In 1987, while undergoing a time of profound personal suffering, a compassionate spirit spontaneously took pity on me, and graced me with the healing of my decades-long clinical depression.

My life was changed forever.

In 1992 I began intensive training with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS). The Foundation certified me as a Harner Method Shamanic Counselor in 1993.

I completed the FSS Three Year program with Sandra Ingerman, and later trained in and assisted her in teaching Medicine for the Earth. Over the years I also have been blessed to study with a number of indigenous shamans, including Ailo Gaup, Sobonfu Some, Malidoma Some, and Martin Prechtel.

I have been teaching and providing shamanic healing, counseling and consulting since 1992. I enjoy teaching introductory courses, intermediate courses, and training others in the shamanic healing arts.

I served on the Circle of Elders of ShamanicTeachers.com.

I also have pioneered in applying shamanic practices to social healing. I have published about this work in The Sacred Hoop, Reclaiming Quarterly, The Journal of Shamanic Practice, Alternatives Magazine, and Journal of Contemporary Shamanism.

Shamanic CV

• 1987, Spontaneous shamanic healing and initiation; began reading general spiritual texts

• 1990, Found texts on shamanism

• 1991, Sandra Ingerman’s book Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self published; contacted her for training

• 1992, Began intensive training with Ingerman, Michael Harner and others through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS)

• 1992, Developed and taught The Shamanic Journey for the University of Washington Experimental College

• 1992, Opened shamanic healing and counseling practice in Seattle

• 1993, FSS certified as a Harner Method Shamanic Counselor

• 1993, Ordained by the Association for the Integration of the Whole Person (AIWP)

• 1993, Designed and began offering Shamanic Empowerment Circles

• 1994, Designed and began offering intermediate courses

• 1994, Opened office in downtown Seattle

• 1995, Designed and hosted first annual Dreaming the Dark Winter Solstice ritual celebration

• 1995, Training in Shamanism, Peacemaking & Community with Myron Eshowsky

• 1996, Designed and offered first Shamanic Healing Apprenticeship Program (SHAP), in Seattle

• 1997, Graduated first SHAP class

• 1998, Began teaching in San Francisco Bay Area

• 1999, Founded Circle of the Living Earth as a congregation of AIWP, receiving 501(c)3 status

• 2000, Consulted with Kaiser Permanente on grant application to National Institutes of Health to study measuring the effects of shamanic healing; DRUMS grant awarded in 2002, the first NIH-funded study of shamanism

• 2001, Initiated the first Reweaving the Web circle, to seek spiritual guidance for healing social wounds

• 2001, Trained as a Medicine for the Earth teacher with Sandra Ingerman

• 2002, Taught Drum Making and Shamanic Empowerment Weekend at Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Seattle

• 2002, Designed and offered first Shamanism for Activists training, in San Francisco Bay Area

• 2002, Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine offered the Shamanic Healing Apprenticeship Program 

• 2002, Developed The Spirits of Qi: A Shamanic Exploration of Chinese Medicine, and taught it at Bastyr University, Seattle

• 2003, Began teaching and practicing in Portland, OR

• 2003, Served as shamanic practitioner in the pilot for the NIH-funded DRUMS study at Kaiser Permanente

• 2003, Designed and led a World Soul Retrieval Day Workshop, SF Bay Area

• 2003, Published Medicine for the Earth: A Conversation with Sandra Ingerman, in Reclaiming Quarterly

• 2003, Graduated first Bay Area SHAP class

• 2004, Initiated shamanic healing processes on behalf of a distressed Portland community

• 2005, Published Dreaming the Dark: Celebrating Our Source, in The Sacred Hoop

• 2005, Graduated first Portland SHAP class

• 2005, Performed shamanic healing work to heal historic trauma in Greensboro, NC, at the invitation of the Beloved Community Center.

• 2006, Initiated, co-designed and co-led a national, interfaith peacemaking ritual across from the White House, to heal the history of violence in the name of religion, for the Network of Spiritual Progressives.

• 2006, Designed and led public, interfaith peacemaking rituals for the Northeast Portland Interfaith Peace Group

• 2006, First Dreaming the Dark Winter Solstice Retreat

• 2007, Published Ritual and Activism: The Alchemy of Social Transformation, in The Sacred Hoop and Alternatives Magazine

• 2007, Graduated third Portland SHAP class

• 2008, Joined other interfaith leaders on an Institute of Noetic Sciences panel, discussing Science, Faith and Activism for a New Cosmology

• 2008, Presented Healing the Roots of American Violence at the Campaign for a U.S. Dept. of Peace Conference

• 2008, Produced Coronation of the Collective Heart, a public peacemaking ritual for Building Cultures of Peace, the national conference of the Peace and Justice Studies Association.

• 2009, Presented Shamanism for Activists: The Alchemy of Social Transformation on Why Shamanism Now? radio

• 2009, Completed writing AMERICAN UBUNTU, a feature-length screenplay with a young shaman heroine

• 2010-2011, International Walkabout

• 2011, Presented Responding to Occupy Wall Street on Why Shamanism Now? radio

• 2012, Offered Occupy Sacred Space workshops

• 2013-present, Lead AMERICAN UBUNTU shamanic circle to bring this healing story to the screen

• 2014, Published Jonathan Horwitz Talks with Lenore Norrgard About Shamanic Activism in Journal of Contemporary Shamanism

• 2014, Community Ritual & Ceremony interview on Why Shamanism Now? radio; with Kent Dorsey

• 2014, Presented Conjure Dance workshops; with Kent Dorsey

• 2014, Presented Surgery, Hospitals & Shamanism: Optimizing Healing teleseminar

• 2015, Presented Drum Making workshop

• 2015, Presented Shamanic Empowerment course

• 2017, Published Sacred Activism and Shining Lessons from Standing Rock in The Sacred Hoop

• ​2018, Completed training in Ancestral Lineage Repair with Daniel Foor

• 2019, Presented Our Ancestors, Ourselves talks at Sno-Isle Public Libraries

• 2020, Began offering Healing Our Ancestors, Healing Ourselves circles

• 2024, Accepted appointment to the Circle of Elders for shamanicteachers.com

• 2025, Presented Shamanism: An Introduction for 18-40 year olds at Healing Circles Langley

• 2026, Published Shamanic Callings: Finding Our Way

Courses Taught

The Shamanic Journey
Shamanic Empowerment Circles and Weekends
The Spirits of Nature
Creating Shamanic Rituals for Positive Transformation
Spring Equinox Celebration
Dreaming the Dark Winter Solstice Ritual Celebrations
Drum Making
Rattle Making
Shamanic Healing Apprenticeship Program (SHAP)

• Power restoration

• Divination

• Empowerment counseling

• Ritual design and enactment

• Extraction healing

• Peacemaking

• Death and dying

• Medicine for the Earth

• Soul retrieval healing and reintegration

Shamanism for Activists
World Soul Retrieval Day Workshop
The Spirits of Qi: A Shamanic Exploration of Chinese Medicine
Body-Centered Shamanism
Indigenous Peacemaking
Reweaving the Web
Medicine for the Earth
Dreaming the Dark Winter Solstice Retreats
A Manifestation Ritual: For Your Best Dreams
To Be A Healer: The Shamanic Call
SHAP Graduate Mentoring Circle
Ritual and Activism: The Alchemy of Social Transformation
Our Ancestors, Ourselves: Healing Our Collective History
Coronation of the Collective Heart
Beginning Shamanic Journeying - distance course
Reweaving the Web: Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World
Distance Journey Circles
Occupy Sacred Space workshops
The Conjure Dance
Surgery, Hospitals and Shamanism: Optimizing Healing
Solstice Ritual: in Support of Black Lives
Healing Our Ancestors, Healing Ourselves circles

About Lenore

I was called to the shamanic path in 1987, when I was a journalist and a social activist – I was not a "spiritual person."

Lenore Norrgard, CSC