merges the older Scorpio mysteries of death and rebirth with newer downloads from the Aquarian energies of peace, love, and inner wisdom. We are now being called to embrace and unite these two paradigms, incorporating both of their gifts into our present-day lives. This approach of both/and, rather than either/or, honors ancient traditions, yet also honors the path of direct experience that is governed by the heart’s wisdom. We are becoming cocreators in the now and, as present-day shamanic beings, helping to envision and invent the future, rather than becoming a passive byproduct of it.

    Many religious and spiritual traditions have suggested that healing and enlightenment are entirely the responsibility of religious/spiritual leaders and deities. However, shamanic consciousness calls upon all of our inner energies and wisdom, as well as those of the collective consciousness, archetypal forces, power animals, spiritual guides, and God/Goddess to illuminate the highest path. In the Shamanic Breathwork process we consciously create the alchemical sacred space to allow an

individual’s soul to resonate with his core truth. From this place of soul resonance, the person is able to follow that inner truth, blending it with higher energies and forces, in the quest to connect to the natural and spirit worlds.

    The time to heal is now, the time to remember who we really are is now, and the time to take our creative healing vision back to our communities is now. The motivation for awakening the shaman within is to bring more depth and richness into our lives, and to be able to shift from outer authority to the inner wisdom of the individual soul’s journey. The impetus to awaken the inner shaman is to discover who we really are and to explore the bigger questions in life, such as, “What are we here to do?” My personal answer to this question is that we are here to live a much bigger story than the one we have been unconsciously playing out in the past.

    To live a bigger story from a spiritual perspective requires not only a call, but a willingness to awaken to the bigger picture of who we really are. Sometimes there is a vague sense that there is something larger—a longing for connection and remembering our

deeper purpose. This is our first phase of awakening and often occurs in response to a trauma or disappointment, such as addiction, divorce, illness, loss of a career, or a mental or spiritual crisis.