Shamanic Journey Series – 3: Setting Your Intention

Setting Your Intention

Setting a clear intention is the foundation for a powerful journey. It is a gift to yourself, bringing internal clarity and focus. Don’t rush this step. Your intention answers the question, “What do I want from this journey?” and helps guide the experience, clearing the way for deep insights.

I often tell people that intention works the same way as deciding to get a glass of water. In most cases, you don’t overthink it. You just know you can do it, and you go get one. When you set an intention for a journey, it works the same way. You decide, and you do it.

Your intention can take the form of a question or a goal. Especially in the beginning, keep it simple and specific. This will make your journey much more effective and helpful.

Forming a Question

If you’re forming a question, try to phrase it in a thoughtful way that opens you up to learning and exploring the energies of the answer, rather than looking for a rigid yes/no or either/or answer.

For example, “What might I experience if I get into a relationship with this person?” vs “Should I get into a relationship with this person or not?”. You could take another journey later on the question, “What might I experience if I don’t get into a relationship with this person?”.

By breaking down complex questions into clear, simple parts, your answers will be clearer too.

Similarly, if you’re feeling stuck at work, you could ask something like, “What do I need to understand about my work as it relates to my best and highest good?” or “What can I do to improve my situation at work?” vs “Am I in the right job? Should I leave it? Where should I go?”

Taking the time to break down a complicated problem into smaller pieces will help you find the clarity that you need.

Setting a Goal

Your intention can also be a goal rather than a question. Some examples:

“I’m journeying to the Lower World to meet a helping spirit in animal form.” (A great first journey!)
“I’m meeting with my Teacher in the Upper World to learn what this situation is trying to teach me.”
“I’m journeying to the Lower World to ask for healing of _________.”
“I’m journeying to the Upper World to ask my helping spirit to clear and balance my energy.”
“I’m journeying to the Lower World to be shown my latent spiritual gifts and how to activate them.”

I often journey to share a situation and then simply request, “Please show me what I need to know about this situation.”