A friend who has studied shamanism much longer than I, went to another practitioner for help. During the session, the practitioner told my friend that part of her problem, was that she was “shining her light too brightly.”
He left it at that, with no further guidance and I’ve wondered about this since it happened.
Can you have too much light? I have an issue with New Age usage of “light” and “light worker.” It’s been used to death by the same people who discredit the ego, to choke off any human emotion that is “less than” a high vibration, and (IMO) to support a dualistic world-view.
But what exactly did this mean? and what guidance or help could have been given? If like attracts like, wouldn’t we attract more light (if you hold this belief?) He implied that she was drawing entities – well, he didn’t say what she might be attracting, I am extrapolating – because she had too much light.
My friend is still going through some rough stuff. She (rhetorically) asked if she was supposed to dim her light? Was she supposed to abandon shamanic studies and practices to “save” her health and emotional well-being? Her frustration is so palpable, and it’s worse because there are physical issues at play as well.
But I wonder too. What did that mean? Is it good practice to leave someone hanging with that question and worry? Is that even a real thing, “too much light?”
As her friend I can only listen and offer sympathy. And hold sacred space for her. As a student myself, I question whether this session was of value – and what does that mean for me as I continue to study and live in a shamanic viewpoint. I personally don’t consider myself a light worker, and with hold judgement as much as possible on labeling. Some things just “are.”
I wanted so badly to tell her, “I think you should step back from all this because you are thinking over every angle of every person you might what to help, of how you want to teach but worry about doing it right (and not wrong), of how you took on a job that is draining you, and that your body is exhausted from all the physical problems you have at this moment.” And yet, I couldn’t. She strongly feels the Spirits are pushing back at her for what she is trying to do (“shining too brightly”) and blames herself for being unable to accomplish what she wants.
I wish I had the answers and I don’t.
Hart of the Forest 
I don’t know that I would have read anything “egoistic” into that, so much as in terms of the candle that burns twice as bight burning half as long. You say she’s having a hard time now on multiple levels; maybe she needs to just take a break and conserve some energy for focusing on her own well-being. That’s my 0.02; I think she was done a disservice being left hanging, too. No, she shouldn’t be handed all the answers, but there has to be some clarity, or the help is no help at all.
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Thank you for replying, I was hoping you would add some clarity. I agree, and told her sometimes you just need to call ” shenanigans” and take care of yourself. She moved from CA to the midwest, and things are not the same here.
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That’s got to be almost as much screeching-bombshell culture shock as I got moving from Minnesota to Scotland. *laugh*
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Oh my! I had no idea you made such a move. Yes, I’ve lived ih Ohio all my life but moving here from either coastn is a shocker. I love her, but it would not surprise me if she moved. Drs, healthcare, and the fact that most alternative spirituality groups are quiet about their presence makes it hard. We move at glacial speed. But Go Bucks! State religion. You can get away with Buckeye gear at work any day.
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Minnesota remains the cheerful bastion of liberalism in the Midwest, but still, that’s by Midwest standards. I lived in Cali for a while (along with 7 other states), and I didn’t handle it well. To borrow from Wordsworth, the world was too much with me there. I actually found the transition to Scotland less painful, even considering this:
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Omg, that is a hilarious video, I love languages and all accents are so sexy. My husband was eyeing Eau Claire, WI, but frankly after disposing of my parents house and belongings, we’re not up for any moving. I had no idea Minnesota was liberal (by midwest) good to know. Ohio, not so much, we used to be so middle of the road, now we have a lot of wack jobs. I guess the mottonis “not as bad as southern states”
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Keep in mind that Wisconsin is more or less Florida North as far as weirdos go. Good lord. 🙂 Minnesota is the land of Paul Wellstone and Al Franken, (and most of us would sincerely like to give Michele Bachmann back to friggin’ Iowa) so you can figure where things lie politically. I survived extended stays in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina, so there is little in politics that can traumatize me these days. A Glaswegian with four beers in him who earnestly wants to talk to me about something? Now, that’s scary!
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You hit all the high spots! I bet you have killer stories, especially now. Michelle Bachmann LOL except actually had a seat in congress. Well, she’s not the only nit wit in that herd….
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And speaking of accents, I had to drop this off.
Lachlan sounds enough like him for it to be a little eerie. *purr* Scotland is going to kill me, and i am going to die with an absolutely obscene smile on my face. 😀
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You are da bomb!
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Most of my stories here revolve around “Wait, that word means what here?” (Fanny. Never say fanny here.) Seems like most of my stories back there revolve around “I was in Place X when Horrible Thing Y happened.” *laugh*
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Hmm that’s a strange one. For the ‘light’ business I’m totally with you. It’s even part of the reason I started blogging. So much of the new-age scene is just rammed with ‘love & light’ crap…which doesn’t work when children get cancer or planes drop from the sky.
Now for the attracting entity business, that might be true. My Shaman is always telling me that ‘energy attracts energy’. So, the more light you can hold, the more dark you’ll attract. My first thought is if she’s truly attracting entities, she could possibly need to slow down and speak to her Shaman about it. It may be she needs to spend some time on learning how to transmute that stuff.
However, it more likely sounds like she’s not respecting herself physically, emotionally or spiritually…as you rightly pointed out. The body is our wisdom, and seems her body is saying CHILL OUT. 🙂
Lots of love.
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Thank you Lee. This really made me think about the gravity of embarking on this type of journey. There are pitfalls as well as grace, but when you’re living in the material world, there’s the body and it has limitations you can’t just wish away. I used to power through stuff too, very recently in fact, but as you say, it’s not respecting myself. Maybe what I’m learning through all this is I need to love myself first, give it me emotionally, spiritually and physically, and let the other (whatever it is ) come. (allow it to come.). Send some of the Dubai sun and heat over here to Ohio. 🙂
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We have more than enough Dubai sun to share. 🙂 Don’t be jealous, within 60 days or so it’ll be hotter than Hades!
The path is wily, that’s for sure. I’m no longer convinced I want to be a Shaman, and am 100% sure I don’t want to lead plant ceremonies and be responsible for leading people through that experience.
Earlier last year I was very deep in meditation and received a message my Shaman was being sought out by a ‘nefarious’ energy. When I wrote her that day to ask about it, she told me indeed it was true but – no big deal! Ha! I thought I’d shit myself.
Right now I’m almost exclusively working on my body’s relationship to Shamanic work and the release of energy. It’s slow and frustrating, and I sometimes loathe being in this moment. I wish i was trundling down the path, learning and experimenting. Alas I’m not! But my Shaman stresses this is the most important learning, so we can 1) honor ourselves first, as you rightly mentioned and 2) let our bodies become stronger and stronger over time, to avoid illness and other repercussions.
Funny you said ‘limitations of the body’ as thats the exact phrase my Shaman used with me recently. The body does have its limits.
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Yes, I am having second thoughts as well, but chalked it up to my butterfly approach to most interest: Flitting here and learning, now flitting there and learning. Right now, it may be “enough” for me to be fully present for myself and for those around me and offer that presence as a gift of grace. We’ll see…. 🙂
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Holding space for the others sometimes seems to me like 90% of the job 🙂
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And after stepping on this path I *definitely* can’t power through anymore!!
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That’s a big lesson for us both.
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LOL well, maybe holding space is my gift. I surely love trees, and they are great teachers of stillness
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I’ve found safety with smudging, grounding myself using breath and mental imagery, and elimination of the cell phone. The cell phone creates holes in the aura – leaks. Leaky energy was one recent lesson. Also noticing the synchronicity of others – making each moment of full awareness – helps one see projections rather than true course synchronicity. Hug a tree.
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Absolutely agree about hugging a tree, and she works with one on her property. That’s very interesting about the cell phone, and I will mention to her. Thank you for suggesting that!
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I too was going to suggest your friend takes time out to ground herself, get her roots firmly in the Earth etc, perhaps with the help of a piece of black tourmaline?
It seems very strange to give a warning and then leave it hanging like that…perhaps she might reconnect with the person concerned and ask for more details?
It’s also worth bearing in mind what was said is just one person’s opinion on her and may not necessarily give a clear picture of what, if anything, is happening to her. I think if it were me I would seek further guidance…a second opinion if you like.
I hope she is better soon. Namaste.
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She is bettee, thank you. I like black tourmaline too, indon’t remember if I gave her one, but did gift her apache tears. That’s a good idea anout reconnecting. This practitioner charged $200 and she may be hesitant to incur another charge.
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I would hope an honest and genuine practitioner would be mortified to learn a reading they gave caused such distress and would be more than happy to clarify for free. I have to say I would have my doubts of their authenticity if they didn’t seem willing. Time might be money when a business is being run but there is also a certain responsibility. Reconnecting may be the key in many ways to finding an answer…one way or the other, if you see what I mean.
Many blessings.
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Yes, I see what you mean. Thank you!
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