Reclaiming Your Soul
by Kathleen H. Christ, LMT, NCMBT
Soul retrieval is an ancient shamanic practice which can be traced throughout history
to indigenous cultures worldwide.
Medicine men and women, shamans and monks have known that through the course
of a person’s life, accidents, illnesses, traumas of various types, and
emotional wounds can contribute to what is termed ‘soul loss.’ Different peoples
have developed sacred ceremonies, prayerful rituals or other processes or
events to awaken the individual’s consciousness of their loss and to begin the
deliberate calling back or retrieval of their soul. The more
profound or life-threatening the physical or emotional trauma, the greater the
soul loss.
With each additional wound, the psychic/spiritual hole
becomes larger, and we all know how nature abhors a vacuum. Self-medicating begins and becomes more
intense. We are not given good coping
skills for these invisible scars and tragedies, so seeking help from others who
are also wounded and not healed can create a vicious circle. Talk therapy can only take someone so far,
and that may require years and years.
Addictions of every type and various combinations of them, sadly, become
the norm. When the entire culture does
it, and even celebrates it, what can one individual do? Alcohol, drugs, tobacco,
caffeine, computer games, pornography, gambling, shopping, overspending,
escaping through work, or illegal and criminal behavior, etc, etc. In
As ‘soul loss’ is a physical as well
as a mental, emotional and spiritual occurrence, all these aspects need to be
involved during the recovery. Native American, Celtic and Tibetan traditions show strong similarities, both in the tools used
and the methodology of application.
As I have studied and applied these principles over
the years, several essential components have emerged. During the trauma or injury, the highest or
purest frequency of the soul slips away.
It is as though the event is so horrifying or terrible that the soul
takes refuge in another space – like returning to play with the angels or
retreating to a place of safety. When
the individual decides to recall this aspect of him/her self, what may happen
over the next several weeks, months or even years is that an inner glow will
emerge, a softness, gentleness, gracefulness and refinement will be
experienced, and visibly seen by others.
A path of beauty and harmony will continue to grow and develop, and, at
this time, the person may feel drawn to the creative arts to enliven and deepen
the process.
Since soul work naturally involves energies that can be seen as ‘other worldly’, it is
important that the mediator or shaman have a working relationship with spirit
guides or angels. Being a bridge between
the two worlds and knowing the ropes, can make the journey not only successful, but also exciting, fun, joyful, peaceful,
grounded, amazing and even miraculous.
Non-ordinary time is intentionally entered, and one can feel quite disoriented after the
process.
Shifts within the etheric
field of a person can certainly be felt physically, but it is important to
allow approximately two weeks after the process of soul retrieval for the new
energies to become grounded and stable.
One needs to be gentle and protective of oneself afterwards, since there is a wonderful feeling of
openness, goodness, peacefulness, understanding and completeness that feels
unshakeable. However, the profound shift
that has happened within does not
mean that it has also happened without.
The world will be the same, but the person is
definitely different and will need time to adjust to this newly found knowledge and energy. In some ways, it is a slowly dawning process,
a stepping back and observing again with new eyes and new ears. Trying to explain the experience to one’s
friends and family is impossible. It is
a special magical gift for you, just for you.
Of course, as you change and shift, everything around you does in time too. But the operative word is in time. Entering into soul retrieval is a very deeply
personal longing for a more whole, healed and complete life within one’s
being. The willingness to surrender,
trust, and express gratitude and to allow oneself to rest in divine love opens
the floodgates to an illuminated
mind, an awakened heart and a realized soul.
With just a little help, the journey begins easily, beautifully and
continues as long as we so desire.
In ancient tribal cultures, when a warrior returned to
the tribe, the people greeted him and welcomed him home. Then the shaman immediately
took the warrior into the sacred ceremony for soul retrieval. The warrior was not permitted to mix or
mingle with his family or friends until the ceremony was
completed.
With so many of our own
soldiers/warriors returning home, could
we be so mindful, helpful and compassionate? Of course, we cannot give what we do not have. Perhaps all of
Up to this point, our discussion of soul retrieval
emphasized the tragic causes of soul loss, the addictions that can follow, and
finally the remedies. There is another
form of soul loss, not often mentioned but common nonetheless, which is to
deliberately give our soul away, for example, through vows of love in marriage
or in a religious order. Parents often
give part of their soul away to their children, believing it will make the
child stronger and more capable. These
forms of soul loss through love can take us unaware, and they seem so good and
noble that I have hesitated to speak about them. But they are powerful, and they can and will
change the course of our lives without intentional soul retrieval.
A portion of our soul is free to leave naturally and
it will do so during dreams and other altered states. So this coming and going is not unusual, but
is actually healthy and normal. However,
giving our soul away, sharing our soul, or borrowing another’s soul and life
force energy is not healthy and quite harmful to everyone involved. It is a lose-lose
situation. Soul stealing or borrowing
can be a way to dominate another person.
Unconsciously we have all experienced some form of
these dynamics. And some of us are quite
conscious of it. On some level we have
given our consent to participate, but at any time, we may change our minds,
change our intentions, and change the direction of our life through soul
retrieval.
In the case of love, marriage, parenthood or religious
vows, we make the decision and then have it sanctified. Not only are we now ‘locked-in’, but every
day in every way we act and reinforce our promise and our soul. Self-sacrifice is beautiful and can provide
enormous soul growth and learning.
However, the middle way, the balanced life is the healthiest and wisest
approach. Easy to
speak of, not so easy to manifest.
The good news is it’s never too late to call your soul home. And you don’t need to abandon your vows or
marriage or children to do this.
Losing a loved one, especially suddenly and
unexpectedly, can magnify our soul loss.
You have seen or known people who have never recovered from their wife
or husband’s death. Though years have
passed, they still feel unfaithful to date or enter into a new
relationship. Their life force energy
seems depleted, they feel like they are ‘stuck in a
time warp’.
Another aspect of soul loss may occur when a child
dies. The entire family can be ‘frozen
in time’ on some basic and essential emotional level. I have seen this so many times that I believe
it is quite prevalent throughout the world.
I witnessed this in relation to the Vietnam War and the many families
who loss husbands, fathers, brothers, or sons.
That tragedy became a defining moment for the entire family, a
collective and shared loss of an enormous magnitude. The scars, wounds and loss run so deeply and
are so buried in the family’s collective unconscious that it may require some
time to begin to unearth, call back, and truly heal.
However, we can recover and reclaim our precious life
force energies and soul. Receiving good
help and intercession can and does make all the difference.
One’s reaction to their soul retrieval can vary
greatly. Some people can feel great joy,
some sadness. Some experience fullness
or lightness. But everyone is aware that
something profound has happened, and they are willing to accept it and hold it.
Benefits of soul retrieval can include greater
decision-making ability, a feeling more present in the here and now and in the
body, the ability to move past issues that could not be dealt with before, more
stability and inner wisdom, an ability to deal with grief and loss, and an
ability to move forward confidently in the healing process.
It’s not uncommon to feel the urge to have healthy,
wholesome fun activities, or to spend more time in nature and introspection
after soul retrieval. For the process to
be truly effective, we need to be listening to our own inner guide, and caring for
our own newborn parts that have so generously and gently returned for our
safekeeping and joy.
For more information on this and other shamanic
practices, please contact the