Spirit Healing
For well over a decade I have been apprenticing and practising animistic spirit healing, both myself and a small number of clients, and I have a small local practise from my home as well as seeing clients for distance healing.
Over the years I have studied under many teachers, and am initiated into a Northern Celtic animist tradition. It is my hope that those who feel that spirit healing work may be of benefit to them have access to this powerful and potentially life changing way of healing.
What do I mean by Spirit work or Healing?
Spirit work comes in many forms and has many different names depending on the culture it is from. My work is what the "modern spiritual overculture" refers to as shamanic healing.
Working with the spirit realm is the world’s oldest spiritual and ancient healing practice known to humans. Although the word shaman originates from the Tungus-speaking peoples of Siberia, we have come to understand this word universally as describing person who is able to experience an altered state of consciousness, in order to interact with the spirit world to ask for healing or information on behalf of others.
However, sadly we must also understand that the words "shaman and shamanic" are culturally appropriated, and terribly mis-used almost everywhere.
The overuse of the word shaman has come to harm many indigenous people simply due to the fact that this word is being used to describe everything even remotely "spiritual or animist" leaving many, if not all, indigenous people resorting to using the word shaman describe themselves, which is often not accurate, and takes away from the rich use of their own language and culture.
Because the word shaman does not accurately describe many Indigenous healing practises, using it to explain everything spiritual or animist diminishes cultures that are diverse and rich, for the use of a single word that is specifically Tungus.
For those of us here in the west unless we have been to Siberia and trained with, or belong to the peoples there, none of us have the right to use the word shaman or shamanic.
I believe that here in the west we can do better, and that when learning or understanding other cultures we need to stop labelling them all {shamans} and allow them to share with us their approach to healing work or spiritual ceremony including the words in their own language they use, not what we decide they are in our language.
How I approach spirit work:
Spirit healing although very private, is also very ceremonial, in fact if you were to look up the word ceremony it would read like this: A ceremony is a formal act or ritual, often set by custom or tradition, it is also is an event or ritual of significance, performed to mark a rite of passage, this can include a birth, death, initiation, wedding, moving into adulthood etc…
Spirit work is, at it’s heart, for the community, and is ceremonial in that we are often called to welcome babies, perform wedding ceremonies, and to provide support when loved ones are dying.
Spirit healing in between these big events, serves to support us as we move through the typical messiness of life, it’s trials and initiations, and can help us to understand how to better walk on our path and move into our life’s purpose.
What is a Spirit Healing Ceremony?
During Healing Ceremony I connect to my spirit guides to ask them for healing on behalf of my clients. What this means is that while I may have an idea of what healing might be helpful I am directed by my guides in the moment, not the other way around, so whatever healing work we do during the session is not and can not be planned beforehand.
It is also important to know that Healing Ceremonies are often just the beginning of healing for a client, and not a cure by themselves. It is also important to note that I am just a facilitator for healing and not the “healer” myself, this is because I connect with my guides and spirit helpers, on behalf of my clients, and they work through me to assist the healing. I may also refer a client to different healing or counselling outside of my scope if needed after a session.
What a session will looks like:
I have a small private practice out of my home where we will meet in a cozy and private space. A session involves me getting a basic understanding of the situation at hand. I then will connect with my helping guides to ask for advice and to see what direction is best for the client.
Once I come back I will relay what I have seen and share what healing direction my guides have told me to go. At this time the client can decide if he or she is comfortable with this direction, and if they are, we will begin the healing ceremony.
I have listed some of the possible healing's that may come up in a session below:
Animal Guide connection. The discovery your animal spirit guide
Soul retrieval/restoration Reintegrating soul parts that have left or been forgotten, usually due to a traumatic life event
Ancestral Healing and Psychopomp-Healing old patterns that come to us through our ancestral family line and supporting those that are in need of crossing over.
Soul Ushering-Working with those in the dying process.
Extraction {The removal of spiritual intrusions or energies that do not belong to us}
Drum healing {A healing ceremony using the drum}
Depossession, Spirit Release-Removing human or other energy that does not belong.
House Clearings-Removal of energies that do not belong. Restoring right relationship with the land.
How you might feel after spirit healing:
It is important to note that the healing process that results from spirit healing can manifest in many ways. You may feel your healing begin right away or it may take some time as your body gets used to what has just occurred.
You may also find yourself feeling much clearer or calmer about the issue that you originally brought in or you may feel that more work needs to be done. Each person in unique in their healing process and I am always available after a session to answer any questions that may arise.
Over the years I have studied under many teachers, and am initiated into a Northern Celtic animist tradition. It is my hope that those who feel that spirit healing work may be of benefit to them have access to this powerful and potentially life changing way of healing.
What do I mean by Spirit work or Healing?
Spirit work comes in many forms and has many different names depending on the culture it is from. My work is what the "modern spiritual overculture" refers to as shamanic healing.
Working with the spirit realm is the world’s oldest spiritual and ancient healing practice known to humans. Although the word shaman originates from the Tungus-speaking peoples of Siberia, we have come to understand this word universally as describing person who is able to experience an altered state of consciousness, in order to interact with the spirit world to ask for healing or information on behalf of others.
However, sadly we must also understand that the words "shaman and shamanic" are culturally appropriated, and terribly mis-used almost everywhere.
The overuse of the word shaman has come to harm many indigenous people simply due to the fact that this word is being used to describe everything even remotely "spiritual or animist" leaving many, if not all, indigenous people resorting to using the word shaman describe themselves, which is often not accurate, and takes away from the rich use of their own language and culture.
Because the word shaman does not accurately describe many Indigenous healing practises, using it to explain everything spiritual or animist diminishes cultures that are diverse and rich, for the use of a single word that is specifically Tungus.
For those of us here in the west unless we have been to Siberia and trained with, or belong to the peoples there, none of us have the right to use the word shaman or shamanic.
I believe that here in the west we can do better, and that when learning or understanding other cultures we need to stop labelling them all {shamans} and allow them to share with us their approach to healing work or spiritual ceremony including the words in their own language they use, not what we decide they are in our language.
How I approach spirit work:
Spirit healing although very private, is also very ceremonial, in fact if you were to look up the word ceremony it would read like this: A ceremony is a formal act or ritual, often set by custom or tradition, it is also is an event or ritual of significance, performed to mark a rite of passage, this can include a birth, death, initiation, wedding, moving into adulthood etc…
Spirit work is, at it’s heart, for the community, and is ceremonial in that we are often called to welcome babies, perform wedding ceremonies, and to provide support when loved ones are dying.
Spirit healing in between these big events, serves to support us as we move through the typical messiness of life, it’s trials and initiations, and can help us to understand how to better walk on our path and move into our life’s purpose.
What is a Spirit Healing Ceremony?
During Healing Ceremony I connect to my spirit guides to ask them for healing on behalf of my clients. What this means is that while I may have an idea of what healing might be helpful I am directed by my guides in the moment, not the other way around, so whatever healing work we do during the session is not and can not be planned beforehand.
It is also important to know that Healing Ceremonies are often just the beginning of healing for a client, and not a cure by themselves. It is also important to note that I am just a facilitator for healing and not the “healer” myself, this is because I connect with my guides and spirit helpers, on behalf of my clients, and they work through me to assist the healing. I may also refer a client to different healing or counselling outside of my scope if needed after a session.
What a session will looks like:
I have a small private practice out of my home where we will meet in a cozy and private space. A session involves me getting a basic understanding of the situation at hand. I then will connect with my helping guides to ask for advice and to see what direction is best for the client.
Once I come back I will relay what I have seen and share what healing direction my guides have told me to go. At this time the client can decide if he or she is comfortable with this direction, and if they are, we will begin the healing ceremony.
I have listed some of the possible healing's that may come up in a session below:
Animal Guide connection. The discovery your animal spirit guide
Soul retrieval/restoration Reintegrating soul parts that have left or been forgotten, usually due to a traumatic life event
Ancestral Healing and Psychopomp-Healing old patterns that come to us through our ancestral family line and supporting those that are in need of crossing over.
Soul Ushering-Working with those in the dying process.
Extraction {The removal of spiritual intrusions or energies that do not belong to us}
Drum healing {A healing ceremony using the drum}
Depossession, Spirit Release-Removing human or other energy that does not belong.
House Clearings-Removal of energies that do not belong. Restoring right relationship with the land.
How you might feel after spirit healing:
It is important to note that the healing process that results from spirit healing can manifest in many ways. You may feel your healing begin right away or it may take some time as your body gets used to what has just occurred.
You may also find yourself feeling much clearer or calmer about the issue that you originally brought in or you may feel that more work needs to be done. Each person in unique in their healing process and I am always available after a session to answer any questions that may arise.
© Copyright 2016. By Nikiah Seeds. Ancestral Healing, Red Drum Making, Ceremonies, Mystery School. Vancouver, BC.
Living and working on the unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Living and working on the unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.