Nataraj is a Feathered Wind Shamanic Apprentice in the Wolven Path Lineage Tradition and undertake this extraction ritual in accordance with that Tradition
My role as an Apprentice Pathfinder Shaman is to act as the bridge between the mundane and Spirit worlds and to be a conduit for the work between the Lamenter and Spirit. This work is of a sacred nature and Guides and Spirit Animals are evoked by me to guide and support in the process. I bring personal experience of having received extraction, and wisdom from that experience, to assist in the Lamenter’s process. I am brought together with the Lamenter to engage in sacred ceremony and ritual to facilitate specific forms of healing, in this case extraction. Extraction involves initial assessment, scanning for intrusions and the spiritual removal of these intrusions through physical enactment of their removal and placement in water through ritual. It requires compassion for the misplaced extracted energy and the Lamenter to smooth the progress of this process.
Finding the Lamenter
I first connected with the Lamenter about 2 years ago. He lives in my building. He is a very intelligent, genuinely nice guy and giving of his time and possessions. We got together from time to time to discuss spirituality and the world. I always sensed a man of budding wisdom with a great deal of unresolved pain and anguish lying below the surface which at times manifested itself in the mundane world as anger. We did some work with meditation practice however I never spoke to him about engaging in Shamanic healing ritual though I sensed that he might benefit from some work, possibly through soul retrieval. He exhibits some classic symptoms of soul loss such as forgetfulness, comforting behaviours centered on alcohol and drugs, and severe physical and emotional trauma. Spirit guided me to wait to approach him; it was not yet time. Yet I only realized Spirit’s guidance on this matter after the fact; I was guided in the moment to refrain from bringing up the potential for ritual. Left to my own devices I probably would have been more aggressive in my approach.
After completing the first year of the Apprenticeship and embarking on assignments for second year, the year of the Warrior Soul, I began to think seriously of the Lamenter as a potential case study participant. I sensed with him over the past year that there was some resistance to the work as is often associated with soul loss. I also began to see the potential to perform an extraction ritual based on his angry behaviour. He was also suffering from high financial stress, extreme fatigue and suggested that his lifestyle was somewhat out of balance; disharmonious. All of these fundamental signs are indicators of intrusion requiring extraction. After one meeting, infused with some hemming and hawing (although he is quite busy it still felt like some resistance), we committed to sit for an initial assessment. I stated that I saw evidence to support both soul retrieval and extraction (explaining to some degree what these rituals entailed) and made it clear that I wanted to do a more thorough assessment before determining how to proceed.
Assessment
We met one night at19:30in Scared Space that I created in my living room. I called to the directions, smudged him and we got comfortable in the chairs. I called in the Spirit Eagle and Black Panther energy to support and guide me (Eagle for insight and Black Panther for the Stillness that would allow me to sense the subtle). I had some gentle Shamanic music playing low in the background. The air was heavily scented with the slightly pungent aroma of white sage smoke co-mingled with sandalwood incense. I stated that I wanted to use his experiences as a case study for my Shamanic Apprenticeship training outlining the importance that I place on confidentiality of information, that his name would not appear anywhere in the document and that the only people to view it would be my Mentor Loretta, and my Teacher, Reverend Pathfinder Shaman Dr. John-Luke Edwards, to which he readily agreed.
The Lamenter is 39 years of age, male, married and has two siblings, a brother and a sister. He is relatively estranged from both of them. He is not currently connected with any type of medical support and receives medical attention at the walk-in-clinic. He is not presently taking any medications nor is he working with other therapists or Shamanic Practitioners. He has very little professional medical support, seemingly by choice. He has demonstrated the drive to do things for himself, and is extremely hard working and often in his head, likely to his detriment. However it appears that now he is prepared to receive support.
His presenting symptoms include extreme tightness in the neck and back indicating holding energy (holding on to what needs to be let go) and feeling/sensing a lack of support in his life. He is a devout thinker and the tightness in the neck may be stress related to ‘carrying the weight of the world on his head.’ His right tibia/fibula was broken in a past accident possibly contributing to his embodied trauma. The Lamenter’s mother passed about two months ago and he is moving through that loss in controlled measures until he feels ready to let more go. When talking about his mother he expressed a tight, constricted feeling in his chest. He has acute pain at times in the upper right quadrant of his stomach, below the first rib; the domain of the liver. He stated that due to his past drinking, his liver has started to become cirrhotic and that he has issues around working through emotions of anger and rage in a healthy manner. Metaphysically the liver is said to be ‘the seat of anger’, storing emotional energies that also include rage and resentment.
The Lamenter intimated that he was feeling great economic pressure to be the bread winner in his family and to ensure that they were always well-provided for. He feels that he must always be on top of things (hypervigilance) to ensure that financial stability remains intact in an unsteady job market. I see him as someone who has gone beyond reasonable concern for his welfare and that of his family. He exhibits what I call poverty consciousness, never feeling that things are safe/stable and viewing his world from that fearful perspective. Further assessment revealed that in his family he did grow up in poverty conditions and so it would appear that he has adopted the fears of his parents with respect to feeling financially secure. He further shared with me that he had suffered extreme emotional and physical abuse at the hands of a step-father; behaviour which included the burning of his sacred body. Others symptoms included: insomnia, mild obsession with pornography, anger/rage/resentment, emotional swings, feelings of being out of space or time, déjà vu, panic attacks and, addiction, specifically alcohol and marijuana.
Completing that portion of the assessment I began a scan for anomalies and intrusions. As I scanned from the head down and across the torso I was drawn to a spot in the right middle of his black shirt. I was enticed by an area of shirt that did not reflect the light as the rest of the shirt did. It was more matte than gloss. I made note of this anomaly and completed my scan. Coming back to this spot I realized it was exactly the area of the liver. I brought my right hand up and scanned just above the surface of the shirt. Nothing came. I settled some more connecting deeper with my guides. Then a flash! I saw very clearly, in vivid Technicolor, a solid, silver corkscrew (only the business end), about 6-7 inches long, lying coiled from side to side in his body about 2 inches under the surface of the skin. I told him what I saw and asked if I could place my hand on that spot to which he granted permission. I could sense a subtle change in temperature between the point where the corkscrew lay and the rest of his stomach area. The area of intrusion was warmer to the touch than the other regions. I stated that as an Apprentice Shaman I either take something out or put something back in. In this case something had to be removed. We sat down and I reiterated what I had seen/sensed. I explained about how we can accrue intrusions simply because we have a resonance with a particular bolus of energy and that the energy that we have received from someone else is neither good nor bad, it is simply misplaced and often unintentionally so. Intrusions sometimes appear as black sludge or an attacking snake (a corkscrew is similar to a coiled snake). I have viewed intrusions in others as a long bone stretching from shoulder to shoulder and in this case, a tightly coiled piece of metal. I further explained the ritual of extraction and how this process would allow Spirit to remove the unwanted energy which is impeding the progress of the Lamenter by interfering with his Soul, the blueprint for his engagement in the physical realm. I asked if he was willing to do the extraction ritual to remove the stray energy, bearing in mind that this action would undoubtedly create a shift and definite change in his life. He agreed to commit and we set an appointment for the process.
In the interim Spirit guided me to give the Lamenter a piece of Howlite, a crystal indicated for working with anger and the energies of the liver. I advised the Lamenter to hold the Howlite in the right hand (giving) to begin to prepare and dissolve the unwanted emotional energies in the liver for extraction. I also prescribed that he place the crystal in his left hand (receiving) and place that over the liver to draw away and dissolve any stray energies way from the liver and further prepare the space for extraction. Additionally, I thought that working with the stone while waiting for extraction day might provide some comfort to him.
Establishing Sacred Space
I set up my altar with objects representing the four elements of air, fire, water and earth and placed a centerpiece in the middle with a lit candle and a hazelnut representing wisdom. My altar set up initiates the strong connection to Spirit necessary to perform this work. I called to the directions using the Wolven Path Lineage Tradition protocol connecting with four primary animals relating to the four directions; Bran the Raven in the North, Damh the Stag in the East, Muk the Sow in the South and Ash the Bear in the West. I laid out bedding on the hardwood floor for the Lamenter and played some Shamanic music (Shaman’s Eye) to set the tone. I laid my Shamanic instruments out on a blanket much as a surgeon preparing to perform surgery. I had my drum and beater, my rattle, a talisman, a box of cedar powder, a bowl with water (vessel for the intrusion and any debris) and red tissue paper to cover it, a bottle of Florida water, a white plastic recorder to play notes/tones, and an ostrich plume to swipe away any residual energies after the ritual. I also lit sandalwood incense as a further purification of space. I dressed in jeans with my favorite white shiny ‘silk’ shirt to distract the intrusion energy from connecting to me. When the Lamenter arrived I smudged him and had him sit in a comfy chair while I explained the procedure about to unfold. He seemed quite subdued and relaxed. I could feel/sense some resistance emanating from him which is quite normal given the nature of what we were about to undertake.
I reiterated the extraction process and gave him a detailed outline of what was to occur. I stated that at times I may say, sing or do things that might seem a bit odd but that this is simply part of the ritual and for him to simply relax. I explained that when removing the actual intrusion it may be a bit uncomfortable because I may have to rummage around his upper stomach near his liver. I had him stand up and did a confirmatory scan to ensure we were still in business. The scan showed that the intrusion had transformed its shape slightly; where there had been a single 6 or 7 inch coiled spring, there was now three-quarters of the original spring capped off by a 2 inch by 2 inch square metal head about the size of a 2 ½ lb dumbbell head. The Lamenter had a week in between the initial assessment and the extraction ritual and I believe a combination of commitment to the process and working with the Howlite crystal caused a transformation of the intrusion in preparation for the ritual. I clearly stated that in these situations that outcome varies; sometimes there is no perceptible effect, sometimes the experience is a positive one and sometimes it can be quite uncomfortable. He nodded his acknowledgement to this information and we set about to the task at hand.
The Ritual
I related what I had seen and asked him if he was prepared to continue knowing that with this removed his life would irrevocably change. He agreed and I had him lie down on the makeshift bed I had prepared. Since I was working on his right side and did not want to cross his body unless necessary, I had him lie opposite to the position for Soul Retrieval; that is, he was positioned with his head in the North granting me easier access to his right side. I sat beside him positioning myself in line with his liver.
I breathed a gentle breath, closed my eyes and connected with my Spirit Animal Mandrake the Eagle, Archangel Michael my Spirit Guide and, Sheba the Black Panther who I first connected with during vision questing and who has remained close ever since. I could feel the subtle pulse of energy as I merged into union with these guides and felt strongly the presence of Spirit. I started by conducting a physical scan of the intrusion area to note any subtleties in temperature and shape and if the coil had punctured the skin. It had not. It was completely below the skin enmeshed in the liver although I did not ‘see’ the liver, only the corkscrew. It was aligned horizontally with the ‘head’ sitting medially. I could feel distinct variation in the heat generated by the Lamenter on the left and right side under the last rib. Comparatively, the right side, where the intrusion had been identified, was markedly warmer, almost hot as compared to the left side. As I began my work I sensed Spirit coursing gently through my body like a placid hum of profound and dynamic energy. My hands felt a gentle flow of Spirit force lightly pulsing almost imperceptibly at my hands. My lungs felt soothingly filled with the essence of Spirit breath.
During the week I had spent a little time trying to figure out how to remove the intrusion and finally realized that Spirit would guide me in the moment so I let it go and surrendered to The One Above. Sure enough in the moment Spirit said, “You need to grab it by the handle/head and screw it out towards his right side.” I picked up the recorder and focusing at the liver area I played a low note three times to start to loosen and dislodge the intrusion.
At this point I placed a talisman in my mouth (a medallion from Alcoholics Anonymous) to keep the intrusion from entering me via the mouth. Energetically, I reached in and began to turn the corkscrew in a clockwise direction. Slowly, I turned the intrusion to release it from the area of the liver. After a few seconds of turning I would rinse my hands in the bowl of water and then cover it with the red tissue (red for protection) to keep the intrusive energy contained. After removing the visible intrusive energy I went in and sucked out the residual energy three times, spitting it into the bowl and re-covering with the tissue after each time. The intrusion and debris were treated with respect and compassion throughout the ritual. I then placed a Brat, made during St. Brigid’s ceremony and an instrument that has served me well in Spirit healing, over the area from where the intrusion had been just removed. The Brat also served to direct the intention of creating an environment of healing at the wound site. The purpose of this was to have Spirit infuse healing energy into the void that had just been created by the extraction and thereby preempt the intrusion of other misplaced energy from the site.
I then played the same three notes on the recorder to seal the hole created by the extraction. I picked up my rattle and rattled around the Lamenter three times followed by drumming three times around his body to further seal and provide the healing essence of Spirit. The distinct and ubiquitous presence of Spirit was palpable throughout the ritual. I took a small amount of cedar powder on my thumb and lightly smudged his forehead. During my preparations Spirit had intimated that cedar powder might come in handy so I laid some out with rest of my instruments. Cedar powder is one of our Tradition’s most powerful sacred powders; it is known as the great soother and provides strong maternal energy as well as protection and blessing. I feel that Spirit guided me to use it particularly since his mother had just passed. I completed the ritual by gently brushing down the Lamenter with a fluffy white Ostrich feather to remove any residual misplaced energy from his body and to ground him after a particularly intense ritual. After the Lamenter departed I took the bowl with the Intrusion and poured the water gently into the soil of the garden in the front of our building while saying a brief prayer of committing it to the earth for entry into the cycle of transformation. The Extraction vessel (bowl) was washed thoroughly with water and dried. The Extraction instruments were smudged with cedar and placed lovingly back on my altar. I also used Floridawater to cleanse myself following the clean-up.
I feel that I had a solid rapport with the Lamenter throughout the ritual process and that I was as surrendered to Spirit as possible through my direct intention. During the ritual I could clearly see that I was present in my space however it often felt like I was in-between the physical mundane world and the spiritual realm. I could see everything with clarity yet there was a slight snowy haze to everything. As I worked with my tools of the trade I felt somewhat like a surgeon performing an operation. Indeed, extraction is akin to a form of soul surgery. After the process was completed I could see that the Lamenter appeared quite relaxed and knew somehow that something had taken place.
During the debriefing the Lamenter confirmed my observations stating that he felt like a “column of peace.” I suggested as homework, until we met again in one week, that he continue to work with the Howlite to bring healing energy to the area of his liver and to connect with that area of his liver simply by bringing his awareness to it whenever he thought of it or experienced pain there. He has already seen a doctor about his liver and is in no hurry to cut down or quit drinking as a possible remedy to his situation. I also guided the Lamenter to jot down any physical and emotional observations that he experienced between the ritual time and our next meeting focused around the process which he had just undergone. I feel that the extraction process was relatively unfettered by blocks and resistances once we agreed to do the work. For about a year prior to performing the extraction we were in the midst of creating and establishing rapport during which time I sensed that we would do work together, I just wasn’t sure of what nature and to what extent.
Follow-up Ritual
I discussed following up with the Lamenter agreeing with him to meet in one week’s time to allow for integration of the removal of the intrusion. I expected some change to have occurred based on our brief, cursory chats between the extraction and the subsequent follow-up. He brought his observations with him jotted down on paper. I had prepared for the meeting by creating Sacred Space in the Wolven Path Lineage Tradition as described previously in this document. He stated that generally he had been feeling alright and that the calm and peace he had experienced following the extraction had remained. At this point I would in the past have become elated, unconsciously patting myself on the back for a job well done; taking all the credit myself. This time I simply noted how he was feeling knowing that I had done my job to simply facilitate the boundless healing capacity of Spirit through ritual. I felt a sense of mild sadness at letting go of the need for acknowledgement and outward signs of my worthiness. I did not become attached to the outcome which was solely between Spirit and the Lamenter. The Lamenter recorded his observations in a stream of consciousness manner which I will share here.
- Column of peace
- Ability to breathePassive perspective of the seemingly critical - peace
- Focusing internally, taking time to breathe
- This in itself has huge influence
- A sense of self through the breathing, through the blood
- A pulsing introspect, sight, sound, smell, touch, taste
- Taking the moment to listen
- Body mind soul
- A pang in the left knee, a twitch in the right index finger, a memory
At this point the Lamenter shared that he had moved through the numbness of his Mother’s recent passing. He stated that for the past while he had had to blot out any emotional reaction to her death so that he could continue working the long hours to provide for his family. He described this experience as movement from a numbed state to a shift into ‘dark moments’ and the thoughts, feelings and emotions that accompany that shadow world. I felt/sensed that he was likely harboring unresolved anger (resentment and rage) toward his childhood abuser and possibly toward whatever or whoever had decided it was time for his Mother to pass. This is how I feel the Lamenter may have perceived the process of death in regards to his mother viewed through the lens of the emotional history that he shared with her. Souls hear the call homeward and the cycle of death and rebirth is maintained through perpetuity. A Traditional healing remedy for resentment is embodied through forgiveness so we engaged in the Surrender to Forgiveness Ritual. This was conducted according to Wolven Path Lineage Tradition guidelines as follows:
Besides my standard altar I laid out a towel and bowl of water placed in the Northeast, the static immovable point representing Inspiration—I was hoping that the ritual might inspire him to manifest positive change in his life, although this is not up to me
I gave a brief overview of the process including stating the phrases to be repeated at the appropriate time and how he could choose either someone to forgive or something to forgive of himself
We closed our eyes and connected with the breath
I brought him from his heart into his mind to choose a forgiveness situation, we sat with this
I then brought him back to his heart with the essence of that forgiveness and invited him to simply observe the transformations of this energy that may be occurring in the heart and not to try to manipulate that energy in any way, just be the witness
We then brought the essence of the forgiveness away from the heart to permeate his full body and all its extremities, sitting with this for awhile
From here we brought the forgiveness energy wholly and completely into our two hands and sat in witness of that for awhile, surrendered
Finally, we placed our face in our cupped hands and repeated, “I’m sorry, Forgive me, I forgive you, I love you.” Three times.
Lastly, as an act of contrition we washed our hands in the bowl of water which was later returned to the soil and, and dried our hands on the towel.
As homework, the Lamenter agreed to continue to use the Howlite and to conduct the forgiveness ritual a total of seven times; preferably 7 days in a row although not a stipulation.
This extraction work has left me feeling more confident in my abilities as an Apprentice Shaman and having a greater appreciation for my developing relationship with Spirit and my Guides/Spirit Animal. I see more and more as I work with people of all shapes and sizes, differing backgrounds and socio-economic status that I am an instrument of Spirit as my drum and rattle are instruments for me. I do nothing short of performing ceremony and ritual to the best of my ability with Intention and Humility. The rest I leave up to Spirit.
The Lamenter has shared that this is new terrain for him, shadows and such and so we will tread lightly but firmly. The Lamenter is very much a thinker, much as I used to be and can still become. This physical ritual rife with intimate connection seems to be an impetus to move him into a greater balance between the intellect and the body. He appears and speaks as if learning a new language and our communication often brings the body into conversation. He is entering that Brave New World, the continuum of Bliss to Suffering, and everything in between.
Reflection and Learning
I feel after this extraction ritual that I have developed a deeper relationship with the Lamenter. Sharing as friends before the process I now see that he is more open to share intimate feelings and emotions where this was possibly not seen as appropriate or ‘manly’ before. I am honing my assessment skills and have lost the anxiousness I used to feel around asking those more intimate and penetrating questions during assessment. I feel confident in my ability to follow traditional ritual guidelines while still opening myself up to the direction of Spirit through my intuition and subsequent surrender to accept this spiritual information.
I learned that I like to be organized and not rushed when I conduct these rituals. I like to have completed setting Sacred Space and laying out all my instruments within reach before the Lamenter arrives. I think being rushed can be a distraction and reinforces the notion that ‘I am doing the work”, instead of Spirit. Also of note, during the follow up just prior to the Forgiveness Ritual, the Lamenter’s spouse arrived. The Lamenter asked if she could participate in the ritual to which I said yes. Although this caused only minor distraction, I think that in the future it would be best to treat each person individually. However that being said, it was obviously in alignment with Spirit’s direction. Additionally, I found it a little challenging iterating the possible outcomes of the extraction to the Lamenter. I feared that when he heard that things might get very uncomfortable he might change his mind; I guess I didn’t give him enough credit that he was actually ready for change.
I particularly enjoyed (if that is the right word) conducting the extraction ritual, in all its intimacy. After the extraction, the Lamenter remained lying down with me still close to his right side in intimate fashion. I realized that my issues around getting too close to a man and the uncomfortability I have had with that in the past (army mentality) had all but dissolved and I felt honored to be able to share this process with the Lamenter. I am surprised and excited at my ability (through Spirit) to be able to sense an intrusion during a scan. The anomalies can show up in the most interesting fashion. I am learning to trust this ability and know that like all things in life it can be mined deeper and deeper for its great treasure; it is truly limitless. I can also see how extraction can be a segment of a larger piece of work depending upon how deep the Lamenter wishes to go and to what extent they want to experience freedom. I know today that this freedom comes with a price, the price of awareness, that double-edged sword.
I see that I still have much to learn in my relationship with Spirit and my Spirit Animal/Guides. The deepening of these relationships is also boundless, in each moment, always developing. I note here that at the end of the initial extraction ritual that I did not thank Spirit for the work we had just done until later, reminding me that I can always learn more about how I am a conduit, a vessel for Spirit’s essence which ultimately brings about transformation for the Lamenter. Thank you again Spirit, for your bounteous gifts.
“In the Beginning …….darkness was upon the face of the deep……….and God created Light.” The inference is that the Divine created the energy to work with and within the existing energy – the dark. Hildergard of Bingen a female Germanic and Christian Mystic, suggested that the dark was the womb of creation and therefore female and that God and light, was the male impregnation that gave birth to creation. Hence Light and Dark could be seen as lovers and the dance between them, the courtship and seduction; the blending – the intimacy of love…………
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