LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast

LightSong School
  • 4.6 (63)
  • Spirituality
  • Biweekly

The LightSong podcast discusses current issues of shamanism and energy medicine. Stay tuned weekly!

  1. 11h ago

    S2 E39 - Beyond Religion: The Universal Language of Spirit

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast Beyond Religion: The Universal Language of Spirit What if the spiritual truths we've been searching for have been present all along—hidden within different traditions, symbols, and sacred stories? Across cultures and throughout history, humanity has sought connection with something greater than ourselves. We have created religions, ceremonies, sacred spaces, and spiritual practices to honor that connection. Yet beneath the differences in our beliefs, could there be a common spiritual wisdom that transcends religious boundaries? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick, Jani Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore the fascinating connections between ancient spiritual traditions, the Divine Feminine, and the universal human desire to experience love, compassion, and a direct relationship with Spirit. Inspired by Jani's recent travels through Italy and her profound experiences in historic churches and cathedrals, the conversation opens a doorway into the enduring presence of sacred feminine figures across cultures. From Mother Mary and the Egyptian goddess Isis to Kuan Yin and other compassionate mother figures, Jani and Micah explore how similar spiritual qualities have been honored through different names, images, and traditions for thousands of years. But this conversation reaches far beyond the similarities between ancient deities. What happens when the religion we were raised with no longer reflects what we know, feel, or experience spiritually? For many people, questioning religious teachings can create an uncomfortable conflict between deeply held beliefs and personal spiritual experiences. Yet questioning doesn't necessarily mean abandoning faith. Sometimes it becomes the beginning of a deeper, more personal relationship with the sacred. Drawing on their own spiritual journeys, Jani and Micah examine how shamanism can offer a different perspective—one that honors the wisdom found across religious traditions while encouraging individuals to explore their own direct experiences of Spirit. Together, they invite listeners to consider: The Divine Feminine across cultures: Why figures representing unconditional love, compassion, protection, and nurturing appear in spiritual traditions around the world. The connections between religions: How sacred stories, symbols, rituals, and spiritual practices have evolved, overlapped, and influenced one another throughout history. Spirituality beyond religious doctrine: The difference between following an established belief system and developing a personal relationship with the sacred. Shamanism and universal spiritual wisdom: How shamanic practices can create space for honoring spiritual beings and teachings from many traditions. The power of personal experience: What happens when an encounter with Spirit challenges everything we've been taught to believe. Love versus judgment: How beliefs about guilt, forgiveness, worthiness, and unconditional love shape our relationship with ourselves and the Divine. Finding your own spiritual path: Why spiritual exploration doesn't have to be about proving one religion right and another wrong. One of the most compelling questions in this episode is whether our spiritual beliefs bring us closer to love, freedom, and fulfillment—or keep us confined by fear, guilt, and the need to be right. Jani and Micah aren't asking listeners to reject their religious traditions or adopt a particular spiritual philosophy. Instead, they offer an invitation to look beyond familiar boundaries, question inherited assumptions, and discover the deeper connections that may unite seemingly different spiritual paths. Whether you're devoted to a particular faith, exploring shamanism, questioning the beliefs of your childhood, or simply curious about the spiritual wisdom shared across cultures, this conversation offers an opportunity to see the sacred from a different perspective. Perhaps the question isn't which path leads to Spirit, but how we recognize Spirit along the path we're already walking. Join Jani and Micah for a thought-provoking exploration of the Divine Feminine, religious traditions, spiritual freedom, and the possibility that unconditional love is a language that transcends every belief system. About Jani Engels-Smith (formerly Jan) Jani Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at https://lightsong.net. About Micah Schwader Micah Schwader is a transformational writing coach, editor, publisher, author, and shamanic practitioner who has spent more than 30 years helping people discover and express the stories that matter most. His work explores the intersection of writing, creativity, discernment, inner guidance, and personal transformation, helping writers move beyond formulas and external expectations to uncover what is authentically their own. Micah is the author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman and works with writers, authors, leaders, and creators to use writing as a means of exploration, discovery, and authentic expression. Learn more about Micah at https://shamansezz.com.

  2. Oct 27

    S2 E38 - Spirit Dancing: The Magic of Synchronicity, Intuition, and Divine Timing

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast Spirit Dancing: The Magic of Synchronicity, Intuition, and Divine Timing Have you ever experienced a coincidence so extraordinary that you couldn't help wondering if something greater was at work? An unexpected encounter. A seemingly impossible sequence of events. An opportunity that appears at precisely the right moment. Or something that initially feels like a setback, only to reveal itself as the beginning of something wonderful. We often call these experiences synchronicities. But what if they're more than coincidences? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick, Jani Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore the extraordinary ways life seems to arrange itself when intuition, intention, and opportunity come into alignment. In shamanic teachings, Jani describes this phenomenon as Spirit Dancing—the beautiful, intricate movement of unseen connections coming together in ways we could never have planned or predicted. Through remarkable personal experiences and reflections on spiritual awareness, Jani and Micah invite listeners to reconsider the meaning of coincidence, the role of divine timing, and the possibility that life is far more interconnected than we realize. But recognizing synchronicity is only part of the story. What happens when the opportunities we're asking for arrive in forms we don't recognize—or require us to step beyond our fears? Sometimes the path toward what we want begins with an unexpected invitation. Sometimes it requires releasing something familiar. And sometimes the very circumstances we're resisting may hold possibilities we haven't yet imagined. Jani and Micah explore how fear, limiting beliefs, and our attachment to predictable outcomes can prevent us from recognizing the opportunities unfolding around us. They also examine the relationship between chaos and transformation, offering a hopeful perspective on why periods of uncertainty can become catalysts for creativity, growth, and new beginnings. In this episode, you'll explore: The magic of synchronicity: Why certain coincidences feel too meaningful to dismiss and how shamanic traditions interpret these experiences. Spirit Dancing and divine timing: The possibility that life's seemingly unrelated events are part of a larger pattern of connection and alignment. Following your intuition: How paying attention to subtle inner guidance can open doors you never expected. Manifestation and opportunity: Why setting an intention is only the beginning—and how recognizing and responding to opportunities matters. Fear and resistance: How our comfort zones can keep us from embracing the very changes we've been seeking. Finding possibility in chaos: Why disruption and uncertainty can sometimes create the conditions for profound transformation. Learning to trust the process: How awareness, choice, and a willingness to embrace the unknown can change our relationship with life's challenges. At the heart of this conversation is an invitation to rediscover something we often lose in the busyness of everyday life: our sense of wonder. How many extraordinary moments have you experienced that you've dismissed as luck, coincidence, or simply being in the right place at the right time? What might change if you began noticing those moments more consciously? And what if the next unexpected encounter, intuitive nudge, or surprising turn of events isn't an interruption to your plans—but an invitation to discover something greater? Join Jani and Micah for an uplifting exploration of synchronicity, spiritual connection, and the magic that can emerge when we become willing to listen, trust, and participate in the unfolding of our lives. Because sometimes the most beautiful things happen when we stop trying to control every step and allow ourselves to join the dance. About Jani Engels-Smith Jani Engels-Smith (formerly known professionally as Jan Engels-Smith) is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jani has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jani is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jani, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net. About Micah Schwader Micah Schwader is a transformational writing coach, editor, publisher, author, and shamanic practitioner who has spent more than 30 years helping people discover and express the stories that matter most. His work explores the intersection of writing, creativity, discernment, inner guidance, and personal transformation, helping writers move beyond formulas and external expectations to uncover what is authentically their own. Micah is the author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman and works with writers, authors, leaders, and creators to use writing as a means of exploration, discovery, authentic expression, and soul retrieval. Learn more about Micah at ShamanSezz.com.

  3. Oct 13

    S2 E37 - Reclaim Your Energy: Letting Go of the Past and Reclaiming Your Power

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast Reclaim Your Energy: Letting Go of the Past and Reclaiming Your Power How much of yourself are you still giving to a past you've already left behind? We invest enormous time, energy, emotion, and attention in our relationships, careers, dreams, and personal goals. But what happens when those chapters end? Do we truly let them go, or do we continue carrying their weight without even realizing it? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick, Jan Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore the fascinating relationship between personal energy, intention, awareness, and the attachments we accumulate throughout our lives. Drawing on decades of shamanic practice and personal experience, Jan and Micah discuss how our expectations, beliefs, and unconscious patterns can keep us connected to things that no longer serve us. They explore the shamanic concept of reclaiming our energy from past experiences and how doing so can create space for renewed clarity, creativity, and personal empowerment. The conversation also examines one of the great challenges of personal and spiritual growth: learning the difference between taking purposeful action and trying to control the outcome. How often do we become so focused on what we think should happen that we miss what is actually unfolding? How might our lives change if we approached our experiences with greater awareness, curiosity, and a willingness to surrender? Jan and Micah explore several interconnected themes: Reclaiming your energy: Understanding the shamanic perspective on how we invest ourselves in experiences and how we can consciously reconnect with that personal power. Letting go of outdated attachments: Recognizing when old dreams, relationships, expectations, and commitments are still influencing our present lives. The power of awareness: Discovering how unconscious beliefs and recurring patterns shape our reactions, decisions, and experiences. Intention versus expectation: Learning to create meaningful change without becoming attached to a particular outcome. Aligning actions with intentions: Understanding why what we do matters just as much as what we say we want. Choosing where your energy goes: Exploring simple practices such as journaling, meditation, and conscious reflection to support greater clarity and personal choice. At the heart of this conversation is a powerful invitation to examine where your attention and energy are going—and whether those investments reflect the life you want to live today. You don't have to keep carrying every expectation you've ever held, every dream you've pursued, or every story you've told yourself about who you are. Sometimes moving forward isn't about finding more energy, working harder, or doing something new. Sometimes it's about reclaiming what you've already given away. Join Jan and Micah for an engaging exploration of energy, surrender, and the freedom that comes from consciously choosing what you carry forward—and what you're finally ready to release. About Jan Engels-Smith Jan Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net. About Micah Schwader Micah Schwader is a transformational writing coach, editor, publisher, author, and shamanic practitioner who has spent more than 30 years helping people discover and express the stories that matter most. His work explores the intersection of writing, creativity, discernment, inner guidance, and personal transformation, helping writers move beyond formulas and external expectations to uncover what is authentically their own. Micah is the author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman and works with writers, authors, leaders, and creators to use writing as a means of exploration, discovery, and authentic expression. Learn more about Micah at ShamanSezz.com. For information about writing and publishing, visit InspiredLifePublications.com.

  4. Oct 13

    S2 E36 - Ayahuasca and Spiritual Awakening: Is There Another Way?

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast Ayahuasca and Spiritual Awakening: Is There Another Way? Can a powerful psychedelic experience lead to lasting spiritual transformation? Or is there a deeper connection available without plant medicine? Ayahuasca has become increasingly popular among people seeking spiritual awakening, healing, personal transformation, and a deeper understanding of themselves. But what happens when the experience ends? And are there risks that aren't always discussed? In this thought-provoking episode of LightSong Talking Stick, Jan Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore the growing fascination with ayahuasca, the spiritual traditions surrounding its use, and the important distinction between having an extraordinary experience and developing a lasting relationship with the divine. Jan brings decades of experience as a shamanic practitioner and teacher, including working with people who have struggled following plant medicine ceremonies. Micah offers a different perspective, sharing his firsthand experiences with ayahuasca in Costa Rica—and the unexpected message he received each time: "You already know how to do this. Why are you doing this to yourself?" What began as curiosity ultimately became a powerful confirmation of something he had already learned through years of shamanic journeying. Together, Jan and Micah explore the questions that anyone considering plant medicine—or simply seeking a deeper spiritual connection—may want to ask. In this episode, you'll discover: Ayahuasca and its cultural roots: Why understanding the traditions, training, and relationships surrounding sacred plant medicine matters. The risks behind the experience: Concerns about ceremonial ethics, psychological vulnerability, difficult experiences, and the importance of integration afterward. Spiritual connection without psychedelics: How shamanic journeying offers a different approach to exploring consciousness and developing a personal spiritual practice. The difference between experience and transformation: Why a profound moment doesn't necessarily translate into lasting changes in everyday life. The temptation of spiritual shortcuts: How seeking a dramatic breakthrough can sometimes distract us from developing our own awareness and abilities. Discernment and intention: Why understanding what you're truly seeking may be more important than the method you choose. Jan also introduces the shamanic understanding of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds, explaining how her tradition approaches spiritual allies, sacred space, and intentional connection with benevolent helping spirits. Throughout the conversation, both Jan and Micah emphasize respect for traditional plant medicine practices while encouraging greater awareness, personal responsibility, and caution. They share their own experiences and spiritual perspectives rather than presenting them as universal conclusions. At the heart of this episode is a question that reaches far beyond ayahuasca: Are you looking for an extraordinary spiritual experience—or are you looking for a way to bring spiritual connection into your everyday life? For Jan and Micah, the deeper opportunity lies in developing the ability to connect with your inner wisdom and spiritual guidance, rather than depending on an external experience to access it. Whether you're curious about ayahuasca, have participated in plant medicine ceremonies, practice shamanic journeying, or are simply exploring your spiritual path, this conversation offers an opportunity to consider what genuine transformation means to you. Because sometimes the greatest discovery isn't something new. It's recognizing the wisdom and abilities you already possess. This episode shares personal experiences and shamanic perspectives. It is not medical advice or a substitute for professional guidance regarding psychedelic substances or mental health. About Jan Engels-Smith Jan Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net. About Micah Schwader Micah Schwader is a transformational writing coach, editor, publisher, author, and shamanic practitioner who has spent more than 30 years helping people discover and express the stories that matter most. His work explores the intersection of writing, creativity, discernment, inner guidance, and personal transformation, helping writers move beyond formulas and external expectations to uncover what is authentically their own. Micah is the author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman and works with writers, authors, leaders, and creators to use writing as a means of exploration, discovery, and authentic expression. Learn more about Micah at ShamanSezz.com. For information about writing and publishing, visit InspiredLifePublications.com.

  5. Sep 21

    S2 E35 - Manifesting Miracles - Hold the Vibration: Trusting the Dream Before Seeing the Results

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast Hold the Vibration: Trusting the Dream Before Seeing the Results What happens when you believe in the life you're creating—but the results haven't shown up yet? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick - Manifesting Miracles, Jan Engels-Smith and members of the LightSong community explore what manifestation looks like in everyday life—not simply imagining what you want, but learning how to remain grounded, trusting, and connected to your vision when circumstances seem to say otherwise. Through personal stories and practical examples, the conversation explores the delicate balance between taking action and letting go of the outcome. How do you pursue a dream, build a business, make a major life change, or move through uncertainty without allowing fear, disappointing numbers, other people's opinions, or the constant need for external validation to take over? Jan shares one of the central teachings of the episode: "The only job that you have in this creation is holding the vibration." That doesn't mean sitting back and waiting for something magical to happen. It means noticing the energy from which you're acting. Are you creating from inspiration, trust, and possibility—or from fear, urgency, and desperation? The group discusses how easily the mind can turn uncertainty into worry, how slowing down and becoming present can interrupt that cycle, and why practices such as meditation, prayer, visualization, gratitude, and time spent in stillness can help us reconnect with what we know internally. You'll also hear creative and practical approaches to manifestation, including personalized AI vision boards, manifestation documents, gratitude lists, celebrating small successes, working with spiritual allies, and imagining how you would live today if the future you desire were already secure. The conversation also explores: Why small miracles build trust for bigger changes The difference between allowing and trying to control an outcome How constantly checking results can undermine your confidence Why turning a passion into something that has to succeed can drain the joy from it How to honor disappointment without allowing it to define what's possible Why appreciation for what you already have can change how you experience your life The importance of practicing a new way of being until it becomes more natural Leaving room for "this or something greater" than what you originally imagined Ultimately, this episode isn't simply about getting what you want. It's about learning to live differently while you're creating it. Instead of waiting for the perfect result before allowing yourself to feel successful, peaceful, abundant, or grateful, what if you practiced those qualities now? What if you celebrated the sale you made instead of worrying about the four you didn't? What if you noticed the small miracle instead of waiting for the enormous one? What if you stopped allowing one disappointing email, setback, or number to erase everything that's already working? Jan closes with a powerful invitation to look at the goodness that is already present in your life—and to celebrate it. Because manifestation isn't only about creating something you don't yet have. It's also about recognizing how much of the miracle is already here. About Jan Engels-Smith Jan Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net. Hashtags #LightSongTalkingStick #ManifestingMiracles #HoldTheVibration #Manifestation #Shamanism #ShamanicWisdom #TrustTheProcess #ConsciousCreation #Gratitude #CelebrateLife #Abundance #InnerKnowing #FollowYourHeart #SpiritualGrowth #PersonalTransformation #VisionBoard #CreativeVisualization #Allowing #Surrender #InnerGuidance #MindsetShift #SpiritualPractice #CreateYourLife #ThisOrSomethingGreater #EverydayMiracles

  6. Sep 21

    S2 E34 - Finding the Magic: Breaking Free from Doomscrolling and Choosing What Feeds You

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast Finding the Magic: Breaking Free from Doomscrolling and Choosing What Feeds You What are you feeding with your attention? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick, Jan Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore how easily we can become caught in the noise, conflict, fear, and constant stream of information surrounding us—and what happens when we consciously choose something different. The conversation begins with a phenomenon many of us know all too well: doomscrolling. Social media algorithms quickly learn what captures our attention. If we're drawn toward conflict, fear, outrage, conspiracy, or drama, we're likely to be shown more of it. Before long, that stream of information can begin to feel like an accurate picture of the entire world. But is it? Jan and Micah explore the difference between the world we're being shown and the world we actually experience when we step away from the screen and engage directly with life. The question becomes: What are we looking for? Are we continually searching for evidence that the world is dangerous, divided, and falling apart? Or are we also noticing beauty, kindness, creativity, possibility, and connection? From a shamanic perspective, Jan explains, attention is energy. What we continually focus upon affects our emotional and energetic state and influences how we experience our lives. The antidote doesn't require pretending difficult things aren't happening. It begins by deliberately noticing what else is here. A sunrise. The sky. The sound of the river. Thousands of shades of green in a forest. Music. Art. A conversation with someone you love. The simple experience of stepping outside and reconnecting with the natural world. The magic hasn't disappeared. We may simply have stopped noticing it. Jan and Micah discuss practical ways to interrupt the patterns that keep us trapped in fear or frustration: putting down the phone, changing what we consume online, spending time in nature, creating art, learning something new, taking a nap, changing our physical environment, and surrounding ourselves with people who support the life we're trying to create. We may not control everything happening around us, but we can become more conscious of what we give our attention to, what environments we place ourselves in, what stories we repeatedly tell, and what energy we choose to carry forward. Ask yourself how you feel after consuming something—and whether it is feeding you or draining you. And perhaps most importantly, ask: How do I want my life to be? Then begin making choices that support that life. Because even amid the noise, uncertainty, and chaos, the magic is still there. We simply have to choose to look for it. About Jan Engels-Smith Jan Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net. About Micah Schwader Micah Schwader is a transformational writing coach, editor, publisher, author, and shamanic practitioner who has spent more than 30 years helping people discover and express the stories that matter most. His work explores the intersection of writing, creativity, discernment, inner guidance, and personal transformation, helping writers move beyond formulas and external expectations to uncover what is authentically their own. Micah is the author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman and works with writers, authors, leaders, and creators to use writing as a means of exploration, discovery, and authentic expression. Learn more about Micah at ShamanSezz.com and InspiredLifePublications.com for information about writing and publishing.

  7. Aug 17

    S2 E33 - It's an Inside Job: How Our Beliefs Shape the World We Experience

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast - Manifesting Miracles It's an Inside Job: How Our Beliefs Shape the World We Experience What if the thing you most want to change isn't actually outside of you? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick - Manifesting Miracles, Jan Engels-Smith explores a foundational principle of shamanic practice and manifestation: lasting change begins within. Through questions and deeply personal stories from members of the LightSong community, Jan examines what happens when we stop trying to fix other people and begin paying attention to our own beliefs, expectations, judgments, and perceptions. The conversation begins with a difficult question about loving someone whose behavior has caused pain. How do we remain loving without expecting another person to change? Is it possible to accept someone exactly as they are while still honoring ourselves? And what role might challenging relationships play in our own spiritual evolution? Jan offers a deceptively simple answer: You don't have to change them. You change yourself. From there, the conversation opens into unconditional love, soul contracts, acceptance, and the ways our judgments can lock both ourselves and others into roles we've unconsciously assigned them. One participant shares a remarkable example from her own life. For years, she carried the painful belief that she was excluded by her family and that her father would never reach out to her. Rather than attempting to change him, she began examining the belief itself. She deliberately looked for evidence of inclusion, noticed the ways her father did express love, and interrupted the familiar thoughts that reinforced her old story. Then something unexpected happened. Her father called her. It was something he had never done throughout her adult life. For Jan, the story illustrates one of the central teachings of this conversation: change inside, and the world outside can begin to look very different. The discussion goes deeper into the nature of unconditional love. Is unconditional love truly possible while we're living a human life filled with opinions, reactions, and judgments? Jan suggests that learning about love is one of the purposes of being here—and that the difficult people and circumstances in our lives can become catalysts for that learning. Another participant shares an extraordinary experience after a severe injury in which her ordinary sense of identity disappeared. In its place was an overwhelming experience of oneness—a vast field in which there was no separation, conflict, personality, or judgment. There was simply love. She returned from the experience with one clear message: We are here to help each other. The group also explores the relationship between observation and reality, the energetic power of our opinions, shamanic journeying into possible futures, and what happens when we begin questioning beliefs we've previously treated as facts. Who have you placed into a category because of something they did years ago? What expectations are you carrying into your relationships? What belief about yourself or someone else have you repeated so often that it now feels like truth? And what might happen if you allowed something—or someone—to simply be? The episode closes with a word that captures much of the conversation: Allowing. Allowing doesn't mean approving of everything that happens. It means releasing the constant need to judge, label, control, or force an outcome. It creates the neutrality from which something new can emerge. Because ultimately, as one participant beautifully summarizes: "It's an inside job. All of the answers are within me." About Jan Engels-Smith Jan Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net.

  8. Aug 10

    S2 E32 - The Wounds and the Gifts: Reclaiming Your Creativity and Power

    LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast The Wounds and the Gifts: Reclaiming Your Creativity and Power What if the parts of yourself you learned to doubt were never missing at all? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick, Jan Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore creativity, imagination, self-worth, and the beliefs that can separate us from our natural sense of who we are. We enter life as creative beings, filled with curiosity, imagination, and possibility. Yet somewhere along the way, many of us receive messages that tell us we aren't talented enough, worthy enough, creative enough, or important enough. We learn to question our instincts, compare ourselves to others, and look outside ourselves for validation. Jan shares teachings from decades of shamanic work about the innate value of the human spirit and why imagination is one of our greatest creative powers. She describes how experiences such as bullying, rejection, and childhood wounds can shape an identity based on unworthiness—but also how those very wounds can point us toward gifts we developed because of them. As Jan puts it, the wounds and the gifts aren't on opposite sides of the coin. They're on the same side. Micah connects this idea to creativity and writing, exploring how beliefs about who we are can shut down creative expression. Whether through writing, painting, designing a home, inventing something new, imagining a different future, or simply creating the life we want to live, creativity is not reserved for people who call themselves artists. We are all creators. The conversation also explores the idea of writing your own creation story: not simply describing the beliefs you've inherited but consciously imagining what you choose to believe about yourself, Spirit, Source, and the life you are creating. Jan and Micah discuss how childhood dreams and visions can reveal something deeper about our nature, why children often arrive with distinct personalities and gifts already visible, and what might change if we learned to recognize those gifts rather than shaping everyone according to the same expectations. Along the way, they share stories about soul retrieval, art and inspiration, childhood dreams, twins with remarkably different personalities, an unexpected message from a newborn baby, and the mysterious ways our identities sometimes reveal themselves. Ultimately, this episode offers an invitation: Look back at the places where you were wounded, diminished, or taught to doubt yourself—and then look again. What strength did you develop? What gift emerged? Where have you already created something extraordinary despite believing you couldn't? And what becomes possible when you begin seeing yourself not through the limitations you've accumulated, but through the innate value, creativity, and possibility that were there all along? Your imagination matters. Your gifts matter. Your life has an impact. And perhaps reclaiming your power begins by remembering that. About Jan Engels-Smith Jan Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net. About Micah Schwader Micah Schwader is a transformational writing coach, editor, publisher, author, and shamanic practitioner who has spent more than 30 years helping people discover and express the stories that matter most. His work explores the intersection of writing, creativity, discernment, inner guidance, and personal transformation, helping writers move beyond formulas and external expectations to uncover what is authentically their own. Micah is the author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman and works with writers, authors, leaders, and creators to use writing as a means of exploration, discovery, and authentic expression. Learn more about Micah and his work in Life Coaching at ShamanSezz.com. For information about Micah's Writing Coaching, editing, and publishing work, visit inspiredlifepublications.com,

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The LightSong podcast discusses current issues of shamanism and energy medicine. Stay tuned weekly!

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