Shamanic Journeying with Spirit Guide Allies

BY NICOLE LAU

Ancient Practice with Divine Allies

Shamanic journeying is one of humanity's oldest spiritual practices—traveling in consciousness to non-ordinary reality to seek wisdom, healing, and power. When you journey with your spirit guides as allies, you combine ancient shamanic technique with your personal divine support team, creating a powerful practice that is both traditional and uniquely yours.

Your spirit guides can serve as shamanic allies, protect you during journeys, help you navigate the spirit realms, introduce you to power animals and teachers, and support your soul retrieval and healing work.

This article will teach you shamanic journeying basics, how to work with your spirit guides in shamanic practice, and create a powerful journey practice that honors both ancient wisdom and your personal spiritual path.

Understanding Shamanic Journeying

What it is:

• Traveling in consciousness to spirit realms
• Altered state induced by drumming, rattling, or meditation
• Seeking wisdom, healing, power, or guidance
• Meeting spirit allies and teachers
• Ancient practice found in cultures worldwide

The Three Worlds:

Lower World:

• Realm of nature, power animals, primal wisdom
• Earth-based, grounding energy
• Soul retrieval and healing
• Connection to instinct and body

Middle World:

• Realm of everyday reality and its spirit aspect
• Where we live physically
• Can journey here for practical guidance
• Connection to present moment

Upper World:

• Realm of celestial beings, teachers, guides
• Ethereal, light-filled energy
• Spiritual wisdom and cosmic perspective
• Connection to higher consciousness

Spirit Guides as Shamanic Allies

Your guides can serve as:

1. Journey protectors

• Keep you safe in spirit realms
• Ensure you return safely
• Protect from unwanted energies
• Create safe container for journey

2. Realm navigators

• Show you how to travel between worlds
• Guide you to right places
• Help you find what you seek
• Prevent getting lost

3. Introducers and translators

• Introduce you to power animals
• Connect you with teachers
• Help you understand what you see
• Translate symbolic messages

4. Healing assistants

• Support soul retrieval work
• Help extract intrusions
• Facilitate healing in journey
• Restore wholeness

Preparing for Shamanic Journey

Creating Sacred Space

Physical preparation:

• Quiet, private space
• Comfortable lying position
• Eye covering or darkness
• Drumming track (10-15 min) or live drum
• Blanket for comfort
• Journal nearby

Energetic preparation:

• Smudge or clear space
• Set intention for journey
• Invoke protection
• Call in spirit guides
• Create sacred container

Invoking Your Spirit Guide Allies

Before journey:

1. Sit or lie comfortably
2. Close eyes, breathe deeply
3. "I call upon my spirit guides"
4. "Please accompany me on this shamanic journey"
5. "Protect me, guide me, and help me"
6. "Show me what I need to see"
7. Feel their presence
8. Know they're with you
9. Proceed when ready

Basic Shamanic Journey Process

Duration: 15-20 minutes

Part 1: Entering Journey (2-3 min)

1. Lie down, cover eyes
2. Start drumming track
3. Breathe deeply, relax
4. Set intention: "I journey to [Lower/Upper World] to [purpose]"
5. Visualize your entry point:
   • Lower World: hole in earth, tree roots, cave, water
   • Upper World: tree branches, mountain, ladder, light beam
6. See yourself entering
7. Spirit guides accompany you
8. Begin descent or ascent

Part 2: Journey Experience (10-12 min)

1. Arrive in chosen world
2. Notice landscape and environment
3. Guides are with you
4. Look for:
   • Power animals (Lower World)
   • Teachers or guides (Upper World)
   • Symbols or messages
   • Healing or wisdom
5. Ask your question or state your need
6. Receive guidance through:
   • Visions or scenes
   • Words or knowing
   • Symbolic gifts
   • Healing experiences
7. Guides help you understand
8. Explore as guided
9. Trust what you experience

Part 3: Return (2-3 min)

1. Drumming changes (callback beat)
2. Thank any beings you met
3. With guides, return to entry point
4. Ascend or descend back
5. Exit where you entered
6. Return to your body
7. Wiggle fingers and toes
8. Take deep breaths
9. Open eyes slowly
10. Ground thoroughly

Part 4: Integration (5-10 min)

1. Sit up slowly
2. Drink water
3. Journal everything immediately
4. Don't analyze yet—just record
5. Thank your guides
6. Ground and center

Journey to Meet Your Power Animal

Purpose: Connect with animal ally

Process:

1. Set intention: "I journey to Lower World to meet my power animal"
2. Invoke spirit guides to accompany you
3. Enter Lower World through your portal
4. Arrive in natural landscape
5. Ask guides: "Please show me my power animal"
6. Notice which animal appears
7. Animal that appears 3+ times is yours
8. Greet your power animal
9. Ask: "What medicine do you bring me?"
10. "How can we work together?"
11. Receive their wisdom
12. Thank them
13. Invite them to return with you
14. Journey back with guides and power animal
15. Integrate their energy

Journey to Upper World Teachers

Purpose: Meet spiritual teachers and guides

Process:

1. Set intention: "I journey to Upper World to meet my teachers"
2. Spirit guides accompany you
3. Enter Upper World through your portal
4. Ascend through clouds or light
5. Arrive in ethereal realm
6. Guides may introduce you to teachers
7. Or teachers appear on their own
8. May be:
   • Ascended masters
   • Ancestors
   • Light beings
   • Archetypal figures
9. Ask for their wisdom
10. Receive teachings
11. Thank them
12. Return with guides

Soul Retrieval Journey with Spirit Guides

Purpose: Retrieve lost soul parts

Important: This is advanced work. Consider working with trained shamanic practitioner for deep trauma.

Process:

1. Set intention: "I journey to retrieve my soul part lost during [event/time]"
2. Guides are essential for this work
3. Journey to where soul part is held
4. Guides show you the way
5. Find your soul part (often appears as younger you)
6. Guides help you communicate
7. Ask soul part: "Are you ready to come home?"
8. If yes, embrace them
9. Guides help integrate
10. Bring soul part back to present
11. Blow into your heart or crown
12. Feel wholeness returning
13. Thank guides profusely
14. Rest and integrate

Healing Journey for Others

With permission:

1. Get person's permission
2. Set intention: "I journey on behalf of [name] for their healing"
3. Invoke guides (yours and theirs)
4. Journey to seek healing for them
5. Guides show you:
   • What they need
   • Where healing should go
   • Messages for them
6. Retrieve healing, wisdom, or power
7. Return and share (if appropriate)
8. Or send healing energetically

Working with Drumming and Guides

Drumming as portal:

• Steady beat (4-7 beats per second)
• Induces theta brainwave state
• Opens doorway to spirit realms
• Guides use rhythm to facilitate journey

Options:

• Recorded shamanic drumming (easiest for beginners)
• Live drumming (partner or self)
• Rattling
• Deep meditation (advanced)

Integration and Daily Practice

After journey:

• Journal everything
• Look for patterns over time
• Apply wisdom to daily life
• Honor what you received
• Thank guides regularly

Regular practice:

• Journey weekly or monthly
• Build relationship with spirit allies
• Deepen your practice
• Trust grows with experience

Daily connection:

• Call on power animal for strength
• Ask guides for guidance
• Live the wisdom you receive
• Embody shamanic consciousness

Ethics and Respect

Always:

• Approach with respect and humility
• Honor indigenous shamanic traditions
• Journey for highest good
• Get permission for healing others
• Protect yourself energetically
• Ground after journeys

Never:

• Journey while impaired
• Use for harm or manipulation
• Appropriate closed indigenous practices
• Journey without protection
• Ignore callback to return

The Bottom Line

Shamanic journeying is a powerful ancient practice that becomes even more effective when you work with your spirit guides as allies. They protect you, guide you, help you navigate spirit realms, and support your healing and wisdom-seeking.

Journey with your guides. Let them show you the way. Meet your power animals and teachers. Retrieve what was lost. Receive the wisdom. Your guides are your shamanic allies, walking between worlds with you.

The drum beats. Your guides await. The journey begins. Trust them. Trust yourself. The spirit realms are open.

Lie down. Close your eyes. Hear the drum. Call your guides. Enter the portal. Journey begins. Lower World. Upper World. Spirit allies. Power animals. Teachers. Wisdom. Healing. Return. You are whole. The journey is real.