Today we’d like to introduce you to Mara Clear Spring Cook.
Mara, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I often tell folks if I were ever to write an autobiography, I’d call it, “The Reluctant Shaman: How I Was Dragged Kicking And Screaming Into My Shamanic Practice.” I had no idea until I moved to San Diego in 2004 and began taking courses that there was a name for what I do! I took a six month Temple Priestess program (about which I knew nothing). I wanted to make new friends with common interests, and my then sister-in-law invited me.
During that experience, I was “opened.” I received direct information and training from my Spiritual Allies. You may have heard of these resources as Power Animals, Spirit Guides, or Archetypal Forces. Before then, I’d identified as being highly intuitive. I learned a name for what I was experiencing – Shamanism. I studied with a local shamanic practitioner, Katie Weatherup, now one of my best friends. I attended courses with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. I gained more training with various shamans, and I also became a Reiki Master Teacher. Then I started seeing clients.
I was a telecommuting project manager for an appliance parts distribution company, so I saw clients on weekends and evenings. I didn’t advertise, but people found me. I began leading the monthly Shamanic Goddess Circle at the Tree of Life in Ocean Beach and regular Fire Ring Drumming Circles at my home. People came, got hooked, had sessions, and eventually began training with me. Much of this shift, I owe to my friend, Katie Weatherup, who really pushed me into opening my practice and then later teaching. We’ve had our own adventures together, and separately, as I maintained a strong local base where she went more with distance sessions. So now, I have twelve years of experience conducting soul retrieval and healing sessions, intensives, six-month courses, private student training, rituals, destination events, weddings, and of course, the Circles, both in-person and online. The pandemic has propelled me further into Zoom classes and events, which have been surprisingly fun and rewarding!
Has it been a smooth road?
Rough patches are expected and dreaded, right? The shamanic path demands total soul truth, nothing less. I get to go through the healing process for me so I can hold space for another going forward.
Relationships: My marriage fell apart as I walked this path, and he could not go with me. He was in a very different place, and I felt to walk my talk we had to separate. We managed to maintain connection and friendship, though, and today we are closer than ever, a truly deep connection.
Comparison Anxiety Disorder: We all have it to some degree. I was so used to “playing small” to avoid conflict, and I still do. It’s one of my core issues. Some people get fixed on training to learn one more thing, get one more certification. Then they’ll be “good enough.” Others hold themselves back because someone, ok, ANYONE, can do it better, and they look better, too. CAD attacks without notice. I have a file of testimonials from people that I can go through to help me feel competent when I’m in that wimpy place.
Illness: Anytime I am sick, I can’t work with people. There is no “substitute” or “temp” available for me in my classes or with my clients. I am not often sick, and most of the time, I can reschedule, but it’s super stressful.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a Shamanic Practitioner, I work at the soul level to effect changes here in the physical world. Shamanism is the framework I use to understand and navigate the unseen energetic world that surrounds us. I track and heal emotional wounds, unhealthy relationships, loss of personal energy and motivation, and any other condition that is addressable at an energetic level. Much of the initial work is passive for the client. As they find value, they can engage more and more in “homework” assigned to them during their sessions.
What are you known for?
Helping people see their truth and accept how amazing they are. I love watching the awareness grow, from a flicker to bright flame, when people “get” it. Some folks who come to me have rarely felt “seen” or acknowledged. No matter why they are with me, my intention is that they leave clearer. Oh and writing The Shamanic Weather. That’s a shamanism/astrology/other meld I publish through my website, maraclearspring.com, and on FB and Insta.
What are you most proud of?
Clients and students form lasting bonds of friendship with each other that continue outside the classroom or event. I consider us a bunch of clans that together form the Tribe. The support through life trials for all has been compelling and immense.
What set you apart from other?
Everything! I’m not your typical anything. I’m extremely approachable and genuinely like people. As a “mystic,” I’m irreverent and very down-home in so many ways. Ask me about my sweet potato biscuit recipe, or mountain biking, or favorite beer!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
In my profession, we tap into land energy, and San Diego has plenty of it. We have so many ways to interact with this bounty of natural wonders, from Birch Aquarium, Balboa Park, the Laguna Mountains, all the beautiful beaches, and beyond to the badlands of Anza Borrego. This high quality of supportive vibe has attracted a unique melange of people I find endlessly fascinating. I am a California native who is very happy to have landed here.
What I don’t enjoy is traffic (and who does?), noise pollution, the thoughtless litter and tagging, and of course, the sad truth of homelessness and poverty. This is the reality most anywhere I could live, of course. I still choose and love San Diego.
Pricing:
- Soul Retrieval – Reclaim soul energy lost through trauma and illness – $175
- Shamanic Healing – $100 per hour, $145 90 minutes, $175 two hours
Contact Info:
- Website: https://maraclearspring.com
- Phone: 6199722469
- Email: mara@maraclearspring.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maraclearspring/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maraclearspring
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/maraclearspring
Image Credit:
Mara Clear Spring
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