Do you know what it’s like when you have one of those “ah-ha”moments? You know…..when the light bulb in your head pops on, or you do the “I could have had a V-8” forehead knock. Or, sometimes it’s like what happened to me the other day – you get it. You finally GET IT (“It” could be anything….you fill in the blank), and in that moment your breath catches, your jaw drops, and you feel your mind and your spirit make a connection. Those ah-ha moments are the best ones! I think those deep spiritual ah-ha moments are ones that are usually life changing, or at the very least they send you a strong confirmation of some sort.
So, like I said, I had one of those giant spiritual ah-ha moments the other day. I get–“ Everything Happens When It’s Supposed to, and Everyone Comes Into Your Life For a Reason ……it’s not just something people say – it is 100% true and I 100% believe/know . I GET IT!!!”
Looking back at how the path to my ah-ha moment got started; I guess it began when I started to look for answers about life after death. After a number of unexplainable (paranormal) things happened for me in a short period of time, I started doing my own studies to figure out my truth. Those independent studies led me to become a Paranormal Investigator. Through my investigating, I met and learned from so many people, and I quickly became aware that I was gathering my own knowledge and beliefs along the way. I mention this because there are two people who were key in leading me to my latest ah-ha moment and I met both of these people through my paranormal investigating. They are Nancy Bowman and Pam Kitagawa.
Nancy is the person who first introduced me to Shamanism. She is part Cherokee Indian, and I had the honor of seeing her perform ceremonial blessings as practiced in shamanism. I was so intrigued. So, it was Nancy who planted that seed that has led to my growth as a shamanic practitioner. The cool thing about Nancy is that she is also an ordained minister (spiritualist) who performs rites of passage such as weddings, funerals and baptisms. Pretty cool!
Pam grew up spending time with spiritual leaders in both the Sedona AZ area and on the Hawaiian Islands. Although I have been learning a lot about shamanism from Pam over the last few years, she recently gave me a book that has solidified my belief in the fact that everything happens when it is supposed to happen, and every person/animal/thing that comes into your life is truly there for a reason. It’s funny, Pam had been telling me about this book for a few years and suggested it may resonate with me, as it does with her. I had seen this book in stores and on-line many times, and I never stopped to look at it or even see what the book was about. I remember this because I really don’t like the cover of the book, and when I would see it, the cover would make me pass by it quickly. One night, after a local drumming circle, Pam handed me the book…”the book she had mentioned so many times – the same book that I kept passing by because of the cover!”
Well, it turns out that the book is BEAUTIFUL!!! Did you hear that little lesson
?….”Don’t judge a book by its cover! “… I heard it loud and clear. And I send my sincere apologies to the artist of the book cover. Anyhoo, it turns out that the book is about Hawaiian Shamanism, also known as “Huna”. This Hawaiian approach to healing had almost become extinct, but thankfully is gaining growing interest, along with the respect that it has always deserved. Honestly, I am not even done with the book, but I can tell you – I GET IT! For me, this book has brought me full circle in my current level of study and practice. And, this book is launching me into a new branch of study and practice of Shamanism overall. Oh, and the name of the book is Urban Shaman by Serge Kahili King, PhD. https://shamamama.com/shop/
Okay, here is where I may get a bit “out there” or “woo-woo”. If woo-woo is not your thing, you may want to skip to the bottom. I feel like I have become a healthy and established tree – kind of a visual of how I see myself as a shamanic practitioner. The seed was planted, I sprouted, and I slowly grew into a beautiful tree. I’m okay on my own now….my trunk is super sturdy and my roots are firmly planted in the earth, and I look forward to all the growing I have to do. You see, I have grown as a spiritual person in just the way a tree would grow….I am the tree. I’m the Shaman Tree!
Nancy, thank you for planting the seed to my Shaman Tree. Espavo to my wise teacher, Dr. Steven Serr for teaching and growing me. Pam, mahalo nui loa for pruning one of my new branches toward Huna. Claudia with www.WordFlirt.com is helping this little Shaman Tree germinate! And thank YOU….chances are, if you are reading this, you have had some influence on the growth of my Shaman Tree. Or, if you are reading this and we have never met; remember Everything Happens When It’s Supposed to & Everyone Comes into Your Life for a Reason.
