The Urban Grief Shamans

What happens when the life you've meticulously built suddenly feels like it belongs to someone else? This is the question at the heart of our profound conversation with Kelly Sparta.

Grief isn't just about losing someone—it's about losing identities, futures, and versions of ourselves we thought we were supposed to become. Kelly Sparta shares her transformative journey from childhood chaos to spiritual awakening, revealing how grief becomes a gateway to reclaiming personal power.

• Kelly grew up with psychic experiences from early childhood, raised by an alcoholic mother who was dedicated to nurturing Kelly's abilities
• Constant relocations taught Kelly to adapt quickly to new environments but created a deep sense of feeling unwelcome
• A painful marriage and 100-hour work weeks led to burnout and eventually, a transformative spiritual awakening
• Grief operates as a "beingness state" requiring us to process emotions rather than rationalize them away
• When we open to receive love after a prolonged shutdown, grief often surfaces as tears whenever we feel loved
• The current collective grief serves a purpose in global awakening, similar to how COVID-19 forced internal reflection
• Reclaiming personal power requires establishing safety first, then working through fear, anxiety and self-doubt
• Most people entering spiritual paths carry childhood trauma that must be processed to step into authentic power

If you're navigating grief or awakening, Kelly offers free sound healing to clear grief. Use this resource to support your journey.

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

Rebecca Shaper shares her transformative journey through loss, trauma, and healing, emphasizing the profound connection between humans and their dogs. She highlights the role of nature and spirituality in overcoming grief, offering insights on how to find messages from our loved ones beyond death. 

• Exploring the historical bond between humans and dogs 
• Rebecca's personal experiences with loss and trauma 
• The healing power found in nature and shamanism 
• Communication with spirits through animal companions 
• The significance of the book "Roses to Rainbow" 
• Encouragement to embrace grief as a path to joy 
• Recognizing signs from loved ones in the natural world 
• The transformational journey of turning pain into purpose

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

Dedication:
This episode is dedicated to all military members, veterans, first responders, emergency room physicians, nurses, and hospital security teams. Your courage, resilience, and service are deeply honored.

In this heartfelt episode, Carmen Theobald shares her transformative journey from surviving trauma to embracing post-traumatic growth through her work with horses. She recounts her life-changing experience during a school shooting in Montreal and how it led her to discover the healing power of horses. Carmen explains how equine-assisted therapy offers unique emotional breakthroughs for first responders and others experiencing trauma. Discover how the wisdom and presence of horses help individuals rebuild trust, navigate grief, and embrace courage. Whether you’re exploring healing or seeking hope, this episode offers profound insights and inspiration.

Mentioned in the episode

Watch the trailer to the film Horse Boy on YouTube HERE

Watch the video for First Responders HERE

Watch the introduction video to Horse Sense North HERE

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Transcription

Guest Bio

Carmen Theobald

Music for this episode

I Already Know | Sam Will | Epidemic Sound

No River Wide Enough | Airage | Epidemic Sound

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

Episode Summary:
In this powerful episode of Urban Grief Shamans, host John Moir sits down with Betti Rooted Lionheart, a compassionate shamanic healer and spiritual empowerment advocate, to explore the profound connection between grief, ritual, and healing. Betti shares her journey of reclaiming lost parts of herself, overcoming deep despair, and discovering the transformative power of shamanic healing and community rituals. Through personal stories, Betti reveals how grief manifests not only in the loss of loved ones but also in the loss of ecosystems, species, and cultural traditions.

Betti describes her own initiation into shamanic practices and how communal grief rituals, such as the Wailing Circle, help people release trauma and reconnect with their authentic selves. She shares the deeply moving story of her mother’s death and the spiritual realizations that emerged from walking with death. Betti also highlights the role of ritual in healing the soul and the body, illustrating how the power of voice, movement, and communal energy can lead to profound emotional and spiritual transformation. Betti's webpage can be found here.

What's a dismemberment journey? In this episode, Betti Rooted Lionheart mentioned having a dismemberment. Here is a brief description for our listeners who wish to know more. In shamanic practice, dismemberment is a form of initiation that can happen voluntarily or spontaneously. For example, a crisis or illness may initiate someone, while others might experience this through a course that reveals their shamanic potential. Dismemberment involves a symbolic tearing apart of the self, often in spirit journeys, where animals or other forces dismantle the body. This process strips away the ego, leading to a rebirth of identity. Those who undergo dismemberment often have a more profound sense of self, greater alignment of body and soul, improved health, and a more explicit connection to their soul’s purpose.

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

Losing a sister to cancer at 19 is a profound and life-altering experience, one that our guest bravely shares in this heartfelt episode. Through vivid recollections, we journey with them through the sacred final moments of their sister's life, the spiritual encounter that followed her passing, and the intricate dynamics of a family grappling with loss. Witness the mother's serene acceptance juxtaposed with the father's battle with alcoholism and violence, painting a complex picture of grief and familial relationships. This poignant narrative underscores the necessity of expressing sorrow and finding peace in the deepest of sorrows.

Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the golden portal of light often described in near-death experiences? Our guest offers an intimate account of their own near-death experience, which drastically altered their views on mortality and the continuum of consciousness. From a hospital bed to the ethereal realms and back, this experience not only brought a sense of fearlessness about death but also highlighted the eternal bond of love. These insights have been transformative in their professional life, deeply influencing their work in hospice and Alzheimer's care, and leading them to embrace shamanic healing practices.

Healing from profound grief and loss requires more than just time; it requires spiritual guidance and self-empowerment. This episode offers practical techniques for processing sorrow, such as visualization practices with golden and violet light, and introduces you to teachings from spiritual entities like White Buffalo and Rainbow Woman. We also discuss the healing power of storytelling and the crucial role of joy in elevating our spiritual and physical well-being. By learning to embrace joy, even in the face of darkness, we can find wholeness and growth, making this journey not just about surviving, but truly thriving.

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

What happens when a life marked by epilepsy and emergency medical work collides with a spiritual calling? This week, we welcome Chris Wasco, a compassionate hospital chaplain and former EMT paramedic, to share her remarkable journey of healing and spirituality. Chris opens up about her life with generalized epilepsy and how it guided her spiritual path, transforming her approach to healing others. From the essential need for human connection to the profound impacts of grief and loss, Chris shares her insights on how moments of disconnection can lead to deep soul-searching and eventual reconnection. Her unique perspective as a psychic medium adds another layer of depth, highlighting the importance of compassion in guiding victims of narcissistic abuse.

We shift gears to discuss the intense emotional and psychological challenges faced by those in emergency medical services and healthcare. Chris recounts harrowing experiences, from traumatic calls and unsafe environments to the secondary trauma felt by dispatchers. The conversation also delves into the struggles of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the challenge of facilitating good deaths in such dire circumstances. We underscore the critical need for self-care and mental health support, emphasizing that acknowledging and processing these intense experiences is essential for well-being.

Finally, we explore the lasting impact of experiencing trauma from a young age and the importance of recognizing different types of loss. Chris reflects on how these early experiences shaped her perspective on grief, loss, and spirituality. We discuss the deep sense of purpose found in supporting people through the most intense moments of their lives, and the delicate balance between acknowledging suffering and finding gratitude. Through Chris's journey, we uncover the resilience of the human spirit and the profound healing power of empathy and connection. Join us for an insightful, heartfelt discussion on navigating trauma, spirituality, and healing.

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

Unlock the secrets to understanding and healing from relationships with narcissists in our eye-opening conversation with therapist and shamanic practitioner Alex Solomon. We promise you'll gain profound insights into the roots of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), its ties to childhood trauma, and the manipulative behaviours it engenders. Alex shares invaluable strategies for setting boundaries, restoring self-esteem, and achieving a balanced emotional and spiritual life. Plus, we tackle the rampant misinterpretations of narcissism on social media, providing a clearer picture of the fragile self-esteem and deep-seated shame that underlie the disorder. This episode sets the stage for an even deeper dive with our upcoming guest, Chris Wasco.

Shame, trauma, and community—how do they interconnect and shape NPD? We'll explore this intriguing question, analyzing shame as a biological mechanism for maintaining social cohesion and examining both its adaptive and maladaptive forms. Discover how NPD can emerge as a trauma response aimed at counteracting deep-seated shame and the role of epigenetics and intergenerational trauma. From a shamanic viewpoint, we also delve into soul loss due to disowned parts of oneself. As we navigate the intricate paths of healing, Alex Solomon guides us in choosing between therapy and shamanic practices based on personal needs. Stay tuned as we invite you to our next episode with Chris Wasko for further enriching discussions.

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Bob Martin, a man whose life story reads like a film script, transitioning from a mob lawyer during Miami's tumultuous "Cocaine Cowboy" days to a serene meditation teacher and Mindfulness Coordinator at Elon University. Bob shares the riveting details of his past and the profound spiritual awakening that reshaped his future. Guided by the teachings of a 72nd-generation Taoist Master, Bob found a path to redemption and a renewed purpose through the integration of Taoist, Buddhist, and Christian philosophies.

Join us as Bob delves into the pivotal moments that led to his transformation, his approach to blending diverse spiritual practices, and how he applies this ancient wisdom to modern-day challenges. Whether discussing his legal battles, personal struggles, or the quiet moments of reflection that led to significant breakthroughs, Bob’s journey is a powerful testament to the transformative power of spirituality and the human capacity for change.

This episode is more than just a narrative of personal redemption. It's a universal story of hope and resilience, a beacon for anyone facing life's challenges. Bob Martin's journey shows us that no matter our background or circumstances, we all have the potential for transformation through spirituality. Tune in to discover how embracing our diverse spiritual heritage can lead to profound personal and societal healing.

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

In this enlightening episode, a native New Yorker and urban shaman, shares his deeply personal journey into shamanism sparked by a significant loss in 1996. He recounts how a spiritual workshop helped him rediscover laughter and joy amidst grief, leading him to explore shamanism's rich practices. Tony describes the serendipity of his spiritual awakening through various workshops in New York City and the lasting connections he made there, including drum circles and mentorships that deeply influenced his path.

As an urban shaman, he finds sacredness in the bustling environment of New York City. From the robust greenery of Cypress Hills in Brooklyn to the spiritual stability he feels from Manhattan’s bedrock, Tony illustrates how the city’s natural and architectural elements contribute to his shamanic practices. He shares fascinating insights into creating sacred spaces in his apartment, where he conducts drum circles and spiritual gatherings that leave visitors with a lasting impression of peace and harmony.

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Transcription

Guest Bio, here

Links to additional resources

Gay Soul book by Mark Thompson View Here:

Wikipedia: Margaret Mead

Sandara Ingerman, website

Nan Moss, website

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]

Merging Minds and Spirits
Please don't hesitate to leave a comment here.

An insightful dialogue between host John Moir and his guest, Diane Puchbauer, discussing the integration of psychology, shamanism, and the profound impact of horses on healing and personal growth. Diane shares her journey from a troubled relationship with horses in her youth to embracing shamanism and energy psychology, revealing how these elements have transformed her professional practice as a psychologist and shamanic healer. The conversation explores the challenges of merging traditional and alternative healing methods, the role of animals in therapy, and navigating the realms of energy and spirituality within therapeutic contexts.

Introduction to Diane's Work
The Common Threads of Healing
Early Connections to Horses and Healing
Journey into Shamanism
Blending Psychology and Shamanic Practices
Navigating Professional Challenges
Therapeutic Outcomes and Client Stories
Reflections on Personal Growth
Futurism in Therapy Practices
Final Thoughts and Closing

Diane referred to  her info for Midge Murphy, lawyer and doctorate in energy medicine Here

Credits
Intro: Far Out on the Pier — Christian Andersen, Epidemic Sound
Outro: Lush Dreams-The New Fools, Epidemic Sound

🌿 Feeling stuck or spiritually disconnected?
At Soulful Energy Medicine, I help you release energetic blocks, clear emotional pain, and reconnect with your true self. You’ll find a safe, grounded space for soul-level transformation through virtual healing sessions.

✨ Book your free discovery call: Soulful Energy Medicine

Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Explore here
“The Way of the Shaman” book by Michael Harner
Society for Shamanic Practice: Explore here

Connect
[email protected]