'The Bridge'

Lisa Belvoir, Shamanism 101, Instructor

   Being the Bridge between both worlds - ordinary and non-ordinary reality is both humbling and powerful. When we are called to be 'The Bridge' we take the hand/paw of our spirit helpers and let them guide us through our lives.  They lovingly want so much to help us.  They usually help us heal ourselves first and eventually help us with healing others.

   Our relationship with our Spirit Helpers is a two way street.  We need them and they need us.  We are strongest when we are working closely together on a regular basis.  It requires time to establish a strong relationship with our spirit helpers. It is similar to building a relationship with a best friend or close family member. 

   Every Shamanic student will have their own sacred and unique process that they will go through as they step into becoming 'The Bridge'.

   I would like to share my personal experience of becoming 'The Bridge', to help our new students understand it better.

After many years of journeying for information and guidance, there was a change. I started hearing the voice of my spirit helpers in 'real time'. That is when I recognized that I have become 'The Bridge'. My spirit helpers were giving me guidance and information when I was quiet, sitting in nature or in a healing session. They would tell me exactly what to say to my clients, gave me advice regarding my daughter and the list goes on.

   The key for me is to connect with my spirit helpers first thing in the morning.  I ask questions and these are answered immediately. I ask about what is needed for my upcoming clients, for myself, or for my daughter. If there is a big decision that I need to be making, I consult with my Spirit Teacher first.

   Having a relationship with my spirit teacher is like being in class all day, but such a class is a very personal one. My Spirit Helpers really understand me and know exactly what I need in order to grow as a person and in my healing practice.  This is not to say that it has been an easy classroom!  The growth spurts have not always been pretty or comfortable. I call it 'growing pains'.

   We all have the ability to be a bridge for information and healing from the spirit world.  My hope for our shamanic community is that we all grow and expand into who we want to become in this lifetime.  We all have a vision of where we would like to be, and have the ability to develop a sacred relationship with the Spirit Realm to help us get there. 

By Steve Serr

Dr. Serr,

I had an interesting turn of events and would like your opinion.

In the upper world (on a shamanic journey) I was told (my client) was deeply lacking in power and often seeks to escape from reality because of this. I was told that my attempt to help (with a power animal retrieval) would probably be moot, even though it would be necessary. So to the lower world I dove.

It was not long before my client's power animal appeared. Unfortunately, the animal did not want to return, saying that although my friend says he wants to change, he has made no effort to do so, and that (his reluctant spirit helper) does not care for my client's empty words.

After my brief conversation with this spirit helper, I returned to the ordinary reality world. I let my friend know what his animal was and that it was not yet ready to return to him, and that this was because his heart wasn't ready to receive it.

Is this a common occurrence? I look forward to your help and insight.

Many thanks

   Interesting situation, isn't it! A practitioner makes a successful journey to retrieve an animal spirit helper, and yet finding this animal spirit, learns it is not willing to return!

   Happily, most of the time a spirit helper will come back with a practitioner, and quite eagerly so! A spirit helper in animal form, just like a piece of one's soul, is a long lost part of that person, separated, and possibly yearning to return. In most cases, a shamanic practitioner's client has shown up to see a practitioner because they want this. However, in this case, we hear reluctance on the part of the animal spirit. Why?

   One way to think of it would be to think of the animal spirit as if they were a person who was hoping to return to some place where they knew they belonged, a place they always thought of as home. Then, imagine those who were there at this place, oblivious to their potential return, or maybe uncaring, or worse, rolling their eyes at the prospect. Just like a long lost family member who would not be accepted back or encouraged to stay at the place they came from, who would want to return under such circumstances!

   Not everyone is ready to accept the power that is their true self. For whatever reason, a person may not be ready to regain the power that had once been lost, or let go of, or never even recognized as actually their own. Stepping into the authority of one's full power means to also accept whatever responsibilities and life changes that would be the consequence of living into that power! For many, this acceptance and responsibility is challenging, and for others, unacceptable.

  Shamanism is all about developing or regaining one's full, true self. The whole personhood that one can be is the root and branch of who one truly is. During soul retrieval, one regains the lost soul parts of their soul that help constitute one's full, true self. Power retrieval (power animal retrieval), is even more specifically considered the re-gathering of one's latent yet unrealized powers. Perhaps 'soul retrieval' and 'power animal retrieval' are only different conceptually and are merely differing perspectives on the same thing.

   However it is understood, this matters little. What truly matters is a client's readiness to step into their own power. In shamanic terms, this means that the power, in this case understood as a power animal, needs to be accepted back by their original self, actively developed, and integrated into the tapestry of that whole person.

   Many times shamanic practitioners have done their work of re-establishing the link between a client and their power. Yet how many times have practitioners also seen their clients unwilling to accept their power back. Unaccepted, unwelcome and unnourished, their power eventually leaves again.

   Here, the power animal this writer refers to has already recognized that it will not yet find a home where it belongs.

   It knows it is not time for it to return.

Our dreams are the energy that keeps us alive and radiant.

Our dreams are a reflection of our manifestation abilities which should be honored and embraced.

Our dreams are a divine gift and a blessing...

A world without dreams could not exist.