Shaman UK

WELCOME

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The most profound truth revealed by science, by philosophy and by spiritual seekers is the truth of connection. At the deepest, material reality you and I are, literally, one. Shamanism reveals the spiritual implications of this to us with direct and pragmatic clarity. In these pages you can explore what shamanism is and what it can offer you, including some of the many ways in which it can change your life and the lives of those around you. If you are looking for general information about shamanism and shamanic practice you will find that HERE.

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INFO UPDATES.

Beyond Belief: Mystical Experiences

www.bbc.co.uk

You can hear me discussing shamanism and altered consciousness on the Radio 4 programme 'Beyond Belief''. Quite a robust discussion covering mysticism, Hindu practice, psychology and psychedelics. Enjoy!

Resurgence • Article - Bringing Heaven to Earth

www.resurgence.org

"Shamans seem to be increasingly visible these days: in mainstream newspapers, on the shelves of conventional booksellers, in children’s TV shows, and even on Radio 4 ... "

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NEW and UPCOMING!

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ADVENTURES IN SHAMANISM: Taster Day

March 25, 2012
10am - 5pm
Neal's Yard Meeting Rooms, Neal'sYard,
Covent Garden, London WC1

This one day introduction to shamanism and the shamanic journey offers a taste of the world and work of the shaman. Explore the history and traditions of shamanism and learn where and why shamans go when they ‘journey’. You will learn to journey and meet spirit helpers for yourself and others. For further information info@shaman.uk.com or 07847 894453.

What Can Shamanism Offer You?

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Clients visit me for wide range of reasons, but most often because they want to alter some aspect of their lives that is causing pain or preventing them moving forward. Such challenges may include:

personal development..........relationship.......self-healing
gender/sexuality.................soul retrieval.....spiritual crisis
addiction...........................fertility............physical/mental health

Whatever your personal situation or requirements, your life can be positively, and even dramatically, altered through engaging directly with spirit.

What Will Happen in a Session?
(You can find an exploration of the shamanic journey here.)

Before working with you I will journey to meet and ask my own spirit helpers what it is you most need right now and how I can best help you find and accept that. Depending on what the journey reveals we will work in one of two ways: either I will journey for you, to find and recover healing, power or advice from my own spirit helpers on your behalf; or you will learn how to journey for yourself, meet your own spirit helpers and start on your own shamanic path.
Regardless of which option is the right one for you, our work together will probably start in the same way, with my doing a journey for you to find and retrieve a spirit helper who will begin the process of your recovery. While we work you may be asked to lie down comfortably covered with a blanket. You need to do nothing but relax at this point; I will be doing the work of ‘journeying’ to meet my own spirit helpers on your behalf. I usually speak out loud as this happens, so you may follow what is being said and done. Most sessions are digitally recorded and you will have a CD of the session to take away with you.

Most of my clients decide to learn the skills of journeying for themselves and I encourage this way of working as it offers each person a direct, personal relationship to spirit; and with a little experience, independence from practitioners and other intermediaries.

Shamanic Counselling
Shamanic Counselling is a pragmatic spiritual therapy which involves clients learning how to make the shamanic ‘journey’ themselves in order to find practical, personal support. Unlike psychotherapy, where a client interacts with a therapist to resolve problems, in Shamanic Counselling you will learn to meet and interact with your personal spirit helpers to gain emotional help, insight and healing.

This way of working increases self-confidence and esteem, enhances personal responsibility and emotional and spiritual well-being, develops connection to self and others and, uniquely, can offer a new awareness of what lies beyond the material world.

Zoë first trained as a counsellor with the Terrence Higgins Trust and The National AIDS Helpline in 1986 and subsequently became a counselling trainer. She trained as a Shamanic Counsellor in 2002 with the Scandinavian Centre for Shamanic Studies. Zoë is fully insured as a counsellor, mentor, healer and group teacher.

Healing

Shamanic healing invariably seeks to do one of two things: restore what is lacking: e.g. energy, self-esteem; or remove what should not be present: e.g. illness. In Core Shamanism no energy, or even disease, is seen as intrinsically ‘bad’ or ‘evil’. Rather it is viewed as being in the ‘wrong’ place and causing disharmony. Shamanic healing works by seeking to re-establish harmony: in an individual, an animal or even a place, by restoring what is lacking, or removing what should not be present. It probably says quite a lot about our urbanised society that many people feel themselves to be either lacking key parts of themselves, or to be harbouring parts of someone/something else. The latter problem is also an important aspect of shamanic work and calls for an Extraction by a practitioner skilled in the removal of spirit ‘intrusions’. Retrieval and Extraction are some of the most powerful tools a shaman has for healing and restoring harmony to individuals, organisations or even regions and nations. This is powerful work, a kind of magic which can be life altering in its scope because it offers the opportunity for integration and wholeness.

Extraction
Just as we can lose parts of our self through stress, illness or trauma, it is also possible to acquire unwanted energies or the spirit-parts of other people. This misplaced energy can build up causing dis-ease of mind and/or body. Just as shamanism can restore things that should be present, it also has ways of removing what should not be present. If extraction is something that your healing requires, then I will work with my own spirit helpers to remove and re-direct the misplaced energy to where it needs to be. After an extraction people frequently report ‘feeling lighter’, or as if ‘a burden has been lifted’.

Soul Retrieval

“This melancholy London - I sometimes
imagine that the souls of the lost are
compelled to walk through its streets
perpetually. One feels them passing
like a whiff of air.". W.B. Yeats

Shamanism has many tools for healing, but soul retrieval is one the best known. For reasons that aren't hard to understand, many people today, particularly those living in urban areas feel broken or fragmented in what can be a very alienating environment. Here in London it’s not difficult to see evidence of soul loss all around: in underground carriages, on trains, on pavements and in shops and offices.

Stress, exhaustion, pollution, frustration and dis-connection are just some of the more obvious effect of a dis-spiriting environment. We can also give parts of ourself away, to family, friends and the deceased. We commonly describe this process in everyday language without thinking of its spiritual implications, for example: ‘When she died, part of me went with her …’; ‘I was beside myself with grief’; ‘He stole my heart/soul.’ Shamanic soul retrieval can help us to be whole again by reuniting what has been lost, or surrendered. Very few, if any, other practices offer to re-unite and re-integrate parts of the self and many of the calls and emails I receive are from people asking about soul retrievals; it is one of the most common reasons for people to begin working with me shamanically.

Psychopomping
… offers help to the dying and the deceased. Psychopomping means ‘to conduct the souls of the dead’ and traditionally a shaman has several roles within her community in respect of death. Here in the West we usually ignore the issues surrounding death until the very end of our own or our loved ones’ life, which can create difficulties for both the dying and the bereaved. During and after a person’s death the shaman works with her spirits to conduct the soul of the deceased to where it belongs. Very few forms of spiritual work are able to offer help to the dead and after psychopomping bereaved persons often say that they feel less grief and experience a sense of peace and conclusion.

Words on Shamanism

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I never thought that my
many questions and concerns about
life and death
could be answered, but they have been
and will continue to be.
I look forward to learning much more,
from and about
Spirit,
and passing that knowledge to others.

LATEST PUBLICATION

Capturing Intention? PIP Photography and Shamanic Intervention in THE JOURNAL OF PARANTHROPOLOGY, Vol. 2 No.3, pp 27-29 (July 2011)

WEBCAST on SHAMANIC HEALING

Posted by The Nutricentre, Park Crescent, London. 22 July 2010
Shamanism, the world's oldest healing and problem-solving technique is estimated by archaeologists to have been part of global human activity for at least 40,000 years and possibly very much longer. Although our world has changed vastly since that time, our brains have not and shamanism continues to offer an almost limitless range of solutions to anyone needing help with modern life challenges.

This talk explores how those same consciousness-altering techniques that our cave-dwelling ancestors used to help them survive disease and injury in a dangerous world are still available to us today.

PODCAST AND QandA: Ancient Techniques for the Modern World

Hour long talk on the history and contemporary practice of shamanism for the Science and Medical Network London Group. July 2010.

Zoe Bran is a writer and has been a university lecture but she now focuses exclusively on her practice of shamanism. She is involved in the practicalities of healing, counselling, psycho-pomping (helping people in the process of dying) as well as teaching. Zoe started by explaining to us that shamanism is the oldest and most widespread spiritual tradition and can be found in ancient as well as present times ... Claudia Nielsen, SMN London Group

Links to the latest podcasts, webcasts and videos will be added here.

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ES MAGAZINE

29 October 2010

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October 4, 2010

INTERVIEW with a shamanic practitioner. 'Zoë Brân: Shamanism, London and the illusion of spirit-matter split.'

"This time in Spiritual London's virtual realms we are honoured to have a conversation with a shamanic practitioner, a fellow Londoner and a beautiful, wise woman, Zoë Brân. Hope you enjoy as much as we did learning more about shamanic wisdom and its simple yet profound applications in our modern, urban realities. I must confess, interviewing Zoë really inspired me to, hey, just sit back and enjoy London living as it is: full-on spirit adventure. So scroll down, grab yourself a cup of tea and enjoy a stream of wisdom and warmth."
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'Lifescape' magazine, No. 32. 2008

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Article for 'Sacred Hoop' magazine, Issue 63 2009, on blogging shamanism.

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These pages are from my last book of travel literature 'Enduring Cuba'. With a Times journalist, Clare, I'd been invited to a family Santeria ceremony in Santiago de Cuba. It was a long and fascinating night, as I witnessed a form of spirituality at once entirely foreign, yet familiar.

What is Shamanism?

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If you are reading this, you are probably searching for something, or looking for answers to questions you may not even have asked yet. When I started exploring shamanism in 1998 I knew very little about it and my original focus was on self-help. I had two specific purposes: could shamanism help me with my own health problems and could it help me feel differently about my own and others’ death? Now, years later, I understand that shamanism is not psychotherapy, nor is it primarily a system for self-healing, though it can be highly therapeutic in both.

Briefly, shamanism, the world's oldest healing and problem-solving technique, is a way of being in and engaging with the world. It is a means of experiencing spirit, not just as an observance or ritual, but as an expression of oneself in everyday life. By spirit, I mean that consciousness which animates you and me and is part of all things organic and inorganic, visible and invisible. For many people, such concepts may seem alien or ‘new age’. In terms of human history and culture however, the prevalent materialist worldview, which assumes an observation/sense based reality that can be divided and classified, is in fact the newcomer, being only hundreds of years old. Shamanism has been an effective means of accessing and changing reality for at least 40,000 years and despite the pressure of Western ideas, many indigenous societies around the world today have never recognised the materialism view of reality.

How It Works

Anyone working fully with shamanism recognises themselves as spirit and therefore connected to everything that exists. From a shamanic perspective even matter, being part of everything, is also spirit. A practitioner knows that, through the shamanic journey and other techniques, she can work on behalf of another person, for herself, or for any living or non-living thing. A shaman's primary role is to engage with the unlimited energies available through spirit, in order to facilitate the process of change so that physical, emotional, or spiritual healing can take place. Shamanism works on the principle of harmony and balance; any illness, mental or physical, any interpersonal challenge or material difficulty, is seen as the result of an imbalance or disharmony which can be healed by accessing the unlimited help available once we step beyond our own limited, human perception. The purpose of all shamanic work then is to restore balance. In a person, this means re-integrating the physical, spiritual, mental and emotional aspects.

These are just a few of the areas in which shamanism can help:

HEALING ................GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

SOUL RETRIEVAL................SHAMANIC COUNSELLING
PHYSICAL HEALING.............SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
GRIEF and LOSS.................EMPOWERMENT
DEATH............................LIFE CHANGES

The Journey

‘The goal of the shamanic path of initiation is to broaden and deepen the normal emotions that we all know. Shamanism is thus not a somehow obscure or incomprehensible or mysterious magical path, but the simple heightening of the emotional experience of the world. If we want to understand shamans, we really have only to penetrate into our own emotions.’ H. Kalweit

The shamanic journey is one of the main keys to accessing the power of the spirit world. Practitioners access the world of spirit through using percussive sound, drumming, rattling or chanting. These simple, yet very powerful sound techniques measurably alter brain waves, helping the practitioner to move from awareness of this ordinary, everyday reality to an altered consciousness which gives more direct access to spirit. As well as inviting help and healing, the practitioner experiences a transcendence of normal, everyday perception. Time, space and even self can shift repeatedly as the shaman moves through the ‘journey’, looking for the answers to questions, asking for help.

Learning to journey with a clear and stated purpose, the results of which can be integrated into your daily life and/or used for the benefit of others, is the goal of the shamanic journey. The process itself, let alone its results, gives access to previously unimagined worlds and states. On the surface these worlds and states have little to do with the traditional shamans of the Amazon or Siberia, yet after almost of twelve years of working with the spirits I remain astonished by the universal nature of shamanism, the striking similarities between my own and my clients’ journeys and those of traditional shamans around the world whose experiences have been recorded by anthropologists or ethnographers over generations.

Since the so-called Enlightenment, the Western mind has sheared off in new directions, which whilst wondrous in many ways, have effectively deprived us, as a society and as individuals, of our sense of belonging and association. And perhaps that is all spirituality is after all, just a cell-deep sense of not being alone. Although you may never know how an Amazonian or a Siberian shaman sees his or her world, a world now vanished for most of us, the emotional experience of shamanic journeying can allow you to step closer to that world and engage with it, for the benefit of yourself and others, whilst maintaining a firm foothold in the everyday world.

Explore Shamanism in London

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SEMINARS
at
THE OPEN CENTRE
2010

October 4, 6.45pm – 9.15pm
Seminar - Soul Retrieval: The Power of Transformation

Soul Retrieval is one of the best known forms of Shamanic healing, but what is Soul Retrieval? How does it work and can it help you? All welcome. (Read more about Soul Retrieval).

September 20, 6.45pm – 9.15pm
Seminar - Shamanism and the Middle World

In many shamanic traditions the Middle World of the shaman is viewed as the one closest in essence to this ‘real’ world that we all know. Its energy is, in part, that of day-to-day real-world activity, including career, work, finance and the home. What does the Middle World have to teach us about these things and about how we function? All welcome.

June 7, 7pm -9.15pm
Seminar - Shamanism and Power

What is spirit power and how can it help us in everyday life? What is Power Retrieval and what are Power Animals? Discover how shamanism’s ancient techniques can help increase your vital energies and re-connect you with Nature and yourself. All welcome.

May 10, 7pm – 9.15pm
Seminar - Shamanism: Physical Healing and Consciousness

How does shamanic healing work? What happens during distant
healing? In this seminar we will journey and share the wisdom of
our spirit helpers to bring clarity and focus to this vital shamanic
work. All welcome.

May 10, 7pm – 9.15pm
Seminar - Shamanism: Physical Healing and Consciousness

How does shamanic healing work? What happens during distant
healing? In this seminar we will journey and share the wisdom of
our spirit helpers to bring clarity and focus to this vital shamanic
work. All welcome.

January
Seminar - Shamanism: Time and Age. Read more.

Directions and Links

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Zoë Brân PhD
KENSAL GREEN NW10
LONDON

info@shaman.uk.com
07847 894453

By road: 10 mins from North Circular, 10 mins from A40, 20 mins from M4

Parking: Free parking available

Nearest over/underground station: WILLESDEN JUNCTION

Easily accessible from: Paddington, Waterloo, Euston, Charing Cross, Richmond, Stratford, Hampstead, Camden, Highbury and Islington and London West End

Train: To Willesden Junction from Euston, Watford, Richmond, Clapham Junction and Stratford

Underground: Bakerloo Line

Bus: Numbers: 18, 187, 220, 206

SHAMAN UK
AT
THE OPEN CENTRE
188 Old St
London EC1

Parking: Pay and display available in surrounding streets

Nearest underground station: OLD STREET, exit 6. Easily accessible from: Waterloo, Euston, Charing Cross, Kings Cross, Highbury and Islington and London West End

Buses: 21, 43, 55, 76, 135, 141, 205, 214, 243, 271, 394

To book an appointment at The Open Centre, please call 07847 894453

SHAMAN UK
AT
THE NUTRICENTRE

7 Park Crescent

London W1B 1PF

Parking: Pay and display available in Park Crescent and surrounding streets

Nearest underground stations: REGENT'S PARK, GREAT PORTLAND ST., BAKER ST., WARREN ST. Easily accessible from: Waterloo, Euston, Charing Cross, Marylebone, Kings Cross and London West End

Buses: 18, 27, 30, 73, 205, 453

To book an appointment at The Nutricentre, please call 07847 894453

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LINKS
to OTHER
PRACTITIONERS
and SITES

Anja Saunders, FragrantFeathers, Central London

A Bad Witch's Blog: the blog of an eclectic witch living in London

Kathy Fried, Shamanic Practitioner, North West London

Core Shamanic Practitioners Circle: a support and professionalisation group for those working shamanically with others

The London Open Drumming Group

Malcolm Moore, Shamanic Practitioner, West London

The Open Centre, London

Owlmirror, a blog dedicated to the living wisdom of indigenous culture worldwide

Scandinavian Centre for Shamanic Studies

Manda Scott, Shamanic Dreaming Courses

Shamanic Druidry, Kent

Shenoah Taylor, Shamanic Practitioner, West London

The Science and Medical Network

Shaman UK - What People Say

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WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT …

COURSES IN SHAMANISM

Zoë Brân has created a highly accessible course that combines clear, concise teaching of core shamanic technique with personalized, experiential practice. She guides her students through short journeys with assurance and confidence, opening the way for meaningful connections to easily surface. While ever mindful of the deep historical and varied cultural settings, out of which shamanism has emerged, Zoë's own approach is contemporary and suited for the modern, urban individual seeking this unique pathway to greater self- awareness.

Janelle Balnicke, Writer and Filmmaker.
Credits include: "Joseph Campbell: The Hero's Journey,"
"Mystic Iran: The Unseen World," and "The West of the Imagination"

Shaman UK offers excellent courses in all aspects of Core Shamanism as well as providing information on the weblog of issues and concepts relating to shamanism. The weblog also links users to events, articles and publications relating to the topic. Zoë Brân is well organised, friendly and welcoming and I would recommend Shaman UK to anyone with any kind of interest in shamanism.

Vanda Playford M.D., PhD, DMC People Development Ltd., London

“Your workshop on Soul Retrieval was really well thought out, easy to follow and understand with your practicality evident throughout. I learnt a lot of new information and found new perspectives with regards to shamanism. It was inspirational and I would definitely attend another workshop and would encourage friends to attend too.”

Jonathan Jordan, former Finance Administrator, London

A friend recommended Zoë’s introductory course in Core Shamanism which I found to be both intellectually stimulating and, more importantly, a safe and supportive environment in which to take the first steps into Shamanic Journeying which I found profoundly moving and powerful. Thanks Zoë for facilitating such an inspired course and helping to open my eyes.

Steve Richards, Mental Health Support Worker, London

Zoë has the unique ability to make shamanism accessible & interesting to both beginners and those with experience. The theme of each workshop is introduced with an engaging & thought-provoking discussion followed by practical work(/journeying) which leaves one with a clear & deep understanding of the topic. Zoë’s teachings are always progressive, inspiring and empowering. Each time I come away feeling more connected with myself, my spirit allies and Nature.

Eileen Conneely, Homeopath, London

I couldn't let today pass without emailing and saying a proper thank-you to you for such an enriching day yesterday. It felt as if there was a real community of spirit and it was lovely meeting everyone and joining in together. It was the first time I had journeyed for someone else and that, too, felt a real privilege. Thanks again for sharing your experience and knowledge so freely.

Lynne Ewart, former Bank Manager, Kent

SHAMANIC COUNSELLING

I have known Zoë for many years and come to greatly respect her, both as a person and for her academic achievements. During those years illness, my own and my partner's, has cast a long shadow. Medication and counselling have helped me deal with the profound changes in my life as a result of AIDS and, up to a point, these have worked. What I wanted, however, was some way of drawing on my own strength and insight to make the best of things, despite the problems. This is what drew me to Zoë, not just as a friend, but as a shamanic practitioner and teacher. I’d heard Zoë talk about shamanism on numerous occasions and, though interesting, what she said seemed too esoteric to be relevant to my daily life. However, the first journey I did with her was inspiring. I started by trying to suppress giggles but ended with a wide smile of surprise and wonder. Despite being partially blind I had found a new way of seeing, of gaining insight and drawing on my own inner strength. I have now made many journeys with Zoë and also learned to journey for other people. Life hasn't suddenly become easier, shamanism isn't instant magic, but I feel stronger, more supported, and better equipped to live it.

Tony Whitehead MBE, a Founder Member of the Terrence Higgins Trust

Working with Zoë as my shamanic counsellor has been amazing. I originally came to her to work through one issue, but it became obvious there was another connected and more pressing problem, and I am very grateful to Zoë for being so perceptive and clear in steering me towards the exploration I needed to do. Though I knew how to journey and do my own personal shamanic work, I found my practice deepened dramatically through our sessions, and Zoë added a whole new dimension to my journeys. She was very insightful and generous, and in a short time my life changed in major ways. This has been fantastic and invaluable, thanks Zoë, you are a star!

Zara Waldeback, lecturer and film maker, Sweden

Eight years ago I was 18 years old and about to start a chef traineeship with Heston Blumenthal when I was involved in a road accident which left me with serious face and limb trauma and some brain damage. I now have epilepsy and short term memory loss. In 2008 I tried three times to take my own life, and ended up in an IC unit. A few weeks after the last attempt, Zoë did a shamanic journey for me and brought me a powerful animal spirit. She then taught me to journey myself and I met and felt very supported by my spirit helper. Soon after I did an Introduction to Shamanism course and loved it. I still have a lot of health difficulties, but knowing that I can journey, despite my memory problems, was a great boost to my confidence. Things have changed for me since then and I am now back in part-time work as a chef, which I never thought could happen.

Dexter Fuller, Chef, Devon, UK

Last year, in the midst of a health and career crisis, I decided to consult Zoë as a shamanic teacher and counsellor. She was brilliant - supportive and understanding, but also confident and strong enough to guide me into seeing the truth behind my journeys. My work with Zoë has resulted in a life skill which I draw on regularly as a source of guidance and support.

Sally Ibbotsen, Physical Therapist and Teacher, London

"Life continues to be very demanding on every level, but the good news is that I am using to a great degree what I have already learnt with you. All six sessions introducing me to Shamanism have been fantastically illuminating and rewarding. I am hugely grateful to you, Zoe, for enriching my life".

Alison Tucker, Psychotherapist, Henley-on-Thames, UK

SHAMANISM AT WORK

I have known Zoë for about 8 years and there are few people I respect more. During those 8 years I changed careers from being an engineer in middle management to running a successful photography business and encountered numerous personal and professional challenges where guidance would be have been helpful. I was initially sceptical about the concept of shamanism but knowing Zoë, set my scepticism aside and with her assistance made several, work-related shamanic journeys. I was very surprised by the insights that resulted and am looking forward to continuing this work when I am next in the UK.

Robin Andrew, Unposed, Ontario, Canada

Zoë’s wonderful aura and ability to guide me, through her shamanic work, has helped tremendously in some vital business decisions and directions. I was surprised by the very specific answers the spirit world provided and which helped me focus on my future. I am looking forward to working with Zoë again.

Anna Scholz, CEO, annascholz Ltd

Zoe's grace and laser-like insight have helped me confront a period of creative turmoil. It took just one journeying session to resolve it. I literally feel as if a dam has burst. I was amazed by what happened and feel a profound sense of "being" and gratitude. My life has been enriched with a spiritual perspective which is as ancient as it is timeless. I look forward to more journeys, inner stories and creative expansion. Thank you Zoe.

Juliet Gilkes Romero
Playwright

WORDS ON SHAMANISM

I have just discovered your weblog and feel full of wonder, gratitude and appreciation. And I mean full to bursting. I was looking for shamanic courses being run in London, which is how I came across your site and would appreciate hearing of any upcoming dates for workshops or courses. For now, I've only just begun to absorb the riches you offer in your blog. I'm so moved by your innocence and openness. By how little power you want to take and how much empowerment you offer in your approach and work. Lovely, lovely energy.

Louise Bailey, Person-Centred Therapist, London

Shamanic Services for Organizations, Business and Self-Employed

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Spirit In The Workplace
Since 2009 I have been asked to bring shamanism into business and organisational settings to offer fresh perspectives on individual roles in the workplace, creating a shared vision and enhancing creativity and productivity. For individuals, including self-employed creative professionals, Shaman UK offers guidance with career development, creative vision and spiritual guidance.

Education and Experience
I bring a range of experience to this aspect of Shaman UK’s work. My PhD in Social Policy was awarded by Cranfield School of Management and my Masters degree in Publishing by Leeds University. Experience as a journalist, author, lecturer and prior to that many years in the voluntary sector, have given me a broad understanding of what contemporary businesses and organisations are looking for at this time.

What Shamanism Can Do
Shamanism is a particularly helpful modality in areas of thinking and strategy development requiring connection, invention and innovation. The practice of shamanism itself is a profound tool for enhancing right-brain activity and the experience of journeying allows the client to move far beyond ordinary, everyday thought patterns and expectations.

Unsurprisingly in the current economic climate, supportive strategies for redundancy, unemployment and work-related anxiety are increasingly being sought. Soul Loss is a problem that is growing as economic difficulties affect individuals and businesses alike. A range of services are available from Shaman UK and our practitioner colleagues across London and the UK for addressing problems which impact on workplace performance and capacity such as: addiction – including alcohol and cocaine misuse – extreme stress, and relationship or financial challenges which affect a person’s capacity in the workplace.

If you think that shamanism could be beneficial for your or for your business, please email or call 07847 894453 to discuss your needs. Further information about spirit in business can be found at www.zoebran.com.

DISCOVERING SHAMANISM

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"Discovering shamanism

has been the single most

remarkable and magical

thing in my life so far;

and I have had a fairly interesting life."

Zoë Brân (pronounced Brahn) is a Core Shamanic practitioner, writer and educator. Zoë was born in South Wales and her early life and education were in the beautiful Wye Valley. Her earliest professional post was working for the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as a writer. Chair of the Health Education Group of The Terrence Higgins Trust and a member of the Trust’s Steering committee from 1987-1989, Zoë was the first woman in Britain to be involved in managing a national AIDS organisation. Her groundbreaking PhD explored the relationship between society, culture and HIV disease. As a writer of travel literature and journalism she travelled extensively, focussing her work on troubled areas of the world such as Burma, Bosnia and most recently, Cuba. Zoë has also worked in education as a university lecturer in Writing and Creative Thinking and is a former Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund and Writer in Residence at the University of the Arts, London.

Since the late 80’s, Zoë has been involved with public speaking and media on topics as diverse as AIDS, sexual behaviour, Slovenia and shamanism. She has appeared on BBC TV and national and local radio, including ‘Panorama’ and ‘Woman’s Hour’ and her shamanic work has been filmed and written about. Zoë lives in London with her lurcher, Arlu.

PROFESSIONAL SHAMANIC EXPERIENCE

How I Work
For me, shamanism is a way of life, a spiritual awareness but also a technology, that affects and effects my everyday existence. My relationships with my spirit heIpers is central to who I am and how I am in the world. I bring this way of being to my work with others, both one-to-one and in groups.

Training
I was introduced to Core Shamanism (aka Harner Method Core Shamanism) in 1998 and trained in shamanic practice with Jonathan Horwitz M.A., Director of the Centre for Shamanic Studies, (formerly the Scandinavian Centre for Shamanic Studies) and with other notable British and North American teachers, incuding Caitlin Matthews and Myron Eschowsky. This training, which took place during many years, and is ongoing, included working with the concepts of spirit, healing, problem-solving and power.

I was trained to work with discipline and focus and this included learning to accept my personal spirit helpers as the most important teachers on my shamanic path. This was an invaluable lesson and one I pass on to my own students and clients today.

My current research interests include shamanism in relation to death and dying; the location of consciousness; and the functioning of the brain during spiritual experience - what has been called ‘the emerging physics of consciousness’. I also have particular interests in shamanism and creativity and work with creative professionals from a range of areas, including photography, writing, music and singing.

Teaching and Lecturing
My work includes giving lectures, seminars and workshops on a range of shamanism-focussed subjects, including: Landscape and Ecology, Sex and Gender, Death, Creativity, Time and Age, Soul Retrieval and many more. I have been a speaker, teacher and presenter at conferences, academic institutions, charitable organisations, companies and businesses, some are listed below:

The London Lighthouse 2004...............................Cambridge University 2007

The Open Centre, London 2008-2010......................SSP UK Conference 2008

Naturally, Writing Heals Conference 2008................The London Open Drumming Group 2008

Kent University (private conference) 2009................thinkpublic Ltd. 2009

The Nutricentre, The Hale Clinic, London 2010..........Science and Medical Network (Lndn Grp) 2010

Middlesex University Summer School 2010..........,,,,,,Christ Church University, Kent, 2010

See EVENTS for detailed information of upcoming Lectures and Speaking Engagements and Teaching at The Open Centre, London.

NEW PROJECTS
I'm currently developing a shamanic training programme for performers in conjunction with an opera singer and an actor, to commence in Spring 2011 and am currently writing a proposal for a book on the de-mystification of shamanism. Since 2009 Shaman UK has worked increasingly with business and organisations to bring spirit into the work environment for enhanced individual and group well-being and creativity and this is a particular interest of mine.

INSURANCE and SUPERVISION
I have peer supervision of my client practice and am fully insured as a shamanic counsellor and healer, a group/workshop leader, a yoga/meditation instructor and as a mentor/coach.

MEMBERSHIP OF ORGANISATIONS
I am a member of The Society of Shamanic Practitioners, the Core Shamanic Practitioners Circle UK, The London Open Drumming Group, The Scientific and Medical Network, English PEN and The Society of Authors.

Courses and Workshops on Shamanism 2011

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Courses
and
Workshops

Spring 2012

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ADVENTURES IN SHAMANISM: Taster Day

March 25, 2012
10am - 5pm
Neal's Yard Meeting Rooms, Neal'sYard,
Covent Garden, London WC1

This one day introduction to shamanism and the shamanic journey offers a taste of the world and work of the shaman. Explore the history and traditions of shamanism and learn where and why shamans go when they ‘journey’. You will learn to journey and meet spirit helpers for yourself and others. For further information and to book contact: info@shaman.uk.com or 07847 894453

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General Course/Workshop Information:

All courses and seminars are facilitated by Zoë Brân PhD unless otherwise stated. For further details of all events, or to book, call 07847 894453, or email info@shaman.uk.com
Course and seminar concessions may be available on request for students, disabled and senior persons on low income. Please note: don't call The Open Centre, there are no Reception facilities.

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PAST COURSES

ONE DAY WORKSHOP, SHAMANISM AND THE CREATIVITY OF SPIRIT

The Open Centre, Old St. London EC1V
September 4, 2011. 10am – 5pm

Altered consciousness as experienced in the shamanic journey was an essential part of human cognitive and creative development. What our hunter-gatherer ancestors knew and used to help in their development is still available to us today. Discover how the shamanic journey and relationship with spirit can help you overcome blocks to creativity and enhance the vision and focus of your personal and professional life.

This course is suitable for beginners and advanced participants.

March 14 - April 18
6.30pm - 9.30pm, Monday evening course
Adventures in Shamanism 1: Introduction to the Shamanic Journey

Discover how shamanism can help you bring a profound expericence of connection and belonging into your everyday life. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the world and work of the shaman. Explore the history and traditions of shamanism and discover where and why shamans go when they ‘journey’. You will learn to journey and meet spirit helpers for yourself and others and to work with the spirits of Nature and with power, to heal and renew. Experiencing the power of Spirit can transform you and everything around you.

This course is open to anyone who would like to experience shamanism for themselves, including those already experienced who would like to renew or clarify their practice.

November 20-21 - weekend course
Adventures in Shamanism 2: Deepening Connection

This weekend course will explore the nature of our emotional connections. Like water, emotional energy is a vital force flowing between, through and around ourselves and others. Through the shamanic journey, healing and ritual we will explore our attachments to family, friends and partners and to ourselves, and the positive and negative effects of these on our everyday lives. Through renewed relationship with Spirit, participants will be invited to experience interpersonal connection from fresh perspectives, including as a power for healing and resolving past loss.

This course is open to anyone who has experience of shamanic journeying and who would like to enhance their connection to spirit, to others and to self.

October 11 – November 15 2010
7- 9.45pm, Monday evening course
Adventures in Shamanism 1: Introduction to Journeying

The theme of this intensive, six-week course is ‘connection’. Discover how shamanism can help you experience greater connectedness in your everyday life. The course offers a comprehensive introduction to the world and work of the shaman. Explore the history and traditions of shamanism and learn where and why shamans go when they ‘journey’. You will learn to journey and meet spirit helpers for yourself and others and to work with the spirits of Nature and with power, to heal and renew. Experience a greater connectedness to yourself and to everything around you. The adventure can transform lives as participants learn to become their own shaman.

This course is open to anyone who would like to experience shamanism for themselves, including those already experienced who would like to renew their practice.

May 23, 2010. 10.30am – 5.30pm
One day workshop - Shamanism and Creativity

Discover how shamanism can help you overcome blocks to
creativity and enhance the vision and focus of your personal and
professional life. Zoë Brân is an author and a former lecturer in
Creative Thinking, and in Writing and Photography. Suitable for
beginners and advanced participants.

March 28
One day workshop - Introduction to Soul Retrieval

Explore the practice of Soul Retrieval in shamanism and discover how soul loss affects all of us and how it can be overcome. One day workshop suitable for experienced practitioners and beginners.

Shaman UK: Upcoming Lectures, Workshops and Hosted Courses 2011

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The Special Yoga Centre

PAMPER NIGHT!
At The Special Yoga Centre

Fri. April 1, 5:00pm - 10:00pm

2A Wrentham Avenue LONDON NW10 3HA

Zoë Brân of Shaman UK will be taking part in one of the Special Yoga Centre's unique Pamper Nights and offering Shamanic Journeying and Healing.

The SYC's famous fundraising 'Pamper Nights' have been a huge hit for several years, offering guests the chance to relax and experience a wide range of therapies and treatments: £5 for 15min, £10 for 30min (cash only). Admission: £5. All proceeds from ticket sales and refreshments directly support the yoga therapywork that the SYC offers to help children and families with special needs. Registered Charity No 1103848

For more information: www.specialyoga.org.uk or call 020 8968 1900

*Please note that appointments start from 17:00 and will be allocated on a first-come first-serve basis.

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SPECIAL EVENT:

Shamanism and the Shamanic Journey with Zoë Brân

Sunday April 17, 2011, 2pm - 5pm

The Special Yoga Centre

2a Wrentham Avenue

London

Shamanism can change your life. It can fundamentally alter how you see yourself and everything and everyone around you; but what is it? Shamanism is the universal heritage of almost everyone alive today and has been described as the only 'spiritual democracy'.

In this unique, three-hour Event which will include visual presentation, discussion and experience, participants will explore what shamanism is and is not; discover why it is something all human beings are neurologically hardwired to do; and have the opportunity to try the shamanic journey themselves.

Join us, to ask all your questions about shamanism and what it can do for you.

Online Registration Is Not Available For This Workshop.

Please contact SYC Reception on 020 8968 1900 for details of cost and booking.

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Lecture hosted by The Theosophical Society
Spirit and Shaman: Ancient Techniques for the Modern World

Thursday, January 27 2011

6:30pm - 9:00pm

Blavatsky Lodge 50 Gloucester Place W1U 8EA

Shamanism, the world's oldest spiritual healing and problem-solving practice, is a worldwide phenomenon thought by archaeologists to have been part of human activity for at least 40,000 years and possibly very much longer. Despite, or perhaps because of the recent upsurge in media interest in shamanism, there is a tendency to use the word as an umbrella term for almost anything exotic and mysterious. Ask ‘What is a shaman?’ and ...most responses would include the words ‘witchdoctor’ or ‘medicine man’. People are often surprised to discover that shamanism is not a religion yet was the precursor to most major world religions, including the Judaeo-Christian and Buddhist traditions. One of the chief purposes of Zoë's work as a practitioner and teacher is to demystify shamanism and explore the nature of Spirit. With this in mind she will present an introduction to the subject from its prehistoric origins to its growing use in contemporary Western society.

Cost £5. Booking not required.
Further information on location etc. http://www.theosophical-society.org.uk/.

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FREE

‘Shamanism, Sound and Healing’: A Workshop on Healing through Shamanic Song, Drumming and Resonance.’

Everything, organic and inorganic, has spirit in the world of the shaman who works, using the many tools at her disposal, to restore balance and harmony wherever it is lacking. One of those tools is sound, which has always been a vital expression of the shaman’s ability to heal, through the power of her spirits - in shamanism, all illness and suffering are caused by energetic imbalance. Each sound and song has its own spirit and we will explore how these can be used to enhance energy and aid healing. The workshop will offer:

· A brief introduction to contemporary and traditional shamanic practice

· An explanation and demonstration of the shamanic ‘journey’ in which the shaman moves between ‘worlds’, using sound as a medium of transport

· An exploration of the relationship between spirit and health and the importance of sound in shamanic healing

· A demonstration of the uses of sound and song in contemporary shamanism

To book a place, contact Isobel Salisbury on 01303 220870 or isobel.salisbury@canterbury.ac.uk

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Sunday, October 31, 2010

'Shamanic Druidry', Kent, presents:

One Day Workshop to mark the Turning of the Year with Zoë Brân PhD

October 31, known as Samhain, marks the turning of the year from the light to the dark time. In the Celtic tradition it was a moment after harvest and before winter, a time to take stock of the winter stores; a ‘between place’ in time, when the ‘veil’ was considered to be at its thinnest and spirits walked among the living. Some believe that Samhain marked the start of the Celtic New Year.
With these things in mind participants will explore the personal meanings of Samhain, with an opportunity to journey to look at light and dark in our own lives. We will also take stock of our relationship with Spirit, as preparation for the coming winter, by considering soul loss and soul retrieval as a means to restoring wholeness for the year ahead.
The New Year started at dusk on October 31, so we will hold a ceremony, including a soul retrieval, at that time. (If you would like to be considered for the soul retrieval please contact Phil.)

Workshop will be held at Caer Corhrain, Isle of Sheppey, Kent
Sunday the 31st October, 10am till dusk
Price £40
Places are limited to 10. Early booking is advised

Email: druidpunks@hotmail.com or Lynn.gosney@tiscali.co.uk

Shamanic Druidry is a Kent-based organisation which aims to re-awaken traditional spirituality in S.E. England

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Sunday, August 1 2010

'Shamanic Druidry', Kent, presents:
Core Shamanic Journeying with Zoë Brân

This practical, one-day workshop in Core Shamanism – also known as Western shamanism – offers ancient technology for the modern world. Core Shamanism’s profound yet simple techniques will introduce the worlds and work of the shaman and discover how the shamanic ‘journey’ can enhance personal wellbeing. Participants will experience the mix of earthy realism and magical exploration that is shamanism today.

Caer Corhrain, Sheppey, Kent. 10.am - 5pm.
Limited places.
Email: druidpunks@hotmail.com or Lynn.gosney@tiscali.co.uk

Shamanic Druidry is a Kent-based organisation which aims to re-awaken traditional spirituality in S.E. England.

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July 26-29, 2010
International Summer School,
Trent Park, Campus
Middlesex University, London

SUM0093 Introduction to Shamanism

Shamanism is the spiritual heritage of almost everyone alive today. Discover the worlds and work of the shaman on this course which offers a practical introduction to the planet's oldest healing and problem-solving practice. Explore the 40,000 year old history of shamanism and find out how the shamanic 'journey' can enhance your personal wellbeing and creativity. Through lecture, discussion, demonstration and practical work, participants will experience the mix of earthy realism and magical exploration that is contemporary shamanism.

Dates: Four days, 26 to 29 July
Times: 1.30pm to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday

For further information http://tinyurl.com/yfdubpu
Booking: sschool@mdx.ac.uk, +44 (0)20 8411 5782

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July 21, 2010

FREE talk on Shamanism, Health and Healing

Shamanic healing works by seeking to re-establish harmony: in an individual, an animal or even a place, by restoring what is lacking, or removing what should not be present. Through words and sound, this presentation will explore the world of the shaman and shamanic healing.

7 – 8.30pm The Nutricentre, The Hale Clinic, 7 Park Crescent, London W1B 1PF.
No booking required. All welcome.

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July 13 The Science and Medical Network, London Group

“Ancient Techniques for the Modern World: An Introduction to Shamanism.”

This presentation will explore the shamanic experience of rom its prehistoric origins to its growing use in contemporary Western society.

Private membership. Invites by request.
Contact claudia@cnielsen.eu for details of Network membership,