Hmong Shamanism Questions & Answers part 1
Thank you all for your questions and submissions. I received a lot of messages and I appreciate all of you opening up and sharing your story with me. Due to the overwhelming number of submissions, I am answering them in parts. Please find your questions and answers below. Submissions after today, 8/9/19 will be posted next week Friday, 8/16.19.
Anyone who wants to submit a question, feel free to do that anonymously in the link below. For those who did personally message me, I promise I will get to them as soon as I can and will respond to you in the message, this way it remains confidential.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2BufrWj_5wOQbWGp-qh8pJiyauVO2-801MAdu5r3VqHO-lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&fbclid=IwAR3TAXtMCR3lVA-JOpD9gmiCdVIY9ckRS3pKXwaoou0yZMoGlA6nakCBQt0
Do you see those who passed away still? Where do they go? Is there really a thing as an afterlife or being here watching over us? How do we know if they are well and with their loved ones? Or are they just gone forever once they’re gone...?
Dear Friend,
To answer your question, no I do not see those who pass away without them wanting me to. Any soul that wants you to see them will present themselves to you. I cannot conjure them or ask to see them. Sometimes when a soul is angry or is restless, they will appear to me as shadows. During an ua neeb, sometimes yes. In dreams, almost all the time. I see friends that have passed, relatives, and even people I have never met before but cross paths with them in dreams. They show me around, tell me how they’re doing, and even ask me how their loved ones are doing.
So, where do souls go to after life? What I believe in and have experienced as a shaman is that after a person dies, one of their souls is guided back to the ancestors where they will reunite with their loved ones and their family. Your family members include all your family lineage, since the beginning of time, and is in another world awaiting for you after you die. It’s like, each family has its own village, their own little town. Once you pass, one of your souls go there. You must go on and wait for your partner or spouse, your children, your grandkids, and so on and so forth. In regards to your other souls, specifically the Reincarnation Soul, must travel to a special place in the afterlife and get “washed.” All their memories here on Earth will be washed away and they will start the reincarnation process. They will choose their family, their parents, siblings, etc. At this stage, this is typically the good-bye dreams we get when a loved one comes in a dream and tell us they are leaving.
It has been my experience that those who have passed are always watching over us. Think about a time when something unusual happened to you. Maybe you saw a bird eating a worm, a butterfly passing on by, a cricket that won’t stop chirping by your window, a bird’s nest suddenly appearing on your roof, or maybe a stray dog that keeps coming back. Perhaps you were late to an appointment and later find out there was a terrible car accident minutes before. These are simple things that we sometimes don’t realize or pay attention to, but they’re there.
I would like to think and believe that there’s more to life once we pass. It wouldn’t make sense to simply live for 80 years and then poof, nothing after that. There are a few ways we know our loved ones are doing well on the other side. For one, if you aren’t dreaming of them, if they aren’t paying you visits and asking for spirit money or making requests, that’s an indication they are doing well. If your children, nieces or nephews and little cousins aren’t getting sick every so often, that’s an indication they are doing well. You see, when your loved ones are not doing good, they’ll come back in dreams to let you know. They’ll come back and cause sickness to children or bad luck to the family so that a shaman can heal or fix their problem. Chances are if you have not dreamt of them and things are just silent after they have passed, they are doing just fine. They’re not doing bad and they have not just disappeared. Very often do souls come back just to visit without needing something. So, don’t worry. Your loved one is doing great.
Why does my father keep talking to girls oversea?
Dear Friend,
I know how difficult this may be. You may feel like you’re losing your father, like he’s not himself. Your concern and worry is only because you love your father. Now, I don’t know if you parents are still married or not. I don’t know if you mother is still alive. But in this life we come across every single person for a reason. Their soul and our soul is intertwined by fate. People do not just come into our lives without reason. Your father is on his own journey and he will be learning a lesson that he will need in this life. Your job is to help teach him, to make sure he doesn’t harm himself or anyone else and to tell him how you feel. But you must allow him to make the decisions for himself and allow him to learn the lessons he need to. Perhaps your father owes them some debt from his previous life, perhaps they owe him. And the small time that he spends and gives to these girls is the debt he owes. Once he is free from this debt, he will be free of them. He will learn a hard lesson on the way but it is a lesson he must learn in order to free himself.
I have always wonder till this day. My husband had a seizer once. They did a brain biopsy and found nothing. Every test they ran came back with no results. Was it just a one-time thing and it'll never happen again or is it a ticking time bomb waiting to happen out of the blue. I have a fear what if his ex-girlfriend, coming back to get him as she passed away before we married. But again I could be overthinking it.
Dear Friend,
I am so happy that your husband is still with you and that he has not experienced a seizure since then. There are many things that surround us, both good and evil. The good entities will watch over us, protect us from harms way. Then the evil entities will do whatever it takes to harm us and even kill us. Perhaps your husband made promises long ago that he has not fulfilled. Maybe as a teen or a young adult he made a promise to someone? To love them, care for them, support them? This person may not be alive anymore. It can be an ex-love, a friend, or even a relative. You see, when we say these things to someone and they pass on, they may come back and try to take us with them because we said we would “always love them” or “always be there for them.” And when they die, well, “always” is a long time.
However, it is also important to note that this is not always the case. Sometimes we have to be careful when we say things like “I love you” or “I want a family.” There are many things around us that we do not see that can hear us and take us for our word. For example, perhaps your husband has said to you, “I want more kids” and while saying this the both of you were outside, maybe next to a tree, a bush, or maybe there was a bug on the ground or a bird who heard him. These things have spirits who may want to take him for his request. He may not be saying it to them, but to these evil entities as long as you say it, they’ll take you up on your offer.
There is not much to fear. Be more cautious when talking outside. It is a good idea to burn some joss sticks in your home or in front of your xwm kab every so often. If you are traveling far, make sure to burn some joss sticks and ask for guidance and protection. Cut up some spirit money and cleanse your home. Most importantly, pay attention to unusual dreams or signs as this may save a life one day.
Why am I facing a trauma in my life right now?
Dear Friend,
Spirituality gives us a way of understanding the world, the universe. It gives us a way to understand the things that happen to us, rather we ask for it to happen or not. Trauma effects almost all aspects of our own life. It effects our relationships with people, our meaning of life, concepts, purpose of life, significance of things in our lives, our happiness, career, and the love we give to others and to ourselves. Perhaps you feel like you don’t know what’s happening to you. Maybe it feels like everything has no purpose or reason. Maybe everything feels like it’s always a battle or a struggle. You may not be happy right now and don’t know how to get back on your feet. Like an ice berg, people do not see beneath the trauma but its effects are felt by you. Sometimes you can barely tell anyone your pain and people may not seem to understand.
You are experiencing a dynamic shift in your life. Trauma, in the moment, is a bad thing to happen to someone. Things like rape, domestic violence, divorce, sickness, death of a loved one; even things like losing a house, getting laid off, and breakups seem like they don’t have reason. In fact, you probably feel guilt, shame, depression, like anything you do you can’t seem to move up, and that life has no purpose. You probably thought about suicide as a way out. Here’s the thing. Before we even begin life as a being on Earth, there are certain things that are pre-determined that we bring with us. Lessons we are to learn, things we are to go through, people we are to meet and lose… but how we respond to them is the one thing that fate does not and cannot pre-determine. How we choose to respond to trauma and to the things that happen to us is completely up to us.
Now, fate is not to blame for any person’s doing. A person that has caused you physical pain is one hundred percent that person’s fault. But it is up to you to choose to live through the trauma or stay stuck in it. You are facing trauma right now because fate has determined that you will learn these lessons. But fate has not said for you to suffer in it or to stop living a happy life.
A few things you can do to help you move forward with this trauma and to rid of bad luck or bad situations you find yourself in is to cleanse your home, your spirit, and any entity that has latched on to you. Once you go through a traumatic event, wild spirits are able to latch on, like a leech, and cause further trauma. Trauma causes us to be easy victims to evil or dark spirits. These spirits are able to make you depressed, cloud your judgement, make you lose your sense of self-worth. Cut some spirit money, grab a branch, three joss sticks, and tie it together with a red cloth string. First start in your bedroom and sweep your entire house. End this cleanse by your front door and burn the items as far away from your home as possible. This is the send off of all negative energy that is causing trauma, bad luck, or negativity.
I hope you are able to move on with your trauma. Learn to cope with is and understand that none of it is your fault. But how you respond to it and how you let it effect your life, that’s up to you. The one good thing that comes from trauma is that we learn to become a stronger person from it. We learn to love ourselves again and to rediscover what it means to be ourselves.
Don't know if it's too shaman related but what will happen to a Hmong person if they don't receive a traditional hmong funeral? Our elders are dying and soon, there will be no one to sing the song to lead the dead to the land of our ancestors. As a shaman, are you able to guide those spirits to that land? Thanks!
Dear friend,
Thanks for your question. Hmong funeral process is such an important right of passage for a Hmong person as this leads them back to the land of the dead or land of the ancestors. I am not an elder and am limited in what I know in terms of funerals. I believe if a soul does not receive a proper funeral, their soul will not make it to its destination and this can cause the soul of that person to become angry, worst yet, a hungry ghost. When that soul becomes restless, they will find living relatives (children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews) and cause harm, sickness, or even death to them. That soul will not rest until a living family member helps them go where they need to go. If the person has no surviving family members or all the family members no longer believe or practice shamanism, that soul can become a restless ghost. They will wander the Earth and never have a home or a destination.
As a shaman, we don’t typically guide these spirits to the land of the ancestors. However, there is a special ritual, a very intense one indeed, called “ua neeb tuag.” The literal translation is shaman ritual for the dead. In this intense ritual, the shaman will find the dead relative (one who did not receive a proper funeral), and send them off. In the process, the shaman will have to change their clothes to dead clothes (khaub ncaws tuag) and act as a dead spirit. A qeej instrument is played temporarily to simply guide them back. If the shaman is not careful they too might go to the land of the ancestors. This is a rare ritual and most shamans today will not perform this unique ritual.
I had a dream coming upon an injured big white dragon. But it was sleeping. Does that mean anything.
Dear friend,
It seems like perhaps one of your ancestors is need of your help (or your family help). Maybe they need money, perhaps their house has been hit which has caused injury. In any case, pay attention to things around you. If you see an animal, like a bird, a bug, cat, etc, that need your help, help them. Avoid killing any bugs or wild animals for the rest of the month. If there’s a fly in the house, catch it and let it out. And if you can, burn spirit money to your xwm kab and tell your ancestors to use that money to fix their home or buy food if they are hungry. If you don’t have a xwm kab or is a non-Hmong shaman, it’s ok. I would suggest following the prompts above and avoid killing any animals or bugs for this month. It also seems like the color “white” is your color this month. If you have a big test coming up, an interview, meeting someone new, buying a lottery ticket, or doing something big or new this month, wear white!
My nyab is constantly sad and depressed and a shaman lady said it was because a dragon was following her? Could this be true or should we route to a more logical opinion?
Dear friend,
Dragon spirits can often cause a person to become depressed. They, like any other wild spirit or entity, can cloud a person’s judgement, their emotions or feelings, and cloud the way they think about their life. Perhaps she seems more overly emotional? Maybe she gets mad or upset easily. She may feel like she wants to cry but for no reason. She probably feels “kho siab” or feeling like there’s so much to do and like her life is out of control. Dragon spirits cling onto you when you’ve come in contact with it. So, she must have came in contact with this dragon spirit in a large body of water. Lakes, oceans, rivers? Maybe she fell in the water. Has she ever drowned? Maybe she went fishing during late nights. These are ways a dragon spirit can cling itself onto her. Sometimes when a dragon spirit has clung itself onto a person, conceiving a child becomes difficult. If your nyab is still young, she may have experienced difficulty getting pregnant. Perhaps she’s experiencing irregular menstrual cycles. She might have had dreams of visiting large lakes, oceans, rivers, mountains, and waterfalls too.
A cleansing of her soul is recommended. Also, cleansing the home is a good idea. To “send-off” an unwelcomed dragon spirit, you will need:
Four Ntshuas Ntawv (Four spirit money, the long type)
Three joss sticks
One cooked egg
Cooked rice (spoon full)
And a red cloth string to tie the spirit money and joss sticks
A cup or bowl of water
First, use the spirit money and joss sticks to cleanse and sweep the home. Start in the bedroom and make your way to the front door. Take the cooked egg and rice, along with the spirit money, joss sticks, and bowl of water and go outside. Burn everything together and tell the dragon that today it can no longer bother or visit your nyab. Spill the cup or bowl of water far away and tell the dragon that wherever the water leads to that it too should go with it as water represents its home.
After, make three knots to a red cloth string, tie it to your nyab’s right foot and bless her with it. Red will warn off evil spirits and the knots will trap any spirit that comes near her.
My brother constantly gets slept on/sleep paralysis everywhere he goes to the point where he doesn’t care about it anymore. He says once they touch him he could “see” them and they always push hard on his chest. Is there a way to get rid of this or is there more to this happening to him?
Dear friend,
What’s happening to your brother involves an entity known as “tsog.” A tsog is a wild spirit that feeds off your brother’s energy. He may feel restless at times. He may feel like no matter how much he sleeps it’s never enough. Perhaps he looses his temper at times for no apparent reason. He goes from 1 to 10 within a few seconds. This is because he is experiencing “tsog tsuam” meaning sleep paralysis as you described. He probably see’s them as black shadows or figures. He probably has heard noises in his ears, ringing sounds, or even human voices yelling in his ear during an episode. A tsog lives in the wild so he contracted this entity while being outside in nature, such as camping, fishing, hiking, etc.
If you haven’t already, tie a red cloth string to his left foot. Make sure you make three knots on the string. Red will warn off evil spirits and the three knots will capture or lock any evil spirit that tries to touch your brother. If you don’t know what to say when you tie the string you can say it in your heart.
An extra step to secure your brother. If you have joss paper, cut them into small squares. Fill a cup of water. Burn the square joss paper and as it burns, dip it into the cup. The flame should die out as it hits the water. This is blessed water. Take a sip of this water and spray it at your brother. If you don’t want to spray it, dip your fingers in it and wipe your brother’s forehead, his wrists, and his ankles. Feel free to throw the water out afterwards.
My family experiences more supernatural things than me, I’ve never had an experience which makes me still skeptical. Is there a reason why?
Dear Friend,
Some people are more susceptible or open to spiritual entities. Some individuals are simply not. Your skepticism is natural. For the most part you’re lucky you don’t experience anything supernatural. But I want you to pay attention to small clues around you. Pay attention to the bird in that tree or the moon as it sits. There are many things around us that we don’t pay attention to, but just because we don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Everyday when you step out of the house and drive the car, your ancestors watch over you making sure no accident occurs. Every time you sleep your ancestors make sure you’re safe. You’re carefully guarded by greater forces unseen to us. Something tells me you may not be opening yourself up to the possibilities. They say that seeing is believing. But what I say is, believing is seeing.
I dreamt about a snake and two dragons (Chinese dragons). If I remember correctly the snake was somewhat protecting me/the city from the dragons. When the dragons came near, the snake would attack to protect. A piece from my dream is that me and some people (might have been my family) we were in the forest trying to capture one of the dragon in a big cloth and we did. While two of the people were trying to fold over the cloth to keep the dragon from escaping, the dragon looked over at me and made its way out, escaping from the cloth. But in my dream, I somehow knew that the dragon knew it would be able to escape and that the cloth was not tight enough to trap it but wanted to pretend to be trapped. In my dreams, I somehow knew this when looking at the dragon… (CONTINUED)
Dear Friend,
Thank you for telling me your dream. Your mother is right. Snakes symbolize fertility and pregnancy. If not you, maybe it will be a sister, cousin, or close aunt. Two dragons represent your two children or perhaps twins? Perhaps you or someone in the family will have two kids. In your dream you are trying to capture the dragon with a cloth. This symbolizes you and/or your family ancestors capturing spirit children from above. The cloth represents a linking of a bridge we call “Choj Tub, Choj Ntxais” (Bridge Son, Bridge Daughter). As you know, shamans use cloth to symbolize their shaman bridge (this is what we see hanging on the ceiling of a shaman’s home), but in your case it is a bridge for children. Is there someone in the family having a hard time conceiving? If so, your dream may symbolize a shaman ritual in which the shaman will have to connect this bridge to them in order for their children spirits to come.
I would recommend getting a bronze bracelet, the ones Hmong people wear. It symbolizes a snake and can protect you against dragons and water spirits.
My husband had a dream that a girl was holding his wrist and telling him to go with her, but he said no. She got mad and turned into like a skeleton grim reaper and he woke up. Is there any meaning to this? Also, the day before that he dreamed he took our dog outside to use the bathroom and it started raining really hard. There was so much rain, it turned into like a river and it lifted our concrete sidewalk so he tried to fix it, but I believe he woke up.
Dear Friend,
The girl that is in your husband’s dreams has no good intentions. Any family spirit or good spirit will not come in a form to scare your husband. The girl is what we call poj ntxoog. She has tried testing him and continues to test him. She’ll appear to him in dreams as pretty or as a “celebrity” in order to trick him into giving in. He may have dreams of random girls or people in your home and even random strangers trying to come in. It’s a good thing that when she asked him to go with her, he said no. This means his soul is strong and has not yet been controlled or touched by these entities. There are also household spirits making sure he doesn’t go with her.
If you can, I recommend tying a red and white cloth to the front door of your home. The width should be about two inches and the length should be about 14 – 16 inches long. Tie three knots to the red/white cloth, two at each end and one in the middle. Then, tie this to your front door doorknob. To you it will look like a regular cloth. But to any entity or poj ntxoog, your door will look like a golden bronze door, impossible to come through. If they touch it they will burn. The three knots represent a lock, capturing any evil entity that attempts to come in.
What is the history of shamanism?
Dear Friend,
A long time ago the heaven's realized that there was so much sickness and death that they needed to send a shaman. So, they sent Siv Yis. Siv Yis is the Hmong's first shaman. As he grew up he became deathly sick. His wife and him sought out a psychic. She predicted that the heaven's chose him to be a great spiritual shaman, destined to fight against Satan. The psychic instructed Siv Yis to place at the front of his living space four sticks, a knife, two leaves, and a cloth. Siv Yis and his wife did this and when they woke up the next morning, what appeared to them were four shaman finger bells, a bronze gong, a shaman rattle, a sword, and a black veil.
Siv Yis was gone months at a time, healing everyone, every which way. Near or far, Siv Yis was the one to heal every one of Satan's victims. Siv Yis's wife also gave birth to a son named, Leej Nkaub.
Satan, feeling defeated, brewed up a plan to hurt Siv Yis. Satan decided if he can't attack Earth, he'll attack heaven. And so the heaven's appeared to Siv Yis, asking him for help. This time he would be gone for years. Siv Yis left his wife and son.
Seven years go by and upon Siv Yis's return he discovers that Satan killed his son Leej Nkaub and ate his wife. Angered by this, he goes to heaven, requesting that he bring his son back from the dead.
All the animals of the land heard of what Siv Yis was going to do. And so a mother pig said to Siv Yis, "You used my son and sacrificed him to heal a human. If you bring your son back, you must also bring mine." Then, a mother hen said to Siv Yis, "You too used TWO of my children and sacrificed them to call a human soul. You must also bring back my children." This ordeal went all the way to the Heavenly court and Siv Yis, unable to do as the animals requests, was not able to bring his son back from the dead.
Angered by this, he said to heaven that he no longer wants to be a shaman. He threw all his shaman tools; the four finger bells, the gong, the rattle, veil, sword, and shaman bench, all down to Earth. He said to heaven, "Whoever is lucky enough, or cursed enough, to receive my tools will rise as a shaman. But that they will know pain and suffer in the way I did. They, too, will know not what it means to be home with their family."
Today, shamans still use and call Siv Yis's name in their rituals as a way to refer back to this story. Siv Yis was a powerful shaman, one who lead the way and literally created shamans after him. Those who are shamans today are said to be the direct descendants of those who received Siv Yis's tools.
Why do you have to be chosen to be a shaman master? And even if you are chosen, why can’t you leave it because you don’t want to be one?
Dear Friend,
Thank you for asking your questions. A person is chosen to become a shaman because they are chosen by shaman spirits. It is said that those who are shamans are direct inheritance of Siv Yis’s shaman tools and instruments. If your grandfather/mother were shamans, the likelihood of you or your siblings/cousins becoming a shaman is greater. They don’t just choose anyone at random. They find someone who is patient, courageous, kind, empathetic, and caring. Most people will already have been chosen to be a shaman at birth or as kids. It is not until later in life that they start their symptoms or mob neeb (shaman sickness). Most individuals will already have a family or a spouse when they start. This is because shaman spirits will wait until you are in an independent stage in your life. This is not always true as there are cases of shaman kids or teens. You are chosen as a shaman because you are gifted with the ability to heal people, families, and community.
You are also correct, when you’re destined to become a shaman you can’t leave or escape it. If you try to avoid it there are two things that can happen. One, you will continue to be sick and experience pain for the rest of your life. Two, your children will have to go through the shaman sickness and they will have to take your place. You can’t leave it or not become a shaman because as mentioned above, you are born with it. This means that before coming to Earth and being born as a human being, you were already chosen. You carry the fate or “ntawv” with you to this life to become a shaman. These are things that are already pre-destined such as how many kids you will have, how long you will live, etc. By not becoming a shaman, it symbolizes you defying destiny.
In all honesty I never thought I’d become a shaman. I was born and raised in America and barely knew anything Hmong related. I couldn’t even speak Hmong that well. I was in college, having fun and could care less of the world. But fate doesn’t care. And if you ask most shamans they’ll say they never wanted to become a shaman and I wouldn’t want anyone to go through it too.
What does it mean when someone has a dream about you going everywhere to different places too much?
Dear Friend,
When we dream we often see what our spirit see’s. When we sleep, it becomes a time when our spirit can wander off and get itself in trouble. In your case, when you dream of going to many places, it means your spirit is wandering. Sometimes even, it means your soul is lost, trying to find it’s way home. Did you go somewhere far? Did you get back from traveling, camping, or did you stay somewhere other than your home for more than a few days? When this happens our spirit can remain in that place and when we come home, our spirit doesn’t come back with us.
If you can, I recommend doing a hu plig or soul calling. If this is not an option for you, simply go to your front door, step outside, and call yourself home. Literally, call your full first and last name (If you have a Hmong name, use that. If you don’t then just use your American name). Tell your soul that if it is lost, wandering, or trying to find a way home, that this is your home. It is really, really important that you use your full name and not just calling out randomly. By using your full name you won’t invite any random wild spirit or ghost. Make sure to light a candle when you do this. The best times to do this is early morning when the sun is rising or late evening when the sun is setting. Avoid doing this on even numbered days (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) and try doing this on odd numbered days (1, 3, 5, 7…15, 17, etc).
What does it mean when you dream about having grains of raw rice scattered all around you?
Dear Friend,
Interesting dream! Grains of rice represent Hmong life. The foundation of Hmong life revolves around the grain of rice, it symbolizes money and prosperity. In the coming weeks, you may be presented with a new job opportunity. You may receive some cash or luck. Rice grains around you means life around you, it means something great will be coming your way. Be on the lookout for an opportunity, maybe consider buying a lottery ticket at random.
When you “ua neeb” or “hu plig”, what type of energy do you feel? How does it effect you when you’re doing it? Is it hard? Or easy?
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your questions! When I ua neeb or hu plig it really depends on the situation. For ua neeb rituals, sometimes it’s really easy going, nothing hard in the way. There are times when even before I arrive at the person’s home, say a few days before, I have a dream that foretells or forewarns me of what to expect. That often sets the energy of the ua neeb ritual and it let’s me know how the ritual will go. Some rituals can have an intense energy, meaning a lot of energy blocking the way for me to heal a person’s soul. In some cases there’s a lot of healing that needs to be done for a family and so the energy is heavy. I’ve experienced two or three situations where I honestly thought I couldn’t continue with the ritual because for one, I was out of breath. And two there was just so much negative or dark energy around me. These include things like wild spirits, ghosts, ancestral spirits, etc. Most shamans can sense energy even before or upon entering a family’s home and it does kind of preset how the ritual will go. Some homes or houses are darker than others, meaning it’s just harder to navigate and get started. For a few cases some families don’t follow Hmong shamanism and so as a shaman you have to navigate and be smart about how you’re going to do things and so the energy requires me to proceed with caution. In some other serious situations like life or death or emergency situations, you feel really pumped up and your shamans are ready and eager to go with you. I’ve been in two emergency situations where there was really no time to get ready or think and had to just ua neeb right there and then.
How do you know if you’re picked to be a shaman?
Dear Friend,
Becoming a shaman is believed to be inherited. You must be specifically chosen by your ancestors or shaman spirits. An individual cannot choose to become a shaman. It isn't a job but more so an identity, a part of who you are. Some people are born with shaman spirits, meaning they are chosen before they are even born into this world. For some, shaman spirits choose them later on in life. If you have family members who are shamans such as a grandparent or parent, the chances of you or your siblings becoming a shaman is more likely.
You cannot wake up one day and know you're a shaman. You must experience what we call, shaman sickness or mob neeb. This happens in two ways, a physiological way and a supernatural way. Physiological meaning a physical illness, sometimes even a near death experience. This includes things like cancer, life threatening seizures, consistent pain in the leg, feet, arms, or fingers, a miracle, and much more. Then there's the supernatural phenomenon. This includes things like constant dreams of flying or becoming a shaman, seeing ghosts or spirits, psychic experiences, depression, and much more. The thing to note is that these experiences are not medical, meaning no medical explanation and no medicine has been able to help. It is also important to note that the shaman sickness is over a long period of time, it is consistent and constant. This means you will be sick, and then get better, but then get sick again and again until a shaman is called to perform a ritual.
Once a shaman performs a ritual and see's that you are destined to become a shaman, you will either have the choice to accept it or not. If you do not accept it, the pain will persist, perhaps even heighten. This is because your shaman spirits and guides are in need of a home, the shaman altar. Without a home or an altar they will continue to cause pain to you, not enough to kill you but enough to feel like you're dying. Your dreams will continue and you will keep experiencing supernatural and paranormal things.
When you accept your calling, the search for your master or xib fwb begins. You must "tsawv neeb." This process involves searching for the right master for your shamans. You can't just ask a random shaman to be your master. Your shaman spirits choose the master for you. After this search and screening process, you will contact the shaman and they will perform a ritual to determine if they and your shaman guides are a good match. In this process, you will sit on their bench. You will use their finger bells and the shaman will hit their gong, calling upon their shaman spirits. If you shake and go into a trance, they will be your master. If you don't, this simply means your search and screening process continues. Most shamans even before becoming a shaman are more empathetic in nature. They can pick up on energy, read cues and energy levels, and they sometimes have a gut feelings that turn out to be correct.
Is a Business Administration degree going to be the degree for me?
Dear Friend,
I would be helpful if I had your birthday and age. But tonight's moon alignment (8/8/19) is in a Waxing Gibbous phase. This phase is when the moon is more than 50% illuminated and your chances of succeeding with a Business Administration degree is higher than if you did not succeed. If you are to pursue a goal, now would be a good time.
Am I gifted? I've been told that I am.
Dear Friend,
I would need to know more information. But, I believe everyone is a little gifted, some can channel it more and is more open to it than others. Perhaps you've experience dejavu, maybe you have some psychic abilities such as knowing things before they happen. Maybe you have a gut feeling and it turns out to be right every time. Maybe you can see visions? See the deceased or able to talk to them. Every person who has a gift can excel in their specialty. For example, some shamans receive their visions when they dream, that is their specialty. Others can communicate with the other side or can conjure spirits. What ever yours may be, take advantage of it and use it for good. Control it and don't let it take over.
Will my children be happy and content with their lives?
Dear Friend,
In what ever direction your children go with their lives, they will be happy and content. Like all people, they will face challenges in their lives, have ups and downs. Happiness is not a destination, you can never just be happy or reach it. It's something that comes and goes, something we experience and then other times don't. Without sadness there cannot be happiness. So, your children will face obstacles but they will always conquer what ever fear or doubts they have. For good luck, cleanse the home every now and then. Pay attention to your childrens' attitude and notice any unusual changes. If possible, ua neeb once a year for the family. Cleanse the old and in with the new.
Will my husband and I be happy and content moving forward?
Dear Friend,
I sense that maybe you have had some thoughts about your relationship and marriage. Perhaps you've been feeling some type of way for awhile now and this feeling of unhappiness or doubt isn't new. But tonight's moon alignment is lit up a little over half, meaning the chances of your marriage with your husband has a greater chance of surviving than not. If both you and your husband is content moving forward, the universe is in your favor. In any relationship I cannot tell anyone to leave or stay. If you feel unsafe in your marriage, I hope you find the strength to be in a safe place, whatever that may be for you. If you feel unhappy in your marriage, I hope you find the strength to be happy, whatever choices or decisions you make along the way. I cannot predict the future or know what will happen. But a wise person once told me that if we water our own grass, it will be green. But it takes two people in a marriage and our partner or spouse must also want to water the grass with you.
Had a dream that I was dressed in Hmong clothes and was going to get married, my Hmong wedding actually, but when it was time to go, I said No. My mom also had a dream of me walking down a road dressed in Hmong clothes and I told her I was going to go get married, but two guys pulled me away. What does it mean?
Dear Friend,
Please be careful and pay attention to your surroundings. When driving or traveling far, please take precautions and avoid traffic time or traveling late at night. Avoid going out or being out late on the full moon, August 15. It is typically not a good sign when we have dreams of getting married. However, the good thing about your dream is that you said no and that two guys pulled you away. This means whatever entity is stalking you has no power or control over you. This also means that your household ancestors and spirits is carefully watching over you. Their strength and protection is greater than any entity trying to take you.
I would avoid going to big waters like oceans, lakes, rivers, or ponds. Avoid fishing, camping, or hiking.
Had a dream I saw a golden stairway to heaven. I climbed mountains and hill to get to it. Once there, I climbed the stairs, but saw garlic every step of the way. Somehow I saw my husband naked, dirty, and hungry. I bathed him and told him to stay and I was going to go. What does this mean?
Dear Friend,
It may seem like your spirit ventured off into other realms in the afterlife. Mountains, hills, and garlic all represent the place we must go through when we pass away. Sometimes our spirit likes to adventure off into these places. However, the dream isn't about you but more so about your husband. You went searching for your husband's soul. He's the one that may have ventured off. Have you noticed any changes about him? Does he seem more tired than usual? Maybe he doesn't seem to have an appetite nowadays. Does he fall asleep more often or gets drowsy? Has he been sick? You saw him naked, dirty, and hungry because his soul ventured off into places that are meant for the dead. He has no clothes, no animals, no food, all of which we receive when we pass. Our family and relatives give us proper clothing, give us cows and chickens, and burn money to us during funerals. For those like us that are still alive but venture off, we will be naked, dirty, and hungry as you saw in your dream. Your spirit is strong, that's why you had to come back.
I would consider a hu plig or soul calling for your husband if that's an option for you. If possible, perhaps tie a red and white cloth string to your husband's left foot as a way to conceal or lock his soul in place to prevent it from exploring places like this.
I want to buy some land and build my house, will I be able to?
Dear Friend,
I think it's a wonderful idea to buy some land and build your house. I am not a psychic and cannot predict the future. I am not gifted to predict the business or success of outcomes like this. However, I would say with any project the best outcome is to take it one goal at a time, one small step leads to big results.
Will I ever finish my home renovations and sell my house for a good price?
Dear Friend,
As with the question above, I am not a psychic and cannot predict the likelihood of something occurring in the future. Your home renovations is a result of the hard work you will put into it. Right now is a good time to complete any projects you have already started on but perhaps hold off on starting any new ones until after the month of August. As this is typically the time to harvest crops and vegetables, this is the time to harvest or finish any projects you have already started on. Selling your home by the end of the year looks possible. Perhaps I am not the right person as I know little to nothing about home renovations and market prices of homes. But, best of luck and stay determined!
I want to start my business. Always wanted a little Hmong store with little deli. Was thinking about opening it up north where there are no Asian store. Will this dream of mine work out? Will it be profitable?
Dear Friend,
As a business owner myself, it comes with a lot of planning, goals, and hard work. Your day offs are your work days. As I've stated, I am not a psychic and cannot predict the likelihood of something occurring or succeeding in the future. But, I encourage you to keep striving for this goal and I want you to succeed! I recommend learning some basic marketing and business techniques, how it works, taxes, and doing your research. There may not be any Asian stores up north but is there a good Asian population to make profit? I would say it is best to begin a project, big goal, or business during January - February. Right now, only about 30% of new small businesses fail within the first two yeas (according to the Small Business Association). Your chances of succeeding right now is high.
Does anyone in my husband's family hate me? Will I ever have a good relationship with them?
Dear Friend,
Your curiosity to wonder this let's me know that your relationship with your husband's family is not a two way street. People are not meeting each other half way and someone is doing more work and putting in more effort than the rest. As with any relationship, it takes two people to do the work. Meet each other half way, be kind to each other, be supportive and caring to each other. There's some communication issues happening, one person saying one thing but not following on it. One person receiving the wrong message when perhaps that is not what the other person meant. When we hear only what we want to hear or believe only in what we want to believe, we stop listening. Anything and everything that someone says goes in one ear and out the other. Both parties need to listen to each other more even if it's not what you want to hear. What I know to be true is this. We have no control as to what people do or say to us. But, we do have control over how we respond. How we let them get to us and how we allow their energy to effect us. We can only control how we feel, how we respond, and how we choose to let it in our life. I know this does not answer your question, but if you are putting in the work and no one is meeting you half way, choose how you want to respond. Choose how you will let it effect you. Choose how you want to move on.
I can’t really explain but I’ve been seeing a person that was me in my past life. Any answers? (Submitted by my friend)
Dear Friend,
Thank you for asking this question. I actually really love and enjoy this topic. Now, is this person you're seeing alive? Did you meet them somewhere? Or is this person a spiritual concept? Do you see this person in your dreams, when you close your eyes, or get glimpses of this person? I believe there is some truth to reincarnation and how some of us do actually remember some part of our past life. Who you're seeing is most likely you but in your past life. You see, when we die, one of our souls must get washed in "heavens" water. This water wipes all our memories of our past life and we get recycled back into this life, with a new family. Sometimes, maybe in our past life we made promises to other people, promises that are stronger than any magical water that can wash away memories. Perhaps there's still someone waiting for you from your past life. Is there a specific time during the day you feel more tired and this occurs almost everyday? Do you get any repetitive dreams? Has there ever been a person you've just met and you feel like you've known them for a long time? Or maybe you see someone in passing and automatically feel like you're connected somehow? These are all past life phenomenons that you are experiencing. A part of your past life remains with you and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
I too experience past life regression. Every single day when the clock hits 3pm, I get very tired and drowsy. It's to the point where I have to nap, I have to lay down and close my eyes. This symbolizes the exact time I died in my past life. And I know it sounds ridiculous or funny but I can feel it in gut. I've had repetitive dreams of running in the jungles with groups of people, clinging onto the far side of the mountains. I've had repetitive dreams of seeing the same little girl die, laying still on bamboo beds. Sometimes when I close my eyes or stare into the sky I see a Hmong man's face. Skinny, short, small, and dark. It's the same face I've seen since I was a child. I know this person to be me in my past life.
Your experiences with your past life is unique, not everyone can experience what you experience.