Along the path to becoming a practitioner I’ve been asked many questions, but none so in depth as about soul retrieval. How does someone lose parts of their soul? How is it found and returned to a person? How do I know if I have lost parts of my soul?
In times of stress or trauma parts of the soul may break away and hide in other realms to escape it. Examples of stress can be physical or emotional abuse, a jarring physical accident, the death of a loved one, even something that doesn’t happen directly to you but triggers an emotional reaction within. Something about the experience has caused the soul to splinter. The splinter (or splinters) has decided to escape with the intent to stay safe.
So how do you know parts of your soul are missing? Sometimes, just learning about soul loss and soul retrieval causes a deep instinctive knowing within a person. However, more often I think, there are symptoms we can list that the person can identify with. These symptoms can include: chronic fatigue for no obvious reason; depression; anxiety; an over abundance of worry; feeling disconnected from family and community; addiction; blank spots in memories; an intensity of emotion around an issue or event that seemingly has no root-cause; feeling directionless and adrift.
A Shamanic Practitioner can journey to find, and return to you, those parts of your soul that are ready to return. It is important to understand that these soul parts are not damaged or traumatized in any way. They are beautiful and powerful pieces of your vital essence, your vitality, that can be returned to you; to bolster your energy, make you whole, and help you move forward on your life’s path.
Soul Retrieval can be performed in person and long distance. The journey is the same for the practitioner though of course the process is different.
Recovering soul parts is one of the more important, and momentous, aspects of Shamanic healing. It is a powerful thing to have soul parts returned to you. Often times there are reactions while the client works to integrate these soul parts back into their life. Feeling tired, or buzzed, or emotional can be typical reactions. Sometimes the reactions are subtle and sometimes not so subtle. Sometimes the client feels a change immediately, and at other times the change happens slowly over time. No two reactions or results are the same it seems; they are very individualized which only makes sense. No two souls are alike!
For all of these reasons a soul retrieval session may include any extraction work or healing work that may need to occur, and the retrieval of a power animal or spirit ally if one presents itself. It also includes a follow-up session approximately 5-7 days following the soul retrieval.
There is a Chinese proverb I heard long ago that has always resonated with me: A drop of the ocean is the ocean.
When we make ourselves whole, and healthy, we are also making our friends, our families, and the world around us a healthier place.
Sara Violante 