MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL:Shamanic Healing & Soul Retrieval: A Personal Perspective by author, international workshop leader, and healer Howard G. Charing. Visit Howard's websites: htttp://www.shamanism.co.uk http://www.ayahuascavisions.com Blog: http://www.shamanism.wordpress.com

1. MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL
Shamanism, Soul Retrieval, & Healing
A Personal Perspective
Howard G. Charing
www.shamanism.co.uk
www.shamanism.wordpress.com

2. What is Shamanic Healing & Soul Retrieval?
Shamanic Healing consists of a varied body of practices performed by the shaman
or practitioner to help or heal another person. This is a fundamental principle of
shamanism wherever it is practiced. The methods, tools, ‘symbology’, and medi‐
cines will vary from culture to culture and region to region but primarily the healing
is a three‐way connection between the client, shaman and spirit.
Soul Retrieval: A Personal Perspective
The recapitulation of life force is the body of work,
which restores or recapitulates lost life force. Soul
Retrieval is one of the most well‐known and effec‐
tive practices to this end.
To understand how recapitulation practices work,
we need to look at the multidimensional nature of
reality and move away from a linear sequential per‐
spective. From this expanded perspective, ‘anything
which has ever happened to anybody, anywhere; it
is still happening somewhere’. If a traumatic event
occurred for a person ten, twenty and so on years
ago, for that person it is still happening, and I would venture to state that it is also
in some way still influencing the person’s life.
Shamanism does not dwell on past events; there is only this vast awesome ever‐
moving great moment of now where there is no separate past, present, or future. It
is possible for a practitioner to journey and move outside of linear time to go to the
place where that energetic event is still occurring for that individual, find and bring
back that person’s life force which is held in that energetic event, and when this has
been carried out, then the therapeutic healing of the event and its consequences
can truly begin.
The loss of life‐force is known as soul‐loss , and this can take place when we suffer a
trauma, have an accident, experience strong emotional exchanges with a loved one,
separation from a partner, death of a loved one, go through a pervasive period of
difficult circumstances. When we undergo a severe trauma typically a part of our
vital nature goes away, so that we can survive whatever is happening to us. It is a
way for the body and consciousness to survive severe trauma. Problems develop
when the soul part or fragment does not return. It may not want to come back, or
may not be able to return due to the nature of the trauma

3. The concept of Soul‐loss and the ceremonial retrieval of souls are found in many
cultures. For example in the Tibetan Bon Shamanistic tradition, One of the most im‐
portant practices performed by Tibetan shamans of the Sichen path is Soul Retrieval
‐ Lalu (literally redeeming, or buying back the soul), and chilu, (redeeming the life‐
energy). These practices are widespread in the Bon tradition and also in all Tibetan
Buddhist schools.
Soul Loss
Although the terminology is different, the concept of soul
‐loss is a phenomenon well known to psychology. Jung
( C.G Jung, Mysterium coniunctionis), recounts in his
memoirs a fantasy in which his soul flew away from him,
that the lbido withdrew into the unconscious and was
carrying on a secret life there. The libido representing the
life‐force, and the unconscious typically representing ‘the
land of the dead’
There are a number of symptoms of soul‐loss , for exam‐
ple, when people feel that they are observing life as an
outsider, rather than engaging and being fully involved.
Other common symptoms are when people feel that they
are being ‘spaced’ out a lot of the time, not really here.
Other symptoms that indicate possible soul loss are life‐
themes such as a pervasive fear, inability to trust people. I
have also found that a severe depression can also be a symptom of soul loss.
Chronic illness may also be a symptom of soul loss. This directly relates to Power. In
the shamanic worldview, power and maintaining health go hand in hand, if the
body is power‐full, there is no room for illness or disease, which are often regarded
as an invasive force.
In my practice I have worked with many people who had done considerable work
on the original trauma, but in many ways were still experiencing or ‘stuck’ in it. One
of the differences between Soul Retrieval and some modern Western psychological
systems is that Soul Retrieval focuses on the return and integration of the lost life‐
force, rather than focus on the original trauma itself. In my view Soul Retrieval and
therapy work very well together, the best combination being first the recapitulation
of the lost life‐force, followed by a therapeutic approach to support the person
through the process of working with released feelings and emotional energy which
can be uncomfortable and even raw for the individual. This release and subsequent
experiencing of the emotions is a fundamental part of the whole healing process.

4. This healing process leads to what I call the union of the life force, when the person
can then move forward in their life without being anchored to the past, and live a
life of creativity and productivity.
When the soul‐fragments are returned, the
memories and emotions associated with
the departure of the soul fragment may
also return. Although this may not always
be a comfortable experience, it is a sign
that healing is taking place. The experienc‐
ing of the emotions and feelings although
they may have not been felt prior to the
Soul Retrieval, the effects are still working,
but at a deeply unconscious level i.e. a
place of the not known. The person may
have been experiencing a chronic and per‐
vasive depression, yet not able to come to
grips with this. Soul Retrieval works very
well with other therapies. A therapist can
only work with the parts of the person which are there, it is an encouraging devel‐
opment that people are now coming to Soul Retrieval sessions accompanied by
their therapist.
The most common immediate response after a Soul Retrieval is that the recipient
feels that they are more ‘full’, that there is more of them. They may even experi‐
ence the density of the body to have changed.
It is important to recognise, that each person is different and everybody will react
differently after a Soul Retrieval. Some may feel heavier, bigger, happier, angry, sad,
laughing or perhaps nothing for a few weeks. My observation is that most people
will experience a change within a two week period, two weeks seems to be the
magic number when the person really feels the effect. It is important to trust the
persons psyche completely. The only role that the recipient has is to receive the
healing. It is important that they keep open, and concentrate on staying open to re‐
ceive this energy – that is their only task.
After Soul Retrieval, recipients should allow themselves space to be with the re‐
turned life‐force. For some it may be quiet reflection, others may want to be in na‐
ture, in the countryside, in the parks. Music is also important, beautiful
sounds help to restore our dissonant energy fields. Nature is a wonderful healer,
being in nature, enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, of the Earth, will help the soul
‐parts to integrate with the recipient.

5. Soul Retrieval is one way to restore and maintain our life force and power. This is an
act where we receive our own life‐force. Another way to maintain our life‐force is
not to hold on to anybody else. In our lives, we take and sometimes hold onto the
energy of others. This is known as Soul Theft, which I know for many may be an
emotive word and concept, but this is something we all do. It is common and
should be looked at in a non‐judgmental way. In some respects, it is the other side
of Soul Retrieval. Soul‐Theft can be a learned generational behaviour and often oc‐
curs in relationships and within families. It is an unconscious act. In fact, if the per‐
son knew what they were doing, they may well be very upset.
We steal or take people’s life force in many ways, as these examples illustrate:
 When we are jealous of another person’s power or status
 When someone has a power/energy that another wants
 When another wants a person’s identity or feels I want to be like him/her! This
also occurs when we hero worship or idolize someone.
 A very common way to take another person’s power is to judge them.
 When we over care for someone, causing them to become too dependent on
us. This can result in the person losing their own strength and will to support
themselves.
There are a number of problems that soul‐theft causes:
 The person whose life‐force has been taken is diminished in some way.
 Relationships can be hung onto, causing difficult, ragged, and unsatisfactory
completions.
 The person who has taken another persons life‐force can not use it in any way
whatsoever, so it becomes a burden. To illustrate this, participants on work‐
shops who do the Soul‐release exercise have expressed it in a number of ways.
One said, The taken soul parts felt like I had “barnacles on the hull of a ship”
which were holding me back, weighing me down. Another said, “It felt like I
was covered in clinging seeds and leaves”
 Sometimes we may even take on another persons ‘shadow’, eg. their anger,
and negativity , and then we find ourselves working with their feelings, which
may be an uncomfortable experience.

6. There are many benefits to all parties and to all‐that‐there‐is when we return an‐
other person’s life‐force to them. This act can be most profound and healing and
work on many levels. I get a lot of feedback from people who do this work, and
many times I am told of relationships between partners, parents and children
changing and improving. As a simple analogy, I see this as a tug‐of war where both
parties are pulling on the rope. When
one person returns the others life‐
force, they effectively let go of the
rope. Then when the other person re‐
sponds, there is no more rope to pull or
exert pressure on.
Participants in workshops and clients
often tell me that as soon as they did
this work, they went home and cleared
all the clutter and junk from their
home. To me this is a way of making an
immediate physical manifestation and
grounding of the act of release. They
are making space available for new
things to come into their lives, which is exactly what happens in our own soul bod‐
ies: we make more space for our own life‐force, more space for our own power.
Even though we may know this and would like to reflect and where possible return
the other person’s life‐force, it may be difficult to recall or remember people’s
names or their faces because the act was carried out on an unconscious basis. This
is the clear problem.
Working with the tools, methods and techniques of shamanism can be very suppor‐
tive to us in this act of releasing. It is because the unconscious memories are diffi‐
cult to access that contact with the Spirit people, Spirit animals, and teachers can
be helpful. The Spirit teachers and animals know us perfectly: they know our per‐
sonal history, our strengths, our qualities, our foibles, the symbols we work with,
and they can help us in this.
A Ceremony to Release Soul Parts We Are Holding Onto
To do this, we can embark on the shamanic journey with the specific objective and
intention of asking the spirits, to tell me the names or show me the faces or let me
know in any way I can understand the people whose soul parts I have taken and am
still holding onto. This journey can be carried out in either the Upper or Lower
worlds.

7. I recommend you allow yourself about twenty minutes for this journey, where you
may be told what you need to know, taken by your Spirit teachers / Power animal in
the other reality to a place where people whose soul‐parts are gathered together,
or you may simply become aware. All are valid; there is no right or wrong way to do
this.
When you have returned from the journey, it is a good idea to write the names
down on paper while the memories of the journey are still fresh in your mind.
Please keep in your mind that you should not judge yourself for this; it is something
that we all do. The difference now is that you have an opportunity to restore the
balance.
Now you know what you need to release and return. This can be best achieved by a
ritual or ceremony. Rituals and ceremonies have great power in this reality; it is a
way of combining the heart, mind, spirit and body in a single physical action and in‐
tention. Religions from all over the world have long recognized the importance of
ritual and ceremony. Ritual is a means of communication between the Spirits and
ourselves; it is a way that the Spirits can cross over from their world into ours. In
Western society, we have forgotten that the ordinary and other reality belong to‐
gether; they are two halves of one whole.
An example of a ritual would be a Fire Ceremony. To gain power, it helps if this ritual
is witnessed by friends or those who would like to participate and support you. The
participants can support you by using a rattle, gently drumming or chanting. To
start the ceremony, you need a location that is preferably outdoors in a place that
can safely contain a fire.
Call in the Spirits, the universe, all‐that‐there‐is, ask for their assistance, and state
your intention very clearly. I am returning the soul parts I am still holding onto.
Then while still maintaining a ceremonial space, tear the paper into strips, one
name to a strip, and then proceed to burn each strip of paper. As each strip of pa‐
per burns, visualize, imagine, feel, sense, intuit the soul part of that person being
released from you and returning to that person. After each name has burned, you
may want to make an offering to the Spirits to thank them. You may want to add a
pinch of cedar or sage to the fire. The act of returning soul parts often brings with it
a sense of completion and a general feeling of satisfaction. As a metaphor, it is like
the completion of an open chapter.
Even when you have completed the ceremony, over a period of time it is very much
possible that you may well recall additional names, faces, incidents and so on. This
is normal. What you have done is to open the door to these submerged memories.
The Fire Ceremony can be repeated at any time.

8. Individual Shamanic Healing Sessions – Soul Retrieval and Healing for Wholeness,
and Wellbeing
Following a major accident (an elevator crash) – I’ve been healing since the late
1980’s, and work internationally, and I was holding the first Shamanic Healing Prac‐
titioner Training courses in the UK. The services I offer are;
 Shamanic Healing
 Soul Retrieval
 Shamanic Divination
Divination is not ‘fortune telling’, it is a pathway to a deeper understanding of
events and influences surrounding a situation or person. Divination is as old as hu‐
manity, but unfortunately in mainstream Western society it has been regarded as
something primitive, irrational, and pandering to superstition. Divination is simply a
way of revealing the truth. The diviner reveals or uncovers to their client hidden
truths about themselves or the circumstances surrounding them. In societies out‐
side the West, divining continues to play an important role revealing that which is
hidden, easing anxiety, and helping in coming to terms with challenging circum‐
stances that may demand the implementation of difficult decisions.
In divination, the role of the shaman is to act as a neutral mediator. The practitio‐
ner, by exploring and providing the initial reading and interpretation, allows the
seeker of this information to avoid projecting personal wants, desires, and wishes if
the question or situation is emotionally charged.
Remote Healing & Divination
I also carry out distant healing & Divination by arrangement. For this I would re‐
quire a photograph or personal object of the client, however these days I tend to
work interactively with the client via Skype or telephone on a worldwide basis.
Power Objects / Talismans
Another part of my work is to pull or ‘draw in’ be‐
nign and supportive energies for the client and im‐
bue a natural object, typically a rock with this qual‐
ity. I then paint a unique design on the rock spe‐
cially for the client as both an act of ‘attention’ to
focus the specific healing qualities that the client
needs and to ‘seal’ the energetic quality in the rock
which holds this. This can be done by proxy for an‐
other person who the client would like to maybe
give as a present to them. The costs for this vary
depending on the work involved.

9. ABOUT HOWARD G. CHARING
I feel greatly privileged to do this work. I am fortunate to
be able to encounter, work with, and bring groups to
meet some extraordinary shamans & healers in the An‐
des, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. It gives
me enormous pleasure to witness people become more
empowered and engaging in life with more creativity, en‐
ergy, and happiness through the shamanic body of prac‐
tices. I do this work with one hundred percent effort and
passion. So much has happened since my ‘entry’ into the
world of shamanism over twenty years ago following a
serious accident (an elevator crash) which resulted in se‐
vere injuries and a near‐death experience. Since the
1990′s I have organised journeys to the Amazon Rainfor‐
est and the Andes learning from the shamans and par‐
ticipating in Ayahuasca, San Pedro and sacred plant ceremonies.
Co‐author of ‘Plant Spirit Shamanism’ published by Destiny Books:
An in‐depth look at the role of plant spirits in shamanic rituals from around the
world
• Shows how shamans heal using their knowledge of plant spirits as well as the
plant’s “medical properties”
Co‐author of ‘The Ayahuasca Visions of Pablo
Amaringo’ published by Inner Traditions:
Please feel free to contact me to discuss further.
Email: shamanism@yahoo.com
Skype: HGC999
My Blog: www.shamanism.wordpress.com
Websites:
www.shamanism.co.uk
www.ayahuascavisions.com