WiseWomanhood School

Supporting Women - Body, Mind, & Soul

Terra

Strengthen Support from Ancestors

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We can strengthen the support of ancestors who have gone before us. Certainly, they already pay attention to us at times. Yet we can develop our relationship with them. Many cultures have traditions that do this and the fall is the general time of year especially attuned to this work. Helpful ancestors can include unknown ancient ancestors with various talents, teachers and dear friends, as well as blood relations we have lived with and known.

Strengthen by Celebrating All Saints / Day of the Dead

Two well known traditions in our culture revolve around the ancestors.  My friend Kathy recently shared that in New Orleans it is a tradition on All Saints Day (the day after Halloween) to visit and bring flowers to the tombs of ancestors. Similarly, this is celebrated around this time in Mexico as Day of the Dead. People gather at the graveyards, even picnic there with some favorite foods and drinks of their departed loved ones.

Strengthen by Prayers, rituals and charity to support Ancestors

In the Hindu tradition this time of year is Pitru Paksha. It follows the moons and this year it fell September 20 – October 6.  This time of year is for mourning the dead, doing prayers and rituals to support them in the afterlife, and doing acts of charity in their name.  These practices an certainly work at any time as well, but go with the energies of the year at this time.

Strengthen Relations with Ancestors on Samhain / the Roots of Halloween

Ancient Celts believed that on Samhain (now celebrated as Halloween) the good departed souls came back to earth to visit their living relatives.  Honoring and welcoming them, you can make a special altar – photos of them, some of their favorite foods, a candle, and maybe some rosemary sprigs, symbolizing remembrance. You can also do some of their favorite activities in memory of them, giving them a chance to re-experience them through your actions.

Strengthen by Celebrating Your Ancestors’ Death Days

You can do all these activities on the person’s death day as well, to honor them individually. Some traditions do this very importantly on the year anniversary of the death.

Following these traditions will amplify your relationship with helpful ancestors. You may then notice little signs of their input through signs and intuitions. Or you may hear or see them in a vision.  You can call on them for support when you are feeling low or facing a big challenge.  The give and take between you and your helpful ancestors is supportive to both of you!

For more work with the unseen realm, including farther back helpful ancestors you may not know about, consider the Shamanic studies and support offered by Terra.

Seminar: Ayurveda for Women’s Health

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Why a Seminar on Ayurveda for Women’s Health?

I teach about Ayurveda and Women’s Health. As a teacher for student Ayurveda Practitioners, I am excited about sharing what I know. And I’m also learning so much from teaching. I realize my Vata nature tends to excess and using a shot-gun approach, giving so much information students may miss the key points. It’s also a challenge to cover all of Women’s Health in just 20 hours of class. Thus, the dilemma.

Students asked for more.  I realized what we need is a seminar format after the information is delivered.

A place to: *Discuss topics more in depth. *Hone skills of determining treatments. *Practice thinking with Ayurveda even when presented with western medical situations.

That’s what my new class with be. Offered in March, 2022 will be SEMINAR ON WOMEN’S HEALTH TOPICS, which will be open to those who have the prerequisite background.  This Seminar on Ayurveda for Women’s Health will be limited to maximum of 7 students per section. I will offer at least 2 sections, perhaps more if there is demand. We will meet 2 hours weekly for 10 weeks. While classes will be recorded, this class is about live interaction and you must commit to attending at least half the sessions in person and review the recording of what you missed.

At the first class we will decide as a group on topics we will cover, as well as share our backgrounds and goals about women’s health as a practitioner.

Section 1: Saturdays,Feb 18-April 22 , 1-3pm Mountain Time

Join us!  Register Here  

Check out Ayurveda Mentoring Group with Terra as an alternative.

Shamanism with Terra

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Shamanism is about nurturing the soul, our most prized self, the only self that comes with us after we die. It helps strengthen our soul, protecting it from invasion by other powers, and retrieving parts that may have been scared away by traumas. As such, shamanism is a precious tool, a birthright of all humans, that has been colonized by religions, by capitalists, and by media and tech.

Reclaiming our direct connection with our soul, with nature, and with higher powers is the basis of shamanism. For a full explanation of the history of shamanism and its basic map listen to Flight of the Spirit by Jyoti Wind (for free). After that you are ready to go on a journey to meet your Power Animal, an excellent way to begin your shamanic path.

If you want further learning with shamanism check out these UPCOMING SHAMANIC MEETINGS:

On-going Study group 2nd  Sunday with Jyoti – The 2nd Sunday Shamanic Study Group at 10AM/MT will have various themes. Please contact Jyoti for more info and to receive the link.

On- going Study group 4th Sunday with Terra -10 am/ mountain time – various themes –-contact Terra to register.

LIVE AND RECORDED SESSIONS WITH TERRA

RITE OF THE WOMB  with Terra – Live,web class, next session TBD

In this beautiful ceremony we will cleanse our wombs of old emotional baggage, allowing for more radiant health of our physical AND our spiritual wombs. This will support our creativity on all levels. (Especially helpful if you’ve had a hysterectomy.)

You’ll receive further instructions on how to continue the ceremony to fully empower yourself and pass it on to other women.

To register (free) email Terra Be sure the name of the class you’re interested is in the subject line.

YOUR SACRED GARDEN with Terra – Live, web class, next session TBD

Imagine a place in Nature that’s special to you – real or imaginary. We will use this in creating a Sacred, Safe place in the Middle/Dream World  to do Shamanic work.  It is another technique for accessing and interacting with the Spirit World.

  • This is a place to begin and end journeys.
  • Meet helpful spirits here, ancestors & saints, gods & goddesses.
  • Participate in healing work here.
  • Increase your personal power and spiritual immunity.
  • Initiate changes in your personality and habits.
  • Keep gifts and tools from spirit journeys here.

REGISTER HERE

CONNECTING TO THE FEMININE POWER OF THE MOON

In this session we began with talking about the Feminine Power of the Moon and went on two journeys to the Moon:  One to meet an embodiment of the Feminine Power for direct, personal teachings and another journey to fill and empty and fill again with the Light of the Moon, entraining to the spiritual as well as physical light.

The audio and narrative are in the PDF for this free product.

Register here

YOUR ALTAR AND THE DIRECTIONS

Terra will share her altar and how she uses it to invoke the directions before doing shamanic work.  This evolved from the teachings of Itzak Beery from South American shamanic tradition.

Journey:  Travel to a Direction to meet the Benevolent Spirit(s) there, ask for teaching, offer gratitude action in the “real” world.

The link to video is in the PDF you’ll receive when you sign up for free.

JOURNEY TO THE POWER OF ROSE

Intro–

The many faces of Rose: scent ( rosewater spritzer), flower essence, tea of petals to drink or bathe, rose petal jam, rose petal elixir,  rose brandy-tincture, planting and caring for in your yard, seeking wild rose in the untamed area, rose hips in the fall, and medicinal uses.

               Medicinal uses –

– Woman’s Ally – heavy menses tea (with hibiscus), spritzer during hot flashes, rose water is moisturizing and good for the skin;   Maiden= flower bud, Mother=bloom, Crone= rose hip (full of nourishment gathered over life): The Rose is beautiful AND has thorns to protect herself

               -Heart Medicine – grief, heartbreak, anger all soothed by rose

               -Balancing Energies – overcoming excess heat of various kinds;  a Cooling Brew – hibiscus, rose tea w a pinch of cinnamon, let it cool then add some organic grape juice

(Be sure to only use organic roses when using internally or on your skin!)

Journey to the Spirit of Rose

The link to this audio session if free via PDF when you REGISTER HERE.

MAYA HEALING INTRODUCTION & JOURNEY TO GODDESS IX CHEL

Introduction to Maya Spiritual Healing, and Spiritual Baths

Journey to Ix Chel, Moon Goddess for Blessings and Questions

Terra apprenticed with Miss Beatrice Waight, a Maya midwife and healer from a healing lineage in Belize, as well as Rosita Arvigo and classes from curanderas online. Much of this knowledge is very useful in everyday life as a shamanic practitioner and Terra has been charged with sharing that with you.

The link to audio of this session is in free PDF you receive when you REGISTER HERE.

Terra’s SHAMANIC TOOLS & JOURNEY TO YOUR SACRED GARDEN

This session Terra shares some of her shamanic tools that help her ground her practice.

Then there is a journey to your sacred garden.

The link to the video of this session is in free PDF you receive when you REGISTER HERE.

SHAMANIC JOURNEY TO DEEP LIGHT AND LOVE with Terra

Zoom class, TBD  $20

A guided journey to your deep self, your light and love self, your Atman, Guardian Angel, or Oversoul. In this way, you can more easily remember it and reconnect to it. Sandra Ingerman calls it Transfiguration.

Part One – Getting Acquainted with Your Atman, Oversoul, Aumakua, Or Guardian Angel

Part Two – Shamanic Journey and Meditation Practices To Strengthen Your Connection

REGISTER HERE

PRIVATE SHAMANIC MENTORING with Terra

Starting on your Shamanic path? Want some structured guidance? Meet privately with Terra via zoom for teachings and journey. Contact Terra to start the conversation.

Terra Rafael has been exploring shamanism spontaneously for decades. During the last 7 years she’s practiced more consciously with mentor, Jyoti Wind. And in the 5 years Terra took classes with Sandra Ingerman, Alberto Villaldo, Itzhak Beery, Hank Wesselman, and Paul Francis.

Connect with the Feminine Power of the Moon

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Women are naturally connected with the Moon. When unexposed to artificial lights, women tend to bleed on the new moon and ovulate on the full moon. Our female cycles mirror the Moon cycles. The creativity of our wombs is strongly related to the power of the Moon. And the creativity of our wombs goes far beyond the creation of physical children – all our creative endeavors gain force from our womb energy.

By becoming more aware of the Moon cycles we can ride the tides of the creative Moon energy – enhancing our own part in the web of life.

How to Connect to the Moon

Some women sleep where the Moon light will shine on them. In fact, to get menstrual cycles to follow the Moon, it works best to sleep in total darkness except for during the full Moon, then having light shine on you while you sleep. Some women finds this gets irregular cycles synced up, giving them more awareness of when they are fertile.

I seem to often wake when the Moon is at her zenith, at the top of the sky. This means about midnight at Full and about 3 am when Half Moon. I see her out my bathroom window and say hello. Sometimes I chant to Her.

Following the Moon Cycles

Traditionally, the New Moon is a time of inwardness and contemplation. A good time to do intuitive, shamanic work. Time to talk with the spirit world, with the spirits of plants. Women in the Moon Hut would share their dreams to increase the tribe’s wisdom. They would isolate, not so much because bleeding was nasty but because at this time the downward flow of the blood would open them so much that they might pull energy from others. By staying near the Earth, they could draw on the deep energies of Mother Nature, renewing their physical and spiritual selves. Setting intentions for the following Moon cycle works well at this time.

With the waxing, growing Moon light, a woman becomes more outward, bringing her intentions more into reality.

At the Full Moon, women may find themselves ovulating – and full of pheromones and the desire to mate. This brings her out into the light, out into social settings to find the proper way to express her fullness. It’s a great time to give birth to the projects of intention, as well as is often a time for childbirth to happen.

With the waning, declining Moon light, women may complete what needs to be completed, let go of what needs to be let go of, culminating in the deep inner state of the New Moon, associated with menstrual time.

Other Ways to Connect

There are many other ways to connect to the Moon Power-

~Drinking pure water that was left in the Moon light overnight.

~Chanting “Chandra Shakti” (power of the Moon) especially when gazing at the Moon.

~Watching for the Moon to appear in the sky. I love my first siting of the “Baby Moon” which is when it is a new sliver after the New Moon.

~Journeying to the Moon in a shamanic journey – What does Her Spirit look like to you? What does She have to tell you? What guidance does She give you to personally connect more fully with Her power?

Watch for upcoming live classes on Women’s Womb Power

Ayurveda and Shamanism

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As an Ayurveda & Shamanism Practitioner, I’ve been asked how they go together.

Shamanic Roots of Ayurveda?

I’m quite confident that the sages who originally received the teachings of Ayurveda did so from the unseen world. Shamanism is an ancient tradition throughout most of the world…we all have shamanic ancestors. Hunter gatherers seem to have tuned into Nature (as the Ayurveda Sages did) to know what was safe to eat, where to find their food, and how to heal those with disease.

Subtle causes of disease addressed

Ayurveda makes it clear that most disease starts with disturbances of the mental, emotional, and/or spiritual bodies. Shamanic healing follows time-tested processes to strengthen our spiritual energies to repel such assaults. And when that doesn’t happen, shamanism give us ways to repair the energetic template. It does not require a person to subscribe to spiritual practices outside their own religion.

Connecting to our Highest

Shamanism is best practiced as self care on a daily basis. It is about connecting to the highest in ourselves and in Nature, just as Ayurveda is. Simple ceremonies focus us on the forces of our lives. Inner journeys can connect with the Lower World of Nature, the Middle World of Human, and the Upper World of Spirit and Soul. Our spiritual life is then based on our personal direct experience, rather than belief in what others tell us.

Progressing through our Experiences

Shamanism realizes the blessing of being incarnated here on Earth and facing our challenges here to learn what we came here to learn and progress – the experience of the senses, responsibility, respect, and Love. Journeying is much like a guided meditation, while ceremonies abound in both Vedic and Shamanic realms.

Connecting

Through journeys we can tune into ourselves and others on a subtle level. Slowing down enough and being quiet enough we can hear the wise spirits of plants to support the physical beings. The Spirits of the Elements can speak to us – guiding everyday choices. We can meet our Atman or other spiritual beings in the Upper World. All this I have done.

This is why I am sharing shamanism with people – it has strengthened my life and feels in accord with using Ayurveda techniques to support them.

For More about on-going shamanic experience group

For a Basic Shamanic Journey

Spring into a Fertile Spring!

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Be fertile if you want to have a new baby in the next year. Spring is a time when new growth naturally occurs…and here in the Northern Hemisphere it’s coming on soon. WiseWomanhood can help support and boost your fertility.

Traditionally, spring is also about cleansing after the heavier foods of the winter. This can be a helpful phase to increasing fertility and Ayurveda has gentle yet effective means.

Learning about the timing of ovulation and how it relates to your menses gives clues about whether you have an obstacle due to “weak” eggs, as well as when you are most fertile each cycle. Ayurveda and natural helps can feed your eggs to bring more success in conception.

Also important is curing any general health or menstrual ills. These can be symptomatic of deeper hormonal imbalance which natural treatments can often overcome. Such ills can also inhibit fertility or worsen during pregnancy, when it is more difficult to treat health problems without disturbing the pregnancy itself.

So hop to it, if you want to be fertile as the bunnies in the spring!

Here’s a video interview with Terra on fertility to give you more ideas:

WiseWomanhood Class on Fertility

Individual Consultations with Terra Rafael, Certified Ayurveda Practitioner, former midwife – we’ll evaluate your general, menstrual, and fertility health and plan ways to open up your fertility. This can take up to 3 months of self care to support your eggs .