It has long been known that shamans work with spiritual allies. The belief is that these allies are what give the shaman his or her power for healing and miraculous results in moving energy. The allies are intimate companions of the shaman. These allies are honored with offerings of food, flowers, tobacco, and other gifts as an expression of respect and appreciation and to establish a strong relationship that creates a strong bond between the shaman and these accommodating allies.

The most common shamanic allies are power animals and spiritual teachers. (For more information on this subject, see my article in the April 2014 issue of the Sedona Journal titled "The Mystery and Magic of Power Animals.") In this article, I will expand on the use of allies in shamanic work and refer to very specific uses of allies for everyday living. Much of what I will discuss I learned from Betsy Bergstrom, a friend and colleague of mine and an incredible shamanic practitioner.

There are three worlds — upper, lower, and middle — in which a shaman typically journeys in an altered state of reality. The allies found in these worlds often vary in form and nature. In the style of shamanism that I teach, the upper- and lower-world allies are benevolent, and these two particular worlds are havens of compassion and generosity. These worlds and the information obtained from allies in these places can be confidently assumed to be safe and loving. You can trust the information will be of the highest good.