to be in control of your spiritual life and don’t like/worry about the chaos of other spiritual people
            9. You are unable to work with others due to mental health (anxiety, depression etc.)

              10. Be vulnerable. Be part of a Tribe. We are tribal people. And evolved for millennia in that way. We would not have survived otherwise. Now in the past couple of hundred years, we’ve mostly moved away from tribal living. But I invite you to consider moving back in that direction in a way that’s safe for you.

              A healthy, safe and well-held community (online or otherwise) is a beautiful space for sharing and drawing inspiration. It’s also a great place to explore your shadow side and do some deep inner work. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t benefit, in some way, from moving out and being with others.

              Activities & Journeys

              Journey 1

              Go on a journey with your Guides and ask to be shown if you need to expand your connection with others. This Journey will likely be to the Upper World but your Guide may take you elsewhere and that’s absolutely fine.

              Make a note of the people in your life that you can share your journey work with. How many people are on the list? Do you trust them and feel safe, seen and heard with your spiritual experiences?

              If the answer is yes, super! Keep that going.

              Journey 2

              Go on a Journey with your Guide and ask to be shown the next steps for you in terms of vulnerability & communication that will support your forward momentum on your Spiritual Path.

              If the answer is either I have no-one, or I don’t trust those I do have – then it might be time to make some changes?

              Journey 3

              Go on a Journey with your Guide and ask to be shown what needs to change in order that you can move forward with your spiritual work. (And by that I mean, does a relationship or friendship need to end? Do you need to seek out a new circle? Is there an attitude change required? Is there a new perception needed?)

              When you do this work I encourage you to share your experience in the ShamanTalk podcast group. Please only share what is comfortable for you to share. But know that in sharing, we open ourselves up to a vast new world of heart connections.

              28 min
            10. 34. The Shadow Side of Shamanism (it's not what you think it is...)

              Today I talk about what the Shadow is and it may surprise you! I invite you to think about the Shadow side of Shamanism and also the Shadow side of yourself. Shadow work is extremely freeing and is also a key aspect in the creating of a great Shamanic Person!

              Most people have a hard time facing their negative side – especially those of us interested in meditation, self-development, or spirituality. We would like the world to be a gentle, loving place, and therefore try to cultivate those parts of ourselves that fit that image and suppress the ones that don't.

              We think we are in control of our thoughts until they come back to control us when we less expect it – usually when we are in the grip of intense emotions.

              This episode is not designed to point the finger or make anyone feel bad. If you feel like that after this episode, please try to be compassionate and gentle with yourself. Remember that the Shadow needs to be seen, loved and integrated. Not denigrated and beaten with a big stick!

              So, I thought I would cover some key issues I see in Shamanic People to help us all examine these within ourselves and work to free ourselves from the Shadow side of Shamanism and integrate some of our own Shadow in the process.

              1. I’m better than/superior to you because….
              2. Journeying about or for others without permission
              3. Giving our personal responsibility away to Guides
              4. Psychic stalking
              5. Thinking that journeying is the work and never truly going within or making changes

                6. Activities & Journeywork

                A shadow faced is a shadow weakened. While it will still be there, once we are aware of it, it loses the power to knock our good judgement out of the way and take control of our reactions.

                I invite you to go on a Journey with your guides to the Upper World and ask for transmission of Shadow knowledge. Ask to be given what you need so that you can begin to know your Shadow on a soul level, face it and work through it.

                This week I also include an activity worksheet.

                How to begin to work with Shadow

                1. Reflect on every action
                2. Reflect on every reaction
                3. Reflect on every interaction

                  4. Allow judgements to melt away. Just observe. This takes practice! Use your breath to calm your heart rate and just observe.

                  Here is a PDF worksheet to support you with your Shadow work.

                  Don't know how to Journey? No worries. I got you.

                  You can sign up for my free monthly live online introduction to Shamanism training here.

                  39 min
                4. 33. How to Make Resistance Work for You Rather than Against You.
                  ‘I know that I need to make changes, but I just can’t do it’
                  Sound familiar? Damn right.
                  We all experience resistance to change.
                  Everyday.
                  So why not try to work with it, rather than against it?
                  In this episode, I talk about different kinds of resistance and how to utilise the resistance to be a driving force for change.
                  I also talk about understanding resistance and the different kinds of resistance that you may face.
                  Sometimes we face intuitive resistance – where we can’t bring ourselves to do something, but then it turns out that NOT doing the thing was actually for the best.
                  For example, this year I was very resistant to organising workshops at the Centre for Shamanism. Now I’m VERY glad that I didn’t, because I would have had to cancel them all.  That’s intuition disguised as resistance & we all need to be able to tell the difference.
                  But if there’s one thing we all need to know… it’s that Resistance is real, affects us all & knowing Resistance is a skill you to develop. Like everything, it takes practice. There’s no magic bullet!
                  In this podcast I talk about the process of knowing & releasing Resistance:
                  Identifying
                  Understanding
                  Utilize
                  Release
                  Identifying Forms of Resistance – this list will help you to identify the different type of resistance in your life:
                  Believing you’re not good enough
                  Numbing with TV, alcohol, exercise, drama, concentrating on what everyone else is doing
                  Getting uncontrollably angry (for example during a healing circle or at a therapist)
                  Scepticism – ‘you guys have no idea what you’re talking about, this is a load of rubbish’
                  Avoidance of a potentially healing situation
                  Projecting issues onto others – I’m so angry at x person/self-consciousness/that person looks terrible in that outfit
                  Avoiding group work
                  Rejecting help
                  Being the saviour, victim or perpetrator of your group
                  Time management – I’ve got so much to do and don’t have time for spiritual work
                  Counter-will – I’m not doing that just because you said so – in fact, I’m not doing it BECAUSE you said it! You can also experience counter-will from within yourself too.
                  Journeys for this week
                  Find a place in nature that you love. If that’s not possible for you right now then use a house plant, your garden or go into NOR (Non- Ordinary Reality) to find a place for this work
                  Nature is a wonderful teacher and can help us to understand that everything is in its right place without hierarchy. I invite you to think of how your resistance manifests for you. Is it anger, jealousy, greed, numbing, being emotionally closed off, – the only way to work through resistance is to identify it, understand it & process/utilise it. Write down your thoughts and take them to your place in nature. Open your sacred space, be with your guides and then ask the Nature spirits to begin to shift your resistance. Give yourself over to the experience. Listen to the sounds in nature or listen to a track of nature sounds.
                  To deepen this work over time, continue to write a journal of your resistances and work with Nature. Remember to work compassionately with yourself and from a place of love.
                  Know that Resistance is your greatest teacher if you choose to look at it that way!
                  Don’t know how to Journey? No worries. I got you.
                  You can sign up for my free monthly live online introduction to Shamanism training here.
                  42 min
                5. 32. What you really need to know about working with a Shaman

                  I’m often asked, “if I learn how to go on a Shamanic Journey & meet my spiritual team, does that make me a Shaman?”

                  The answer is usually no. Becoming a Shaman takes years of experience and training. But being able to tap into the unseen realms and work with your spiritual team does make you a Shamanic Person!

                  In this episode, I talk about working with Shamans and the things we need to look out for when choosing a practitioner to work with.

                  I also talk about being a Shamanic Person and the one key thing that we all need to know to embody Shamanism in our daily lives.

                  Here are the highlights:

                  1. The 1 KEY THING we need to know to be a TRUE Shamanic Person
                  2. What’s the difference between Shaman and a Shamanic Person?
                  3. Why see a Shaman for an individual session?
                  4. What changes can you expect from an individual session?
                  5. What to look out for when looking to work with a Shaman or Shamanic Practitioner

                    6. Journeys to do this week (don't forget the free resources page to access drumming tracks!)

                    1. Go with your Guides and ask to be taken to the Upper World to the Temple of Soul. Ask for the gift of Soul Wisdom for your Soul in these times. Be open to what comes forward for you!
                    2. Working with others is an essential part of our Tribal Nature. If you're feeling drawn to work with others then go on a journey with your guide and ask for a recommendation for working with others that will be the best thing for you on your path right now.(For example, working in a circle, group or working with a one to one practitioner)

                      3. Links mentioned in this episode:

                      >>>The Most Vulnerable Podcast I've Ever Recorded

                      Don't know how to Journey? No worries. I got you.

                      You can sign up for my free monthly live online introduction to Shamanism training here.

                      Don't want to wait until the next live training? I got you too!

                      Get access to the recording of the last live workshop I did (It's not real-time but the content is still just as powerful).

                      Sign up using the form on this page


                      32 min

                    About ShamanTalk

                    From the publisher's feed

                    Hosted by Rhonda McCrimmon, a Celtic Seer and Shaman from Scotland, ShamanTalk is your gateway to reclaiming your indigenous Celtic roots and restoring a consciously connected spiritual life. From the ancient Celtic concept of the Three Cauldrons Power Centres to the Scottish folk magic practice of Saining, expect a range of soul-stirring topics that resonate with your spiritual quest. SUBSCRIBE NOW to embark on a transformative journey back to your roots and into a life of simple connection, wisdom and resilience.