WiseWomanhood School

Supporting Women - Body, Mind, & Soul

Soul Nurture

Becoming a True Elder

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I’ve been studying shamanic practice with Paul Francis, of the UK. He teaches that the basis of shamanism is animism. Our Hunter-Gatherer forefathers & mothers lived in this kind of culture. They lived harmoniously within their human tribe and with the larger community of non-humans – Animal, Plant, and Stone Peoples. They understood all the Peoples are soulful and worthy of respect. They knew there was a Spirit World, unseen unless in a Shamanic State of Consciousness, during a shamanic journey or in a state straddling both the physical world and the Spirit World.

In this animist world, children were initiated into adulthood, signaling that they’d become a True Adult. They were shocked into giving up their childish self centeredness and into connecting more fully to the whole web of life – human & non-human. Using their talents for the good of the whole. That was the makings of a True Human Adult.

I hope to grow into that – and onward to be a True Elder, not just older but seeing beyond the daily world to bigger needs of the whole community and sharing that wisdom.  Paul Francis says that Shamans were Elders ahead of their time, with a foot in both the Spirit World and the physical Middle World. They tell stories to help keep the tribe on the path to being Truly Human Beings.

Luckily, Ayurveda helps us to live long and well as possible. With these supports I hope to make it to True Elderhood.

If you would like to join me on this path, join our free twice monthly Shamanic Study Groups and look into the excellent books and classes by Paul Francis at Three Ravens College. To have your own personal longevity plan, start with a zoom consultation with Terra or try some Ayurveda on-demand classes.

Deepening through Female Initiations

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You can view a woman’s life cycles as a series of initiations into a new state of being, a higher consciousness. When you look at them this way, they become more than a troublesome change. They become an opportunity for your soul to grow.

The phases that women go through are:  Menarche, Menstrual cycling, Female Orgasm, Pregnancy, Postpartum, Perimenopause, Menopause and Later Menopause.  Intertwined with these is Creativity.

These stages have been correlated by the author Uma Dinsmore-Tuli with the traditional Tantric Mahavidya or Wisdom Goddesses.  Most of these Goddesses are very fierce looking, ready to shock you out of your everyday patterns into a state of newness, making them excellent for Female Initiations.

This beautiful graph is from the amazing book Yoni Shakti,by Uma Dinsmore-Tuli,PhD. It clearly illustrates the relationship of the Mahavidyas to the Female Life Cycles:

We can use the teachings of the Mahavidya to bring more awareness to Female Cycles, making them more than physical experiences which are often uncomfortable.

If you’d like to learn from my research and journeys with the Female Cycles and the Mahavidyas, as well as from other women on the journey, join my upcoming live, zoom class in February. We’ll go beyond the mind and enter into the subtle worlds to contact each Goddess for personalized teachings.

I also highly recommend the amazing book Yoni Shakti by Uma Dinsmore-Tuli  , the major inspiration for my own work to learn more and share about her great paradigm.  She delves deeply into women and yoga and also offers wonderful womb yoga techniques for each cycle of womanhood.

Learn more about the Mahavidyas and Women’s Powers class

Shamanism with Terra

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Shamanism is a timeless practice that connects us to Heaven, to Earth, AND our Deepest Self. These practices seem to be inherent in those who try it, yet generally dormant in our culture. It was dominant for the thousands of years that humans lived sustainably on the planet as part of Nature, rather than apart from Nature.

  • Want to make the belief that all of life is sacred more than an opinion?
  • Looking for a practice that sustains you….and may help sustain the Earth too?
  • Ready to delve into the unseen realms?

You can enjoy and experience the power, protection, and nurturance of Shamanism in your life. Terra offers these supportive guides to creating your own practice:

MONTHLY SHAMANIC STUDY GROUP

Step One – Understand how shamanism is healing for people and the planet.  Learn basics about the Lower, Middle, and Upper Worlds and what they are like.  Find out more about what journeying is and how to do it. A lecture by Terra on YouTube.

Step Two – a guided journey to meet your Power Animal in the Lower World. Terra will meet with you privately via Zoom to help you journey. Meeting and relating with your Power Animal is a crucial part of journeying safely. Your Power Animal is your power and protection. This is a session by donation and you can sign up by emailing Terra at wisewomanhood@gmail.com  with your schedule and wish. This session takes up to one hour, maybe less.

Step Three – Once you have a Power Animal, you can join our free monthly Shamanic Study Group. A group meeting creates a community, as well as way to learn from each other. We meet the 4th Sunday of the month, 10 am Mountain Time for up to 1 ½ hour. Terra leads a topic share and discussion, then rattles for everyone to journey. After the journey, participants take notes on their experiences and share with the group. Register for the zoom link .  There is also a similar group the 2nd Sunday, same time with Jyoti Wind, another practitioner, which you can sign up for .

Apprenticeship with Terra: Shamanic Practice

Wish guidance in exploring the Shamanic worlds?

Terra offers you guidance through recorded and live journeying, recommendations for readings and further studies, and support in finding/strengthening your relationship with your Spirit Helpers.

Apprenticeship with Terra includes 2 personal monthly sessions, approximately 1 hr live zoom or in person meetings; access to all her shamanic recordings of past study groups;  attendance at monthly group study group on zoom , and Text/email correspondence, both personal and group, on relevant topics.

$270/ 3 month session, can be extended month to month after that or another 3 months if desired.

Available on demand. Email Terra to begin.

YOUR SACRED GARDEN

Live Zoom , on demand

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.

To indicate interest and register with Terra By donation. Be sure the type of session you’re interested in as the subject line.

SHAMANIC WOMB HEALING

ON DEMAND

In this shamanic journey and indicated ceremony, we will cleanse your womb of old psychic baggage, allowing for more radiant health of both physical AND spiritual wombs. This supports creativity on all levels. (Especially helpful if you’ve had a hysterectomy.) Best done in tandem with herbal and other physical remedies as well, so may be a part of a health consultation with Terra if you so desire.

You’ll receive further instructions on how to continue the ceremony to fully empower yourself .

To register (donation) email Terra .

SHAMANIC JOURNEY TO DEEP LIGHT AND LOVE

Live Zoom on demand, email interest

A guided journey to your deep Upper World 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.

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

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

By donation, email Terra to begin.

CHANDRA SHAKTI – CONNECTING TO THE FEMININE POWER OF THE MOON

Live Zoom session, on demand.

We will begin with talking about the Feminine Power of the Moon and go 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.

If you haven’t journeyed before, contact Terra at least one week to have a journey experience.

Email Terra to begin. By donation. Be sure the name of the class you’re interested is in the subject line.

About Terra’s Shamanic training

Terra Rafael has been exploring shamanism spontaneously for decades. During the last 7 years she’s practiced more consciously with mentor, Jyoti Wind. And since COVID Terra took classes with Sandra Ingerman, Alberto Villaldo, Itzhak Beery, and Hank Wesselman (nine months weekly).She is now studying regularly (12 multi-session courses) with Paul Francis at the Three Ravens College via zoom classes. Paul offers many resources free, as well as classes.

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

Ancestor Season

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Ancestor season is now. So many cultures find the veils to be thin between the land of living and those gone from Earth in this season. From the roots of Halloween in Europe to Mexican Day of the Dead to Hindu Pitru Paksha – all are about honoring those who have died before us, especially our beloved ancestors.

We can remember them.

One simple way is to make an Ancestor Altar. With photos, objects reminiscent of them, even their favorite foods and drinks, we can create space to remember.

We can honor them.

One tradition is to deck their graves with flowers and decorations. Another is to contribute or work for a charity in their name. And certainly we may send our best love and wishes to them, to sustain them in the Other World they are now in.

We can commune with them.

Whether you might use a Ouiji board or go on a shamanic inner journey to the land of the dead, you can still contact you ancestors , now in spirit form. They may give you a sign, showing up symbolically to you in the form of an animal, a rainbow, or finding a coin like those they often gave you when you were a child. Your love for them is a pathway between you.

However you choose to relate to your ancestors, this is the prime time for it. Know that you are the result of hundreds and hundreds of ancestors, known and unknown. And they can be there for you now.

For more about Shamanic Journeying contact Terra.