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36 A Journal of Contemporary Shamanism VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2 FALL 2013 My knowledge and practice of sha- manism came easily because I was born into a culture where it was practiced for centuries. My grandmother had heal- ing skills which she passed on to me as did my father who although he did not practice shamanism was well-read in Su- fism. Over the years I was able to blend the healing work from my grandmother with the knowledge passed down from my father and then with continued study and practice with teachers body work Therapeutic Touch and psychol- ogy I created a craft which is now a form of contemporary shamanic healing. By 2012 I had been a healer for over twenty years and had actively practiced contem- porary shamanic healing practices for six years. It was then that I encountered my first Iranian client seeking shamanic work. Joseph My First Iranian Client Joseph not his real name is an inte- grative psychiatrist who is open to non- traditional healing practices. He was born and raised in Iran until age four and has lived most of his life in the U.S. Joseph suffered from a deep sense of emptiness meaninglessness and disconnection from others despite having a good marriage a recent newborn and a thriving medical practice. He described himself as just hovering over his life. When he tried to engage with others he experienced great anxiety and coped with this by avoiding the situation or by turning to food smoking and drinking. He had not found relief through psychotherapy and contacted me expressly for shamanic work. I described to him the concept and symptoms of soul loss and ways to ad- dress it through dream images guided imagery and visualizationmodalities with which he was comfortable. We examined his experiences of soul loss beginning with his immigrationand framed his symptoms as outcomes of this and other traumatic life experiences. Joseph believed his life changed for the better over the year that we worked together his depression lessened he became more comfortable with himself felt more tolerant of his own suffer- ing became more available to others and improved his relationship with his wife. Yet his nagging sense of emptiness persisted. I contacted my spirit guides for direction and intuited that the emptiness represented ancestral work that needed to be done. Within a Western frame it would be common to pursue this work immediately. However within a Native cultural mindset it is critical to request permission from spiritual and ancestral guides before doing such work. I checked in with my spiritual guides but did not gain permission to proceed. I did not broach the topic of ancestral work with Joseph and trusted that I would know when the right time came. A few months later Joseph told me that his 95-year-old grandmother the family matriarch had succumbed to severe arthritis pain and become bed- ridden although she had been active strong exuberant well-loved and well- respected just a few months earlier. She also was requesting physician-assisted suicide. Medical testing revealed no advancement of her arthritis yet her pain was intractable and unresponsive to medication. He asked me to do shamanic healing with her and I recognized this as permission to begin ancestral work with him. Shamanic Healing within an Iranian Jewish Family Shamanism traditionally takes place in a communal setting consistent with traditional Iranian cultural norms. Work- ing with Josephs grandmother required working with the entire family system and gaining their permission to do ances- tral work. Moreover collectivist norms dictated that I needed to make contact with the family through a referralin this case Joseph. Joseph briefed the family and gained their agreement that a I was a doctor for the soul and would not use conventional medical procedures b I would use oils and do some gentle laying of hands on Grandmother and c if at some point Grandmother wished to move on with her life and requested my help I would help guide her transition. Once they agreed I was ready to begin my first session with Grandmother. I met Grandmother at the first session in her home. Although neither Joseph nor Grandmothers five children were present her nurse was present to oversee the session. Once I introduced myself Grandmother described her excruciat- ing pain. I took her hand closed my eyes and invoked my own and her spirit guides to be present and guide the heal- ing ceremony. I was instructed to have her lay down on the bed and told her that I would be using some oils to mas- sage her hands and feet. A great deal of information came through Grandmother. As soon as I laid my hands on her the spirit of a young woman rushed toward me crying hys- terically begging me to help her mother. I realized this was the spirit of Grand- mothers daughter who had passed yet was spiritually present and connected to her mother. She told me that her mother was still thinking about her and had nev- er let her go. I also was informed through this ceremony that the inflammation in Grandmothers body comprised many souls buried in her that is she had taken into her body the many souls of loved ones who had died or suffered. By going into a trance which I am readily able to access I was able to release these souls. As a result her body progressively began to relax. I also noticed her frequent use of Farsi phrases that translate into I will die for you suggesting she energeti- cally imbibes others pain and suffering when she says these words. All of this had resulted in substantial inflammation and joint pain. Joseph contacted me the next afternoon saying that after our session Grandmother was calmer and slept deeply like a baby. He also confirmed that she had a daughter Farrah not her real name who died in her late teens due to a physically degenerative disease although he had not known of this fam- ily member before. Thus began a griev- ing process that was fifty years overdue.