Returning with the Sacred: Drumming, Ritual and the Seven Directions

After returning from my recent shamanic retreat in Portugal, I feel as though a new layer of connection with Mother Earth has been opened within me. Over these days we journeyed deeply, not only with the Medicine Wheel, learning the Seven Directions and its teachings, but also through cord-cutting rituals, energy reading, soul retrieval and shamanic journeys. Each ceremony, each practice, revealed another way of remembering the threads that weave us back into wholeness and into the great mystery of life.

The retreat was a reminder of ancient truths carried by elders across generations:

“The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth.” – Chief Seattle

Returning with the Sacred

Since coming home, I’ve been carrying this ritual into my daily practice. Each morning I open the Seven Directions, calling in Earth, Sky, Fire, Water, Air, and Spirit. This has become a grounding anchor, reminding me that I am always held in the great web of life. The more I sit with this, the more I feel a quiet strength awakening within me, rooted in the soil of the Earth and reaching into the vastness of the cosmos.

Another gift I brought back is the medicine of the drum. I sit with my drum, letting its heartbeat guide me into presence. The vibration resonates through my body, calling me back to the wild rhythm of nature and opening pathways to connect with Spirit Guides and Power Animals. These guides are always here to protect, to teach, and to walk beside us, and I feel my connection with them deepening as I continue this daily practice.

the power of drumming

This retreat has reminded me that ritual is not something separate from everyday life. When I open sacred space, whether in my morning practice or before guiding a circle, I remember that every breath, every beat, every step on the earth is an invitation to live with reverence.

I return with gratitude, for the land, the circle, the teachings, and the ways they continue to unfold in my life. I’m looking forward to sharing more of this learning and journey, and to weaving these teachings into my next offerings.

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