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.
Please note that Shamanic work is not meant to replace medical treatment or therapy. It is complimentary, but is absolutely not meant to replace it.
I am currently only performing Soul Retrieval sessions remotely. Here is how to prepare for, and participate in, a remote Soul Retrieval session.
It is important that you plan ahead so that the day the soul retrieval appointment is scheduled you have no other plans, appointments, obligations, or any decisions to make that are bigger than what to eat.
People react to soul retrieval differently. Some people feel tired, some feel grumpy, some feel very emotional, some feel nauseous (another reason not eating too much food beforehand is a good idea). Some people just feel relaxed or mellow or distracted after. Some people don’t notice a big difference right away, but over the coming days they feel a shift in things. Some people feel a big shift immediately. It is different for everyone.Hence, it is a good idea to have a clear calendar and a free day ahead of you. It doesn’t mean you can’t go out and do something if you feel like it, but better it be a choice than something already on the calendar you may not feel equipped to handle.
We want to make sure that the Soul Retrieval is positioned as well as possible, so your appointment will include any work that may need to be done to prepare you to receive the soul part(s). This may include extractions, energy healing, relaying of messages your spirit helpers want you to have, etc.
The session itself will likely last two hours in total, although it may not go that long.
Before the session:
- Eat something before the appointment, but don’t over eat. You want to not be distracted by hunger or by feeling stuffed.
- Silence your phone and/or electronic devices so that you are not interrupted while we are in session.
- Do not be under the influence of any substances or drugs that are being used recreationally (of course substances and drugs that are for medical treatment should be continued!). Of course continue to take any prescription medications you are on.
- If you are on on a series of eastern/western/naturopathic/etc. treatment plans, supplements, or medications for a condition you have, of course continue it as usual; do not suspend it for the appointment. Use good judgement.
At the start of the session:
- At the agreed upon time for us to meet, log-into the video conference using the link provided when the appointment was booked. You will enter the waiting room. You will be in this waiting room anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. Please be patient.
- While you are in the waiting room I will perform a diagnostic journey. Diagnostic journeys usually last anywhere from a few to fifteen minutes where I simply take a look at you on the spirit plane. With the help of my spirit guides I determine what work will be performed during the soul retrieval appointment. This is only a look; no work is being performed. I do this right before every session even if I have performed a diagnostic journey previously; sometimes things change and we want to make sure we are doing everything we should.
- I will join you in the video-conference call immediately after the diagnostic journey and I will discuss what it revealed, answer any questions you may have, and discuss how we will move forward with the session. I will also obtain your permission to do the work discussed.
- Once you have granted permission I will give you a general time to reconnect after the work is complete. We will then disconnect from the video-call so that the work can begin. You will remain where you are in a relaxed state while the work is being performed.
During the session:
- For the duration of the appointment, be somewhere you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed.
- While I am working with you, use visualization to remain relaxed and imagine yourself in a place you find relaxing (examples are to visualize relaxing by the ocean, or going on a walk through a forest). Some folks refer to this as “going to their happy place.”
- You may or may not feel sensations while I am working on you. Everyone is different.
- It is okay to move around if you need to. You are not required to remain perfectly still.
- If you fall asleep that is fine too, however it is best if you remain present and consciously open to treatment. If you suspect you may fall asleep, please set an alarm at the time we discussed to reconnect.
After the work is complete (reconnecting):
- At the time discussed earlier, please log back into the video call. You may be in the waiting room for a little bit. After the work is complete I take the time to write out details (notes) from the session before connecting again to the video-call. Please be patient as the session itself, or writing the notes, may take a little longer than anticipated.
- I will send the notes to you via email, but we will discuss the session together so you will be able to ask questions and so I can clarify things (essentially I hit send on the email then we connect again via the video-call to talk through everything).
- Once we are done with our discussion, we will schedule a follow-up appointment so that I can assess how the integration has progressed. Follow-up sessions are scheduled for no longer than 20 minutes.
Sara Violante 