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Several years ago, I traveled to Boston in August by train to attend a week-long intensive that resulted in certification in Shamanic Counseling. It was a fascinating and sometimes grueling 5 days of shamanic journeying and self-evaluation.

For those who aren’t familiar with what a shaman is or does, let me explain briefly. Shamanism is the most ancient spiritual practice known to humankind, dating back at least 40,000 years. The word “shaman” comes from the Tungus tribe in Siberia and it means spiritual healer or one who sees in the dark. It is now used as a general term for a spiritual healer that works with the spirit world in a particular way. A shaman is a man or woman who uses his or her ability to “see” what is normally hidden in order to gain guidance from the spirit realms (an ability that the Celts call the “Second Sight”).  Shamanism has been practiced in Siberia, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, Greenland, and native North and South America, and is enjoying a resurgence in the Western world today. [Read more…] about The Girls – Part 1: The Story of Deirdre

After my horse Dare clocked my noggin, as I mentioned in Part I of this blog (which you can read here if you like), I suffered post-concussive syndrome. Post-concussive syndrome is a collective term for the after-effects of mild traumatic brain injury. As a shamanic practitioner and a scientist, I was intrigued by the recovery process that I was experiencing. I took note of the things that were different about me and the slow progress toward recovering my normal brain function again.

One of the effects I was left with was blurry vision. I had halos around every letter, and it didn’t matter if it was a road sign or a textbook. I saw an optometrist and she said my eyes were fine, but that my brain was telling my eyes to do two different things. [Read more…] about TBI Part II: How Shamanism Helped My Brain Heal

My tabby cat
Is ensuring our survival,
Bringing sacrifices of small rodents
From the garden.
No morsel for his appetite,
He places them reverently
On the stone in the ancient way, [Read more…] about Today’s Featured Poem: “The Sacrifice”

On June 2, 2012, I sustained a concussion. Some of you who follow my blog already know this. I must admit that at the time, like most people, I had no idea how serious a concussion can be. Over the next few months, I learned first-hand that a concussion is a brain injury that “may take 3 to 6 months to heal.” (Picture me doing the air quotes, and you’ll see why below.) Another name for a concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury.

It’s referred to as “mild” only because your head isn’t split wide open and you aren’t laying unconscious in the ICU. [Read more…] about How Traumatic Brain Injury Changed My Life