Happy Summer Solstice to all! The sun is at its most powerful and enlightening this weekend (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course), and the illumination it brings to my own shamanic practice and deep meditation aligns with my 15-year shamanniversary message (on Instagram):
(Instagram removed captions, please email if you need the transcript!)
Today begins open enrollment for The Green Snake School of Druid Shamanism! This sacred holiday highlights the need for ALL OF US to reclaim our own spiritual development and connection amidst catastrophic trauma & uncertainty.
Our first hybrid class won’t be until Sunday, August 17th (after Lughnasadh celebrations), and it will be both in-person and over Zoom.
Interested in learning together? Open enrollment involves a short video interview to discuss lessons, ethics, previous training, divination check-in, and goals for your future. To account for all of the myriad ways of learning and communication, we can also discuss things over email or in-person, whatever your comfort level (and to decrease nervousness). Due to my HOH disability, telephone calls are not accepted at this time.
Join me in building spiritual relationships, addressing the concerns of the Spirits of the Land, working in partnership with Otherworld beings, strengthening your own energetic & magical muscles, learning how to protect loved ones, and healing the ongoing trauma within our physical world!
(Note: click on each image to expand to its full size!)
Largest Tibetan Stupa in the world! Kathmandu, Nepal, photo by Monika Coyote (c) 2022
In the past 22 years, I dedicated my free time to world travel; I’ve visited Ireland, England, Wales, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada, Austria, Thailand, Japan, Korea, and others. However, international travel is expensive (even before post-Pandemic inflation), and I’ve needed 1.5-2 years to save for each trip. My teacher and jhankri, Bhola Banstola, invited me to a “shamanic-exchange program” in Nepal, and I needed help to afford the trip. My spiritual community contributed greatly with financial support and I am forever honored and thankful for their gifts.
The pilgrimage took place during the feast days of Durga, Navaratri, and was the longest period of time I’ve ever spent in another country (15 days)! Although I tried to research the language, social etiquette, food, and gender-conforming behaviors of Nepal (difficult for this queer shaman, but a needed adaptation out of respect for another culture), there was no possible way I could prepare myself for the magic of Nepal.
Flag of Nepal, (c) Monika Coyote, 2022
As a North American Druid of 24 years, I learned through my initiatory studies that Vedism, Hinduism, and Irish/Norse ancestral practices had somewhat similar roots in proto-Indo-European history and cultural anthropology. I was invited to this pilgrimage not only to further my studies of Nepali Shamanism, but to share in cultural exchange my own Druid practices, agricultural/pagan ceremonies, songs, chants, and similar magics.
Votive offerings representing the power of Fire, sacred to both Nepali & Druid shamanism, (c) Monika Coyote, 2022
Physically, the limits of my endurance were tested in many ways. Upon arriving in Kathmandu and joining the spiritual tour group, I discovered that there was no safe drinking water in all of Nepal; I would have to purchase bottles of water throughout the entirety of my stay. Thankfully, liters of water were priced at 30 rupees, around $0.25 USD, so I set aside funds to cover the 2 weeks. However, not every town we visited had extra water to sell to travelers, and my hydration was tested by conserving the water that I had for the day. Note: For those making the trek to Nepal, this water bottle was a life-saver for many of my friends!
I also attempted to prepare my body physically for mountain hikes at 10,000 feet. I have hiked along the Appalachian Trail for over a decade, as well as the mountains and volcanoes of Arizona (which rise up to almost 8200 feet). I practiced the necessary breathing techniques for bringing more oxygen into the lungs. I worked out at the gym many times a week.
Readers, I needed MORE fitness preparation!
The trek to Mount Shailung, the Navel of the Earth (a sacred area of multiple shrines dedicated to Shiva), reached 10,800 feet, and took 7 hours. While there were stops for chants, offerings, blessings, and lunch, I can remember my world narrowing to breathing in, breathing out, stepping up, resting, and repeating these steps for the last hour to the summit.
Thankfully, the rest of the trekking through Nepal was at lower elevation, and for shorter amounts of time. I am so grateful for the shared experience of sweat, tears, and physical exertion as offerings to the Spirits!
Mentally and emotionally, I was forced to adapt quickly to the unknown, release control, and stretch my capacity to acclimate to another culture. My routine before visiting another country includes practicing with a language app (Rosetta Stone is my favorite), but Nepali was not a listed language within the application! Not being able to practice a few key phrases first, I prayed that I would pick up the basics. Additionally, I was alone in my travels, and I was joining a spiritual group in which I only knew the teacher. My Scorpio-boundaries were on high alert for fakers, phonies, and emotional vampires (a sad reality of USA shamanic culture), but I was uplifted by the wholesomeness of almost every single member of the group!
Nagarkot, group photo after 9 hours of healing rituals, (C) Monika Coyote, 2022
As we traveled to different places across Nepal, I began to truly appreciate the differences between Druid shamanism and Nepali Shamanism. In my training, I was taught to dive deep into my own Ego, Shadow, and personal limitations so that I could trust in my intuition when working with the Spirits. In observing the different shamans that visited us within the Himalayas (Nepal, India, and Bangladesh) I learned that almost all ritual is based in tradition, lineage transmission, and the repetition of long, descriptive chants to both invite and petition the Spirits. This meant that our training programs were completely different, and the value placed on relationships between the shamans and the Spirits had some overlap, but not as much as I had hoped. My endurance was also tested regarding the intensity & length of ceremony; mine usually last between 2-4 hours, but the healing ceremonies of Nepal lasted between 9-15 hours! My mental focus was certainly tested to the max, and during some rituals, I was worried that I wouldn’t make it to the end…
Spiritually, I struggled with finding my place within the cultural norms and restrictions of Nepali shamanic practices. My magical ability comes from my training in differentiating between Ego and Intuition, which means that I must trust that the Spirits will guide me towards what is needed for each individual (following a strong ethical practice, of course). This is mostly due to the fact that Druid practices come from a broken tradition, in which religious colonizers destroyed almost all of the oral lineages of Druid mysteries. Visiting a culture that had an unbroken tradition for millennia I was able to understand how the magical practices evolved towards mantra, petitioning of Spirits, and the holiness of ancestral lineages. I struggled with the endurance needed to practice 108 recitations of a specific mantra, keeping each chant as similar as possible as the previous one, and focusing the entirety of my energy on it.
Saint Alma, (c) 2023Saint Alma bringing healing, (c) Monika Coyote, 2022Coyote & Saint laughing together, (c) Monika Coyote, 2022
In Nepal, almost all magical offerings and ritual work is done with the right hand. While my right hand is my dominant hand for tasks, my magical hand is actually my left, and I needed the full two weeks of ritual in order to become comfortable in switching to my right side. Elder Alma, the blessed saint of the Tulsi plant, paid special attention to me to ensure I didn’t mistakenly use the wrong hand (and I have the memory of bruises on my head to remind me years later)!
At the end of our pilgrimage we returned to Kathmandu for a large celebration and final blessing ceremony.
Monika Coyote (c) 2022Monika Coyote (c) 2022
This was the capstone that helped to integrate all of ceremonies, treks, conversations, and divine experiences. I remember feeling a powerful dizziness as Bhola placed the tika on my third-eye, and a flood of images and ideas moved through my gently-shaking body before I settled down and wrote as much as I could in my journal.
Our pilgrimage group! (c) 2022
The beauty and power of this trip has stayed with me each and every day. It has helped me to restructure the ways in which I call to the Spirits, inspired me to write new songs of invocation, and has increased my knowledge of soul retrieval, kila – phurba work, and the importance of honoring the Ancestors first in all ceremonies.
While many of our rituals were dedicated to Durga and Shiva, I found myself in closer relationship to Ma Kali. She was always just at the periphery of my vision, ensuring that I strictly followed the ceremonial prep and ritual steps according to the jhankri’s instructions. She also made Herself known during cremation ceremonies:
Monika Coyote (c) 2022Monika Coyote (c) 2022
With a deity as empowered with Divine Truth as Kali, I discovered that her instruction didn’t end when I returned to the States. Within a few months of my return to Appalachia, I left an emotionally- and financially-abusive relationship, I moved from a rural animal-rescue farm to an historic city, and I returned to full-time psychological work.
These massive life-changes helped to integrate the initiatory experiences of my pilgrimage, and helped me to adjust my shamanic practice to better fit the needs of the spiritual community that I serve (now on evenings, weekends, and holidays).
Now, almost two and a half years later, this Coyote is ready for another adventure, aaaaoooooooo!
This healing ritual is open to all, free of charge, as a gift to the spiritual community that supports shamanic healing work! We’ll start promptly at 7pm EST, and if you can’t make it, Facebook LIVE will keep a copy of the video ceremony on my Page.
(from Wikicommons, public license, Michaux State Forest in PA)
How can we humans connect and communicate with the lands near us? Forests, rural areas, farmlands, battlegrounds, cities – all have a symbolic communication system that can be learned.
Join Rev Monika Kojote for an in-person workshop at Strawberry Hill Foundation (in Fairfield, PA) as we dive into techniques that help provide a personal system for creating a language that’s more than just spontaneous intuition. We’ll explore the data, both repeatable and observable (via omens, the behavior of flora and fauna, etc.). Discussion of the evolution of a land area will also be included, as well as the careful debate of what really is an “invasive” species?
$15 per person, 11:00am to 12:00 noon Saturday, March 16th, 2024
A little over a decade ago, I deeply mourned the loss of a psychiatric client on Yule (2013). I worked at a psychiatric facility, and she was assigned to my caseload. Back then, I was straddling the difficult divide between my psychology career and my shamanic career, and I reached out numerous times to my teachers and supervisors for guidance.
Near the end of her life, the Spirits helped me to understand the very difficult lesson that all shamans reach: They put me where I am most needed, They “assign” me individuals with whom to work, and They are my supervisors when it concerns matters of Soul.
On this anniversary, please honor her story, her memory, and her healing (original article posted 30 January 2014, and published in Witchvox & Pagan Education Network).
This is the hardest blog article I’ve ever had to write.
My psychiatric client, of whom I’ve written of before, died. In fact, she died on Yule, around 3am (December 20, 2013).
She struggled with Schizophrenia her whole life, which affected her ability to cope with the ravages of her pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and the very limited prognosis that was told to her by doctors. Of all the worries, paranoid delusions, uncertainties, and frustrations that she had to deal with, her greatest fear was of being alone, and dying alone.
I worked with this beautiful soul every day for a solid year: I got to know her very well, and worked very hard to keep her body healthy so that she could talk with me about her life (and keep her mind healthy). Near the end, I called her every day at the hospital, went in on weekends during medical emergencies, visited at least twice a week, and spoke to over 20+ doctors & nurses in order to make sure that they respected her wishes, and treated her like a smart, independent woman who could advocate for herself. Many times, her paranoid delusions would cause her to lash out in anger and fear, but I always tried to make myself available to counsel her through it, and to help her say what she really meant.
As much as I was able to, I wanted her to feel like she was supported, and that she was Not Alone.
A week before she died, she stopped eating, stopped drinking fluids, and stopped taking her medications. She wasn’t able to talk, or even verbalize any grunts. But because of our shared therapeutic relationship, I could easily pick up on her wishes, as she rolled her eyes (she desperately wanted to smoke a cigarette!) or adjusted her body towards me when I asked to give her a quick hug.
She had already received Last Rites from a Catholic priest, but as she was unable to verbally pray anymore, the priest visits had drastically reduced. During one visit, I witnessed the incredible fear in her eyes (I had not visited for ~4 days), and immediately reminded her that I was there, and that I would not leave her alone. I brought a ceramic figurine of an angel, and placed it near her bed, while I pulled up a chair and sat on the other side. She needed comfort, and although she disliked physical touch (many schizophrenic clients do, it’s too much stimulation and can immediately trigger violent voices), I asked her if she wanted me to hold her hand during the time I was there. She nodded faintly, and I held it.
As we sat there, I was told quite clearly by my Spirits to begin talking with her about Death.
Now this may seem cruel on the surface, but I was guided by my instincts and the Spirits not to talk about the process of death (because that is a mystery to all who have not died), but to talk about What Happens After. Shamanic Journeys are often called “little deaths” because the Journeys occur outside of space and time, and visiting Ancestors, Mighty Dead, etc. can sometimes be as simple as asking to speak with Them.**
So I started talking. I moved from holding her hand to stroking her hair (she loved to get her hair done, and would completely zone out in a meditative state as someone brushed her hair). She quickly felt calmer, her rapid breathing balanced out, and she closed her eyes. I spoke of what my Spirits have shown me about the reconciliation and rehabilitation of the Soul after death. I spoke of the love of her family members, who have all gone to death before her, and how they would be with her, to welcome her home. I spoke of Helping Spirits, Angels, and all the Others that would be with her to direct her to her next phase. And I promised her that at her moment of death, if she was scared and alone, that I myself would come and link her to her loved ones.
Well, the moment came. She died at 3:20am on December 20th. And I was paralyzed with grief.
Psychopomp work is often done within three days of a person’s death, and although I planned out each evening to Journey to her, I was frozen. I could not pick up my rattle. I ended up making a supportive Crystal Grid for her, with Smoky Quartz, sticks of Yew, Chiastolite (crossroads stone), and others. I spoke out loud to her, and told her of my love for her and my joy for the end of her suffering.
But I could not Journey, and I could not rattle.
A week passed by. I started to catch my breath a bit. And WHAM– Two by Four, courtesy of Brigid, great goddess of Healing (and one of my Patrons). My skin exploded into a giant rash– itchy, inflamed, and it would not go away!
Like a true Coyote, I could not figure out what had happened! It took me another two days before I finally heard Her strongly in my head– “You did not keep your promise. If you are gonna do this Work (shamanism), do what you say!”
I was deeply embarrassed and disappointed in myself. I have some Shadow Work regarding death (even though I know quite a lot about it, I am still processing my father’s death, and all of the self-exploration that entails), and it had completely overtaken me.
I immediately set up my altar space in my room, grabbed my rattle, Grounded & Centered, and Journeyed. Coyote popped up immediately, gave me a hug, steadied me, and away we ran.
He took me to the exact moment of her death in the hospital. She was waiting for me.
I burst into tears.
Again, I was so disappointed in myself, but I also was thankful that I was making up for it now. Coyote reminded me that space & time are really wonky, and I realized that even though it took me over a week to get it together, I was with her at her moment of death, and I was fulfilling my promise to her right now!
She looked at me, and had the most delightfully confused look on her face. “Monika?” she whispered. “Yep,” I replied, “I told you that I’d be here for you. And although everyone faces death alone, you are Not Alone at all, and everyone’s waiting for you.” At that moment, the ceramic angel by her bedside grew, and became huge, ethereal, and glowing. I bowed, and asked if I needed to do anything (such as Soul Retrieval, etc.) for my dear client. The Angel gave me the impression that It could handle everything for her, and that I was there to both bear witness and to honor her.
It became very bright in that hospital room, and although I wasn’t permitted to perceive any images within the glow, the emotions I felt were overwhelming. I was moved to sing, and Handel’s Messiah Chorus popped into my head (instincts work so well in Journey space!). As I sang “He Shall Feed His Flock,” I could feel the moment my client received healing from her schizophrenia. I could feel the moment that she reunited with her mother and sister and father. And I could feel the moment that she fully left the Middle World for her own perception of Heaven.
I am still working through my own grief for her, mixed with emotions from my father’s passing (not too long ago). But I am so thankful to Brigid and Coyote for helping me to push through my own blockages, to fulfill my promise to her. And I am thankful for all of my Helping Spirits, especially the numerous Psychopomps that I work with (Coyote, Manannan mac Lir, Odin, Freya, Hermes, and others) for teaching me about this important Work (although Brigid was instrumental in my Two-by-Four moment, I don’t usually associate her with psychopomp work).
Hail the Gods, and Hail the Mighty Dead!
Stalina Collins, rest in peace my dear
** DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT TRAINING. And not just training from Spirits, but training from human teachers. There is great danger in visiting the Dead without a guide, or training, etc. It is very easy for spirits to masquerade as an Ancestor in order to manipulate you. You MUST have good judgement for this type of work. Remember: All That Is Dead Is Not Wise.
One of the most difficult things for many Pagans during the Wintertime is the evaluation and remembrance of spiritual contracts, agreements, and responsibilities. During times of hardship, many of us only have enough energy to work on our own survival.
For those that missed it, and for those that need the refresher, here is the link to our community’s online Samhain ritual, via Facebook:
(And in case the HTML doesn’t go through, here’s the direct link (you must have a Facebook account, sadly: https://fb.watch/p0cPKyNTnE/ )
Hello wonderful readers– I am excited to share with you the news for October, as there are ongoing changes to Kojote & Kroh Shamanism.
The Wild Hunt, from Wikicommons, public license
In the continual unearthing of shady business practices, I have discovered that my Patreon account is both charging me double fees and double taxing me, ouch! The support that I receive from you, beloved Community, gets taxed upon receipt into my account (and fees taken out), and then gets taxed AGAIN when I transfer it to PayPal (and fees are taken out a second time, too)! Gah, it’s become extremely difficult to work with different online platforms that value predatory marketing practices over my small business needs.
Just as I will no longer be using the Zoom platform for online ceremonies, mentoring, and/or teaching (I will return back to Skype, which I have used for many years before the Pandemic), I will no longer be working with Patreon anymore. These losses, on top of cancelling my YouTube channel (who used my free content to manipulate customers into paying for a membership in order to avoid ads), have me sooooo frustrated– Growl and Rawr!
My personal purification practices are the guidance that gets me through these wacky days! Within my understanding, shamanism addresses the root causes of trauma, manipulation, soul loss, colonization, social injustice, and more. Living in a Xtian patriarchal capitalist country means that in order to address the problematic roots that feed this nation’s foundation, I must “walk my talk” and role model how to walk away/disengage from predatory institutions, groups, and individuals. It is part of the ever-ongoing Initiation Crises that weed out the pretend-healers & cultural appropriators from those of us doing Deep Work to shift major broken patterns and provide healing.
Thankfully, I have been invited to deepen my Druid work (and concurrently, decolonize shamanism within the States) by my teachers, which means that my schedule is shifting to accommodate the new work-life balance. I will still be offering individual healing ceremonies, weddings, funerals, baby blessings, online Druid rituals, and mentoring, but only on weekends.
Our healing-support working group for the American public, lands, and climate is meeting together for the month of August, come join us!
Most of of us who have trained in spiritual healing techniques, psychopomp work, Soul Retrieval, lead healing, and other forms of group healing are being asked to step up and HELP our Gods and to help the Earth Mother. Those of us who have Answered the Call have been working together for almost 4 full years. Now we need YOU to join us!
We will meet together, over SKYPE, to Journey to our Helping Spirits, to hear Their words, and to creatively work together to forge strong bonds of power and healing. We will also problem-solve ideas for preparing for continual, unexpected change, knowing that together we will ENDURE.
PREREQUISITES: In order to be effectively prepared for this type of work, attendees must have at least a few months of Journey work/active meditation experience as well as a strong relationship with at least one Helping Spirit. Clairvoyance (i.e., psychic visualization skills) is not needed as the primary form of communication within the Otherworlds, but students should feel somewhat confident in their ability to discern the difference between Ego Projection and Divine Inspiration
Hello wonderful readers– I am excited to share with you the workshops and news for the end of August, huzzah!
(c) Rev Monika Kojote, 2023, kayaking in the Pine Barrens of NJ
These super-hot weeks of August have made it difficult to play on South Mountain, but I have filled my days with linage transmissions from my jhankri, Bhola, advanced ethics instruction from my psychology memberships, and major adjustments to my business model.
Sadly, these post Pandemic times have really unearthed incredibly shady & predatory practices from some of the online supports that I use. As of August 25th, I will no longer be using the Zoom platform for online ceremonies, mentoring, and/or teaching. I will fall back to Skype, which I have used for many years before the Pandemic, and I also have access to Discord, which I find to be the most ethical platform at this time.
Additionally, I have cancelled my YouTube channel. YouTube now charges for an ad-free experience, and has inserted numerous commercials into my ceremonies without my permission, and is making money off my FREE content without any offer of profit-sharing.
Ugh, these are rough times, and a strong bullshit meter is needed to maintain a clear path for safe Community Work!
Thankfully, our Medusa group (27th August) is going strong, and the Patreon model is helping to meet fixed-income and disenfranchised folx healing needs.
Finally, for those in northeast Pennsylvania, I’ll be presenting at the very first NEPA Pagan Pride Day this coming Saturday!
Kojote & Kroh Shamanism 