The West, The Space of Death and Releasing - The West: The Space of Death and Releasing

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

The West, The Space of Death and Releasing
The West: The Space of Death and Releasing

As in the ancient Mexica and Maya understandings, for us the West can be a space of darkness, where we need to see what illusions are holding us back and should be released, a space of transformation, where we engage with our shadow aspects. Then, if we make it to the East, we come full circle to new beginnings. Just as the ancient Maya associated the Underworld with both the South and West, there is a similar connection in the spaces of our own internal Underworld. Yet the two spaces are distinct: the South is the path of discovering and understanding what caused the soul loss, while the West is the space where we take action and let go of that which no longer serves us.

Generally, lost soul pieces have not returned because there is something we need to let go of or change. In order to create a loving and safe space for them to return, we need to both understand and actually let go of the habits, patterns, thoughts, and actions that may be keeping them from returning, or leaving once again after they returned.

In the soul retrieval process, the principal divine essence energy that the West has to offer is a supportive space of releasing anything that would inhibit or prevent a graceful and successful return of our soul pieces. When dealing with what needs to be released—typically associated with our shadow aspects—it is necessary to tame the unruly aspects of ourselves with strong, relentless love and unerring discipline. We are not necessarily releasing those parts of ourselves that make the shadow aspects; rather we are releasing the negative thinking, tendencies, actions, and reactions prompted by those shadow aspects. We are transmuting their identities and associated energies. These aspects may become ornery: we may lash out at other people, including the people we love. Be on guard and keep those aspects in check. If they lash out, be prepared to apologize immediately and take responsibility for your actions.

The gifts of the West are critical for recognizing what needs to be released and bringing synchronicities in our lives to show us what action must be taken. This process can be carried out gracefully. Even if you have a laundry list of things that need to be released, prioritize and take one step and action at a time. This way, the impossible and unreachable become doable little by little until we have attained our first goal.

Image Journeying into the West

Again, choose to work in a space that has been cleansed and feels good. You can use sage to cleanse the space, or place some copal on a charcoal burner. Begin your journey by thanking the wise teachers and spirits of the West for welcoming you into their sacred space, helping you to realize what must be released, and aiding you in releasing anything that would obstruct a successful soul return.

Image Inducing a Slight Trance

You can engage in any of the suggested ways to go into a trance state outlined: breathwork, shamanic dancing, drumming, rattling, or sound frequencies. Remember, breathwork is not just a tool for inducing a trance state. The breath can be used to:

Image Tap into your lost soul piece, especially as you are tuning into the questions driving your journey

Image Strengthen a connection with your soul piece as you are creating a loving and safe space for it

Image Enable your soul piece to come back to you

If you can induce a trance state quite readily, the tools may not be needed. But you may choose to incorporate them anyway, with the understanding that they are part of your own personal ceremony. As I have indicated, when I am working with clients I typically have them join me on the journey and also have them engage in breathwork to set the stage. But it is not necessary to have the client accompany you.

Image Framing the Journey

Here is a list of sample questions that will allow your consciousness to go into the place of death and releasing. These questions are based on the assumption that you or your client understand that there was a soul loss, as well as the circumstances concerning it.

Start by setting the intention to be connected to the last soul piece you discovered when journeying to the South.

Image Why has the lost soul piece not returned to me?

Image Is there anything I have been doing that has prevented the return of this piece?

Image Have I placed myself in situations that hindered the return of this piece?

Image Take me to this lost piece, so I may understand what I may need to surrender.

Image Navigating

Determine whether you will navigate your journey into a specific nonordinary realm or you will wait to see where your lost piece is. If you choose your destination, you can apply any of the shamanic tools.

Image Going Deeper into the West

In this slight trance state, set the intention to journey into the West through your sacred heart. You can state the command, “Stand aside, ego, in the name of God: I am that I am.” See yourself immersed in the violet fires, throwing fear, doubt, and toxic emotions into them. Then see yourself enveloped in the white fires of purification and resurrection, allowing them to purify you deeper and open you up to your full potential. Then move deeper into your journey and go into the West.

This breathwork exercise is ideal for slowing down brain-wave activity, beginning the releasing process, and entering into a deep trance state. Of course, drumming and the other shamanic tools also work.

Get comfortable, sit in an upright position, and close your eyes. Take 10 deep and slow inhales from the nose and exhales out the mouth, but make sure there are no gaps between the inhale and exhale, so the breathwork is continuous. After the 10 deep and slow inhales and exhales, take another 10 inhales from the nose and out the mouth, going a little faster, but ensure that your body does not tense up. Make sure you do not pause between the inhale and the exhale, and the breathwork is continuous. After these faster 10 inhales and exhales, take another 10 inhales from the nose and exhales out the mouth, but a little faster; not too fast as to tense up the body. Again make sure you do not pause between the inhale and the exhale and the breathwork is continuous. After these faster inhales and exhales, take another 10 inhales from the nose and exhales out the mouth, but slow it down and again make the breathwork continuous. Finally, after these slower inhales and exhales, return to the long and deep inhales into the nose and out the mouth, and continue to make the breathwork continuous.

Gently focus on your questions, allowing them to frame your journey, until your consciousness navigates you into the West and the questions are the space you are in. When you are there, you can call on your power animals or other guides to take you to your lost soul piece. Permit yourself to go to this lost soul piece. Notice your surroundings, and see if you can tell which nonordinary realm you are in.

Intend to come across the same soul piece you encountered in the South. If it appears or feels different, discern whether and how it is connected to the other soul piece. Approach it, perhaps with a gift you have manifested for it in this realm. Assure it that you are here to understand why it has not returned and to have it come back to you. You can ask questions such as:

Image Why have you not returned to me?

Image Is there anything I can do to inspire you to return?

Image Is there anything I must let go of for you to return?

Image Is there anything I must change for you to return?

Image Can you please stay connected with me as I work on releasing or changing things in my life to inspire you to return?

Allow yourself to listen to the responses with an open and patient heart. If your soul piece is ready to return, shine a light of love from your sacred heart to this soul piece. (Remember to go to the North for medicine and guidance in caring for this soul piece, and the East to move forward with new beginnings. You can journey to the North and East on the same journey or, preferably, on different journeys to allow time to integrate the lessons from the West. Every cardinal space has sacred essence energy for you and will help you to create an ideal loving space for your soul piece.) If the piece is not yet ready to return, foster a connection with it by shining a love-light out to it from the sacred heart. Thank the spirits of the West for taking care of your soul piece, until it is ready to return to your sacred heart.

Before you leave the West, ask the nonordinary realm and the West to continue to help you further understand the answers to your questions as the days proceed. Go out through your sacred heart, seeing yourself immersed once again in the sacred white fires of purification and resurrection, and then in the violet fires. Take 6 deep inhales through the nose, exhaling out the mouth. Now allow some time to reflect on what you saw, heard, felt, or knew or how the information came to you.

Remember that the information you experience can be literal or metaphorical, and you must allow space and time to discern what is relevant for the soul retrieval journey.

Contemplative Exercises for Being Open to Guidance from the West

Following are some contemplative exercises that ensure guidance from the West, whether or not you are engaging in a trance journey. These exercises will help a soul piece or pieces to return to you. When this happens, you will experience an increase in your energy levels. The breathwork exercises in the book will assist in gracefully grounding the return of your sacred essence energy into you.

Image Contemplative Questions

Be with the West, and be open to understanding what must be released and how to release it with greater ease. Questions could include:

Image What do this soul piece and I need to release?

Image What do I need to change to inspire the soul piece to come back to my sacred heart?

Image What thinking or beliefs do I need to purge to create a loving and safe space for my soul piece?

Image Are there any unhealthy people or situations I need to let go of to move forward in honoring and loving myself?

Image Are there ways I can release these circumstances, thoughts, or people gracefully?

Image Journaling

See here for instructions on journaling.

Image Breathwork

I recommend working with the particular chakras that you feel have recorded the soul loss, or use any of the other breathwork exercises provided in the book. See here, which explain the issues that are recorded in each chakra, and use the corresponding exercises.

Image Limpia Rites for Releasing

Limpia rites will help you to expel the energy connected with whatever needs to be released, such as habits, circumstances, people, and thinking, in order to bring back the soul piece. Releasing this energy typically also ensures a more graceful action-based purging.

Fire limpia with a white fire. Write down what you are releasing with a number 2 pencil on a piece of paper, and vocalize what you are releasing as you throw the paper or pieces of paper into a white fire.

To make a white fire, place a couple of handfuls of Epsom salts, approximately a half cup of rubbing alcohol, and dry plants such as basil, rosemary, chamomile, rue, mint, tobacco, and/or parsley into a pot. Use a pot that you will not be using for cooking or eating. Light a matchstick, and carefully throw it into the pot. After the paper is placed into the pot, offer copal or dry flowers to the fire.

Velación (fire limpia with a candle). Write down what you are releasing with a number 2 pencil on a piece of parchment paper. I recommend starting all petitions with “God, Company of Heaven, I am that I am, please and thank you with and by the Sacred Fires of God’s Light and Love for ensuring a graceful and ideal ” and end with, “Thank you. Amen.” When I use the term God, it is meant to be free of any monotheistic religious associations; rather, it is the divine principle of the Highest Love. The sacred fires of God’s Light and Love clear and transmute any and all kinds of density to Light. If the term God does not resonate with you, call on a divine principle that you believe has the power to clear and transmute, whether it be Krishna, Buddha, Hecate, or some other entity. (There must be faith in a divine force or principle; this is what fuels the magic for clearing the energy associated with the release.) Place a seven-day candle that calls to you on top of your petition. After the candle goes out on its own (do not blow it out), place the petition somewhere special, such as an altar, until it comes to be. When it does come to be, you can bury the petition in the earth. (You can toss the glass of the seven-day candle out, preferably in a recycle bin.)

Baño (spiritual bath). Use any or all of the following herbs: rue, rosemary, basil, parsley, mint, chamomile, sage, or vervain. It is very important to communicate with the spirit essence of the herbs prior to using them and to thank them for the cleansing and renewal. This will strengthen the effectiveness of the limpia. Place the herbs directly in the tub, or steep herbs in water and then place this water into the tub. An easy and effective way to steep them is to steep them in a coffee or tea maker. Typically, a 12-cup coffee or tea maker and a handful of herbs will yield 5 to 7 pots of steeped water that will go into the tub. When you get inside the tub for your bath, set the intention of releasing the energy and allowing the water and herbs to cleanse and rejuvenate you. Stay in the tub until you feel complete, then drain the water.

After journeying to the West and engaging in releasing ceremonies, it is imperative to take practical action. This can encompass making time and space for self-loving activities, such as exercise, meditation, eating healthier, and spending time with friends. It may also include refusing to be taken for granted or taken advantage of; letting go of vices, such as excessive drinking, smoking, or eating; and releasing procrastination and really being in the now.

Although you may have a laundry list of what needs to be released, prioritize and take it one step at a time. Begin by deciding realistically what you will do. Many of my clients determine that it is time to surrender the bad habit of neglecting themselves. They proclaim that they are going to meditate, exercise, eat right, and many other things. This is all wonderful, but I encourage taking it one step at a time. Ensure that this one step complements your lifestyle and the time you have available and that it is something you truly feel you will commit to. Taking change step-by-step makes it much more feasible. If we take on too much at a time, we can get overwhelmed and likely give up.