Red Feather Healing

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The Moon and Her Energy

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The Moon's Phases and How to Use them in Everyday LifeThe Moon is our closest cosmic neighbor, and only natural satellite, but it is more than just a big, beautiful light in the night sky! Its power is visible as it hovers above us, all round and full of illuminating light, and its mystery is given spotlight as it seemingly disappears for a few nights each month.

The rhythm of the Moon’s phases has guided humanity for millennia. We know that calendar months are roughly equal to the time it takes to go from one Full Moon to the next, thanks to ancient civilizations mapping and calculating how long it takes to rotate on its axis and orbit the earth. Even more amazingly, is the power the Moon’s gravity has as it pulls on the planet and her oceans, causing tides here on Earth.

The Moon's Phases and How to Use them in Everyday LifeWith our bodies being made up of about 60%-65% percent water (75%-78% in infants and young children), it isn’t hard to see why the Moon would also have a large effect on us energetically as well. Looking back over ancient civilizations, we see so many cultures that revered nature and her elements. They worshiped the Sun, Moon, stars and Mother Earth with a wide range of goddesses and gods.

My particular ancestral background doesn’t seem to have a dedicated god or goddess of the Moon as most other cultures do…so I began doing research around the different cycles of the Moon, the energies they hold, and how I could use this in my everyday life based on the scientific knowledge that the Moon’s energetic pull already had.

What I began to discover is that each cycle grants us the ability to “reincarnate” ourselves. It didn’t seem to matter that everything was going wrong, or that we were in a rut, because if I learned to match my intention around what energy was already being offered from the Moon, then I was offered a clean slate – one that purified energy and aided in reflection.

The Moon's Phases and How to Use them in Everyday LifeMoon Cycles and How to Use Them in Everyday Life

New Moon: This energy brings a great time to set intentions, create goals, or begin new projects for the next cycle. I like to refer to this time as one for “planting the seed.” This is where I focus my energy on what my desires are. During this time, sitting with your guides in meditation will ensure that the desires and intentions we have for the New Moon are ones that are for our highest good.

Waxing Moon: This is the phase directly following the New Moon where we begin to see it grow. (I remember this with “wax on.” What can I say? I am an 80’s baby, I love Karate Kid!) During this energy phase, we focus our intentions on nurturing those “seeds” we planted during the New Moon. This is an extremely important time in the cycle and one that is often overlooked by most that practice “Moon Magic.” During this time, we focus on a gratitude mindset – working and being thankful for what we currently have in our lives. Having a gratitude mindset is a powerful law of attraction exercise. Doing this will raise your vibration and brings you into harmony with the energy of the universe and that which is for your highest good.

Full Moon: During a Full Moon, the Moon is opposite of the Sun and reflects its light. This is why it appears fully illuminated. At this point the Moon is at the peak of her energy! What makes this energy so intense is that the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the zodiac. This can cause what we see in some people as challenging and intense aspects, but also a harmonious balance – think Yin and Yang energy. Because of this amazingly wonderful, intense energy, this is the best time to release that which no longer serves us.

Waning Moon: This is the phase directly following the Full Moon where the Moon appears to gradually decrease in size. During this phase is the perfect time to slow your energy down and move inward for a time of reflection, review, and contemplation. In my research I found that this phase of the Moon’s cycle is also an often forgotten one. For me this is a time to work on having a Positive Mindset. Honor your strengths and the things that you have accomplished during this cycle. Take the time to learn and recognize within yourself any thoughts, behaviors, negative thinking, bad habits, or stress. By recognizing this “shadow” side of yourself, you are able to learn ways to turn them into positives. Remember positive beliefs are one of the most powerful keys in manifesting. Understand that we attract not what we want, but who we are!
Good Vibes, The Moon's Phases and How to Use them in Everyday Life

Let’s Talk About Spirit Guides

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Because we inhabit this physical world with nature, animals, and other elements it would make sense that we would also co-exist in a spiritual world as well.

I honor the forces of nature, and I see this world as inhabited by many different spirits. To some, this is referred to as Animism. Just as my ancient ancestors the Celts, I believe that many spirits and divine beings inhabit the world around us…and as humans, we can establish a rapport and communicate with these beings.

The presence of the Spiritual or “Supernatural” is integral to and completely interwoven within the material world we currently exist in. Every rock, tree, animal, material, and element is inspirited and thus has the ability to communicate. Other beings we see in the spiritual sense can consist of Archangels, Spirit Guides, Angels, Ascended Masters, departed souls, and of course animals.

All beings are here to help protect, educate, heal and inspire us along our journey; and can often be broken into 4 categories: Messenger, Journey, Lifetime, Shadow. This is the same for any guide that appears in our life.

Messenger Guide(s): This guide will appear in order to guide/warn you on specific situations.

  • It is important to note that these guides choose you!
  • They will keep reappearing until the specific message is received.

Journey Guide(s): These guides will appear when you approach a “fork in the road” along your journey, or when a decision is needed to change your journey’s course.

  • These guides are also ones that choose you.
  • They will stay until you have safely been redirected or have made your decision.
    • This could be days, months or years

Lifetime Guide(s): For these spirits, we have entered a contract…one that was signed prior to coming to our human form.

  • These are beings that we have chosen to help teach, heal, guide us in our daily lives.
  • They continually remind us of our strengths and innermost abilities.
  • They are contracted often to stay with us for life, but this could depend on our individual contracts.
  • For most, they will have more than one being that is a “lifetime” guide.

Shadow Guide(s): These guides are here to test you. They come to you when areas of our lives need to change. Often times when they appear they are ones that instill some type of “fear”. That is because, for most in our human form, change is not something that is always welcomed.

  • These are definitely guides that chose you!
  • They will keep reappearing in your life until a positive change is made.

To work with your spirit guide(s) is to step into the power you are most in need of at that moment. This can help you feel more grounded, give you the confidence to take on a new task, make you feel your beauty inside and out or give you the strength to ask for help when you need it. Above all, by understanding and communicating with our guides it not only can help you to feel more confident, proactive and supported but you will begin to share in the Power and Medicine of the Spiritual World!

The Ancient Practice of Meditation

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Buddha was once asked, what have you gained from meditation? To which he replied, nothing. However, let me tell you what I lost…Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear…”

So, what exactly is meditation?

Meditation is an ancient practice that helps to control our minds and consequently our lives. Practicing Meditation can help to control our minds and thoughts…allowing us to turn our mind off so that we can rest and recharge our batteries.

To meditate doesn’t mean you must be Buddhist, Hindu, or any religion for that matter. Meditation has nothing to do with religion, nor does it have to mean that you must spend hours sitting in the “lotus position” humming to yourself. In this busy world today, we go from one thought to the next, just as we go from one task to the next with no downtime in-between. Through meditation, or creating a mindfulness approach, you begin to shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life. Below are some alternative options to the “traditional” approach to meditation.

Meditation for the Mind, Body, and Soul

1. Walking Meditation- Take a walk. While walking, take deep breaths and focus on the pattern and pace of those breaths. Focus your energy on your body and sending life force energy that we breathe in into those areas that are “stressed”.

2. Dance Meditation- Dancing uses Kundalini energy, and is a fantastic way to release tension and get in touch with your “higher self”.

3. Journaling Meditation- writing is extremely powerful, and if we use this as a form of meditative practice it will help to track the progression of cutting attachments, inquiring into unknown feelings, and sharpen our ability to stay in the here and now. Even as little as 10 mins a day and the benefits to can be huge.

The Benefits of Meditation

Walking the Path of the Ancient Ones

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Walking the Path of the Ancient OnesI seem to get asked the questions, “Don’t you need to be a Pagan to be a Norse Shaman?” or “Do you follow the Viking Religion and Odin as your God?” to even…“How can you claim to be a shaman if you’re not Native American?”

What most don’t understand is that Shamanism is one of the oldest professions dating back to the earliest of times. Historical records have been found and documented by archaeologists that date back to 27,000 years ago showing Shamans and Shamanism being practiced all over the world by multiple cultures.

When I began stepping into and learning to accept my gifts, I was lead to learn more about what society labels the Norse/Germanic Shaman, or Völva, and those that practice the Ancient form of Seiðr. While reading and attending workshops and seminars, I learned that this was practiced mostly by women in the Norse culture for the welfare of the entire community, for healing, divination, and aid in decision making when it came to land for dwelling or hunting. Like most shamans around the world, they would undergo a ritual of death and rebirth, to gain their powers. This could be done physically or while in a meditative trance-like state. This was said to allow them to come back with a new body, fit to the future tasks of the shaman while working in the world of spirits.

Walking the Path of the Ancient OnesLooking at my own life, I began to realize why I was led to learn these practices. It was only after a slew of hardships and adversities that led me to be on my knees with a gun pointed at my head by a man who loved me and wanted to be with me, that I understood why I had to endure each hardship and life lesson. I had to face the moment of “death” and appreciate “rebirth” into the spiritual world. Now, I am able to share healing messages with all beings.

With all of that said…and to get back to those original questions, while yes, a lot of research connects Seiðr with the Viking Age and Odin, I have taken into consideration that this is so much older than the Vikings. I have been led by my Spiritual Team, to see behind any label of religion or culture, to the source of the Divine, the Spirits, and the Power of Nature. For my Spiritual Team and I, we use the word “Shaman and Völva” as a way to show our respect and honor one’s ability at connecting to the power of the Divine to facilitate and bring messages of healing to the world.

What is a Shaman, really?

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What is a Shaman, really? by Red Feather Healing“Shamanism”, like “Love”, is so hard to define. Most would say that Shamanism is considered the practice of entering a trance state in order to contact spirits and/or travel through spiritual worlds with the intention of accomplishing a specific purpose. It is the feature of countless magical and religious traditions from all over the world. Looking at this definition, I thought, am I a Shaman?

So many things have brought me to the point where I am in my life right now – leaving at 15 to go to school half way across the country (because my parents had the insight to know that in the small town we lived in my growth would have been restrained), thirteen years active military service, the loss of 2 babies, cancer, divorce, and domestic violence (that nearly turned deadly).

From the beginning, I grew up in a Christian home; I learned the bible verses and even went on Mission trips to spread the word…but I knew there had to be more!

As I began to question this faith and what it meant to me, the lack of answers I was receiving only made me run farther and farther from organized religion. I spent much of my 20’s living my life, looking back pretty recklessly at times, and not caring who I hurt or how it made anyone feel…let’s face it, even me! It wasn’t until I had finally filed for divorce after 4 years of marriage to a man that constantly cheated on me and left me during the hardest time in my life, the diagnosis of Stage 3 Breast Cancer at the age of 31, that I realized THIS CAN NOT BE LIFE!

What is a Shaman, really? by Red Feather HealingI found meditation and, sitting in silence, I began to find myself. Through my meditation, I began to feel all of the things that made me originally question my “faith” in the first place. Such as…why, when I step on the ground with bare feet, do I feel the pulse from the Earth run through me? Why, when I look into an animal’s eyes, no matter the animal, does it seem they have a message for me?

These feelings led me to a spiritual group, where I found an amazing woman who I felt such an immediate connection with that I just had to find a way to ensure I could learn from her!
I hired her as my coach and have never regretted it for a moment.

I began on a journey of what it means to have faith in the Divine and the Universe and that all will be provided. Through my coaching sessions, I have learned and grown my ability to communicate with ALL consciousness, not just of humankind. Everything has the potential and ability to communicate, whether verbally, through gestures, intuitively or otherwise. I am of the mentality that we would not be ourselves if we were not simultaneously a part of something greater than ourselves.

This is why I am here…I’m here to help others rediscover themselves, the true version of who they are meant to be; just as I have remembered and stepped into my authentic power.

So to me, it doesn’t matter what the name of my practice is called. What I have been through has brought me to this ancient, powerful form of myself – a place where so much of my power and vision comes from Nature and my Ancestral Teachings…this beautifully peaceful place, that I know so many long to be on in their own journeys. And this, Dear Souls is why I am here.