About

Ellen Rose (she/her) is an animist, seiðr and spirit worker focused on re-empowerment. Dedicated to a life liberated by love, she integrates earth-based spirituality, ancestral practices, and spirit work to foster connection, empowerment, and embodied wisdom in community. Her teachers include Jonathan Horowitz, Zara Waldeback, Annette Høst, Shenoah Taylor, and the Kripalu community. She is an Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher, devotee of intimacy, and multi-media artist.

On Shamanism…

The word shaman or saman comes from the Tungusic language family of Eastern Siberia. The word means “one who sees,” and I want to be clear that I make no personal claim to be a shaman.

I prefer to use the word Spirit Worker, in an effort to avoid appropriating the cultural significance of the word. I consider myself to be an apprentice to the Spirits, working with them through my direct connections and sustained practice. My work is to be a servant to others, and to listen deeply to all beings.

Many of my teachers studied, and have long since parted ways, with Michael Harner, an anthropologist and founder of Core Shamanism, who is often criticized for stripping the cultural context from shamanic techniques, and over-simplifying and commodifying the practices for a Western audience.

While this is true, it is also true that contemporary Western society often lacks meaningful and connected sources of spirituality that are rooted in an ancestral lineage, due to diaspora, Christianization, colonization, and the impacts of capitalism and white supremacy on our cultures. Hence, many in Western cultures yearn for an embodied spirituality.

The practices imparted to me by my teachers do not have a specific cultural context, other than the culture that is naturally created by repeated interactions and lessons derived from working with the spirits, and gathering in circle with others who have similar practices. When done with discipline and integrity, the practices work – and I see it as my duty to deeply honor the messages and guidance I receive. I aim to relate in a reciprocal way with the spirits – including those of the land and ancestors of my blood or of my surrounds. The ceremonies and rituals I do are created in relationship with the beings involved, rather than going through the motions of something that is reconstructed or prescribed. It is in this way, I feel the most in integrity with my own spiritual practice and offerings.