From Skeptic to Shaman: My Journey Through Trauma, Healing, and Spiritual Awakening

The Legacy of My Grandmother: A Medium’s Gift

My story begins long before I was born, with my grandmother. She was a gifted medium, a woman whose connection to the spirit world was both respected and feared in equal measure. I grew up listening to incredible stories about her abilities, tales of channelled pixies, unexplainable meetings on deserted roads, retrieving souls from a Ouija board gone wrong, and so much more.

By the time I came along, she was too old to perform her feats. My grandfather, practical and protective, didn’t like her using her gifts. He believed they drained her too much, so I was left with only stories, stories that fascinated me, filled my imagination, and quietly planted seeds that would take years to grow.

Open to the Spirit World

Those stories opened my mind early. I believed there was more to life than meets the eye, even if I didn’t understand it. I can still remember being a child and feeling like I was being watched, not in a frightening way, but with a sense of presence. Something, or someone, was always there.

But as I grew up, life’s noise and logic drowned out that awareness. The unseen world faded into the background, waiting for its time to return.

Rebelling Against Dogma: My Christian School Years

I went to a Christian school, and while I respected many of its teachings, I found its dogma stifling. The rigid rules, the idea of sin and shame for simply being human, didn’t sit right with me. Life, I felt, was meant to be lived fully; experienced, embraced, and explored, not boxed in by fear.

Of course, we should never harm others, but denying ourselves joy, curiosity, and freedom just felt wrong. Even as a teenager, I knew my path would not be one of strict religion. I was searching for something bigger, older, and freer.

From Metal to Marketing: A Life Far from Spirit

For years, I didn’t give the spirit world another thought. I became a musician, a heavy metal vocalist, no less, and later a marketing manager, leading corporate teams. You couldn’t get further from spirituality if you tried.

But deep down, I never fully closed the door. I would have described myself as agnostic, open, curious, but unconvinced. I knew there was more to life than what we could see, but I didn’t know where to find it.

The Catalyst: Meeting My Ex-Wife

Everything changed when I met my ex-wife. She was a powerful healer, an Angelic Reiki Master, a crystal healer, a sound healer, and so much more. Watching her work was like watching magic meet science.

One night, I witnessed her perform a distant Reiki healing on a client in the U.S. She told me she felt heat around the client’s right knee, sensing an injury. When the client confirmed they had hurt that exact knee days before, I was stunned. How could that be possible?

Moments like that were breadcrumbs, guiding me toward a truth I could no longer ignore: there is far more to this universe than we understand.

My Own Journey into Healing

I began to follow that trail of breadcrumbs. I trained as a Reiki Master, learned crystal healing, and explored sound healing, naturally drawn to it as a multi-instrumentalist. Each practice deepened my awareness, but something still felt missing.

At the time, I worked at a company that lived by the Kaizen philosophy, continuous improvement. That mindset inspired me to turn inward. How could I become the best version of myself?

Facing My Shadows: Healing from the Past

Behind my success was pain I hadn’t faced. As a victim of childhood molestation at eleven, I had lost my power early in life. That wound showed up as anger, aggression, and defensiveness. Therapy helped, but never healed the root. I kept searching for something that could.

Then one day, I saw a friend’s social media post about shamanism, something I’d never even heard of. They mentioned how it had transformed them and that their teacher was local to me. I followed my intuition and signed up for a gateway weekend workshop.

That weekend changed my life.

Discovering Shamanism and the Q’ero Lineage

The philosophy, the tools, the deep respect for nature and energy, it all resonated deeply. I didn’t consciously choose a path, but fate chose for me. My teacher had studied with the Q’ero shamans of Peru, direct descendants of the Incas.

For centuries, they lived hidden in the Andes, untouched by colonial influence. Their prophecy said that when the mountain snowcaps began to melt, their medicine would be needed again to help heal the world. And now, that time had come.

To me, this was no coincidence; it was synchronicity. Just as The Celestine Prophecy describes, I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Becoming a Modern Shaman

Since that initiation, I’ve dedicated myself fully to learning, healing, and teaching. I’ve devoured books; Michael Harner, Alberto Villoldo, Sandra Ingerman, Don Miguel Ruiz, Paul Francis, and more. I’ve studied online with masters, trained in counselling, NLP, shadow work, coaching, tarot, and pendulum work.

For the past eight years, I’ve devoted myself to self-improvement. For the past few years, I’ve been a full-time practising shaman, living and working on the beautiful island of Ibiza, facilitating healing ceremonies for groups of up to 300 people.

My goal has never been fame or ego; it’s been service. To help others reclaim their power, heal their wounds, and remember who they truly are.

Healing Through Shamanic Tools

Shamanism offers tools that go beyond therapy. It helps uncover the root causes of pain, trauma, energy imbalances, or soul loss and restores harmony on every level: mental, emotional, and spiritual.

One of my most powerful practices is past life regression. By visiting past lives that still influence us, we can cut the energetic cords that keep us bound and reclaim the freedom to live fully in this incarnation.

Through my own journeys, I’ve seen myself as a shaman in Mongolia, North America, Africa, and Scandinavia. Each vision reminds me that this is not a new path for me; it’s a return home.

FAQs About My Spiritual Journey and Shamanism

1. What is shamanism?
Shamanism is an ancient spiritual practice that connects humans with the spirit world for healing, guidance, and balance. It predates organised religion and exists in cultures worldwide.

2. How does shamanic healing differ from traditional therapy?
While therapy focuses on the mind, shamanic healing addresses the spirit and energy body, working on emotional, energetic, and sometimes ancestral levels.

3. What is the Q’ero prophecy you mentioned?
The Q’ero people believe that when the glaciers of the Andes begin to melt, humanity will need their sacred medicine and wisdom to restore harmony to the Earth. Read here for more prophecies.

4. Can anyone learn shamanic practices?
Yes. While some are naturally called to it, anyone can learn to live shamanically, through mindfulness, gratitude, and deep respect for nature and spirit.

5. What happens during a shamanic ceremony?
A shamanic ceremony involves energy clearing, sound healing, drumming, and guided journeys. Each session is unique to the individual’s needs.

6. Is shamanism compatible with other beliefs?
Absolutely. Shamanism doesn’t require rejecting your faith; it enhances your spiritual connection and understanding of the divine.

Walking the Path of Healing and Purpose

Looking back, every step, every hardship, every encounter, every coincidence, was guiding me here. My grandmother’s stories, my rebellion against dogma, my pain, my ex-wife’s healing, all of it was part of a divine tapestry.

Shamanism didn’t just heal me. It gave me purpose. It reconnected me with my soul, my ancestors, and my calling to help others find their light again.

If you’ve ever felt there’s more to life than what meets the eye, trust that feeling. The world is full of unseen magic, waiting for you to remember it.