That being said, I do love checklists, and I offer you one here that you should try to use with every healing journey “flight”. Consider it like Take off, Flight, and Landing:

1) diagnosis/extraction/transmutation
2) power infusion  (healing power infusion, soul retrieval, PA retrieval, etc)
3) sealing in and support for ongoing integration

The trick here is that you can use this checklist without knowing how to fly. I teach people to set the stage for healing by working with their Spirits to create a sacred healing space in NOR. And then we bring our clients into this space, and ask our Spirit Allies to do the healing. We are witnesses. We hold the intention for the work to be done, and we observe it being done. We keep track of were we are in the process. Is it step 1, 2, or 3?. This is like being a passenger in the plane, watching the map on video screen in the seat back in front of you.

So if you are learning to do healing work, and you ask yourself “Am I doing this right?” The answer is yes if you are holding the intention for the healing, and letting the spirits do the work. Your job is stand witness and follow along. Each journey will be different. Each one will be perfect. Mostly they will follow the 1,2 3 sequence, but even when they don’t the Spirits know what they are doing and the work will be good.

Trust your Spirits to pilot you well. As you do, you too will learn to fly. In my flight school you will get  a more detailed checklist to follow for each step, 0that will keep you on track and safe.

Many times when I do a basic shamanic healing for a client the spirits use spirals in simple, but distinct and consistent ways. There are certain patterns and colors the spirits use, such as tornado vortexes that look like snow, and spiraling streams of blue light. I have not shared these images with my students as teachings. The only people who know what I am doing are my clients who have experienced the work. (I speak everything out loud so people know what is happening in non ordinary reality while I work.) I am currently teaching a level 2 class in shamanic healing, and in the first session we were asking the spirits to show each person a simple healing so that they would have some initial ideas about the work that is to come. One student was shown the same spiral techniques the spirits use in my sessions – right down to the colors. We shamanic healers are blessed to be the conduits of the spirits wisdom and power. I love that we have cohesive experiences, without any prompting. We just sit in the same circle, ordinary and non ordinary.

I am hoping to see a website built to showcase all our experiences with spirals in shamanic healing. I won’t be creating it, but I think I know who will More to come….

All of us in close relationships have mirrored conditions. Human/dog, mother/child, people/people, dog/dog: you name it, if there is a close bond there is overlapping energy and its manifestations. I call these co-created conditions, and my mission is to find shamanic ways to heal them. My teachers have just given me some new Spiral Magic to use to heal them.

I have been very intent on improving my riding, and it has been hard. Old habits are difficult to change. I know that we are mirrors to our horses. Where we are stiff so are they, and it is our job to induce the change to softness. Lyra came to me to teach me and she is one stiff pony. To help her and me, I did a variation on the Spiral Ceremony. It felt very powerful as I was doing it, but the proof came the next day. She was soft as butter! When I rode her my Teacher instructed me to merge with the spiral again. All the stiffness melted away! She became round and happy, reaching into the bit, lifting her back, and floating in all her gaits. Just like that.

Now to repeat it with consistency. Yah sure you betcha.

I am teaching this technique, and many other Spiral Medicine techniques, in my workshops this spring. See the calendar page for details.

• Open circle by calling in the spirits
• Do a quick introduction and check in around the circle
• Journey on a topic as a group (or if an individual person prefers he/she may use the time for a personal journey)
• Share the journeys we did (for those who choose to share). We may break into smaller groups to do this if the circle is large.
• Close circle

This is a chance to journey in a powerful, supportive circle. The circle of spirits helps keep us focused and gives juice to the experience. Please joins us, and please tell your friends about it!

The calls are on the SECOND MONDAY of each month. We are asking a $5.00 fee per call, however, if that is out of your budget you may join the call for free. (I realize that in hard times some of us are having a trouble scraping together even that little bit of cash!) You will have to pay for the call to the bridge line. To join the next call, click the link below to Pay Pal. After you pay you will be given an auto responder email with phone numbers and logistic for the next call. If you want to join and can’t pay, email carla@spirithealer.com and we will send you the logistics letter.
Click here to register for the next call.

She never expected euthanasia and couldn’t imagine blaming her person for not having a Doc at hand at 3:00 AM.

She was pretty philosophical. Her last hours were rough, according to her person. It was an interesting lesson!

Set up a basket, jar or container in your room, and you put all your reservations and disbelief into it before you begin journeying. You can get it back later when you are done, or you can ask the spirits to transfigure them. Sometimes our I can’ts come from a belief system that is in conflict with the work. The person might need to think it all through and find a common ground, but the belief system is really so subliminal that it is hard to put a finger on it. So this basket method can help, because you may really WANT to take the things back and work with them later. I have met many beginning students who feel that their catholic upbringing sets them at odds with shamanic practice, and they struggle to get started because of these inner conflicts. But there is a Sister in Flagstaff who teaches shamanism from a catholic perspective, and it is fabulous work. So maybe we just need to set aside our I can’ts and belief systems, and just concentrate on phenomena, and let the thinking part come later.

I am traveling with an amazing woman, Jaclyn Strahan, who is a master body worker for horses. She has a healing practice in southern Michigan, and is establishing a second base in Arizona. She too had red arrows pointing to deep pools of unresolved emotions as she did the posture exercises. So she journeyed to a golden waterfall and simply sat there for 10 minutes getting cleansing and power. It helped her a lot.

This is a pretty simple thing to do and takes almost no shamanic training. You can do it for yourself easily. Just journey and ask your power animals to take you to a sacred place in nature. Ask the spirits of that place to release your stress and pain and fill you with renewal. Just be there and let the spirits do the work.

I highly recommend Peggy. I rode with her in clinics pretty regularly in Oregon, but I haven’t seen her in 8 years. I won’t let that time elapse again! Jark was happy to see her too (she helped me start him) , and Lyra Love has a new way of walking now.

Jacy and I will be building a community in Arizona of horse people who are seeking new ways to connect with horses. I will be teaching shamanic work, Jacy body work, and Barbara Owens (a TTEAM and Connected Riding Instructor) will come in regularly to teach Connected Riding and Groundwork. Peggy will come periodically too once we have a base of people established.

We are very excited, and we hope you will join us!

On my second trip out the waves had picked up and the water was somewhat murkier. After about 45 minutes I was heading back in when she came out of the cloud and smiled at me. Hi, sweetie! I stayed with her for at least 20 minutes, maybe half an hour. She somersaulted under me gathering plankton. She would rise up  close to me, then dip down again to  spin and glide. When I started moving my arms in time with her fins she loved it, and we danced. At one point I felt I needed to leave because I was getting cold, and she came up under me more closely and drew me back. What the heck! I may never have this dance again. So we swept through the reef in a dreamy glide. Finally it was time to say goodbye. I thanked her for the love and she flipped a fin and vanished into the murky white.

Later when I journeyed to her she told me about the most dangerous things she faces. First on the list – SHARKS! What a surprise. Second? Fishing lines and hooks – she told me to stay away from boats. And third? Big rough seas with waves that roll and tumble and lots of spinning debris. “Go deep” was her recommendation.  She is a cautious fish.  I sure hope she will be there tomorrow. Now I wish I had brought my underwater camera.

There are certain finned fish I love the most –  peacock groupers and jaw fish are in the top tier. I haven’t seen a jaw fish since my last dive in Bonaire, and it is unlikely I will again now that I am confined to the surface. The bends have made it too dangerous to dive and I sold my gear. The reality of this fact has given me deeper appreciation for the fish I do see. What if snorkeling becomes kapu too? Each breath is a miracle. Each fin kick a blessing.

I chatted with another fish lover who has dove and snorkeled the world. We agreed that this is world class. “This is just as good as diving, even better!” he said. While not quite true, it was the voice of the spirits telling me to stop regretting. Leave the deep behind. Love the one you’re with.  He pointed out the places where I was likely to find octopus, and I told him where the Manta Ray is. After my warming break,  I followed the path he recommended along the northern arc of the bay, and then back for that long dance with the Manta Ray.

I saw quite a few peacock groupers today, and dozens of other fish who are also my favorites. Truth is that if I were to stack up the fish into a pyramid with the favorites at the top, the pyramid would be inverted, with the multitude swimming around in the top layer. Today that layer was crowded with friends. Of course the unique ones are the most special any trip, and today it was the manta ray.  What delight – anyone want to hear the list? A huge spotted crab, octopus, several eels, 4 different puffers and burr fish, peacock toby, flounder, moorish idols, all the butterflies, so many wrass, blennies (so cute with their eye lashes), jacks, sergeant majors… why am even trying to spell this all out? What makes me wants to classify and catalog like a pseudo naturalist? Why do I remember the Latin names of so many mushrooms? This is worth a journey to understand.

NC was worried about Sally, an older dog who was having difficulties. Sally barely got around, walked stiffly, and needed help getting into the car. Also, she has been experiencing some skin problems and food allergies. NC would like to find out how she is feeling. What can be done to make her happy and more comfortable? What does she think about dying, is she scared? NC asks: “Do I need to think of having her put down yet or does she still have a lot of life left?”

Carla’s journey for Sallie:

“I took her on a trip to the upper world where she saw the place she would go and met the dogs she will be with. She was THRILLED and hardly wanted to come back. But she really wants to be with you for more time, so she came home. When her time finally comes the lead dog spirit will come to her with a special crystal collar and ask her to come with him. She will tell you by not wanting to get up at all, nor eat. She will look at you with loving eyes, just to say she loves you. You will know the time is right. She may actually just pass in her sleep. She loves you very much. Sally is in a good place emotionally and will let you know when it is time for her to go – so you can have a lot of comfort in that. When you feel it is time – IT IS!”

NC is happy when Sallie rallies:

“I just wanted to let you know Sally is doing great. She has a lot more energy and gets excited about going for our morning walks again. She is eating good and her quality of life has really improved. I am sure it is a combination of no longer fearing death, her new diet, and perhaps just knowing how much we love her.

It is we who are honored by your help. We will always be grateful!”

MB lost her wonderful old Doberman, Lucky. Lucky had been in a lot of pain and cried all night as he slept in MB’s arms.

Carla did a healing journey for Lucky just before he passed over. The connection between MB and Lucky is very deep.

After Lucky passed, MB wrote of her experience while Carla was actually journeying:

“I finally got to listen to the first tape. I didn’t get to hear it until two days after
Lucky died. It was amazing! Remember that Lucky had come and barked and
barked at me and that later you and I figured out that it was at the time
you were making the journey (unbeknownst to me). Well on the tape, just
after you start, there is a place where you say you can feel my touch
and the love -oh the love– Well, when he barked at me I didn’t know what
to do so I sat on the couch with him, with my arms around him and was
telling him how much I loved him. Thank you for being here for me. You have helped me more than you will ever know.”