Land and Nature Spirits: What They Are and How to Work With Them

Land and Nature Spirits: What They Are and How to Work With Them

Working with land and nature spirits in Shamanic practice are among the oldest and most fundamental spiritual relationships. In animistic traditions worldwide, the natural world is understood to be alive — not just biologically, but spiritually. Every tree, stone, watershed and animal carries both a physical and an etheric presence, available to us as ally, teacher and guide. I've been in relationship with land and nature spirits since childhood, long before I had words for what I was experiencing.

How I First Encountered Land and Nature Spirits

When I was growing up, my favorite tree was a massive Big-Leaf Maple along a hiking trail in the forest near my house. I met this tree for the first time on a class field trip hike when I was 8 or 9, and then returned regularly to hike with my family. Every time I passed, I would stop to say hello to the tree, give it a hug, and stand in awe at its towering elegance.

Later, as a teenager developing my Shamanic practice, I started to make offerings to the tree. I would bring little crystals, share some water, and offer a prayer of gratitude. The energy of this tree was so grounded, calm and expansive, and I immediately felt a sense of peace and connection whenever I visited. As I continued my study of Shamanism and learned more about land and nature spirits, I came to understand that this special being was a Guardian Tree of the local ecosystem – a powerful nature spirit who helps to anchor and protect the etheric grid of the area.

Since then, I have had the honor of meeting and working with many other Guardian Trees. The land where I live now is home to a massive Hemlock who serves as a temple keeper of this area. She has anchored the prayers, ceremonies and offerings of me, my partner, and countless students and clients.

In Shamanic practice, we don’t work alone. We are always working in relationship — with the Earth, with the beings who inhabit her, and with the animating forces that move through the physical and non-physical world alike. Land and nature spirits are at the heart of this relationship. They are among our most important allies, our most consistent teachers, and often our most overlooked resources. (Read also: What Is Animism? The Ancient Worldview at the Root of Shamanism.)

What Are Land and Nature Spirits?

Land and nature spirits are the individual and collective animating forces that correspond to animals, plants, stones, elements, and geological features. They have both an embodied and an etheric dimension. The Hemlock tree in my yard has a physical body, and also a spiritual body, a consciousness, a medicine.

Some land and nature spirits have a physical presence on Earth right now. Some exist primarily in the etheric realm or in myth. Dragons are very real — just not presently embodied in the way a sparrow or a cedar tree is. Unicorns, pegasi, and griffins exist in different traditions and in the collective mythological consciousness of humanity, even without physical form.

The I, the We, and the All

When working with land and nature spirits in Shamanism, I find it helpful to think in three layers. Take the Guardian Hemlock tree on the land where I live. She is the I — one individual Hemlock with her own personality, her own medicine, her own energetic signature. She is also part of the We — the Hemlock tribe, the forest community, all connected through root systems, chemical signaling, and the mycorrhizal network. And she is part of the All — the tree nation, the Standing Nation, the collective consciousness of all trees everywhere.

When you begin working with a particular coyote who visits your yard — playful, tricky, laughing at you — you’re meeting the I. When you encounter coyote as a collective frequency, as a medicine, as an archetype of the trickster, you’re meeting the We or the All. Both are real. Both are available to you.

Why These Relationships Matter

Imagine holding space for a Shamanic healing session, a retreat, or even a difficult conversation. If your personal energy field is carrying the entire weight of that container, it’s exhausting. But when you’re working in collaboration with the land spirits of where you are — the guardian trees, the local watershed, the particular mountains and stones — you’re not doing it alone. The land itself becomes a co-facilitator. It helps ground the container, process and compost released energy, and hold the field with stability and care.

Land spirits are particularly excellent co-facilitators for grounding and stabilizing a container, protection and clearing, composting released energy, and ensuring your Shamanic work moves in alignment with the existing flow of the place.

Start Local

One of the most important principles in building relationships with land and nature spirits is this: start with where you are. Not the most glamorous tradition or sacred sites you’ve read about. Not the most powerful-sounding beings from somewhere far away. The land where you currently live.

Your animal body is literally made of the land where you live — the water you drink, the air you breathe, the foods grown in local soil. Your body is attuned to the frequencies, the medicine, the particular climate and mineral composition of your place. Some of your most powerful, supportive, and intimate relationships will be with your local land and nature spirits, because that is home.

I often assign my Shamanic mentorship clients the following daily practice, which I also recommend to you: Go outside every day and visit the same tree, rock, water feature or plant (even a humble dandelion growing through a crack in the sidewalk). Make an offering, then wait and notice what you notice. Over time, you will begin to develop a deeper relationship with that being.

How to Begin

You don’t need a formal ceremony or specialized training to begin building relationships with the land and nature spirits where you live. You need presence, attention, and respect. Start by going outside without an agenda. Walk. Notice what draws your attention. Which tree do you keep walking past but never stop for? Which bird keeps showing up? Begin there. The animals that appear repeatedly — what Shamanic practitioners often call power animals — are frequently nature spirit relationships trying to make themselves known. Ask before you take anything from nature. Learn the names — both common and scientific — of the plants and animals where you live. Research who lived on this land before you. The more you know about the context of where you are, the richer your relationships with its spirits will become.

Ready to Go Deeper with Land and Nature Spirits?

Working with land and nature spirits is one of the most grounding and transformative skills you can develop as a Shamanic practitioner — and it's a central thread woven throughout the entire Foundations of Shamanism course.

Not ready for the full course yet? Start with my free guide, Activate Your Shamanic Gifts (below) — a beautiful first step into your own Shamanic practice.

And if you're looking for personal support navigating your relationship with the spirit world, Shamanic Mentorship may be exactly what you need.

Spiritual Awakening, Shamanic Healing and Death

Spiritual Awakening, Shamanic Healing and Death

Last week, my partner and I lost our 20 year old cat, Chandra.

She left her body very quickly, without assistance, and the whole process was about as graceful as it could have possibly been.

As my vet friend offered, “A long life and a short end of life process is a blessing.”

Absolutely.

I have been present with many animals as they left their bodies — from the lizards and birds I had as a child, to the animals of roommates and partners, to a harbor seal on a stretch of otherwise empty beach.

But the most impactful crossing I supported was my childhood dog, Ginger.

Ginger was the being who called forth my healing and psychic gifts and guided my whole family towards holistic wellness. She was my first teacher, and the catalyst for my awakening as a healer.

I was 12 years old when she was diagnosed with diabetes, and it prompted me to put my hands on her and imagine colored light flowing from me into her body to offer healing and vitality. A few years later, my mom took Ginger to a new vet that happened to be next door to a massage clinic, where they also offered Reiki. That was where I learned about energy healing, took my very first Shamanic journey class, and began mentoring with a very skilled healer and psychic who guided me to pursue formal training for my abilities.

While I was away at university, I would practice distance energy healing with Ginger. When I went to Costa Rica in 2007 for my undergrad research, I told Ginger I would understand if she had to leave while I was gone, but I asked if she was able to, could she please wait for me to get back so I could be with her. While I was away, I continued to offer her healing light and love.

She made her crossing about a month after I returned. I got the call from my mom and booked it for the 3 hour drive straight to the vet’s office, praying the whole way.

My family spent Ginger’s last hour or so with her in a cozy room at the vet. I, along with my mom (who had also begun her training in energy healing by that time), offered healing work and prayers the entire time, until the room felt absolutely saturated with glowing light, warmth and peace.

The vet came in to perform the euthanasia. Ginger was ready.

I will never forget what happened next.

A minute or so after the shot, I felt the room suddenly go completely cold and my ears started to ring. It felt as if a giant vacuum had sucked every bit of light, warmth and fullness out of the space.

I knew instantly that Ginger’s spirit had left her body and taken all that energy with her to support her crossing. Even before the vet checked her heart with a stethoscope and confirmed that she had passed, I felt her absence acutely.

That was the first time I supported the rite of Death as a healer, in total devotion to a spirit leaving the body. Even in her final moments, Ginger offered me an awakening opportunity and initiation into death work.

(My death work now mostly expresses as supporting human clients through life chapter transition and energetic death cycles. In the 18 years since Ginger’s crossing, I have supported many people in their energetic deaths as they shed old versions of themselves and embody the next chapter.)

I have since supported many animals in leaving their bodies. Chandra’s crossing was so smooth and I am beyond grateful for the blessing of her easy passage.

Chandra appeared to me in a dream that same night. She looked vibrant, healthy and completely clear, and I knew she was telling me that she was totally okay. I woke up with a smile, and the vision of her trotting around with me and my dog, Athena.

Chandra sunbathing with Athena, days before her crossing.

I am so grateful for the many animal teachers who have allowed me to support their crossings. Each experience has helped me deepen my practice with trust, humility and reverence for the soul journey.

Are you looking for support or guidance through a life transition moment?

Are you ready for Shamanic healing to help you shift into the next version of yourself?

>>>Book a call with me to talk about what type of support is right for you!

Shaman vs. Shamanic Practitioner: What’s the Difference? (And Why It Matters)

Shaman vs. Shamanic Practitioner: What’s the Difference? (And Why It Matters)

The terms "Shaman" and "Shamanic practitioner" are often used interchangeably, but they carry meaningfully different implications around lineage, training, initiation and accountability. There are also important considerations regarding cultural appropriation and respectful, informed use of these terms. Understanding this distinction matters whether you are exploring Shamanism for the first time, deepening your personal practice, or considering how to describe your own work in the world. Here's how I understand and navigate this distinction, and why I've thought carefully about it for over two decades.

When I began studying Shamanism in 2003 at age 15, the concept of cultural appropriation was not yet widely discussed. As I understood it from my trainings, a Shaman was someone who was deeply immersed in their practice of animistic and mediumistic service, who had received trainings and initiations, and was living a life of service to their community. The indigenous teachers with whom I studied didn’t even use the word Shaman — they had their own terms for the role of that person in their community.

Jóska Soós, Hungarian Shaman from Clan Baksa

When my mentor gave me a formal Shamanic initiation in 2011, I asked her about using the term “Shaman” to describe myself. She said yes, it would be appropriate for me to use that word according to my many years of deep study, existing commitment to service, and now this initiation. (A Shamanic initiation is a formal ceremony in which a practicing Shaman or lineage holder formally recognizes and empowers a student's readiness to carry and transmit the tradition. My lineage traces directly to Jóska Soós, a renowned Hungarian Shaman from Clan Baksa whose teachings spread this tradition throughout Europe. Keep reading for the story of where the word “Shaman” comes from in my lineage.)

I sat with this inquiry for 3 years. In the meantime, I described my work as Shamanic practice, including Shamanic journeys, Shamanic healing and Shamanic energies. But I didn’t actually call myself a Shaman until 2014, because that was when I finally felt ready to embody the full depth of the term and to publicly demonstrate my commitment to service in this way.

“Shamanism” and Cultural Appropriation

I immediately encountered pushback. In the 11 years since I began my Shamanic studies, the concept of cultural appropriation had reared its head in the zeitgeist. The accusing conversation usually went something like this:

“Random person: “You’re calling yourself a Shaman. Are you Native American?”

Me: “No, not to my knowledge.”

Random person: “Then you can’t use that word. That’s cultural appropriation.””

No room for actual conversation. No room for understanding. No curiosity, inquiry or nuance.

At first, I was surprised and taken aback about the argument of, “You can’t use the word Shaman if you’re not Native American.” After all, none of the Native American teachers I had studied with used that word to describe themselves. They had terms in their own language, none of which sounded remotely close to “Shaman.” I even asked a few of my teachers and indigenous friends, all of whom replied “Yeah, that’s not our word.” But I also saw the valid concern about cultural appropriation and the real harm that comes from people carelessly adopting practices and assuming terms without respect, proper acknowledgement and cultural deference.

This is an important opportunity for understanding. So let’s talk about it.

Where Does the Word "Shaman" Come From? (And Why It Matters for Cultural Appropriation)

If you’ve spent any time in Shamanic circles, you’ve probably noticed that the words people use (such as Shaman, Shamanic practitioner, Shamanic healer, and medicine person) vary widely, and can carry strong connotations. These are not just semantic differences. They reflect different relationships to lineage, training, service, and accountability. Here’s how I understand and navigate these distinctions.

Personal Shamanic Practice vs. Professional Shamanic Practice: What's the Difference?

Think about Christianity. There are millions of people worldwide who identify as Christian and maintain a personal spiritual practice. They may go to church, lead a Bible study, pray daily, and share their faith with loved ones. This is a personal practice — meaningful, valid, and complete in itself.

And then there is the ordained priest or minister who has gone through years of deep theological study, received formal training and initiation, and now holds a lineage in service to their community. They have a professional practice, and with it comes a different level of accountability, training, and responsibility.

This same distinction applies to Shamanism. You do not need to hang out your shingle in order to have a meaningful and fulfilling Shamanic practice. You can have a personal Shamanic practice that nourishes you, enriches your relationships, deepens your connection to the land, and flows naturally into moments of support for the people around you. That is beautiful and complete.

What Is a Shamanic Practitioner?

A Shamanic practitioner is someone who works with Shamanic tools and frameworks, such as journeying, working with spirits, energy healing, ceremony, but may not identify with the specific cultural context and weight of the word Shaman. Many people in the Western world choose this term as a way of acknowledging their training and practice while remaining humble about lineage and cultural context.

What Is a Shaman?

I know of two origin stories for the word “Shaman.” The more common understanding is that the term “Shaman” originates from the word “saman” in the Tungusic language of the Siberian people, where it means “the one who knows.” This word was then adopted by white anthropologists and then used as a universal term to describe the role of “spiritual teacher/medicine person” in indigenous communities around the world.

But there is another etymology from my own lineage: my Shamanic great-grandfather Jóska Soós, who came from the Hungarian Shaman Clan Baksa, and who is largely responsible for spreading this lineage throughout Europe, taught that the word derives from “Shamash:” the Mesopotamian sun god. The priests and priestesses of Shamash were known as “Siamas:” the ones who serve the light. A Shaman, in this understanding, is one who serves the light of knowledge, of self-knowledge, of life — and shares that light with the world.

“The Shaman is one who serves the light of knowledge, of self-knowledge, of life — and shares that light with the world.””

In most contexts, the title of Shaman (or whatever language-specific term of that particular people) is not self-appointed. It comes through initiation, through years of disciplined training, through community recognition. It comes with deep responsibility: to hold the lineage with integrity, to serve rather than perform, to be accountable to the beings (spirits as well as incarnate teachers) and traditions that have invested their wisdom in you.

Why I Use the Word Shaman

I’ve thought carefully about this. I’ve discussed it with my teacher. I’ve sat with the cultural charge around it. And I’ve chosen to use the word Shaman because I believe it matters to use it with clarity and intention.

There is a lot of confusion in the Western world about what Shamanism actually is. There is legitimate harm that comes from people who adopt the aesthetic of Shamanism without the training, the lineage, the ethics, or the accountability. By showing up clearly as a Shaman — with 23 years of practice, with multiple lineage trainings, with a named teacher, a named lineage, and a formal initiation — I have the opportunity to be an educating force about what it means to hold these traditions responsibly.

Do I receive criticism and pushback? Yes. People who don’t know my background sometimes cry cultural appropriation. I’m okay with that, because it’s an invitation to have a more nuanced conversation about integrity, to offer teachings and extend the hand of compassionate understanding and care.

What About Other Terms Like Medicine Person, Healer, Ceremonialist?

Beyond "Shaman" and "Shamanic practitioner," you'll encounter many other terms in these circles: medicine person / woman / man, healer, ceremonialist, spiritual guide, Curandero, priestess / priest, witch. These terms often carry culture- and lineage-specific meanings. Many practitioners — especially those working within indigenous traditions — prefer them over the word Shaman entirely. Whatever term you use or encounter, the most important questions remain the same: What is this person's training? Who are their teachers? What lineage(s) do they carry? And how do they hold themselves accountable to that lineage?

Which Path Is Right for You?

There is no hierarchy here. A personal Shamanic practice is not lesser than a professional one. Calling yourself a “Shamanic Practitioner” or a “Shaman” (or something else entirely) should be deeply rooted in inquiry, integrity and commitment to service. What matters is the quality of your relationship with the work, the land, the spirits, and the people you serve. Whether you’re just beginning to explore Shamanism or you’ve been practicing for years, this inquiry and review of your commitments to service is exactly the right place to start.

Ready to go deeper? Curious where you are on this path? Start with my free guide, Activate Your Shamanic Gifts (below), or explore the Foundations of Shamanism course to begin building a solid, ethical foundation for your practice. Or if you're ready for personalized support, book a call to discuss Shamanic mentorship with Michelle.

Shamanic Plant Medicine and Communicating with Plant Spirits

Shamanic Plant Medicine and Communicating with Plant Spirits

Ready for a story about ancestral remembrance, plant mediumship and wildcrafting? Read on! (And make sure to check out the photos below!)

As a kid, I loved to make “potions” out of leaves, sticks and dirt from my backyard. I would present the resulting elixir to my mother and proudly announce its healing properties, while she nodded seriously and pretended to drink it.

Throughout middle school, high school and university, my relationship with plants became much more academic. I learned how to identify many different species, memorize their scientific names and ecological significance, and occasionally learned a few facts about their cultural or practical significance to indigenous people. I saw examples in museums of baskets and clothing woven from Western Red Cedar, and clay pots stained with herbs. I read the little cards about the importance of these practical tools in peoples’ daily lives and felt a deep longing I couldn’t quite name.

For the first many years of my Shamanic practice, I felt so much ease and comfort connecting with animals, different spirits, and opening my mediumship. But connecting with plants in that way eluded me. I heard other practitioners gush about working with their plant allies and the powerful healings they received from flower essences and tinctures. And I just… didn’t get it.

Until 2019, when Stinging Nettle and Hawthorn intervened to help wake me up.

I have long stories of how both of these plants gave me a significant dose of their medicine that resulted in huge waves of transformation. For now, suffice it to say that receiving transmissions from these 2 plant spirits woke me up to plant mediumship.

When I got home from my trip, I saw Hawthorn everywhere I went. I dove deep into studying with this new ally, and officially began my practice of foraging, wildcrafting and alchemical herbalism. I have felt the plants supporting me gently by sending me 2 or 3 new plant allies to study with deeply every year.

In addition to learning about their properties and understanding them from the ecological perspective, I received transmissions from the spirits of the plants. They offered me healing and teachings about their magic. I studied their connection with Alchemy, and learned how to harvest them and work with them during their most auspicious hours and days to make potent medicine.

My practice of plant mediumship has grown exponentially since I moved out of the city in 2024. With every season, I feel my remembered wisdom coming more online. (I’ve had some very cool experiences of feeling a strong pull toward an unfamiliar plant, only to identify it and discover that its medicinal properties aligned perfectly with my needs at that time.)

I feel like I’m beginning to grow a little bit out of my imposter syndrome when it comes to herbalism, and that is thanks to cultivating and trusting that intuitive knowing with plants (an intuitive knowing that came so easily to me in other areas of my Shamanic practice). Now, when I feel a strong pull towards a plant, it feels less like something unfamiliar, and more like being re-introduced to someone I met a long time ago and rediscovering our friendship.

In addition to working with plants and making medicines, I’ve been diving into other ancestral skills: drum making, firecraft, and most recently, Adirondack foraging pack basket weaving. (Maybe I’ll tell that story in another article.)

With my practice of plant mediumship, wildcrafting and studying ancestral skills, that unnamed longing I felt as a child has transformed into a warm connection. I can now see that the longing was my desire to remember, to communicate with the plants as beloved allies, to get to know them on their own terms, and to collaborate with them to make medicine with my own hands.

What ancestral remembrance is calling you?

Do you feel a longing you can’t quite name, pulling you into deeper study of Shamanism?

Are you called to develop your mediumship and direct relationships with plants, animals and other spirits?

Are you ready to receive support in your Shamanic practice?

Get Support:

>>>Book a call with me to talk about what type of support is right for you!

What Is Animism? The Ancient Worldview at the Root of Shamanism

What Is Animism? The Ancient Worldview at the Root of Shamanism

As a kid, I always loved animals, nature and magic. All of my favorite books featured talking animals, young people learning to live harmoniously with nature, and discovering magical powers from that connection. When I read stories about sorceresses healing people with magic, I started practicing "healing spells" on my diabetic dog. I talked with the trees and listened intently to their replies. I learned the personalities of the stones in my backyard.

I didn’t have the words for it at the time, but I later discovered that my childhood worldview was not just my imagination or wishful thinking, but was instead an ancient and fundamental philosophy common to people all over the Earth for thousands of years. And this worldview is known as animism. It is a worldview older than any religion, deeper than any tradition, and more intrinsic than most people realize.

Before there were temples, before there were texts, before there were organized religions, there was animism: the belief that everything is alive. That the tree outside your window has presence. That water has memory and the rivers sing songs of what they have seen. That the mountain watches. This is not mythology. This is the original worldview of people everywhere on Earth, and it is the foundation upon which all Shamanic practice stands.

What Is Animism, Exactly?

Animism is the belief that all things are alive and that all things are connected through a shared web of consciousness. The word itself comes from the Latin anima — the immaterial force that animates form. In animistic understanding, that animating force is not confined to living creatures as science defines them. Stones have anima. Mountains have anima. The elements — fire, water, air, earth — have anima. Nothing is truly inert.

You Already Know This

Most of us have already experienced animism, even if we didn’t have the word for it or consciously recognize it at the time. If you’ve ever felt someone’s energy or a presence leave their body at the moment of death, you have felt anima. There is a visceral, unmistakable difference between a body with life in it and a body without. That difference is anima.

If you grew up loving folk tales where animals could speak and trees had personalities and the forest was a living, breathing character, you were responding to animistic storytelling, the oldest form of human story. That sense of everything being alive, everything mattering, everything in relationship — that is animism, and it is your birthright.

Animism Is the Original Human Worldview

Anthropologists have documented some version of animistic belief in every human culture that has ever existed. It is not a tradition that belongs to any one people or any one part of the world. It is the baseline orientation of human beings on Earth. The concept of deities (such as the queen of the ocean, the god of the storm, the spirit of the forest) arose from animism. Before gods were personified, they were forces. Forces of nature. Forces of life. That recognition of aliveness in all things is where religion began.

Non-animistic worldviews are extremely recent in human history. A few thousand years may feel like a long time, but on the scale of human existence on Earth, it is a small blip. The majority of human experience, as seen in the cave paintings, the harvest rituals, the medicine songs, the offerings left at rivers and trees and stones — all of it was animistic.

How Animism Relates to Shamanic Practice

Shamanism is an animistic practice. You cannot separate the two. Shamanic practice is built on the recognition that all things are alive and in relationship with each other, and that we, as humans, have both the capacity and the responsibility to be in conscious, respectful, collaborative relationship with the living world around us.

This is why Shamanic practice involves working with land and nature spirits, communicating with the spirit realm, and developing a personal relationship with the specific plants, animals, elements, and beings of the land where you live. Because if everything is alive, then everything is available as teacher, healer, guide, and ally.

Why Animism Matters Now

We live in a world of profound disconnection — from nature, from community, from our own bodies. Many people feel a deep, unnamed homesickness, like a longing they can’t quite locate or name. Animism offers a frame for understanding that longing: it is the longing to return to relationship. To belong again to the living world. To stop being a witness to nature and become a participant in it.

Shamanic practice is one path back. Not as a regression to some idealized past, but as a reclamation of something ancient and fundamental that has always been available to us. You belong to Life, and Life loves you. And the web of aliveness that animism describes has always been there, waiting for you to remember it.

Beginning Your Animistic Practice

You don’t need a ceremony, a teacher, or a lineage to begin developing an animistic relationship with the world around you. You need attention. The simplest practice is this: go outside. Leave your headphones at home. Walk without a destination. Notice what you notice. A bird that holds your gaze. A tree your hand moves toward. A stone that catches the light in a particular way. These are invitations. This is animism beginning to come alive for you.

Ready to go deeper? Download my free guide, Activate Your Shamanic Gifts (below), to begin exploring your own connection to the living world. Or if you’re ready to commit to a structured path of practice, learn more about the Foundations of Shamanism course here.

Shamanic Mentorship for Healers and Practitioners: What It Is and How It Works

Practitioners! Healers, coaches, therapists, bodyworkers — Today’s article is personalized for you.

(Non-practitioners — your personalized article went out the other day. Did you see it?)

“I’ve been practicing for a long time but I know there are more intuitive or Shamanic gifts that I need to explore and incorporate into my work.”

“I’ve taken so many trainings, courses and workshops in spirituality and healing modalities, but I feel like there’s something missing. I still don’t feel like I’m fully embodying my personal magic and I need help figuring out what that is.”

“I feel called to be a healer or spiritual practitioner because I want to help people, but I’m not sure where to start.”

These are just a few of the common themes I hear from people coming to me for support.

Do any of these sound like you?

Hi! I’m Michelle Hawk — Shamanic mentor and teacher. I’ve been studying and practicing Shamanism and other modalities since 2003.

There were so many times, particularly during the beginning of my journey, where I felt confused, frustrated and as though I was fumbling around in the dark. I was going through intuitive healership initiations and mediumship awakening. The thing that made the biggest difference for me was the personal guidance and mentorship of powerful teachers and healers.

Instead of feeling lost and alone, I felt seen and supported.

Instead of feeling like I was totally crazy and making things up as I went along, I felt validated and empowered.

I have been so blessed to receive support from some fantastic mentors over the last 20+ years. I know how essential it is to have someone in your corner who understands what it means to go through spiritual initiations and guide you through deep transformation into grounded mastery.

Do you need that kind of support?

Do you want it right now?

I am opening spaces for new clients to come into 1:1 Shamanic mentorship work with me!

***There are no prerequisites for working 1:1 with me. I work with advanced practitioners who have years of training and study and want personalized support for themselves and their work. I also work with new and aspiring healers and practitioners who want support in foundational skill development and processing their awakening.***

This work is for you if:

• You’ve been studying energy healing or various modalities for a long time but it feels like something’s missing. You want to go beyond the certifications and modalities to anchor into your personal gifts and authentic magic.

• You have taken lots of online classes, read lots of books and want practical, personal support that goes beyond a generic “Spiritual 101” curriculum.

• You have a gift for intuitive practice, channeling and mediumship, and you want to explore it safely with support and guidance to discover the authentic expression of your intuitive gifts.

• You feel the presence of spirit guides and you know you are going through powerful spiritual initiations. You want help anchoring the codes and transmissions that you are receiving so you can integrate them fully into your life and your practice.

• You have been “on the path” for a while, but you feel like you’re not growing past a beginner or intermediate level, and you want to source your practice from deep knowing and mastery, and refined spiritual skill development.

• You feel stuck or blocked in your continued development, or like you’ve reached a plateau, and you’re looking for some fresh energy and perspective to help you renew your transformation and growth.

• You have a professional spiritual or healing practice and you are tired of trying to make it fit in a box that was never meant for you. You want someone to help you structure your programs, offerings and business practices in a way that actually aligns with your sacred work and your lifestyle.

• You are a practitioner, healer, therapist, coach or medical provider. You have been “in the closet” about your Shamanic, intuitive or magical self, and you are ready to stop hiding and start sharing this aspect of your practice.

• You have a “normal” job or career that is making you miserable and you are finally ready to shift out of it and explore your soul-aligned service.

• You want support from a grounded spiritual mentor who has been on this path for a long time, who can help you see what you might be missing and give you specific tools, teachings and guidance that is aligned for you as you grow and transform.

If any of this sounds like you, I invite you to step into 1:1 Shamanic Mentorship with me.

Our sessions together may include some combination of the following:

• Shamanic and energy healing work.

• Teaching and instruction about specific principles and tools of spiritual practice from Shamanism, Alchemy, and other lineages.

• Shamanic journeying, intuitive and mediumship practice to connect with the spirits for guidance and healing.

• Personal ritual or ceremony.

• Learning and practicing embodiment and movement work, consciousness practices, energetic techniques.

• Personal guidance, processing, support and reflection.

• Working with your spiritual business or soul-aligned practice, planning and strategy.

With 1:1 Shamanic Mentorship, you get me in your corner for 3 months of personal support. 3 sessions x 3 months = 9 sessions of powerful work.

If you’re ready to work deeply with a mentor who gets it —

If Spirit is beckoning you to step into mastery and you want support while you do —

If you’re aching to express your personal magic and higher service and you want a guide in your corner to help you —

>>>Book a call with me to discuss if this work is right for you!

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

Shamanic Healing for Your Transformational Journey

Are you going through a deep transformation or healing journey? Are you looking for Shamanic and spiritual support? — Today’s email is personalized for you. (Practitioners — your personalized email is coming on Wednesday. Stay tuned!)

“I feel disconnected from my power, joy and purpose, and I need help finding my way back to myself.”

“I feel like there are energetic blockages and karmic / ancestral / past life wounds I need to heal, but I want someone to guide and support me.”

“I want to connect with my spirit guides for healing and messages — I feel them trying to get my attention but I don’t know where to start.”

“I feel totally alone on this path and I need help from someone who gets it.”

These are just a few of the common themes I hear from people coming to me for support.

Do any of these sound like you?

Hi! I’m Michelle Hawk— healer and Shamanic mentor. I’ve been studying and practicing Shamanism and other modalities since 2003.

There were so many times, particularly during the beginning of my journey, where I felt confused, frustrated and as though I was fumbling around in the dark. I was going through deep healing initiations and underworld transformation cycles. The thing that made the biggest difference for me was the personal guidance and mentorship of powerful teachers and healers.

Instead of feeling lost and alone, I felt seen and supported.

Instead of feeling like I was totally crazy and making things up as I went along, I felt validated and empowered.

I have been so blessed to receive support from some fantastic mentors over the last 20+ years. I know how essential it is to have someone in your corner who understands what it means to go through spiritual initiations and guide you through deep transformation into grounded empowerment.

Do you need that kind of support?

Do you want it right now?

I am opening spaces for new clients to come into 1:1 Shamanic Healing and Mentorship work with me!

***There are no prerequisites for working 1:1 with me. I work with spiritual seekers who want powerful tools for their healing and transformation. I also work with aspiring, new and established spiritual practitioners for their growth and skill development.***

This work is for you if:

• You are committed to your personal growth and development. You want practical spiritual tools in your personal tool kit that are more than guided meditations.

• You are going through a big life transformation and you want practical support to help you process, stay grounded and feel present/connected to your inner wisdom through the transition.

• You are going through a deep personal healing journey. You want support with trauma healing and nervous system regulation, relationship challenges, childhood wounds, energetic blocks, beliefs and conditioning, or physical symptoms that “don’t make sense.”

• You want to reconcile ancestral and karmic wounds in order to heal and clear karma and rewrite soul contracts and patterns.

• You want support with soul retrieval, integrating the wisdom and lessons of past lives and coming into full expression of your Higher Self knowing.

• You have a gift for intuitive practice, channeling and mediumship, and you want to explore it safely with support and guidance to discover the authentic expression of your intuitive gifts.

• You feel the presence of spirit guides and you know you are going through powerful spiritual initiations. You want help anchoring the codes and transmissions that you are receiving so you can integrate and live them fully.

• You feel stuck or blocked in your continued development, disconnected from your purpose or like you’ve reached a plateau, and you’re looking for some fresh energy and perspective to help you renew your transformation and growth.

• You feel alone on your path, you don’t have any spiritual community and you want to be able to talk and process with someone who doesn’t think you’re bonkers.

• You are participating in sacred plant medicine work and want help processing, integrating and anchoring your experiences and translating them into aligned shifts and healing in your life.

• You want support from a grounded spiritual healer / mentor who has been on this path for a long time, who can help you see what you might be missing and give you specific tools, guidance and healing support that is aligned for you as you grow and transform.

If any of this sounds like you, I invite you to step into 1:1 Shamanic Healing and Mentorship Work with me.

Our sessions together may include some combination of the following:

• Shamanic and energy healing work.

• Teaching and instruction about specific principles and tools of spiritual practice from Shamanism, Alchemy, and other lineages.

• Shamanic journeying, intuitive and mediumship practice to connect with the spirits for guidance and healing.

• Personal ritual or ceremony.

• Learning and practicing embodiment and movement work, consciousness practices, energetic techniques.

• Personal guidance, processing, support and reflection.

With 1:1 Shamanic Healing and Mentorship Work, you get me in your corner for 3 months of personal support. 3 sessions x 3 months = 9 sessions of powerful transformation.

If you’re ready to work deeply with a healer who gets it —

If Spirit is beckoning you to step into your transformational healing journey and you want support while you do —

If you’re aching to resolve old wounds and reconnect with your joyful purpose and you want a guide in your corner to help you —

>>>Book a call with me to discuss if this work is right for you!

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

What to Expect from 1:1 Shamanic Mentorship: A 3-Month Deep Dive

Are you called to develop your intuitive and Shamanic gifts? Do you feel Spirit beckoning you into your soul-aligned path, but you want support from a mentor who gets it?

“I’ve been practicing for a long time but I know there are more intuitive or Shamanic gifts that I need to explore and incorporate into my work.”

“I’ve taken so many trainings, courses and workshops in spirituality and healing modalities, but I feel like there’s something missing. I still don’t feel like I’m connecting to my personal magic and I need help figuring out what that is.”

“I feel called to be a healer or spiritual practitioner because I want to help people, but I’m not sure where to start.”

These are just a few of the common themes I hear from people coming to me for support.

Do any of these sound like you?

If you’re here, you're ready to:

• Awaken your authentic gifts and inner knowing.

• Release blockages, old structures and everything holding you back.

• Develop powerful spiritual skills to transform your life and the world.

I’m pleased to offer you:

3 Month Shamanic Mentorship Intensive

3 sessions x 3 months = 9 sessions of powerful transformation.

3 x $ 1200 or $ 3300 pay in full. Option to add 1:1 retreat.

After a decade of offering 6-month 1:1 Shamanic mentorship containers, my guidance is nudging me to offer a shorter time commitment.

While 6 months offers extra spaciousness for gradual integration, I’m aware that the time commitment may be a barrier for some, and I want to do my best to help you receive the support you need in a way that fits your lifestyle and capacity.

The world feels like it’s moving extra fast these days. My existing clients are noticing huge shifts from one session to the next and it feels like we’re collectively moving through a very accelerated process.

Are you called to receive Shamanic support from a mentor with 23 years of practice?

With Shamanic Mentorship, you get me in your corner for 3 months of personal support.

If you’re ready to work deeply with a mentor who gets it —

If Spirit is beckoning you to step into transformation and you want support while you do —

If you’re aching to explore your personal magic and sacred path and you want a guide in your corner to help you —

>>>Book a call with me to discuss if this work is right for you!

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

3 Month Shamanic Mentorship Intensive

Do you desire spiritual mentorship and Shamanic support, but 6 months just feels like a long time?

What if you could receive powerful transformational support in a concentrated dose?

I’m pleased to offer you:

3 Month Shamanic Mentorship Intensive

3 sessions x 3 months = 9 sessions of powerful transformation.

3 x $ 1200 or $ 3300 pay in full. Option to add 1:1 retreat.

After a decade of offering 6-month 1:1 Shamanic mentorship containers, my guidance is nudging me to offer a shorter time commitment.

While 6 months offers extra spaciousness for gradual integration, I’m aware that the time commitment may be a barrier for some, and I want to do my best to help you receive the support you need in a way that fits your lifestyle and capacity.

The world feels like it’s moving extra fast these days. My existing clients are noticing huge shifts from one session to the next and it feels like we’re collectively moving through a very accelerated process.

Are you called to receive Shamanic support from a mentor who gets it?

What Is Shamanic Mentorship?

New clients always ask, “What is your process for 1:1 mentorship? What do you do with your clients?”

There is no standard answer to that because every client is on a unique path, but there is a general method and process to my mentorship style. I draw upon a vast array of tools, techniques and decades of training to support each client in their individual journey.

Each 1:1 Shamanic Mentorship client process includes:

Evaluation/Assessment

I help you understand your unique path, your initiations and yourself.

When you’re in a transformational portal and you’re not even sure what’s going on, it can seem impossible to make sense of anything, let alone formulate a coherent action plan. With my 20+ years of training and practice, I can help you sort out and understand your spiritual process. We’ll evaluate your primary needs and chart the course for our work together in healing, practice and spiritual skill development.

Healing and Energy Work

I help you clear obstacles and bring in healing energies.

According to your unique needs, we may work with Shamanic and energy healing techniques, intuitive mediumship practice to invite in healing spirits, Shamanic journeying, soul retrieval, past life and karmic clearing. We may also work with nervous system regulation, trauma release techniques and movement practices. If appropriate, I can help guide you in a personal healing ritual or ceremony.

Teaching and instruction

I give you spiritual teachings and practices that you can immediately apply in your life.

According to your needs, I’ll share teaching and instruction about specific principles and tools of spiritual practice from Shamanism, Alchemy, and other lineages. You’ll learn relevant embodiment and movement work, consciousness practices, energetic techniques. Every session includes integration and action steps so you can apply this work in your life every day.

Coaching/Processing

I help you talk it out and make sense of it all.

Being on a spiritual journey can feel lonely and isolating if you don’t have anyone in your life who gets it. Believe me, I get it. Our work is a safe place to process all the “weird” spiritual stuff you can’t share with anyone else. This is also a space for personal inquiry, guidance, support and reflection. I’ll help you understand exactly how these particular spiritual forces are working in your life, and perspective to grow from that understanding. We may also work with your spiritual business or soul-aligned practice (designing your new program, making a retreat budget, updating your website and your intake forms), or discuss other projects and processes in your life.

With Shamanic Mentorship, you get me in your corner for 3 months of personal support.

If you’re ready to work deeply with a mentor who gets it —

If Spirit is beckoning you to step into transformation and you want support while you do —

If you’re aching to explore your personal magic and sacred path and you want a guide in your corner to help you —

>>>Book a call with me to discuss if this work is right for you!

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

Shamanic Entity Extraction, Collective Healing and ICE

I was awake for a long time on Saturday night following the murder of Alex Pretti and the continued escalation of reprehensible violence by ICE.

As I lay there in the middle of the night, I offered prayers for Alex’s crossing, and prayers for healing, liberation and peace for all those who have been murdered, tortured, traumatized or harmed by ICE, and all their loved ones. I cried and cried.

I’ve been thinking a lot about our country’s situation through the lens of Shamanic healing and Alchemical transformation. Not as an escapist light-washing or spiritual bypassing, but from a sincere desire to understand the powerful transpersonal energetic currents at play and how they are rippling out through specific events and the actions of individual people.

It’s been a potent exercise, but this is the Shamanic path — to maintain one foot in both worlds. To feel deeply the suffering and pain and feel my heart break with compassion and anguish for the wrongs inflicted on my brothers and sisters. And simultaneously, to interface with the Spirit world, to see beyond the material reality into the energetic dynamics and to work with the currents of creation itself for healing and transformation.

And what’s going on right now feels just like an extremely amplified Shamanic entity extraction.

I have performed my fair share of Shamanic extraction work over my 22 years of practice, usually with individual people and a handful of times on behalf of a group (<30 people). Shamanic extractions are often intense but go smoothly, and result in the client’s feeling of profound catharsis and relief.

Only once have I ever performed an extraction where I had an “Oh fuck” moment that really scared me — was I capable of helping this person? Was the energy spiraling out of control? Was this entity that much more powerful than my spirit allies?

(In the end, that extraction was successful and one of the most potent healing sessions I have ever offered. The client’s transformation was like night and day. I will remember it for the rest of my life, and I am so humbly grateful to my spirit team for their extraordinary support.)

In the many Shamanic extractions I have offered over the years, there is a consistent pattern that seems to mirror what we’re seeing now on a huge scale. Once an energy or entity is identified for removal, it often begins to vocalize and lash out. This sometimes expresses as hateful/bizarre words and sounds coming out of my mouth (I warn my clients about this ahead of time), sounds expressing through my client, gagging/coughing, twitches and jerky movements, shaking, nausea, chills, strong visions and emotions.

I have had entities speak the most horrible things through my voice while they are on their way out, and create tremendous physical discomfort for myself and my clients.

To anyone who didn’t know what was happening and didn’t have the tools to move through it skillfully, it would no doubt be terrifying.

And when people are terrified, they can behave in irrational, harmful and violent ways to ensure their survival.

In my contemplation about our collective Shamanic extraction process, I’m wondering about the soul contracts and karma of the individual people who are playing out these collective patterns. Are the ICE agents and fascist sociopaths in government playing out their own trauma and inner shadow in a very hateful way? Have they been consumed by the shadow egregore (a collective thought form that takes on a life force of its own through the energy/participation of many people) of our collective wounding and history of oppression and violence? Is this horrible behavior actually part of some dark service, where they’re giving a voice to the collective shadow that is being liberated on its way out?

I don’t pretend to have definitive answers about any of this. All I have is my 22 years of Shamanic practice and spiritual training, my empathy and my own agency to participate in our collective liberation and healing in the best way I can.

You’ve heard the list by now: call your reps, be a menace, take care of yourself and your community, go protest, stay grounded.

And even though I really hate to tie all of this to selling you something, I genuinely believe the Foundations of Shamanism course is must-have knowledge and practice for everyone (especially in this time of our collective Shamanic extraction).

Are you called to Shamanic practice?

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week course, March 10 - May 19

In this course, you’ll learn:

• Practical skills and easy tools for impeccable energetic hygiene and safety.

• Foundational Shamanic practices to connect with Earth and the Spirit realm.

• How to anchor your healing, ceremonial or spiritual work into the powerful foundation of your local Earth grid and energetic ecosystem.

• Steps and tools to heal and reclaim your own indigeneity.

• Shamanic journeying: safety, best practices, tools and instruction.

• How to communicate clearly and confidently with Spirit guides and the unseen realms for the purpose of guidance, illumination and healing.

If this work calls to you, email me to get on the First Dibs List and secure the best price for this course!

First Dibs List: $947

Early Bird: $997

Regular Price: $1197 or three payments of $467

>>>Check out all the course details here.

First Dibs List is open through February 2. Let me know if your name should be on it.

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

Sneak Peek and First Dibs: Shamanic Training this Spring

Pssssst! Come closer! I have a juicy sneak peek to share with you.

Early Bird enrollment for the Foundations of Shamanism course starts on February 3!

But if you know this work is for you, send me an email and I’ll make sure you’re on the First Dibs list. (First Dibs List gets an even better discount than Early Bird!)

We are almost done with our fall/winter cohort and it has been SO potent. Here are a few of the great things students have to say:

“I have been doing the practices and I am noticing a huge difference in energy at the end of the day!”

“I had a tremendous meditation over the weekend and met a guardian spirit whom I’m excited to get to know better.”

“I did our most recent practice this morning at my meditation spot and a great horned owl came and sang to me right after I finished! What a treat!”

“I love making offerings back to the land. I felt so held and received by the spirits.”

Returning this spring:

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week course, March 10 - May 19

In this course, you’ll learn:

• Practical skills and easy tools for impeccable energetic hygiene and safety.

• Foundational Shamanic practices to connect with Earth and the Spirit realm.

• How to anchor your healing, ceremonial or spiritual work into the powerful foundation of your local Earth grid and energetic ecosystem.

• Steps and tools to heal and reclaim your own indigeneity.

• Shamanic journeying: safety, best practices, tools and instruction.

• How to communicate clearly and confidently with Spirit guides and the unseen realms for the purpose of guidance, illumination and healing.

If this work calls to you, send me an email to get on the First Dibs List and secure the best price for this course!

First Dibs List: $947

Early Bird: $997

Regular Price: $1197 or three payments of $ 467

First Dibs List is open through February 2. Let me know if your name should be on it!

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

5 Signs You Have Shamanic Gifts and Don't Know It Yet

As a child, what superpowers did you wish you had?

Have any of them manifested? Maybe in ways you didn’t anticipate?

All children have access to that innocent, unfiltered connection with magic and the Divine. This was me all over. As a kiddo, I knew that animals could talk, and that stones and plants had magic powers. I knew that all the spirits and deities I learned about in mythology were real. The stories I most enjoyed reading were fantastical, magical interpretations of the world, usually told through an epic journey of self-discovery and actualization of the protagonist.

When I was 10, I broke my arm and practiced surrounding the wound in brilliant light so it would heal more quickly. When I was 12, my childhood dog was diagnosed with diabetes, and I practiced putting my hands on her, sending colored light into her body.

Michelle Hawk at age 5 with her first puppy.

I still have an old journal from when I was about 13. On the first page I had written a list of “superpowers” I wanted to have. It included:

• Being able to talk to animals (and hear them)

• Take on an animal shape

• Make plant medicine

• Read people’s minds/telepathy

• Healing people and animals

• Flying

• Time travel

• Communicating with other worlds

I didn’t grow up learning about healing and magic as part of my everyday awareness, but I was lucky because my parents never told me to stop “making things up” or that the way I saw the world wasn’t real.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for a lot of people. It seems much more common that our young, magical kiddo selves get shut down, told “no,” put into little boxes and forced into the horrible choice between remaining true to our purest essence and being accepted by our families and communities.

But that magical kiddo with a wish list of superpowers is still inside you. That part of you that speaks the language of innocence and Spirit, the part of you that instinctively knows how to make an offering to the Fairies, the part of you that dreams of befriending Dragons and studying with a wizard in the forest. The part of you that communes easily and fluently with the Divine and with your highest self never goes away.

That list of superpowers from your inner magical kiddo isn’t so much a list of “I wish I could”s, but more a list of “I want to remember how to”s, because it comes from that truest part of your pure essence. Your wisdom is trying to guide you home to yourself.

Take a look again at my wish list of superpowers. That list I made as a young teenager is entirely Shamanic and magical practices: energetic communication, shapeshifting, healing, astral travel and channeling. In other words, all of those are practices that I have grown into and studied on my spiritual path since 2003. They were all things that I already knew how to do, and my magical kiddo self was simply reminding me that I could. (Flying and Time Travel are less literal than young Michelle intended, but I think we can count it.)

Maybe you don’t have a list written down from your childhood, but I invite you to revisit the fantastical desires of your magical kiddo self:

What “superpowers” did you wish you had as a child?

As you continue on your spiritual path, how are those “superpowers” manifesting? (It may or may not be obvious.)

Does your inner magical kiddo self have any messages or reminders for you about your abilities and your relationship to magic?

If your magical kiddo self were to direct the course of your practice and training, what would they want you to do next?

Do you want support connecting with your magical self to actualize your own “superpowers?”

If you’re ready to awaken your authentic gifts and inner knowing —

If you want support to release blockages, old structures and everything holding you back —

If you’re called to develop powerful spiritual skills to transform yourself, your life and the world —

I have a few spaces open for 1:1 transformational Shamanic mentorship.

>>>Book a call with me!

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

Shamanic Mentorship, Healing & Training: Ways to Work with Me in 2026

Happy (belated) Gregorian New Year! I hope you enjoyed a nourishing and peaceful Solstice/holiday corridor. (I took a little extra space for stillness and quiet. Yum!)

As we’re all collectively poking our heads up and looking forward, I would love to remind you of 3+ ways you can work with me in 2026.

Calling all:

• Feral mystics

• Spiritual seekers

• Those in a healing journey who want Shamanic support

• Students and stewards of the Mysteries

• Medicine people

• Animists

• Shamanic seekers

• Channels and mediums

• Those who love, serve and praise Life, Gaia and all her children

Friends, this is an invitation for you to join me in the etheric temple of my practice in 2026.

This is for you if you are ready for support with:

• Awakening your authentic gifts and inner knowing

• Personal healing to liberate trauma, dis-ease and stagnation

• Karmic, past life and lineage healing

• Holistic transformation in your life and in the world

• Cultivating a powerful and effective spiritual practice

• Honing your intuition and mediumship

• Learning potent tools of energetic mastery and embodiment

• Developing a complete somatic toolkit

• Soul retrieval

• Skillfully working with powerful spiritual forces

• Studying the ancient wisdom tradition of Shamanism

• Receiving direct initiations from spirit-side mentors and etheric guides

• Cultivating your transformational facilitation skills

• Honing your ritual and ceremony practice

• Mastering the practical application of spiritual technology for yourself and others

• Developing your professional spiritual or healing practice and crafting your unique offerings

If you read that and thought, “Yes, that’s me! I’m ready!”

Here are your options for support:

1:1 Transformational Mentorship

6 months of 1:1 support from me. Receive personalized support for your healing and transformation journey. This work draws upon all my lineages of training and practice to support your unique path. Includes training, mentorship, support and personalized spiritual skill development work.

Spaces open now. Book a call now and let’s talk about it.

Shamanic Healing

Packages of 3 Shamanic healing sessions. Receive support with releasing blockages, clearing stuck energies, nervous system regulation, past life and lineage healing, soul retrieval and guidance through big life shifts.

Spaces open now. Book a call now and let’s talk about it.

Foundations of Shamanism Course

11 week training. Learn foundational principles of Universal Shamanism for your spiritual practice, ceremonial and healing work. Develop practical skills for energetic hygiene and safety that will allow you to confidently navigate the unseen realms, and learn how to purposefully work with spirit guides and Shamanic allies.

Begins this spring. Already know this course is for you? Send me an email to get on the “First Dibs List” and receive the biggest course discount!

Plus one more bonus way to work with me to support your beloved animal family:

Animal Communication

Psychic readings to communicate with your animals. Support for health and behavior challenges, help your pets through life changes such as moving or adopting a new animal. Support through the death and dying process, and after your beloved animal has crossed over.

Sessions available online worldwide or in-person in the Portland, OR area. Schedule your session here.

I am grateful to offer this work and look forward to supporting you in 2026 and beyond!

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

Shaman in Portland, Oregon

My First Shamanic Training

I took my very first Shamanic class in 2003, at age 15.

And one of my strongest memories of this experience was my feeling of profound relief —

Relief that I was finally given a vocabulary to explain the concepts that my heart already knew to be true.

Relief that I wasn’t “just making things up” and that other people shared my connection with nature and the spirit realm.

Relief that I wasn’t alone in my psychic abilities and reverence for life.

Relief that there were practical tools and skills I could develop to shape and strengthen the intuitive and energy work I was already doing naturally.

This day-long class in Shamanic journeying changed my life. In addition to giving me skills and tools that began my Shamanic practice, it gave me a sense of belonging and trust that I didn’t have before.

This introduction to Shamanism opened my eyes to humanity’s ancient and powerful animistic origins. It helped me understand why I felt so alien and clumsy in “normal” teenage pursuits and helped me feel at home in myself. It gave me refuge during university when my peers literally laughed in my face for talking about energy, consciousness and the spiritual aspect of nature in connection with biological research and medicine.

This same sense of relief and belonging is something I often hear from incoming clients and students:

“I don’t have anyone else to talk to about this, I’m so glad I found this [Shamanism] course.”

“I feel so isolated and I’m so grateful for community with other people who get it.”

“Thank you so much for telling me I’m not making this up/crazy!”

Are you called to Shamanism and longing for a like-hearted community?

Do you feel relief and excitement at the idea of not only gaining Shamanic tools, but also connecting with other people who get it?

Is your inner teenager jumping up and down at the opportunity to make friends as weird as you are while also learning powerful Shamanic practices?

If you are ready for that kind of relief and belonging —

The Foundations of Shamanism course begins on November 17!

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week online course, November 17 - February 2, 2026

Classes are live, on Zoom, Monday evenings, 5 - 6:30pm PT. (No class on December 22.) All classes will be recorded. No prior experience is necessary for this course.

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

Through the Foundations of Shamanism Training, you will:

• Practice Shamanic journeys to connect with spirit allies and learn how to integrate their medicine into your life and spiritual practice.

• Anchor your healing, ceremonial or spiritual work into the powerful foundation of your local Earth grid and energetic ecosystem, for the purpose of grounding, protection and amplification.

• Learn how to clear, ground and protect your energy so you can confidently and safely navigating the unseen realms.

• Make offerings and prayers to connect with spirit guides and Shamanic allies, and build your connection with these guides.

• Learn how to communicate with the spirit realm so that you may receive their messages, signs and teachings.

• Master basic concepts of ecology so that your Earth-based spiritual practice is informed by a practical understanding of your local ecosystem.

• Take steps to heal and reclaim your own indigeneity as you connect to Gaia in a new way.

• Connect with like-hearted seekers and build community with others who get it.

The Foundations of Shamanism course begins on Monday, so if you’ve been thinking about signing up, now is the time!

Are you ready to answer your Shamanic calling?

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

What Does a Daily Shamanic Practice Actually Look Like?

Today, my Shamanic practice looks like foraging for chanterelles in the forest near my house.

It looks like staring in joyful appreciation at the golden maple leaves against the soaring blue sky.

It looks like sitting outside in the winter sunshine with my dog and 19 year old cat, singing silly songs and drinking hot chocolate.

Sometimes, “Shamanic practice” gets a conflated with heavy work and deep healing. And it can certainly include that — sometimes my Shamanic practice looks like entity extractions, past life healing, hours-long ritual and incorporation mediumship.

But Shamanic practice is also nourishing, peaceful and fun. It is interacting with playful spirits, sharing breath with a guardian tree, and singing with moving water.

How is your Shamanic practice inviting you to play, relax and enjoy? Where is your practice asking you to learn and develop skill, not only for the deep work, but also for the beauty and fun?

If you want to lean into the skill and the joy in your Shamanic practice —

The Foundations of Shamanism course begins on November 17!

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week online course, November 17 - February 2, 2026

Classes are live, on Zoom, Monday evenings, 5 - 6:30pm PT. (No class on December 22.) All classes will be recorded. No prior experience is necessary for this course.

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

Are you called to this work, and wondering if it’s right for you?

Through the Foundations of Shamanism Training, you will:

• Practice Shamanic journeys to connect with spirit allies and learn how to integrate their medicine into your life and spiritual practice.

• Anchor your healing, ceremonial or spiritual work into the powerful foundation of your local Earth grid and energetic ecosystem, for the purpose of grounding, protection and amplification.

• Learn how to clear, ground and protect your energy so you can confidently and safely navigating the unseen realms.

• Make offerings and prayers to connect with spirit guides and Shamanic allies, and build your connection with these guides.

• Learn how to communicate with the spirit realm so that you may receive their messages, signs and teachings.

• Master basic concepts of ecology so that your Earth-based spiritual practice is informed by a practical understanding of your local ecosystem.

• Take steps to heal and reclaim your own indigeneity as you connect to Gaia in a new way.

Are you called to this work, and wondering if it’s right for you?

Do you have questions about the course?

Do you want to meet me for a brief call and make sure I’m the right teacher for you at this time?

Limited availability, this week only:

You’re invited to book a free call with me to talk about if the Foundations of Shamanism course is right for you!

>>>Use this link to book your free call with me.

***Talking to me is not a requirement to register for this course, this is if you have questions or want to discuss anything before registering.***

The Foundations of Shamanism course begins next week, so if you’ve been thinking about signing up, now is the time!

Are you ready to answer your Shamanic calling?

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

Many blessings,

Michelle Hawk

The Shamanic View of Death: Returning to Earth and Ancestral Healing

What’s your Death Plan? Mine used to be wolves and vultures, but it has evolved a bit since then.

Death is a consistent presence in my Shamanic practice. In fact, we spend the first 4 months of the year-long Alchemy apprenticeship in the Death Phase, working with practices for letting go, surrendering and allowing those old, no-longer-needed parts of ourselves to die. I also support a lot of animals through their final crossing in my animal communication practice.

In the year-long program I’m participating in (Rewilding Leadership and Community Resilience), we’ve also been working with Death. One of the assignments is to write a Death Plan — directives for loved ones to follow, including closing bank accounts, celebration of life and final care for the Earthsuit.

I can’t help but remember a conversation I had with my mom when I was around 12 years old. This is how I remember the conversation (as a non-sequitur, completely out of nowhere):

Me: “When I die, I’d like my body to be left out in the woods so animals can eat me.”

Mom: “I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

I remember even then the desire for my body to return to Earth, knowing that I belong in this gorgeous cycle of life nourishing life. The desire to become part of the forest and the animals that I love so much.

I vividly remember a part in one of my favorite books I read around that age (maybe this is where I got the idea). One human character died, and his friend, an enormous bear, did him the honor of receiving this final gift, and ate his body.

There are some cultures that observe adjacent practices. In Tibetan Buddhism “sky burials,” bodies are brought into the mountains, dissected and joyfully fed to the vultures so that the spirit may be fully liberated from the Earth plane.

Here is a poem I love by Jarod K. Anderson (The CryptoNaturalist):

Vultures are holy creatures.

Tending the dead.

Bowing low.

Bared head.

Whispers to cold flesh,

“Your old name is not your king.

I rename you ‘Everything.’”

This concept of joyfully returning the body to Earth has appeared in my own songwriting. To me, it is so beautiful and harmonious and humbling and ecstatic — giving the miraculous gift of the bioform back to the Great Mother, to compost and become part of new life.

So to me, the idea of the modern funeral industry and practices is so fucked up.

Having strangers inject your body full of preservative chemicals, cover you with makeup and bury you in a box with plastic and metal in a cemetery full of fertilizer sounds like the plot of a horror movie.

But practices like that can only possibly come from a society that is disconnected from Earth and true participation in the full cycle of Life.

Being stuffed full of chemicals and buried in a fancy box only sounds good if you are under the spell of fear and illusion that we are not part of Earth — that we are somehow separate from nature.

Modern funeral practices only sound like a comforting option to those who have not taken their place of belonging to Earth and to Life.

We belong to Earth. We belong to Life, and Life loves us.

This is the Shamanic worldview. This is the original view of humanity in cultures all over the world. This is the belief that all things are alive, and connected through that universal aliveness. And also connected through our Death.

My Death plan has evolved in the past 25 years from my body being left in the woods. Now my plan is to have a “green burial” where my body composts with the help of mushrooms and turns into soil. I would like to be planted with some young trees, especially cedar.

But until I’m ready to make my final offering in this life, I’ll continue to make offerings every day — offerings of songs, prayers, water, flowers, dancing, food and tears.

Offerings of gratitude to Earth. Gratitude for my belonging in this wild and gorgeous web of Life. Gratitude for the cycles of Death and Rebirth and nourishment and radiant aliveness. Gratitude for this ecstatic miracle that we all get to participate in, and become part of Everything.

Are you called to Shamanic practice?

Do you want to learn how to make offerings and prayers to connect with spirit guides and Shamanic allies, and build your connection with these guides?

Are you ready to learn how to communicate with the spirit realm so that you may receive their messages, signs and teachings?

Are you drawn to Earth-based spiritual practice and want to take your place of belonging with Life?

Are you ready to answer your Shamanic calling?

I am delighted to invite you to:

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week online course, November 17 - February 2, 2026

Classes are live, on Zoom, Monday evenings, 5 - 6:30pm PT. (No class on December 22.) All classes will be recorded. No prior experience is necessary for this course.

Through this course, you will:

• Practice Shamanic journeys to connect with spirit allies and learn how to integrate their medicine into your life and spiritual practice.

• Anchor your healing, ceremonial or spiritual work into the powerful foundation of your local Earth grid and energetic ecosystem, for the purpose of grounding, protection and amplification.

• Learn how to clear, ground and protect your energy so you can confidently and safely navigating the unseen realms.

• Make offerings and prayers to connect with spirit guides and Shamanic allies, and build your connection with these guides.

• Learn how to communicate with the spirit realm so that you may receive their messages, signs and teachings.

• Master basic concepts of ecology so that your Earth-based spiritual practice is informed by a practical understanding of your local ecosystem.

• Take steps to heal and reclaim your own indigeneity as you connect to Gaia in a new way.

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

Shamanic Skills for Earth & Spiritual Practice

How is your skill in relating with Earth and the Spirit realm?

The core of Shamanic practice is rooted in an intimate, personal relationship with Earth and spiritual forces. Unlike some organized religions where spiritual leaders stand as intermediaries between humanity and the Divine, Shamanism offers a direct connection.

This is where the magic happens. It’s also where skill becomes necessary.

For people raised in a society based on separation, convenience, subjugation of nature and relegating spiritual communication to the realm of ghost stories, the idea of that direct, intimate relationship can feel overwhelming, or even terrifying. (“What do I do? I don’t even know where to start.”)

If we are used to a lifestyle of on-demand electricity and food delivery, where we live in the illusion of all of our needs being met, the idea of making ourselves vulnerable and humble in the face of something immense and unknown might seem crazy.

Let’s imagine that we find ourselves standing in an ancient forest of towering trees, enveloped in the quiet presence of giants.

We might cling to our illusions, take out our phones and make a TikTok.

We might think, “Wow, that’s beautiful. I need to get out in nature more,” and then head back to the car.

Or we might feel the welling recognition of belonging inside our hearts.

We might fall to our knees in reverence and dig our fingers into the soil.

We might confront all the ways in which we have abandoned ourselves, allowed ourselves to be tamed and participated in humanity’s betrayal of the Earth.

We might howl our grief and make an offering of our tears.

We might approach the trees with beaming smiles, greet them as friends and say, “I love you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Shamanic practice is rooted in personal connection and direct, intimate relationship with Earth and the spirit realm.

That relationship gives us the gift of belonging:

Belonging with the part of ourselves that is more than human.

Belonging with the parts of ourselves that are stardust and seafoam and wolf song.

Belonging with the wholeness of our eternal spirit.

That kind of belonging is an incredible gift.

But it also requires tremendous responsibility, because it demands that we confront the systems and structures of our lives that perpetuate the illusion of not-belonging.

It demands that we develop skill, fluency and intelligence in our relationship with Earth and the unseen realms.

It’s great to feel connected to nature, but if you head out into the mountains at night without preparation you are endangering your physical safety.

Same with navigating the spirit realm—feeling belonging and connection is wonderful, but without discernment and psychic protection, you are placing yourself in danger.

This is where Shamanic practice comes in:

Shamanism gives you the tools of skillful relationship with Earth and the spirit realm.

Shamanism teaches maturity, fluency, intelligence and practical tools to support your intimate relationship and belonging with the immensity of nature and spirit.

Are you drawn to Earth-based spiritual practice?

Are you seeking guidance and training in your Shamanic path?

Are you ready to connect with yourself, with Earth, with your joyful belonging and the wholeness of your eternal spirit?

Are you ready to develop your Shamanic practice to support your skillful relationship with Earth and the Spirit realm?

If you know that you are here on Earth to develop a deep, functional allyship with Gaia and Earth-based spiritual practice —

If you want to refine, cultivate and ground your intuition in a safe and healthy way so you can confidently communicate with and invoke spiritual forces for healing and guidance —

If you are ready to collaborate with ancient and powerful spirit guides and Shamanic allies —

If you are ready to answer your Shamanic calling —

Join me in this powerful course:

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 Weeks, Online, November 17 - February 2, 2026

This course is live, online, and all modules will be recorded.

Through this course, you will:

• Practice Shamanic journeys to connect with spirit allies and learn how to integrate their medicine into your life and spiritual practice.

• Anchor your healing, ceremonial or spiritual work into the powerful foundation of your local Earth grid and energetic ecosystem, for the purpose of grounding, protection and amplification.

• Learn how to clear, ground and protect your energy so you can confidently and safely navigating the unseen realms.

• Make offerings and prayers to connect with spirit guides and Shamanic allies, and build your connection with these guides.

• Learn how to communicate with the spirit realm so that you may receive their messages, signs and teachings.

• Master basic concepts of ecology so that your Earth-based spiritual practice is informed by a practical understanding of your local ecosystem.

• Take steps to heal and reclaim your own indigeneity as you connect to Gaia in a new way.

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

Blessed Samhain! Shamanic Healing with Ancestors

We are the living, breathing, answered prayers of our ancestors.

Their histories inform our cells.

Their life stories are etched in our bones.

Their hopes and dreams for their children come alive in our actions.

Here in the Northern hemisphere, we are entering the Samhain portal—one of the High Holy days of the year in the Gaian/Solar calendar.

Samhain is the third and final harvest festival. It marks laying the fields to rest for the winter.

It is the portal of the Tomb, the thinning of the veil, and the celebration of ancestors and lineage.

Not only the ancestors of our bloodlines, but also the ancestors of our spiritual lineages and all the teachers who came before, who carried the torch of knowledge through the ages.

And also the ancestors who walked the land before us — those ancient people whose footsteps are still remembered by the Earth.

And our non-human ancestors — the stones, the mountains, the fossilized forests. The dinosaurs, woolly mammoths and all the ancient creatures whose bones hum with the magic of time and timelessness.

This is a wonderful time to make offerings to those who walked this Earth before us.

To celebrate their songs, their lives and the stories told around the fire.

To acknowledge their pains and hurts and suffering.

To honor their efforts on our behalf.

As the living, breathing, manifestation of those who came before, let us learn from their lives, receive their blessings and grow from their challenges.

Let us receive the teachings and wisdom from our ancestors who are whole and healed.

Let us offer generosity, forgiveness and compassion to our ancestors who may be in the realm of suffering souls.

But always, let us celebrate the legacy of family that lives in our hearts. The legacy of our blood family, our spiritual family and our Gaian family.

Let us celebrate those we love that have made their crossing to other realms, and ourselves as their living legacy of love.

Blessed Samhain!

Are you ready to work with sacred healing and Shamanic practice, for yourself and your lineages?

If you know that you are here on Earth to develop a deep, functional allyship with Gaia and Earth-based spiritual practice —

If you want to refine, cultivate and ground your intuition in a safe and healthy way so you can confidently communicate with and invoke ancestors and spiritual forces for healing and guidance —

If you are ready to collaborate with ancient and powerful spirit guides and Shamanic allies —

If you are ready to answer your Shamanic calling —

Join me in this powerful course:

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week online course, November 17 - February 2, 2026

This course is live, on Zoom, and all modules will be recorded.

Classes are on Monday evenings, 5-6:30pm PT (every Monday except December 22).

Through this course, you will:

• Practice Shamanic journeys to connect with spirit allies and learn how to integrate their medicine into your life and spiritual practice.

• Anchor your healing, ceremonial or spiritual work into the powerful foundation of your local Earth grid and energetic ecosystem, for the purpose of grounding, protection and amplification.

• Learn how to clear, ground and protect your energy so you can confidently and safely navigating the unseen realms.

• Make offerings and prayers to connect with spirit guides and Shamanic allies, and build your connection with these guides.

• Learn how to communicate with the spirit realm so that you may receive their messages, signs and teachings.

• Master basic concepts of ecology so that your Earth-based spiritual practice is informed by a practical understanding of your local ecosystem.

• Take steps to heal and reclaim your own indigeneity as you connect to Gaia in a new way.

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

What does it mean to "Practice Shamanism?"

“Practicing Shamanism” does not mean you ever need to take on clients, do healing work or host community rituals.

(I mean, you can if you want to. If your Shamanic practice wants to express itself in a public-facing way.)

I have this conversation with many of my clients who are not already professional practitioners. They say things like:

“Why am I doing this if I’m not using it to help anybody?”

“I keep getting intuitive messages that I’m supposed to practice Shamanism but I don’t really want to work with other people.”

“I want to make my ancestors proud.”

“I love my practice as it is and I feel like if I turned it into a business that would suck all the joy out of it.”

“I feel like I need this for my own healing and people tell me I’m really great at [leading meditations, bodywork, having a healing energy presence] but I don’t feel like I’m ready.”

Ooooof. Talk about pressure. Where does that come from?

Let’s start with:

What is Shamanism? What does it mean to “have a Shamanic practice?”

Shamanism is the original, most ancient spiritual practice of humanity, and is ubiquitous in cultures all over the world (but expresses differently according to culture and ecosystem). It is an Earth-based, animistic practice (animism is the belief that all things are alive, and connected through that unifying life force). Shamanism is also a mediumistic practice. (Mediumship means communication and collaboration with the spirit or noncorporeal realm. All Shamans and Shamanic practitioners are mediums.)

It is possible to study and practice Shamanism as a personal devotion and lifestyle without offering this work to others. This person would not be considered a Shaman, but would have a personal Shamanic practice.

Let’s look at this in the context of a very popular organized religion. There are many people who practice Christianity as a personal devotion and lifestyle. They have a practice of prayer, reflection, and community gathering that is meaningful to them.

A small subset of people who practice Christianity step into deeper commitment of offering this service to their community. They are the ministers, preachers, reverends and chaplains. They host gatherings, lead prayers and facilitate ceremonial rites.

Not everyone who practices Christianity needs to become a minister. Most people don’t.

So why do people feel this weird pressure to turn their Shamanic practice into a public-facing service/ business?

I’ve found it’s usually some combination of the following:

Gig economy / hustle culture. If you like to make art, people tell you to sell it on Etsy. If you like to practice Shamanic journeying, people ask if you can journey for them. Monetize your hobbies! Side hustles!

Justifying value / productivity shaming. It’s only worthwhile if it provides a tangible benefit. Especially for womxn, who are socialized to prioritize others’ needs, something is only valuable if it benefits others. Why do something simply because you enjoy it, when you could “be productive” and make money at it?

Pressure to save the world / make a difference. This one starts young — how many people as kids internalized the unrealistic and inappropriate responsibility of “I have to save the world,” only to have it distort inside them and create unbearable pressure later in life?

Capitalism and the inherent challenges of working with a Shaman in the modern, western world. This one deserves its own article, but for now I’ll just say that the models for “how to have a Shamanic practice” vary widely, and some people (including me) have a business that offers Shamanic healing, mentorship and training as a professional service in exchange for money. Since some practitioners (including me) have a business that offers Shamanic services, this includes marketing, videos, sales and other business activities, and that’s a lot of what people see online, which creates a distorted image of what it looks like to have a Shamanic practice.

And that’s one of the most important distinctions right there:

Having a Shamanic practice and having a business that offers Shamanic services are not the same thing. They are actually two completely distinct things.

For someone like me, it looks like a Venn diagram:

I practice Shamanism as a personal devotion and lifestyle because I enjoy it and find it meaningful. This is the blue section of the diagram. It includes my daily personal practice, building altars in my home and on the land, making offerings, wildcrafting and medicine making, Shamanic journeys and meditation, personal healing work and communication with my spirit team.

The purple section is the Shamanic work that I do with clients: putting people on the table for healing work, teaching practices, facilitating a ritual or ceremony, channeling messages and offering guidance.

The pink section is all the parts of my business that are not the Shamanic work itself: recording podcast episodes, writing articles like this, website maintenance, promotion and marketing, accounting and graphic design.

I do the stuff in the blue section because it is fundamental to my well-being and happiness. My personal Shamanic practice is part of who I am.

I do the stuff in the purple section because I enjoy supporting other people with Shamanic tools. They find it helpful and I find it fulfilling.

I do the stuff in the pink section mostly because I have to (I do enjoy some things about running a business but this is the “job” part of my career).

But regardless of whether or not I’m offering Shamanic services to other people, my own practice is fundamental to everything else. It’s the non-negotiable constant that makes the professional part possible.

So when my clients start saying things like:

“I feel guilty doing all of this just for me.”

“If I don’t offer Shamanic work to other people, am I somehow not fulfilling my purpose?”

“Is it okay if I don’t want to work with clients?”

I remind them that Shamanic practice is first and foremost a personal devotion. It is a relationship between you and Earth, you and Spirit, you and Life itself.

Your Shamanic practice is a reservoir of devotion that you fill with your prayers, practices and aliveness. You do not ever need to include anyone else in your practice in order for it to be meaningful, aligned and true.

And if you ever decide that you want to share your Shamanic practice with others, it will be because that reservoir of devotion is overflowing and you receive the unmistakable beckoning from Spirit to step forward in your service. If that invitation comes, you will recognize it clearly.

Are you called to explore and develop your Shamanic practice?

Do you want to learn practical skills for Earth-based spiritual practice and energetic mastery?

Then this course is for you:

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week online course, November 17 - February 2, 2026

Register now!

This course is live, on Zoom, and all modules will be recorded.

Classes are on Monday evenings, 5-6:30pm PT (every Monday except December 22).

>>>Check out all the details and register here.

Mustang Stallion and Energetic Mastery: Shamanic Training for Life

What do galloping horses and astral travel have in common?

It’s not a riddle. Read on and find out!

I recently had a very powerful experience with a mustang stallion. Like, wow.

I have always loved horses. I was fortunate to spend several years as a kid going to horse camp and receiving riding lessons. In my early 20s, I reconnected with the horse world through animal communication and energy healing work.

In 2018, I became connected with a local wild mustang rescue ranch. In order to volunteer at this ranch, I received some training in natural horsemanship, which is all about connecting with the horse, learning from equine sign language and leadership.

But the biggest component of natural horsemanship that they don’t actually spell out for you is what I call principles of Energetic Mastery. (This is one of the topics I’m teaching about in my upcoming Foundations of Shamanism course, where I definitely spell it out for you because it’s super important and useful.)

Energetic Mastery is a practical set of spiritual skills that you can learn to strengthen and develop, just like any other skill. It is not some mysterious, woo-woo thing that some people have and others don’t. These skills are essential components of healthy relationship dynamics, leadership, healing and patient care, parenting, astral travel and psychic practice, and so much more.

Energetic Mastery is also a vitally important skill set when it comes to working with horses.

Let me tell you about my new friend, Elsu (the mustang stallion) and the powerful experience I received from him.

I recently attended a rewilding leadership retreat in Central Oregon, where our group got to dip our toes into natural horsemanship.

This ranch owner talked about leadership within a herd, communication between horses and how any group of horses will immediately sort out leadership dynamics when they’re put together.

To illustrate this, she turned out five horses together in an arena and we watched their dynamics and communication as they galloped around. My eyes immediately picked out the feisty kid, the troublemaker, two pacifists and the clear leader — the only mustang in the herd, whose energy powerfully moved the other horses around the arena like a mighty wave.

Our group split into pairs, my partner and I worked with the mustang. I rooted deeply into my feet, and as I took his lead rope, I reached out from my heart to his and extended an invitation to connect. I felt him take a deep breath and we both sighed, relaxing into each others’ presence.

This simple connection called upon my skill development of Energetic Mastery: making sure I was grounded and centered in myself, then sensing and attuning to his energy in order to connect.

After taking a moment to simply tune in, we practiced an exercise: leading our horse across the arena and back using our energy (the first time while holding a lead rope, the second time “on liberty,” meaning no rope / without any physical connection to the horse).

When I unclipped Elsu’s rope, I took a moment to still my mind. I gathered my energy to feel myself brimming with radiance, gave a gentle tug on our energetic cord, and silently told him, “Walk.” I started walking, and he fell into place behind me. We practiced stopping, starting, and turning without a physical attachment of any kind. I felt like I was in a glowing trance.

This exercise used my Energetic Mastery skills of staying clear and cultivated in my energy, then projecting and directing him to move with my energy body. This was just like what he had been doing earlier: as the lead horse, he had been using his powerful presence to move the other horses around the arena.

I lead him back to my partner waiting at the end of the arena, still feeling that glowing trance. I handed her the rope, gave Elsu a scritch and wished them well with the exercise, then turned to walk away.

And instead of staying with the person holding the rope, he started to follow me.

I immediately realized that I had neglected to close our energetic connection, and he was still following me as the leader.

I stopped and deliberately released our energetic tether. I thanked him and told him that we were complete. He blinked and turned away.

I stood there for a moment, coming out of my trance, and was struck with the power of what had just happened.

In working with Elsu, I had (without consciously intending to do so) dropped into the same state of consciousness that I feel during Shamanic journeys or energy healing work.

The principles of Energetic Mastery are so ingrained in me through years of training and practice that they allowed me to easily drop into a deep connection with this powerful stallion, the lead horse of his herd.

This attunement was so powerful, in fact, that he followed the energy instead of the rope.

Horses are incredibly sensitive. They communicate with each other through subtle signs and respond to presence. A horse has no ego — Elsu didn’t “decide” to follow our energetic connection instead of staying with the person holding the rope (the physical symbol of connection and leadership). He simply felt the presence, so he responded to the presence.

The principles of Energetic Mastery are fundamental skills that support every other skill. I’m not exaggerating even a little bit. The Foundations of Energetic Mastery are like basic conditioning for any athlete — there is a foundation level of fitness, strength and mobility that is necessary for playing any sport. Energetic Mastery skills are the basic conditioning of spiritual practitioners.

Energetic Mastery is universally applicable. The same skills I use in my Shamanic healing work and psychic practice are exactly the same skills I used with this horse, and they’re the same skills I use in my personal energetic hygiene, communication and relationships, ceremonial facilitation and daily presence.

What is possible for you with the skills of Energetic Mastery?

• Learn foundational principles of how to work with energy.

• Develop skill and confidence in your intuition, cultivate your sensitivity and learn how to purposefully direct energy in your body and your field.

• Learn skills to support your trance state and Shamanic journey practice.

• Receive messages, signs and communication from spirits.

• Learn techniques to clear your energy field on all levels and layers.

• Learn how to ground into your body, into the Earth grid and into full presence.

• Learn practices to center and reclaim all parts of your energy and consciousness. (Prerequisite for Soul Retrieval.)

• Learn how to cultivate your energy field, amplify your energy body, and expand your capacity to hold life force.

• Tools for working with high-vibration and powerful spirit guides.

• Learn how to protect your energy body.

Do you want those skills of Energetic Mastery?

Are you ready to develop these skills and feel their power in your life?

Registration is open for this upcoming course:

The Foundations of Shamanism

11 week online course, November 17 - February 2, 2026

Register now!

This course is live, on Zoom, and all modules will be recorded.

Classes are on Monday evenings, 5-6:30pm PT (every Monday except December 22).

>>>Check out all the details and register here.