Dear Readers,
Let’s step into the mystery of healing and the role of the shaman—not as some far-off figure, but as an archetype that lives within us all. What does it mean to bring light to the unseen? To remember who we truly are?
In today’s letter, we’ll explore these questions and dig into what healing really is—and isn’t. Whether you’re seeking peace, clarity, or a deeper connection to the divine, this one’s for you.
Let’s uncover the truth together.
In everything we trust,
Sylvia
Questions
Q
What is a shaman?
A
A shaman is you, a shaman is all of us. The word “shaman” means to make the unseen seen, to make the invisible visible, to bring things that are in the dark into the light. In my experience, people often have a lot of confusion around what healing actually is.
There is only one healing—only one—and that is the remembrance of God. It is returning to the knowledge and understanding that your soul is not divided from or separate from anything you see or don’t see. You are a divine spirit. You’re a soul that is ordained, anointed, initiated, and always destined for incredible impact in exactly the way that only your soul can create on this planet. We are instruments of the divine.
Healing is remembering your unification with the divine and the life purpose that is uniquely yours when you are attuned to what the divine would most have you do. That is healing. Nothing else. All the other forms of healing—whether they be physical, emotional, or mental—are secondary. They’re nice to have.
We like to have healthy bodies, minds, and emotions, but for some of us, these will always be a little off. Maybe we have an incurable disease. While this presents its own curriculum of challenges, it is not, in and of itself, a failure to heal. The only failure to heal is forgetting who you truly are. So, what is a shaman? A shaman is a gentle intermediary—someone who helps you open that channel and communicate back to the divine.
In our times, we have seen the disappearance of the shaman. The shaman was once a vital part of tribal communities, without much hierarchy or political structure around them. The shaman was just one of us—someone with a slightly thinner veil between themselves and the divine, who could communicate with the divine on our behalf. Today, we are suspicious of spiritual authorities, largely because we have built so many political institutions around God. We are suspicious of large religious organizations because, frankly, they can sometimes separate us from God more than they bring us closer.
As a result, we are also suspicious of anyone who calls themselves a shaman. I think that’s a shame. We should bring back the shamans, honoring them as seers, truth-tellers, and beings who help us remember the divine.
The way you know you’ve met a true shaman is when you meet someone who makes you feel even more deeply connected to yourself, even more sovereign, even more connected to the divine, and more powerful.
A true shaman is there to appear temporarily in your life when you need to remember who you are. And then, just as quickly, they step away so you can return to that direct divine communication, without anyone else in the way.
