As with surgery, in shamanism we want to maintain clean workable spaces when we roll up our sleeves and go deep into soul work. We want to create Sacred Space. It’s a basic principle of most indigenous shamanic practices, and yet not something often talked about in trainings.

For many of us shamanic practitioners, we have routines—perhaps setting up our altars, honoring our spirits, maintaining power objects, smudging the room, and calling in the directions. But even in situations when such elaborate routine is not possible (ICUs, for instance) the crucial element for setting space (besides the presence of the Spirits) is our intention. Our intentions provide the “rules” or “guidelines” of the playing field in which energy runs. (The actual mechanics is provided by our cosmologies, but that’s another post.)

A practitioner is the main power object in a healing session. This person is a power object for the Spirits–a physical presence infused with spirit and intention. We anchor spiritual realities into the physical world. Being a power object is a capacity everyone has to varying degrees, but shamans are traditionally beaten into serviceable shape for the Spirit by initiatory experiences. That’s how they become effective power objects for the Spirits.

Human beings are in a privileged position—we are Spirit but we are also players in this physical realm. While the Spirits affect us, they don’t smooth out everything in this world unless they have our help.This is because this realm of the Middle World was set up for us to learn through free will, choice and awareness. This is why, in most cases, only the living can help the dead if they haven’t crossed over, because we are the ones responsible for setting the space in the human portion of the Middle World.

A practitioner is a power object, but a power object with history. Power objects with histories are mixed bags. Some have gathered much healing power over the years, but in most shamanic cultures they often are considered dangerous enough that they must be buried with the owner when they die (unless the owner bestows the object before they pass). Otherwise, those who attempt to use these artifacts usually need to clarify enough of the original owner’s energy from the object before they can use it.

In our case what we need to clarify are our motives, and our motives are tied to the artifacts of our history and psyche: our wounds and insecurities, our needs and the world’s inability to meet them. We’re like matryoshka dolls, and we can’t assume that what’s within us are only our conscious intentions. Our intentions to heal others may also carry other motives and personal needs (possibly wanting to feel power, to have attention, or to prove that we are worthy). And unless we’re aware of these surprise-intentions, they can end up distorting with our space setting in small (or not-so-small) ways. Conscious intention can be tied to all of our unconscious motives.

Consider the above issues seriously, but don’t worry. The reality is that intentionality is a skill that we all need to hone and re-hone, and we’re always going to find surprise-intentions. Being a responsible practitioner doesn’t mean being perfect or “pure,” it means taking responsibility for what you know and don’t know about yourself. Meanwhile you can make an agreement with your Helpers to face and work with your hidden motives, while they help clear unhelpful motives in the healing space.