What is a Shawoman?

What is a ShaWoman?

A ShaWoman is a gender-inclusive term, recognising the ancient healing practices of women and the modern world in which we live. It refers to a practice that embraces the feminine and women’s ways, that in their essence embody creation, intuition, nurturing and sharing. These are qualities that have endured since time immemorial and if we embody their true capacity we represent the paradigm shift the world needs now.

Women and their healing practices are essentially been written out of history within the contemporary ‘shamanic’ movement. I am here writing women’s ways into the narrative; a narrative which is however non-binary. By this I mean; not simply male or female, ‘either or’, but inclusive of diverse genders and physiologies,

I identify as a ShaWoman. As with ‘shamanism’, being a ShaWoman involves working with spirits to find answers that heal us and earth physically, emotionally and spiritually. In Viking and Celtic culture, the ‘seer’ was typically a woman who was a healer and had powers of divination and fortune-telling. In these uncertain times, ‘shamanism’ offers spiritual healing and guidance in a way that is hard to find through media and biomedical model of medicine. ShaWoman Deep Healing embodies a way of living in harmony with nature and each other into the future.  It is intuitive, multi-layered and recognises that we live in a modern world that involves the internet and distance healing.

My Journey…

I was initially drawn to spiritual healing to find solutions for my own and my family’s well being. But a lifetime of making art that sees deeply into the soul of another brings me to now; a seer. A lifelong meditator, shamanic training, initiation and many blessings have been a right of passage for me. Of Celtic and Norse origins, my ancestors were seafarers who traversed the North Atlantic Ocean, eventually finding their way to Australia in search of gold. It is important to connect with your own ancestry. Mine is a healing practice of cultural reclamation, drawing on my own ancestry, whilst recognising the sovereignty of the indigenous peoples particularly on the tiny island off the east coast of Australia where I now live. 

How does one become a ShaWoman?

There is no single path to becoming a ShaWoman, quite the contrary. I believe there to be many paths to realising your potential as a healer. Embodying the feminine principle of healer is an important additional layer to this practice. It is about care for body, mind, soul, earth and empowering others so that they can take responsibility for their own healing. 

There are online courses now available to learn shamanic techniques. There are workshops, retreats and multi-year initiations available to those of us in the west. There are those who have been born to the task, living within their indigenous communities. Whilst some are handed this responsibility, some are called and others are compelled. The way of a ShaWoman is definitely informed by ‘shamanic’ practices and the new-age movement, but more to it  it recognises and celebrates the traditions of the embodied feminine. The school of life teaches us the attributes of being a woman; from our time as creators of life to the crafting of our own lives that can happen as our children have grown. It operates with the understanding that we are part of and must live in harmony with the natural world.  

Kundalini yoga has taught me much about sound, breath, chakras, meditation and the Divine. I am also blessed by lawmen and women of Aboriginal Australia and the spirits of the land. I have had this and many lifetimes before being a woman; I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a partner, an auntie and Nana.  

What are the tools of a ShaWoman?

Plant based remedies and the subtle vibrations of flowers work as a broker between the body and the ethereal. So many of us are naturally drawn to particular flower essential oil, they may grow prolifically in our garden, or keep appearing in our lives. Sound, song and scent work at a psycho-social level to heal, cleanse and balance our energetic field. Healing touch exemplifies the sensuality of the intuitive feminine. 

The  journey to becoming a ShaWoman is as important as the destination.   

 I have learnt to slip into shamanic consciousness readily through the course of a healing session. I use soul-song to carry my spirit away to the ethereal realms for healing and answers. Dawn and dusk is the time when the veil between heaven and earth is at its thinnest, so I often journey to the sound of my drum at these times. I clap if I am in the wind or at the beach and I sing the song of my soul to your ancestors, to mine, spirits of the land and spirits of the ether. All are tools I have gathered on my path that I share here, to empower you on your path as a healer.

What is the journey of a ShaWoman?

From the innate rights of passage afforded women who menstruate, I believe that our fundamental journey at this time is as a  society to value and honour the feminine principle. I believe the whole planet is on an accelerated path transitioning to a better world. So many of us have been calling for more sustainable practices that heal Mother Earth, agricultural practices that not only nourish us but also the planet. This is the window of time when we can make the shift. And it begins with you and me. We are all on the journey to a better world, a new earth so let’s share that experience. Together we are stronger.

I see spirits guides who come with un-conditional love and those who do not. A lifelong habit of always having a journal at hand has meant that I often draw what I see. It is often so fantastical that you wouldn’t believe me otherwise. Hence the drawing of spirit guides evolved and my service Shaman Art.

What Are The Qualities Of A ShaWoman? 

The qualities a ShaWoman embodies include:

• Recognise your own cultural ancestry
• Know the ancestry of the lands where you now reside
• Know complementary and alternative medicines and be willing to share
• Intuitive perception of illness and dis-ease 
• Wisdom beyond learning 
• Understand the interconnectedness of ourselves, each other and the natural world
• Embodying the feminine principle of healing; body, mind, soul and earth
• Faith that the body can heal itself, and that life has meaning
• Reconciliation with the purpose of death and renewal.

What is necessary for understanding the path to healing, is that it is not something done to or for you. It is about you owning your own healing. You are the healer. As a seer, I offer my services to you as a conduit to spirit and universal source assisting you on your journey to a new earth. I have distilled my learning and experiences into the offerings I share on this website. 

© Author is Jo Fay Duncan 2021