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Strengthen Support from Ancestors

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We can strengthen the support of ancestors who have gone before us. Certainly, they already pay attention to us at times. Yet we can develop our relationship with them. Many cultures have traditions that do this and the fall is the general time of year especially attuned to this work. Helpful ancestors can include unknown ancient ancestors with various talents, teachers and dear friends, as well as blood relations we have lived with and known.

Strengthen by Celebrating All Saints / Day of the Dead

Two well known traditions in our culture revolve around the ancestors.  My friend Kathy recently shared that in New Orleans it is a tradition on All Saints Day (the day after Halloween) to visit and bring flowers to the tombs of ancestors. Similarly, this is celebrated around this time in Mexico as Day of the Dead. People gather at the graveyards, even picnic there with some favorite foods and drinks of their departed loved ones.

Strengthen by Prayers, rituals and charity to support Ancestors

In the Hindu tradition this time of year is Pitru Paksha. It follows the moons and this year it fell September 20 – October 6.  This time of year is for mourning the dead, doing prayers and rituals to support them in the afterlife, and doing acts of charity in their name.  These practices an certainly work at any time as well, but go with the energies of the year at this time.

Strengthen Relations with Ancestors on Samhain / the Roots of Halloween

Ancient Celts believed that on Samhain (now celebrated as Halloween) the good departed souls came back to earth to visit their living relatives.  Honoring and welcoming them, you can make a special altar – photos of them, some of their favorite foods, a candle, and maybe some rosemary sprigs, symbolizing remembrance. You can also do some of their favorite activities in memory of them, giving them a chance to re-experience them through your actions.

Strengthen by Celebrating Your Ancestors’ Death Days

You can do all these activities on the person’s death day as well, to honor them individually. Some traditions do this very importantly on the year anniversary of the death.

Following these traditions will amplify your relationship with helpful ancestors. You may then notice little signs of their input through signs and intuitions. Or you may hear or see them in a vision.  You can call on them for support when you are feeling low or facing a big challenge.  The give and take between you and your helpful ancestors is supportive to both of you!

For more work with the unseen realm, including farther back helpful ancestors you may not know about, consider the Shamanic studies and support offered by Terra.

Seminar: Ayurveda for Women’s Health

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Why a Seminar on Ayurveda for Women’s Health?

I teach about Ayurveda and Women’s Health. As a teacher for student Ayurveda Practitioners, I am excited about sharing what I know. And I’m also learning so much from teaching. I realize my Vata nature tends to excess and using a shot-gun approach, giving so much information students may miss the key points. It’s also a challenge to cover all of Women’s Health in just 20 hours of class. Thus, the dilemma.

Students asked for more.  I realized what we need is a seminar format after the information is delivered.

A place to: *Discuss topics more in depth. *Hone skills of determining treatments. *Practice thinking with Ayurveda even when presented with western medical situations.

That’s what my new class with be. Offered in March, 2022 will be SEMINAR ON WOMEN’S HEALTH TOPICS, which will be open to those who have the prerequisite background.  This Seminar on Ayurveda for Women’s Health will be limited to maximum of 7 students per section. I will offer at least 2 sections, perhaps more if there is demand. We will meet 2 hours weekly for 10 weeks. While classes will be recorded, this class is about live interaction and you must commit to attending at least half the sessions in person and review the recording of what you missed.

At the first class we will decide as a group on topics we will cover, as well as share our backgrounds and goals about women’s health as a practitioner.

Join us!  For more details  https://wisewomanhood.com/product/seminar-ayurveda-for-womens-health/

Connect with the Feminine Power of the Moon

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Women are naturally connected with the Moon. When unexposed to artificial lights, women tend to bleed on the new moon and ovulate on the full moon. Our female cycles mirror the Moon cycles. The creativity of our wombs is strongly related to the power of the Moon. And the creativity of our wombs goes far beyond the creation of physical children – all our creative endeavors gain force from our womb energy.

By becoming more aware of the Moon cycles we can ride the tides of the creative Moon energy – enhancing our own part in the web of life.

How to Connect to the Moon

Some women sleep where the Moon light will shine on them. In fact, to get menstrual cycles to follow the Moon, it works best to sleep in total darkness except for during the full Moon, then having light shine on you while you sleep. Some women finds this gets irregular cycles synced up, giving them more awareness of when they are fertile.

I seem to often wake when the Moon is at her zenith, at the top of the sky. This means about midnight at Full and about 3 am when Half Moon. I see her out my bathroom window and say hello. Sometimes I chant to Her.

Following the Moon Cycles

Traditionally, the New Moon is a time of inwardness and contemplation. A good time to do intuitive, shamanic work. Time to talk with the spirit world, with the spirits of plants. Women in the Moon Hut would share their dreams to increase the tribe’s wisdom. They would isolate, not so much because bleeding was nasty but because at this time the downward flow of the blood would open them so much that they might pull energy from others. By staying near the Earth, they could draw on the deep energies of Mother Nature, renewing their physical and spiritual selves. Setting intentions for the following Moon cycle works well at this time.

With the waxing, growing Moon light, a woman becomes more outward, bringing her intentions more into reality.

At the Full Moon, women may find themselves ovulating – and full of pheromones and the desire to mate. This brings her out into the light, out into social settings to find the proper way to express her fullness. It’s a great time to give birth to the projects of intention, as well as is often a time for childbirth to happen.

With the waning, declining Moon light, women may complete what needs to be completed, let go of what needs to be let go of, culminating in the deep inner state of the New Moon, associated with menstrual time.

Other Ways to Connect

There are many other ways to connect to the Moon Power-

~Drinking pure water that was left in the Moon light overnight.

~Chanting “Chandra Shakti” (power of the Moon) especially when gazing at the Moon.

~Watching for the Moon to appear in the sky. I love my first siting of the “Baby Moon” which is when it is a new sliver after the New Moon.

~Journeying to the Moon in a shamanic journey – What does Her Spirit look like to you? What does She have to tell you? What guidance does She give you to personally connect more fully with Her power?

Watch for upcoming live classes on Women’s Womb Power

Ayurveda and Shamanism

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As an Ayurveda & Shamanism Practitioner, I’ve been asked how they go together.

Shamanic Roots of Ayurveda?

I’m quite confident that the sages who originally received the teachings of Ayurveda did so from the unseen world. Shamanism is an ancient tradition throughout most of the world…we all have shamanic ancestors. Hunter gatherers seem to have tuned into Nature (as the Ayurveda Sages did) to know what was safe to eat, where to find their food, and how to heal those with disease.

Subtle causes of disease addressed

Ayurveda makes it clear that most disease starts with disturbances of the mental, emotional, and/or spiritual bodies. Shamanic healing follows time-tested processes to strengthen our spiritual energies to repel such assaults. And when that doesn’t happen, shamanism give us ways to repair the energetic template. It does not require a person to subscribe to spiritual practices outside their own religion.

Connecting to our Highest

Shamanism is best practiced as self care on a daily basis. It is about connecting to the highest in ourselves and in Nature, just as Ayurveda is. Simple ceremonies focus us on the forces of our lives. Inner journeys can connect with the Lower World of Nature, the Middle World of Human, and the Upper World of Spirit and Soul. Our spiritual life is then based on our personal direct experience, rather than belief in what others tell us.

Progressing through our Experiences

Shamanism realizes the blessing of being incarnated here on Earth and facing our challenges here to learn what we came here to learn and progress – the experience of the senses, responsibility, respect, and Love. Journeying is much like a guided meditation, while ceremonies abound in both Vedic and Shamanic realms.

Connecting

Through journeys we can tune into ourselves and others on a subtle level. Slowing down enough and being quiet enough we can hear the wise spirits of plants to support the physical beings. The Spirits of the Elements can speak to us – guiding everyday choices. We can meet our Atman or other spiritual beings in the Upper World. All this I have done.

This is why I am sharing shamanism with people – it has strengthened my life and feels in accord with using Ayurveda techniques to support them.

For More about on-going shamanic experience group

For a Basic Shamanic Journey

Ancestor Season

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Ancestor season is now. So many cultures find the veils to be thin between the land of living and those gone from Earth in this season. From the roots of Halloween in Europe to Mexican Day of the Dead to Hindu Pitru Paksha – all are about honoring those who have died before us, especially our beloved ancestors.

We can remember them.

One simple way is to make an Ancestor Altar. With photos, objects reminiscent of them, even their favorite foods and drinks, we can create space to remember.

We can honor them.

One tradition is to deck their graves with flowers and decorations. Another is to contribute or work for a charity in their name. And certainly we may send our best love and wishes to them, to sustain them in the Other World they are now in.

We can commune with them.

Whether you might use a Ouiji board or go on a shamanic inner journey to the land of the dead, you can still contact you ancestors , now in spirit form. They may give you a sign, showing up symbolically to you in the form of an animal, a rainbow, or finding a coin like those they often gave you when you were a child. Your love for them is a pathway between you.

However you choose to relate to your ancestors, this is the prime time for it. Know that you are the result of hundreds and hundreds of ancestors, known and unknown. And they can be there for you now.

For more about Shamanic Journeying contact Terra.