The Dangers of the Narrow Gate
In 2019 I undertook a year-long shamanic studies program.
About halfway through the program, the teachers sat us down and said something to the effect of, “Now that you know about these teachings, you can’t pretend you don’t know without experiencing dire consequences.” The teachings they were referring to were practices for building spiritual integrity and power.
They then went on to share stories of a few other practitioners who had walked these spiritual paths, then made out-of-integrity decisions (think; power grabs, having sex with students, etc) and died.
I was like, “You need to put this warning on the application!”
But I spent the rest of that program contemplating what they said and addressing the out-of-integrity parts of my life. You see, they had handed us some supermegabien spiritual power tools and it was on us to use them wisely. Especially because there are many people who don’t.
As a side note, my modern western culture frequently dismisses the harm that out-of-integrity shamans can do as ‘native superstition.’ But many wiser cultures have great clarity around those who are skilled at dark arts, sorcery, curses, and causing harm of all kind. Though these people may seem temporarily powerful, they eventually succumb to their own darkness and it’s never pretty.
My teachers in the program wanted to spare us this experience and so basically told us to always use our powers for good.
FREE INTRO for HOW TO BE A HEALER
If you’ve been curious about this course but aren’t quite sure what to expect, then this free workshop is for you. I cover some basic ideas around healing, give a few real-life examples, and answer questions from students.
The full course started last night but it’s not too late to join! All modules are recorded so you can go at your own pace.
Watch the Intro Class here and sign up below.
Back in 2019 when I first heard this warning, I didn’t think the tools I had were that powerful.
I thought they were just kind of interesting spiritual practices. But in the years since, I’ve discovered just how profound these teachings can be. And of course I’ve continued to strengthen my spiritual tools in numerous ways since then.
And, just like my teachers said, I have been profoundly tempted to use my spiritual powers for harm. Every so often someone will hurt me, surprise me, or try to limit me in a way I really don’t like. I can tell you that I’ve spent more than a couple evenings in prayer simply asking Spirit to remove my desire for revenge before I act on it in ways I can’t undo.
Which is basically a prayer asking God to pull the plug on my egoic power rampage before I can really get anywhere with it.
Even so, sometimes that kind of power drunkenness can still get the best of me.
By now I’ve had more than a few experiences of edging off the shamanic path of integrity and encountering some of those dire consequences my teachers told me about.
I’ve been lost in misery and ostracized from beloved communities for trying to control the destinies of other people within them. I’ve hurt people I’ve loved because I judge something about them unworthy and had to sit in that particular kind of shame. And I’ve even become physically ill from the mental hatred I sometimes carry for people who seem different than me.
And although I haven’t done it consciously, my psychic teachers tell me that I’ve created more than a little karma with people I’ve intentionally ‘whacked’ for something I didn’t like.
The flip side of this suffering is the Narrow Gate to Life of which Jesus was master.
The scripture goes, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Now this scripture, like many other luminous gems of wisdom, has often been used to enforce harsh rules onto human behavior, and as justification for real punishment when those rules are broken.
But I have discovered in the interweaving of the shamanic and Christ paths that Jesus really knew what he was talking about. And it had nothing to do with punishing people for being human.
You see, the promise of any rigorous spiritual path is not limitation, but absolute freedom.
I have found that - more than suffering harsh consequences when I stray - the path of spiritual integrity is full (FULL I SAY!) of power and freedom. The cost to walk the path is high; all my judgements, self-righteousness, arrogance, stubbornness, impatience, desire for harm and revenge, and more. All my egoic power trips, in other words.
But the reward, if I’m willing to humble myself and pass through that narrow gate, is heaven itself. If you’re in recovery, this is steps 4 through 8. My sponsor calls it ‘working the knife edge of your program.’ Jesus points to the gate, and many Turtle Island indigenous folks call it ‘The Good Red Road/Camino Rojo.”
In other words, the Narrow Gate of Shamanic Integrity is completely about aligning myself with the pure ferocious blessed love of Spirit and letting go of absolutely everything else. Absolutely. Everything. Else.
You can bet your shamanic tuchus that these teachings are the foundation of all my courses.
Anyone and everyone I introduce to this path and the spiritual teachings I’ve been so blessed to receive, I make sure to remind them (in the application!) of the dangers and rewards ahead.
This is especially important for anyone who would call themselves a healer of any kind. You have tremendous power to help another along their way, and tremendous power to cause harm to someone in a vulnerable situation. The rewards for providing true healing are heaven itself, and it’s exactly this that I’m talking about in my course, How to be a Healer.
❤️🔥I’ll meet you at the Gate❤️🔥
A foundational course designed to give you the tools needed to provide effective, powerful, lasting healings for yourself and your clients. This is the required intro course for Advanced Healing offered Fall 2025.
Whether you’re just starting as a healer or have lots of experience, these teachings and practices will help hone your skills, develop ‘shamanic certainty’, and truly enjoy your healing work.
PS. We had our first class last night but it’s not too late to join! Everything is recorded for self-pacing.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN!
⫸ 3 two-hour modules covering core teachings, multi-modal learning, Q&A, and direct engagement with peers and facilitator
⫸ 3 downloadable practica for you to try your new skills
⫸ A one-hour mentorship call for individual support with an option to add more for $100/session
⫸ 5 weekly emails with thought-provoking questions to keep you tapped into the course
⫸ Journaling workbook to discover your unique healing style and medicine
All teachings recorded for later viewing. Cost is $525 with 3- and 6-month payment plans available.
Enjoyed the blog? Please take 5 seconds to forward it to someone who would benefit. I put hours into each one and my favorite folks come via word of mouth. It’s the easiest way to support my work!
New Here? If you have been forwarded this newsletter subscribe here. You can find lots more on my Instagram, all past newsletters on my Blog, and lots of services on my website included Clairvoyant Counseling, Courses, and Teachings.
Artwork? Top image is by Hossein Zare. Second image is “The Strait Gate” by Frank Beard.
Found a typo? I’m basically running this whole operation solo so if you find something, please let me know! I so appreciate it.
