Soul Retrieval through Shamanic Living.

Eight years ago I had a dream; which lead us to move from the suburb to a rural home. In this dream a First Nation ancestor showed me an old trail and told me: “You too need to follow the way of the Caribou.”

When we finally signed for the house we were told by the notary that our home had been built on the oldest, indigenous trail in the Province. This legal expert was totally impressed with the fact that such information was still available. I was excited towards the confirmation. According to the notary these old indigenous trails were made by hunters who followed animal migration routes. Later on, and especially after building one of the local forts the trails were used mainly by traders. It certainly explained the dreams I had after buying the house. In these dreams I often met up with individuals who wanted to exchange coins for food, clothing or blankets.

The most amazing synchronic event occurred during the first week in our new home. We arrived at the end of May, 2003. For a week the mating sounds of the Caribou kept me up in the early hours of the morning. Ironically, I was the only one to hear them. It seems I’m the only light sleeper in the house ☺. For years we enjoyed the presence of Deers and Caribou. If they weren’t grazing in Autumn, in the fields nearby, they were grazing right in our back yard in the middle of Winter. Unfortunately, during our eight year stay in CA, QC at least 6 to 8 Caribous died by getting hit by motorists.

Eight years later we’ve decided to move again. In June 2011, developers bought our neighbour’s land (approximately 8 acres) and destroyed a pond as well as a few dozen mature trees in order to create a road for eleven new homes. In the last decade it’s incredible how many new home projects have settled in our area. Traffic has increased and we can no longer call ourselves: “Rural.” More and more the landscape is changing. It’s become a common sight to see farm land squeezed between urban settings. Ironically, the dream time is calling us back to our origins. We’ve decided to return to the suburb city of our childhood.

It’s clear that we’ve come full circle.

Recently I took some time for a little introspection. It’s always good to glance back at the journey of a decade and see where you were lead and what was important for you to learn and heal. When we moved out in the country it was definitely to get closer to nature. I wanted to grow my own sage, sweet grass, tobacco and cedar. I wanted to grow my own medicinal plants and make my own tinctures. I wanted to explore community living. Every year we learnt something new about the ways of the wild. Whether we connected to raccoons, snakes, turtles, beavers, foxes, groundhogs, moles or a variety of birds – the story was always memorable. It always brought forth a lesson; which inevitably changed our lives in some shape or form.

In Shamanism we often speak of soul retrieval and cosmic worlds (upper, middle and lower worlds). Most shamanic enthusiasts will understand the definitions of these words theoretically; but rare are those who can speak of them from an empirical point of view. Soul retrieval for example is often related to circumstances relating to abuse or trauma. People don’t realize that they can also retrieve bits and pieces of their soul through the most simple and the most mundane events within their personal lives. If I look back at the last decade for example, I can come up with countless moments where members of my family and me were able to do some important soul retrieval.

In the last month I’ve met a hand full of people who believe that a financial investment is more important than a tree. While visiting two homes this month we were told by two owners that they were considering to cut down the trees around the house.

“Too much work,” said one of the men as if he expected us to agee.

I feel blessed to be aware of the fact that if we don’t invest in trees we are killing the planet for the generations to come. I can say without a shred of a doubt that the last decade allowed me to retrieve the natural elements of my soul. I can now empirically give value to the plants, birds, insects and animals in my natural environment. Whether it’s the lady bugs, the butterflies, the snakes or moles – I have stories; which have allowed me to connect to these critters and learn about them. Even the wasps brought forth lessons that I will never forget.

Just this last month, a real estate agent actually suggested poison to eliminate blue jays. She literally called the birds: “Pests.” I was completely dumbfounded. Do people actually believe that they have the right to eliminate living creatures from their environment? One thing is for sure the last month has opened my eyes to all kinds of people and situations that I had no idea existed. I figure I’m being called to yet another dimension of learning and healing.

An initiate of mine recently asked me: “Why not move further away into the woods or by the water? Away from people.”

My response was quick and simple: “I’m not being called to move into the bush. I don’t want to hide and to run away. Sure I’ll be comfortable for a while but sooner or later humans will come to develop the land even there….”

I want to continue learning and healing. I want to be in service where I’m called to be in service. I always follow the dreaming. It’s the way I’ve live my life and it’s the way I will continue to live my life. It may sound strange but this morning when I went out with the dogs, I took the time to recognize the blue jays on my path and to give thanks to them. I felt blessed to have acquired missing pieces to my soul. More than ever I understand what it means to do Shamanic Soul Retrieval.