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Finding our true natures. Creating reciprocal relationships in the places where we live. Communing with the spirits within and around us. Learn More
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Guides for Spiritual Practice

Books, audio courses, journals, and subscriptions based on shamanism, meditation, psychospiritual and nature-based research help create meaningful, personal spiritual practices.

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Personal Evolution Counseling and Entured Sessions Pink Sky

Personal  Evolution  Counseling®

Shamanic Counseling ∴ Intuitive Consulting ∴ Energy Healing

Personal Evolution Counseling sessions combine shamanism, intuition and energy healing to provide a customized plan for spiritual healing, personal growth, and emotional well-being.

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Shamanic Classes & Circles

Join a gathering for shamanic journeying, creating strong energetic boundaries, connecting with spirit and nature, and creating community.

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GUIDES FOR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: BOOKS & AUDIO

Learn at your own pace, in your own place. Practical guides to spiritual well-being.

Shining Bright WIthout Burning Out Sounds True Audio Course Cover ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Shining Bright Without Burning Out:
Spiritual Tools for Creating Healthy Energetic Boundaries in an Overconnected World

Shamanism for Every Day: 365 Journeys book ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Shamanism for Every Day:
365 Journeys

"Inner Divinity: Crafting Your Life With Sacred Intelligence", shamanic counselor and teacher Mara Bishop’s book, helps you rediscover your intuitive instincts and keys to finding peace, power and a life you love ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Inner Divinity:
Crafting Your Life with Sacred Intelligence

MORE ABOUT ALL GUIDES: BOOKS, AUDIO, JOURNALS

PRIVATE SESSIONS

One-on-one sessions for personal guidance, support, or spiritual work.

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Private Enatured™ sessions guide you through a process of consciously engaging your environment for relationship, support, and restoration. What are you seeking?

Personal Evolution Counseling ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Personal Evolution Counseling™ sessions combine shamanic counseling, intuitive consulting, and energy-based healing methods.

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CLASSES & Circles

Introductions and deep explorations. Regular gatherings and periodic classes. WholeSpirit offers a wide range of courses and circles for you to explore in groups.

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365 Journeys Circle:
Monthly Open Online Gathering

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One-Year
Mentoring Groups

Pink lotus flower in pond – Navigating Your Energy Ecosystem provides tools to create healthy spiritual boundaries, enhance your aura, and evolve towards deep empowerment ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Energy Ecosystem™
Shining Bright:
Energetic Boundaries & Burnout Prevention

Backyard Shamanism: Find Your Power at Home taught by Mara Bishop. Blue and black butterfly represents transformation and personal evolution through connection to animals, plants, elements and spirits of place ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Backyard Shamanism:
Finding Your Power at Home
 

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Enatured™
Find Your True Nature Through Nature

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Shamanic Journeying:
Your Personal Pantheon

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CALENDAR

7/16

365 Journeys Circle - Canceled

7/2

Inner Divinity Author Q & A

8/20

365 Journeys Circle

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LATEST BLOG POSTS

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PODCASTS & INTERVIEWS

Shining Bright Without Burning Out:
with Tami Simon, Insights at the Edge

Finding Your True Nature in Nature
Rebellious Wellness w/Greg Cox

Unpacking Possibility w/ Dr. Traci Stein Pt 2
On Shamanism for Every Day

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ARTICLES

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How to Bloom in the Dark
Self-Compassion, Compost and Nature

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Energetic Inflammation:
Cause, Effect, Relief

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Society for Shamanic Practice
Discussion of Shamanism for Every Day

How Do You Shine Bright? Sun image from Sounds True blog ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

How Do You Shine Bright?
Managing Your Energy Ecosystem™

Backyard Shamanism: Find Your Power at Home taught by Mara Bishop. Blue and black butterfly represents transformation and personal evolution through connection to animals, plants, elements and spirits of place ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Backyard Shamanism:
Finding Your Power at Home
 

Monarch butterfly for Aspire Magazine article Are You Stagnating or Cocooning? 3 Ways to Support Your Transformation. ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

Are You Stagnating or Cocooning?
3 Ways to Support Your Transformation

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RELATIONSHIPS

Sounds True’s mission is to “disseminate spiritual wisdom.” Mara’s course “Shining Bright Without Burning Out: Spiritual Tools for Creating Healthy Energetic Boundaries in an Overconnected World” is a Sounds True audio program ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Sounds True
Kensington Publishing Corp is author Mara Bishop’s publisher for "Shamanism for Every Day: 365 Journeys". They are a top-ten independent US publisher. Imprints include Citadel Press, Dafina, Pinnacle, Lyrical Press, and Zebra. Genres include fiction, non-fiction, spirituality, self-help, race and identity, romance, mystery, western, action, historical fiction and others ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Kensington Publishing
Columbia University Teachers College is one of the nations oldest graduate school of education, health and psychology. The Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI) offers the only Ivy League graduate degree of its kind, combining science and spirituality through research, psychology, practice, leadership and innovative education ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Columbia University
Shamanic healer Mara Bishop has been a repeat speaker for the University of North Carolina UNC School of Medicine’s Program on Integrative Medicine. This program combines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with conventional medicine. Mind-body-spirit approaches, mindfulness meditation, education, clinical care and education provide the best in holistic health care for patients, students and health professionals ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
UNC School of Medicine
Duke University is a premier institution in Durham, North Carolina, offering educational programs for graduate and undergraduate students, learning in retirement through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), programs for gifted youth through the Talent Identification Program (TIP) and an integrative medicine center. Mara has been a speaker and contributor to these programs ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Duke University
Author and NC-based shamanic counselor Mara Bishop is a frequent contributor to Spirituality & Health magazine. Spirituality & Health magazine serves explorers on the journey to total aliveness. A resource for travel, events, and articles that draw on the wisdom of many traditions and cultures. Topics include nutrition, meditation, yoga, holistic medicine, social justice, public health and the environment ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Spirituality & Health Magazine
Mara Bishop was trained by Sandra Ingerman as a shamanic teacher and practitioner of Healing with Spiritual Light. Sandra Ingerman is the founder of a global network of trained teachers and practitioners, offering access to classes, books, drumming circles, journeying courses and other resources. Sandra is the author of the books Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self, Medicine for the Earth, and The Book of Ceremony ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Global Shamanic Teacher Network
The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, established by anthropologist Michael Harner, is a non-profit organization dedication to preserving, teaching and researching shamanic knowledge. Core Shamanism trainings are available from beginning to three-year advanced programs. Mara is the only Harner-Certified Shamanic Counselor in North Carolina, and in a three-state region ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Foundation for Shamanic Studies
Mara Bishop is a member of the Society for Shamanic Practice (SSP), a worldwide alliance of people integrating shamanic principles and practices into daily life. The SSP provides articles, practitioner listings, ceremonies, trainings, conferences, and the Shamanism Without Borders program ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Society for Shamanic Practice
Mara Bishop contributes articles to Health & Healing magazine every other month. Health & Healing magazine serves the triangle area of North Carolina, linking health care providers and consumers with articles about wellness and complementary and alternative medicine. It is distributed widely to medical facilities, libraries, fitness centers, physicians offices, and consumer businesses like pharmacies and Whole Foods ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
Health & Healing Magazine
Mara Bishop is a contributor to The Rhine Research Center, which was formerly part of Duke University, and explores the frontiers of consciousness, paranormal experiences, parapsychology, ESP, energy healing, remote viewing, PSI phenomena, precognition ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
The Rhine Research Center
Join Mara for a guided shamanic drumming journey to meet an animal spirit. Part of a meditation series for book Inner Divinity: Crafting Your Life with Sacred Intelligence ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
InsightTimer
Moss with a path of grey stones. Learn more about healing art, paintings, creative expression of soul and creating art for spiritual healing ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

ART

Mountain range fades into distance with blue sky and white clouds. Community connections for spiritual support and networking help us forge bonds with like minded people seeking to grow, evolve and be of service to others ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

LAND

Fire, a powerful element of transformation. The dancing flames of fire can be part of ceremonial work, and are necessary for our survival. Finding trusted resources and recommendations for spiritual work can be challenging. Here are some ideas for partner practitioners, bookstores, products and wellness centers ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

RESOURCES

Water. Cool healing blue green waters. Whole Spirit diversity, inclusivity, and equality for all people regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, disability, or religious or spiritual affiliation ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit

INCLUSIVITY

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Mara Bishop

MA, MS, ThM, CSC

Mara Bishop, M.S., Th.M., C.S.C., is an intuitive consultant, shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and artist. She is the owner of WholeSpirit. In her private practice, Mara combines intuitive consultations, shamanic healing, shamanic counseling, Reiki, and Healing with Spiritual Light. Her Personal Evolution Counseling™ provides each client with an integrated approach to spiritual healing, personal growth and emotional well-being. More information about the services provided by WholeSpirit are on the Sessions pages. Learn more about Mara Bishop’s training and background on the About Mara page.

Mara Bishop, author, shamanic teacher and counselor, energy healer, and intuitive consultant, outside in nature near old stone walls with fall red maple leaves ∴ WholeSpirit ∴ WholeSpirit
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Art | Creativity

Creating art was one of the first ways I connected to spiritual assistance. Over time, I’ve merged my spiritual and creative practices. Before I start a painting, I set the intention of opening myself to peaceful, healing energy and allowing it to come through me onto the canvas.  When I paint I enter into a meditative state and let color and form flow naturally. In my art, as in my life, I am inspired by nature and the spiritual aspects of the world around me. My intention is for the viewer to be positively affected by the energy the paintings radiate, in addition to the way they look in their homes, offices or places of worship. By focusing on my intention, and by painting while embodying healing energy, I create healing objects that beautify and harmonize any space.

 

Commissions are available.

Land Acknowledgment

Mara Bishop and WholeSpirit recognize that the place where we live and work is situated on land that was taken from indigenous peoples by white colonists. The land in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in and around Durham was that of the Adshusheer, Eno, Occaneechi, Sappony/Saponi, Shakori, and Tuscarora people. Many other tribes lived, and live currently, in North Carolina, including in the beautiful mountains in the west, where this photo was taken. This land has also witnessed over 400 years of the enslavement and mistreatment of African people and their descendants. In order to create healing for the future we believe we need to acknowledge and learn about the past, and to recognize how we can collectively work toward bringing justice and peace to this place for all people, as well as for the other livings beings who share this place with us.

Inclusivity | Diversity | Equality

At WholeSpirit we value diversity, inclusivity, and equality for all people regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, disability, or religious or spiritual affiliation. Our goal is for everyone we work with to feel valued and respected.

We also believe that respectful and compassionate inclusivity must encompass the non-human beings with which we share this world. Animals, plants, mountains, rivers, and ecosystems, should, in their own way, be honored and considered in how we interact with one another and create healthy communities for us all.

WholeSpirit sessions and trainings focus on direct revelation, recognizing the spirit in all things, and creating mutual relationships with nature. While these practices are aligned with many shamanic beliefs from around the world, they are not seated within a specific indigenous culture. We are careful not to appropriate traditions, ceremonies, or rituals, or claim the title of shaman.

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We are an invasive species. Wisteria vines are invasive and their blossoms smell heavenly. ∴ WholeSpirit

We are an invasive species. Is there another way?

2 Comments / Nature, Thoughts and Insights / By

We are an invasive species.

I love wisteria. Should I pull it all out? It’s invasive, grows maniacally fast, and strangles the trees. But have you smelled the flowers? They are heavenly. One of the first things I remember about moving to my new city is how magical everything looked, draped in purple wisteria blossoms. Spring was a gentle riot, and the wisteria got it started.

Burmese pythons are hunted in competitions each year in Florida. Kept as pets, they escaped or were let loose especially after a major hurricane in 1992. Now, the pythons are eating their way through the swamps and threatening the fragile ecosystem of the Everglades. They are enormous and gorgeous. Since their population became a real problem, the stats are shocking. “In a 2012 study, populations of raccoons had dropped 99.3 percent, opossums 98.9 percent, and bobcats 87.5 percent since 1997. Marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes effectively disappeared.” according to the U.S. Geological Survey.”

Invasive species do a lot of damage. Birds, trees, and wildlife of all kinds struggle to compete with hardy, fast-growing, and ravenous outsiders. Organizations that promote conservation advise us to rip out all non-native plants. You can’t get their “certified” seal of approval unless you do. But we are the most invasive of species.

Sometimes, invasive species are introduced accidentally, but humans also have a long history of marching into places, importing our livestock and unleashing our pets, planting whatever we want, and adding or subtracting substances to the environment to suit our needs. Too many rats or snakes? Import the mongooses! Too many weeds? Spray on some Round-Up! We killed the predators who kept the balance in the ecosystem. Through monoculture in agribusiness and the heavy use of pesticides, we destroyed species that keep the insect populations in check. We indulged our desire for pretty new plants and exotic pets. Climate change is also playing a role.

The beautifully complex and highly functioning system we are part of is not about simple add and subtract equations. If we become better neighbors to the human and non-human beings around us, we may find our place within existing ecosystems without such brutal interventions.

©2023 Mara Bishop

We are an invasive species. Burmese python species now invasive in the Florida Everglades ∴ WholeSpirit

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Creating better relationships within the natural world.

2 thoughts on “We are an invasive species. Is there another way?”

  1. Melissa

    Mara, I wasn’t aware of the situation with the Burmese Pythons in Florida. That’s a huge impact on the native populations of bobcats, foxes, possoms and rabbits. It is a shocking disruption of the ecosystem but along with the impact of climate change this sort of thing is happening everywhere…and it is so, so sad.

    We humans must replace our greedy and thoughtless behaviours soon, for the sake of not only ourselves but for the whole, beautiful planet and all its inhabitants.

    Reply

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Enjoy Your Drum Track...

17 minute shamanic drumming with call back beat.

Uh Oh!

Thank you for trying to reach the WholeSpirit Center. Something appears to be amiss. You can try again or contact me via email (click here).

If at any time you want to be removed from our mailing list, use the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of each newsletter.