Shamanic Skills for End-of-Life Practitioners: Level 1
Journey Skills for Guidance and Protection - Ancestral work

This workshop is for all end-of-life practitioners, such as palliative care workers, nurses, soul midwives, 'butterflies', hospice volunteers, doulas, interfaith ministers, etc.

You will learn how to work with basic shamanic tools and processes to gain insights and shift energy. These tools are of practical value and you can keep using them after the workshop in your everyday life.

Important: The workshop develops basic-level skills for your personal use - giving you an additional source of guidance and satisfaction for your work. They are not intended to be used directly on clients or patients (besides the work we do after clients have died).

Goals of the Workshop

• Increase your confidence and strength when working with dying people, their social network and with institutions
• Learn how to protect yourself and your working space in a way that does not drain your energy
  
• Get to know new ways to help souls cross over the sacred threshold in a peaceful way
  
• Create a peer-group of like-minded practitioners who can support each other through shamanic journey work.
  

Core Content

Day One

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Guidance and Protection

• Understand how Core/Contemporary shamanism works. Principles and ethical considerations when doing this work
• Learn how to journey to the 'non-ordinary reality', to find a spirit ally/power animal for your work. Create a close relationship to the spirit ally and find out more about its qualities, gifts, and how it can support you in your daily work
• Learn how to work with this ally to:
  • Find guidance for current problems you have in your work
  • Feel safe and protected, even when working in spaces with difficult energy
  • Find a method for space clearing that works in your context
  • Build up your strength and self-confidence when you feel down or insecure
  • Send healing energy to a person - direct or over a distance
• Using journey work to get guidance for your work and personal life. 
• Learn how to journey for other people - so that you can work with a peer if you need help. 

Day Two

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Working with spiritual essence - helping souls transcend

• Learn what a “good death” means in a shamanic sense
• Experience calling-in ancestors to smooth out the process
• Learn about possible problems when souls cannot pass over - and distinguish what you can resolve yourself and where you must seek help from a shamanic practitioner
• Get to know basic methods of psychopomp work
• Basic healing application of shamanic journeying
• Build up your strength and self-confidence through a group ceremony

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Details

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• Date: 20/21 September 2025 (and may run again 11/12 October if the September course is full). 
• ​Time:  10.30-6.00pm (Saturday), 10.30 to 6pm (second day)
• Small group
• Where: Fireside Lodge, Hanwell, London (non-residential)
• Costs: £260 (deposit upon sign-up: £60 - non refundable).
• Prework/skills required: None, however, this course targets people who work with dying people either as volunteers or as professionals.
• Please note: This course usually runs parallel to our Shamanic Foundation course but it has two hours more, teaching basic psycho pomp and ancestral work that will be useful when doing end-of-life work. 

Sign-up / Info

Testimonials

This is a balanced and well thought out course with excellent handouts. The themes were well introduced and there was plenty of time to enjoy the practical journeying exercises. I particularly enjoyed some of the ritual and ceremony of the day. 
 
Andrea is an excellent teacher with a huge depth of knowledge. She practices as well as teaching her subject which leads to a wonderful learning experience for her students as she intertwines her own stories. She is also an excellent facilitator of discussion and sharing within the group. 
 
I wanted some tangible skills I could use in my end-of-life work and I now have a variety of tools I can use with confidence. The course far exceeded my expectations! 
Caroline T. Soul Midwife, Butterfly and Reiki practitioner. 
​

A huge
THANK YOU
for a wonderful training weekend.
​I came away feeling inspired and empowered!
​Gabi, Soul Midwife

Andrea is a gentle, supportive & experienced facilitator. I will admit to having been a bit nervous as I had never done anything Shamanic before, but all my fears evaporated as soon as we started. I felt nurtured and respected. I learnt so much in such a short period of time. Skills that will last the rest of my lifetime. Skills that work so well in supporting my Soul Midwifery and myself.

It was wonderful to do this alongside other Soul Midwives. We had so much in common and the trust and learning from each other was and continues to be long after the course uplifting and a real resource to call upon.
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I am using the journeying we learnt as part of my spiritual practice I find it gives me insight, rest and healing.
Joanna, Soul Midwife
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Fireside Lodge is an amazing place of shamanic learning. I have gained so much attending the various groups there including on the solstices and equinoxes. The End of life training there was fantastic, and I learnt so much.

​Protection is very important for me as I'm quite a sensitive person so learning to power up from within with my newly found power animal has been a vital awakening for me particularly regarding my own end of life care work. Andrea is a great facilitator and teacher/trainer. Thanks again for everything Andrea!
Alex, Soul Midwife
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I was drawn to this short course at a time when I was starting to work more closely with people who have been bereaved or who are facing end of life for themselves or their partners.  I was particularly interested in working with energetic self-protection and was curious about shamanic skills and practice.  

A little nervous of what this programme might include and ask of me, from the moment I expressed an interest, I was touched by Andrea's warmth and welcome, and by her clear communication and organisation.  Her joining instructions were first-rate and the venue, also her home, was comfortable and very conducive to learning about shamanic journeying and end-of-life practice.  There were all the resources we needed for comfort, learning and sustenance, and space for fresh air in a garden filled with birds and plants. 

A small group meant we could work together well, and Andrea held the group in a way that was contained and grounded, yet light enough to respond flexibly to the group needs and interests. I particularly liked the way that our very practical experience of personal journeying was supported by discussion, short inputs and very useful handouts.  I felt safe and held, and able to trust to the work that we were doing, with every opportunity to ask questions and explore further. Even new areas for me, like psychopomp work, were presented clearly and openly, so that I could explore the ideas with confidence in the process.

Andrea has given me the confidence to carry on practising what we learned by myself and to take it into my life and work.  A strong sense that I don't have to do all this by myself but can ask for and receive support and guidance in this challenging and important work.  I left with a clear process, tools, ideas and support to help me work more confidently with others in end-of-life.  While I have lots to learn, I feel that this programme has given me very strong foundations from which to build and develop my practice in the way that works for me.  
It was a great investment for my development, at just the right time and I recommend it to others
Julie, Soul Midwife