Interview with Aisha Amarfio

1. How would you explain Shamanism to those who are unfamiliar with the practice?

Shamanism is the most ancient human means of engaging with the spiritual aspects of reality.
It is a very general term to describe the spiritual practices of our ancestors and indigenous people across the globe and is based on a worldview or understanding that everything is alive with spirit and energy.

Shamanism values all the different states of consciousness that are available to us, and the wisdom, healing and insight that we can tap in to when we enter those states. Typically, shamans enter spiritual states through drumming, movement, singing, dreaming, plant medicine or working with crystals. In shamanic states we can tune in and connect with the wholeness of our soul; we can commune with the spirit and the energy of life; and we can find depth, meaning and support on what is needed in order for us to heal. Shamanic healing attends to the healing needs of the soul or the psyche. In a shamanic healing session, we would address the spiritual or energetic root cause of an imbalance, to enable the person to overcome chronic issues and restore power and harmony in their lives.

2. How long have you been practicing and what would you say is the reason(s) that led you to becoming a healer?

I have been practicing shamanism in a formal sense since about 2011, but it has been in my bones for as long as I can remember. I think it is in all our bones. When working with clients, it feels like it is something in us that has been practiced since the dawn of time. I would say that my own healing journey led me to become a healer myself. I had always found myself drawn to crystals, alternative healing practices or spiritual based teachings. Growing up, life always felt strange, and not real, like something was missing, and nobody was talking about it, and that was scary. I think I was searching for something that would help explain the irrational disconnect and anxiety I was experiencing in life, and modern medicine couldn’t really do that for me. It was in a hypnotherapy session for anxiety that I had my first shamanic experience. Hypnotherapy is a modern means of going in to an altered state to work with the unconscious and spiritual realms. Once the hypnotherapist induced me into a relaxed altered state, I had a spontaneous classical shamanic experience that blew my mind. I didn’t know anything about shamanism at that point, but the therapist suggested I look in to it because of the strong shamanic symbolism that I had encountered. And the rest is history, things started to make sense, and that unfolded a rich path for me, that led me to where I am today. I have always had a tendency to want to work in a caring capacity; I’ve worked across lots of sectors, but I have found my calling as a shamanic healer.

3. Big congratulations on your book “The Crystal Compass: A guide to using crystals for energy, healing and reclaiming your power.” What tools can readers expect  to gain and implement in their lives?

Thank you! Crystals are great tools for healing, and I am so excited to be able to share a bit about how they can be used in our lives. There are lots of great books and resources out there that catalogue the properties and qualities of crystals, so I wanted to create a book that was a little bit different. The book takes the reader on a holistic spiritual healing journey, though practical exercises and tools that enable the person choose the right crystal at the right time. The crystals are ordered by a compass that is divided across the elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air, with each element representing key areas in our life. Earth relates to our body, and our strong foundations in the world such as home life and security. Water relates to our emotion, intuition and our relationship with our self and others. Fire relates to the mind, and our ability to direct our power and will in the world. And Air relates to our spirit and our connection to something greater. When we encounter a block in one of the elements it can manifest in many ways in our life. The book allows you to identify where you are encountering a block and how you can use crystals to heal that part of yourself and reclaim your power.

4. What is an important message that you hope people can take away from reading your book?

Although the book is about crystals, the bigger message is about how we relate with our soul and the world around us. The more we can connect to our soul, the more we can live our authentic self and make decisions that serve the whole. Crystals give us a safe space to check in with the more soulful parts of who we are; the parts of us that can often get hijacked or suppressed by conditioning, beliefs, societal pressures, fears or relationships that are just no longer serving us. The book is about prioritizing self-love and self-enquiry so that we are able to respond to what our soul is asking of us. No-one has ever taught us how to do that, but crystals can. Crystals help us to amplify our wisdom and harness the power of our intuition, so that we can listen to the intelligence of our bodies, work with rather than against our emotions, reclaim our power from that which oppresses us, and come in to wholeness to express our soul dream. I hope that readers can unlock these powers from reading the book and using the compass.

5. Now that your book is set to release in February 2019 in the U.S., what do you think the future holds for you in terms of new goals and accomplishments?

Wow, good question, I am not sure what the future holds; 1.5 years ago if someone said you’ll be a published author in the States, I really wouldn’t have known how that was going to be possible! But the universe works in mysterious ways, so I always like goal setting to be a gentle play between my hearts desires and an openness to what the universe might have in store. My mind’s goals may always be a limited version of either of the two. If I tune in to my heart, I would like to write more, I am also interested in the bridge between spirituality, self-care and activism, and I want to continue to develop and work with clients in my shamanic clinic in London, which I love. But I am definitely open to more travel too!

6. Can you offer any words of wisdom for those just starting out on their own journey?

I would say that inside of everyone is the wise old healer! Even in the depths of feeling lost or down, the wise old healer within is waiting to do the work for us. Let crystals help you on your journey. You are held and are infinitely loved, just for the miraculous magnificence that is you. I would say be present and in acceptance of where you are as a valid place on your journey. Don’t force or rush anything, but set your intention to expand, heal and grow from your heart, and all else will follow. You don’t have to have the answers, but just make space for your intuition and the answers will unfold.