Who Are the Clients?

As I was preparing for a session today, which was arranged through a serendipitous series of moments by the Spirits, I realized that my main clients are the Spirits. I'm their mediator, their advocate, etc. And that during the honing phase of being a practitioner (which I now realize doesn't actually end), I had to get enough guts to do some of the things that they were asking me to do: "Really? That's what I have to tell them?","You want me to go WHERE for to retrieve a soul part?," "You want me to start researching WHAT?" etc.

Initially, I freely exercised my right to refuse and had plenty of excuses in my pocket that I would pull out like Get-Out-of-Jail cards. But as time went on, I realized that HAD I followed their advice from the get-go, things would have flowed a lot easier for me, for my human clients, and thusly for the world, the Universe, etc.

So, I go along with them more because I've tired myself out trying to pick up the pieces of refusing the first time.

Part of this had to do with not knowing what my role was EXACTLY as a shamanic practitioner. Obviously, the Spirits are the ones that do the work on the soul. But it's not accurate to portray me as just the chopped liver of a healing session. Nor is it accurate (or advisable) to get maniacally He-Man-like and think, "I have the Power!" and act like it's all me. On my drive to the session, I realized that what I am is more like a boat-builder. I get together the parts and make the vessels (which includes the sessions, the practitioner, the clients, the setting space, setting intention, etc.) that allow for the Spirits to do their thing, to get to their destination (which is chosen between them and the clients).

So that's where I'm at today.