Curanderismo Soul Retrieval: Ancient Shamanic Wisdom to Restore the Sacred Energy of the Soul - Erika Buenaflor M.A. J.D. 2019

Introduction

When I Realized I was Disassociated from My Indigenous Spirit, I Realized I had been in a Numb Liminal Middle Space, Nepantla, Not Here or There

I Realized A Critical Part of Me was Missing

Through this Realization, Nepantla, then Became a Liminal Space of Conflict, Confusion, and Purgatory

A Space Where I Began My Metamorphoses into Various Warriors of Light, Reclaiming Myself, and Becoming Unshakeable Faith

As I Embraced Faith, I Embraced Myself, and Saw Through The Illusions of Separateness, Conflict, and Confusion

Then, I began to Embrace and Surf the Waves of Nepantla

Nepantla as a Liminal Middle Space Became an Unfixed Metaphorical Space, An Axis Mundi, A World Tree that acts as a Bridge to All Worlds, Realities, and Dimensions

I remembered my Infinite Essence, I Am That I Am

The Xicana, Bruja, Curandera, Feminist Scholar, That I Adore, began to Love, Flow, and Transfigure with Nepantla

And it was at this Point That My Indigenous Spirit Came Back Home Into My Sacred Heart

BY ERIKA BUENAFLOR

This book delves into a shamanic healing tradition that is grounded in ancient Mesoamerican principles. It shows how to facilitate soul retrieval using an eclectic Latin American shamanic healing practice called curanderismo.^*1 It treats soul retrieval (known as susto in Spanish) as a dynamic process and, most importantly, fosters a lasting retrieval of lost soul pieces. Rather than simply assuming that the first trance journey or session will result in a lasting soul retrieval, or that someone is truly ready for the integration (as numerous soul retrieval modalities do), it provides a more fluid approach that can encompass various scenarios and types and degrees of traumas. It honors the deep healing processes that soul retrieval typically entails.

This soul retrieval practice is premised on the ancient Mesoamerican belief that our soul is contained by our physical body but also extends beyond it to connect to the infinite intelligence of the personal and collective consciousness and existence. It is also based on the understanding that the soul is sacred essence energy that animates and sustains the health and well-being of the physical body, internal energy centers, and the subtle energetic bodies—mental, emotional, etheric, astral, celestial, and causal. (Throughout this book I will use the terms soul and sacred essence energy interchangeably.) The soul can leave the body as a way of coping with a challenging situation or a cluster of them.

Soul loss can happen in varying degrees, depending on the type of trauma, how it is experienced, temporal and spatial occurrences, and many other complex and intertwined circumstances. Unfortunately, the loss of a part or parts of our soul typically manifests in negative ways, including recurrent difficult patterns, physical ailments, depression, insomnia, and other misfortunes. These symptoms will continue to occur and play out in different ways until we begin to address and retrieve the loss of our soul piece(s). Soul pieces that have not returned, or have left once again, have done so typically because the person is engaging in or allowing some kind of analogous circumstances that caused the soul loss in the first place.

Soul retrieval helps us to realize resolution and closure in places in our lives that have blocked our growth and evolution. It can help us heal on many levels; move forward with elevated clarity; become more self-aware; stand in our power in a loving, authentic way; and experience greater self-love. It also enables us to manifest with greater impeccability, because we have more of our sacred essence energy intact. Soul retrieval can be done unconsciously, without our calling it that or even knowing it is happening. Nonetheless, it is helpful to become conscious of the process so that it can be done more effectively and reduce the likelihood that it will have to be repeated.

This soul retrieval practice draws from ancient Mesoamerican indigenous beliefs, particularly those of the ancient Mexica and Maya concerning the soul, soul diagnosis, soul retrieval rites, shamanic animal coessences, and nonordinary realms—the Underworld, Middleworld, and Upperworld. It is also rooted in the indigenous practice of honoring, respecting, and creating sacred space within the cardinal spaces and the belief that these spaces store and emit sacred essence energy.¹ Consequently, the soul retrieval process always takes place within a sacred space, and we are constantly replenishing our sacred essence energy when consciously working with the medicine and wisdom of the cardinal spaces.

Barbara, one of my curandera mentors, who lived in the Yucatán at the time, taught me the core methodology of this soul retrieval practice. Barbara was from Mexico City and had been trained in both Nahua and Mexica curanderismo traditions,^*2 as well as Yucatec Maya ones. While Barbara taught me the core methodology of this soul retrieval practice, I had another mentor, Malina, with whom I integrated the practice of trance-journeying from the sacred heart into this curanderismo soul retrieval practice. Malina, who was from New Mexico, had also been trained in Mexica and Yucatec Maya curanderismo traditions. As I disclose in my first book, Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo, in greater depth, I did most of my training in the Yucatán with curanderx^†3 that had lived there all of their lives and/or were trained in Yucatec Maya practices, and also with others who were versed in Mexica shamanic traditions.

Barbara taught me this type of soul retrieval after I told her about a disappointing experience I had had with another soul retrieval modality I learned in the States. A well-respected holistic teacher and practitioner had come to me for a soul retrieval session. I was honored that she wanted to work with me. During our session, I journeyed and saw a scenario in which her daughter had come to her and told her that her stepfather was molesting her. Soon after, in scenes played out in fast-forward motion, I saw that my client did not have her husband leave the home, and as a result her soul pieces had been splattered throughout many realms in the ensuing years. I used a crystal to weave all of her soul pieces and bring them back into her. When I came out of the trance, I was unsure whether what I had seen was literally or metaphorically true and relayed the information with love and compassion. When she began to cry profusely, I got the sense that what I had seen was literally true. She thanked me for the healing and seemed to be at peace. I recommended that she come back to see me so that we could work on integrating the lost soul pieces. She agreed and gave me an enormous hug. I never heard from her again and was taken off the invitation list from her classes and events.

A couple of months after my session, I went to the Yucatán to visit my mentors and shared my discouraging experience with Barbara. She responded that the Western approach was very typical—a quick fix, taking a pill for immediate relief without dealing with the underlying issues, an approach that in turn often caused other illnesses. She taught me the modality that is discussed in this book by taking me through my own soul retrieval process. It was one of the most powerful and transformational healing and awakening processes I have ever experienced.

This soul retrieval practice is flexible and takes place within the wisdom and medicines of the cardinal spaces: South, West, North, East, and Center. By journeying into these cardinal spaces and working with them we can replenish our sacred essence energy, as well as create, honor, and recognize a sacred portal within us to permanently retrieve our soul pieces. People can journey into all of the cardinal spaces in one trance journey/session or can journey into them on separate occasions; either way working with the wisdom and medicine of each cardinal space may need to be repeated. The journeys described in this book can be done by someone who is working either on their own or with a curanderx, shaman, healing practitioner, or therapist.

Along with explaining the wisdoms of the four cardinal spaces and how to work with them, this book provides complementary exercises for inducing trance states to journey into the cardinal spaces and the nonordinary realms—the Underworld, Middleworld, and Upperworld. (These exercises can be used with other soul retrieval modalities.) The book also contains different limpias (spiritual cleansing rites) for healing, awareness, and renewal; magical rites that support new beginnings and growth; and contemplative exercises that promote a more graceful and successful soul retrieval process.

For the ancient Mesoamerican shamans, the meanings of these cardinal spaces were multilayered and were not necessarily contained within a fixed space. Similarly, soul retrieval is not always experienced as linear or running along a clean, circular path. It can be jagged and bumpy; many times, spaces, and lessons may need to be re-revisited in order to make our sacred heart a healthy and loving space for our soul pieces to return.