I
have had more experience with cancer then I ever expected, or wanted. But we can’t chose what comes into our lives, we can simply decide to deal with it or not. I have not had cancer, but many people in my circle of family and friends have had cancer experiences, especially many of the women who have had breast cancer.
I have brought shamanic healing energy to those who wished to receive it and care-giving energy only to those who did not. So I will speak to cancer from a shamanic perspective and from the perspective of one with close experiences with cancer.
So, here we go, with some questions many ask. How do we battle cancer when it comes into our physical being? What are the best ways to fight this fiendish opponent? Can we win the war with cancer or only expect to win some battles?
The media, advertisements, drug companies and other sources talk about fighting cancer and how you must battle it with all your strength. But still, how best to do this?
My advice, at this point in our talk together, is to stop fighting cancer as an enemy. Forget about going to war or into battle with some enemy without.
Quit asking if you can win the war. Instead, begin to go into your heart and spirit and start to understand the cancer within you. For some, this is easier than others. And I know it is easier to say than to do.
But it is the way to begin to see the best way ahead for yourself as you work with the cancer affecting you.
For those shaking their heads and mouthing “crazy nut job” as you read this, hang with me a little longer. You can always judge me later.
Any disease we humans can contract becomes a part of us. The spiritual, shamanic means to deal with it is, as I said, accept it as part of you, work alone or with a spiritual guide to feel and understand it and then connect with your ‘inner doctor’ (your spirit, heart, soul, whatever term you use) to understand the best way forward.
Cancer is an especially pertinent disease to use this process and to treat shamanically. Cancer cells are in each of our bodies and sometimes begin to mutate and become the ‘cancer’ disease we all know.
No matter what means we use to treat it, if it goes into remission, it still remains with us. I will give an example of this in a moment.
If we go “into battle” or try to “fight” cancer, we are setting ourselves up for failure. If we begin to make decisions about how we wish to be treated based on understanding the cancer as part of us, we have a much better chance to work with it in a way it again becomes just more cells in our body.
Not only is this so physically, but mentally and emotionally, we are better prepared to deal with these mutating cells more energetically and with less fear. Fear that becomes a true enemy if we let it control us.
Like all diseases that become a problem for us, cancer is a symptom of deeper issues. It is these issues, the true causes of cancer, or heart disease or diabetes, etc., that we need to explore and understand. Often, by doing this, we can eliminate the disease or greatly lessen its effects.
Where do these thoughts come from? First, from teachings given to me by many indigenous elders over the years and by some alternative healers I have worked with.
Also, oddly, from some Western medicine doctors who are beginning to look at how we deal with and treat cancer. And, secondly, through my own experiences and work as a shamanic practitioner and an intuitive psychotherapist. Ugh! Titles.
I hate them, they label me and others, but sometimes are needed for clarity. I consider myself a human being who has been taught many healing ways and is honoured to use them when asked. See? Too long and clumsy.
I have seen many people decide the cancer they battled was too strong for them and so they stepped off the physical world rather quickly. I have seen others I have worked with understand and accept their cancer and live longer, healthier lives.
The decision is for each individual to undertake. There are no givens and no silver bullets. And I have also been taught that, at some time, it is our turn to surrender our physical body and return to our energy/spirit form.
When this time comes, some disease will take us off. That is the circle of existence. But eliminating these areas, I have seen the peaceful work with cancer yield much better results than fear and fight.
My wife prior to Sue, my current partner, Bonnie, contracted cancer of the breast at 45. She was given a year to live. She mixed strong mental and spiritual work on her cancer and Western medicine. An odd mix, but it worked for her. To an extent.
She and I sat and talked at length. Our daughter was still in high school and Bonnie said, “I don’t accept this. I will work with my body, cancer and all, and live another 20 years”. She had surgery, chemo and radiation at that time, methods I saw take a huge toll on her. Her choice.
And… she lived for 20 years with the cancer dormant. Not ‘cancer-free’, that is another disservice the medical community does for us. We are never cancer free. And someone who has their cancer cells become malignant is never again free of them.
But we can work to have the cancer become passive again. After 20 years, the cancer again appeared, the same type.
She again went to Western medicine, which was a huge challenge for me since I know so many shamanic healing techniques I could have offered. But her choice.
After 3 years she decided it was enough and quit all medicines and treatments, allowing us 10 months with her not as affected by the horrible effects of chemo and drugs.
In fact, more and more researchers are finding that chemo and drugs are not only ineffective, but can cause more harm than cancer (i.e. – see Dr. Hardin B. Jones and others).
Other people have come to me in huge fear and panic and have told me they will lose to their cancer and die soon. Some cite their medical doctor’s predictions, another huge disservice of some.
Some of these I have worked with using journeying, dark soul escape, spirit medicine and other shamanic techniques taught to me in the jungles and forests of Central America and they have managed to accept and work with their cancer.
Most of these patients are still alive and minimally affected by cancer. Some died of other causes and a few could not hold their belief in these methods. Others, including a close relative, decided their doctors were right and the end was near, and so it was.
Bonnie, shortly before she passed over, shared with me that the chemo, surgery and drugs were not a good choice, but she was good with having made it. She was very pleased she had chosen to walk from them and have some quality of life at the end.
She apologised to me for not allowing me to bring my spiritual medicine to bear. This was not necessary or part of what we needed. We both talked that through and made peace with it.
Know and understand your cancer. Feel and accept it. Work on losing fear. Then chose the tools you need to address it. And, most importantly, address the underlying causes.
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Jim Graywolf Petruzzi – Shamanic Practitioner
