January 2012: This soul retrieval was for Tracy, a friend of Ze’s. In fact Ze came with her to my house to observe the retrieval. Before the retrieval I did a Chakra Tarot spread for Tracy and sent it to her. She responded with a long email explaining some issues that she was trying to resolve; especially issues regarding childhood and her teenage years. During meditation that week she had a message that it was important for her to get this healing soon. So Tracy came well prepared for the retrieval.

The ritual was conducted in my dining room. I began it about 7:00 PM. After the drumming I rattled and toned for a while.  I put on a CD and selected a track that had about fifteen minutes of rattling and other percussive sounds. Then I laid on the floor next to Tracy, our shoulders touching. I called upon my healing guide and we journeyed into the spirit world with the intention of seeking and returning soul parts belonging to Tracy.

First we found a part that represented Tracy in her teens; a defiant teenager who was willing to return. When asked, she said she was bringing a feeling of joy back with her. I asked the teen if she knew of any other soul parts that might want to return. She answered affirmatively and took us to a little girl, just a toddler. The toddler didn’t indicate why she left or what she was bringing back; she just wanted to return. The teenager then led us to another soul part, a young woman in her twenties. However the young woman was not ready to return yet. She said she would return at a later date. After conferring with my guide we let the young woman remain in the spirit world. Before returning, I checked to see if there were any power animals who would come along to support Tracy. Thee was; it was a turtle.

I asked the toddler and teenage soul parts to enter into my crystal and they did. I thanked my guide and moved back to ordinary reality. I kneeled over Tracy and ‘blew’ the soul parts into her chest area. Then I rattled and told Tracy the soul retrieval was finished; this was around 8:30 PM.

After Tracy had a chance to return to normal consciousness, I told her about my experience. Tracy said she had dreams earlier in the week; in the dreams someone was doing something with her chakras. She also had flashbacks during the soul retrieval that had to do with some negative family experiences. Neither of us understood the significance of the turtle. So I got out my copy of The Elemental Encyclopedia of Sacred Signs and Symbols. In the section on turtles or tortoises it indicated several connections to ancient symbology, especially relating to the idea of support. Turtles supported the Tree of Life and the mountain upon which the universe rests. During this discussion Tracy remembered how she and her husband had ‘saved’ several turtles over time while they were on camping trips. Tracy and Ze stayed and the three of us chatted until about 10:30 PM when they left.

As you can see, it is a good idea to have reference books regarding symbols and animals. I couldn’t possibly remember all the details of symbolism associated with the animal kingdom. And since I have started on the shamanic path I have found that I am paying more attention to animals I encounter while outside. For example I went for a two mile walk today (11/15/13) in my neighborhood and encountered two flocks of geese, two separate sightings of a Harrier Hawk, two woodpeckers (one downey and one red-bellied) and a tree full of starlings (no partridge in a pear tree). I will check out the symbology of these birds after finishing this blog. I’ll let you know if I find anything significant.