Individual Sessions

I currently offer two types of individual sessions that may or may not overlap (mentorship and shamanic healing).  Also, I am available for some types of specialized ceremonies like weddings and house blessings.

Mentorship in Shamanic Practice

Some traditional cultures make a clear distinction between shamans and non-shamans. Others encourage folks to learn as much about healing and spiritual medicine as one can responsibly manage. I am of the latter camp and respect that people are called to develop in different ways and to different degrees.  

At my current level of development I am confident mentoring others in the foundations of the shamanic practice. Most foundational skills tend to transfer should you have the good fortune to apprentice directly with a wise old shaman elder. From my perspective, foundations include: crafting individual and group ceremony, relating well with guides and allies including your own ancestors, engaging safely and effectively with natural forces and elemental energies, learn to read dreams and the symbolic level of reality, possibly learning shamanic healing practices, and basically working through your own burdens enough to pray with confidence and an open heart for yourself, others, and the world. Beyond that, what our path looks like is largely a function of our personal medicine or unique destiny. All tools and techniques are in service to remembering our purpose here and living it with passion and joy for the wellbeing of the world.

If you feel called to develop yourself through shamanic practice or ceremonial arts, be in contact and we can discuss what you have in mind and if individual or small group mentorship sessions would be a good fit. 

Shamanic Healing

In traditional cultures shamans (or the local equivalent) are often expected to address a wide range of physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments both for individuals and for the community as a whole. In the modern industrialized cultures shamanic healing usually serves as a primary method of spiritual healing and as a complementary approach to other body and mind medicines.

By the time one is suffering physically or psychologically there is generally some type of imbalance also occuring on a "spiritual" or subtle energy level. Shamanic healing seeks to restore balance on these more subtle levels, and, if all goes well, this leads to greater emotional and physical wellness. Also, shamanic healing is relational by nature and especially helpful in addressing feelings of disconnect, isolation, and disempowerment.

In the technical jargon of shamanic healing some techniques I work with include: soul retrieval, extraction, depossession and psychopomp, ally retrieval, energetic and elemental balancing, ancestral repair, and dreamwork.

Sessions may be individual or for couples, families, groups, etc. If you are interested in shamanic healing, be in touch and we can determine if it makes sense to work together.

For those interested in the differences and similarities between shamanic healing methods and the culture of psychology and psychotherapy, the following essay explores one facet of this rich intersection of cultures (although the tone is fairly academic and potentially dry/boring): Complex_Trauma_and_Shamanic_Healing,_Final_Version.doc

Specialized Ceremonies

I am available to officiate weddings.  Also, part of the skill set of most shamanic practitioners is knowing how to connect with troubled ghosts and to help them to settle into a more peaceful existence as ancestors. Sometimes this may occur in the context of a house blessing ceremony focused on clearing and enlivening one's home.  Sometimes this takes the form of a psychopomp or soul guidance ceremony focused on someone who died but does not seem to have transitioned very well. When necessary, this latter type of ceremony can be a real gift to a deceased friend or relative as even the most well-intended people can have a hard time adjusting to being dead.

Daniel Foor   (650) 248-8917   danielfoor@yahoo.com