Preparing to Journey: Finding Your Compass

Andrea Lawrie
Feb 1
5 min read

Updated: Feb 5

How to Prepare for Shamanic Journeying

This month’s Full Moon arrives at Imbolc - a time of year that naturally invites pause. Although the days are still dark, there is a subtle sense of something beginning to stir beneath the surface.

In this blog series so far, I’ve been exploring shamanic practice step by step: What Is Shamanism?, The Shamanic Journey, and the role of the Shamanic Drum in shifting consciousness and bringing us back into the body. This reflection comes just before we begin to explore the different worlds we journey to.

Today, I want to focus on the pause before the journey itself.

On preparation.

I like to think of this as setting a compass.

Why Preparation Matters

Shamanic journeying isn’t so much about leaving this world behind. It begins here - in the body, in this moment, in the place where we are right now. It is embodied, grounded and deeply relational.

Preparation is an essential part of shamanic practice. It supports journeying in a way that feels safe, steady and contained. Taking time to pause, even briefly, helps us to:

ground and steady the nervous system
create a clear beginning and ending
focus our attention and form an intention
establish a sense of safety and containment

Without preparation, a journey can feel scattered or vague. With preparation, it tends to feel clearer, more grounded and more contained.

There’s no single “correct” way to prepare. However, there is a simple structure that works well, particularly if you’re new to shamanic journeying, and you may find it helpful to begin there.

Step One: Prepare the Space

Begin by choosing a quiet place where you’re unlikely to be disturbed. This might be a room in your home, a corner of a room or somewhere outdoors where you feel comfortable and at ease.

You’re not trying to make it perfect, just intentional.

You may wish to gently clear the space before you begin. This can be done in many simple ways, including:

sounding a drum or rattle around the room
lighting incense or herbs and allowing the smoke to move into the corners
clapping your hands
singing, humming or playing a track with deep, resonant sound
opening a window to allow fresh air to move through

I tend to work with a few different things (not all at once), such as herbs, a drum, bells, rattles, my voice, a Tibetan horn soundtrack or a small number of chosen ancient symbols. But simplicity matters.

One small, intentional action is enough.

Choose something that feels right for you.

Clearing the space can be as simple as allowing fresh air and light to move through

Step Two: Arrive in the Body

Once the space feels settled, take a moment to arrive.

Sit or lie comfortably. You might like cushions or a blanket. Let your body know it can rest here.

Feel your feet on the floor, or the earth beneath you. Take a few slow breaths and allow your awareness to settle into your body, becoming fully present.

You don’t need to do anything special.

You’re simply arriving - here, now, in this place.

Step Three: Acknowledge the Land

Before you begin, take a moment to acknowledge the land you’re on.

Quietly ask permission to do this work here, remembering that you’re in relationship with place, not separate from it.

You might say something as simple as:

“I ask permission to do this work here, with respect and care.”

Then pause and notice what you feel. Often it’s just a subtle sense of settling or ease.

Step Four: Create a Centre

Next, place a candle at the centre of your space.

Don’t light it just yet.

For me, this candle represents the centre point - the still place within me, and within the wider universe. It’s a steady anchor, and a reminder of the place I return to when the journey ends.

You might also place one or two simple objects beside or around the candle - a stone, a feather, a shell, or something else from nature. This isn’t for decoration, but as a marker that you are honouring your connection to the land and stepping into something intentional.

Step Five: Orient to the Directions

Now, orient yourself to the four directions: East, South, West, and North.

Stand or sit facing the East first, towards the candle. In your own words (quietly or out loud) you might say:

“Spirits of the East, I welcome you in.”

Then light the candle.

Pause for a moment.

Turn to the South and say:

“Spirits of the South, I welcome you in.”

Pause again.

Turn to the West, then the North, welcoming each in turn.

You may also acknowledge Mother Earth below and Father Sky above, if that feels right for you.

There’s no need for elaborate language. What matters is the act of acknowledgement, placing yourself in relationship with all that surrounds you.

This moment helps you feel oriented, held and grounded before you journey.

A Note on the Directions

The directions carry deep and significant teachings. Across many Indigenous cultures and earth-based traditions, they are understood in relationship with elements, cycles of nature, stages of life, animals, colours, different ways of being human and more.

These teachings are not universal. Each culture, nation and lineage holds its own understandings, stories, languages, prayers and ways of calling in the directions, rooted in place, ancestry and lived relationship with the land.

Because of this, the teachings of the directions are layered and expansive. They unfold over time through experience, practice and relationship, rather than through explanation alone.

You don’t need to understand them fully when you’re beginning. In many traditions, the Medicine Wheel, sometimes referred to as the Sacred Circle or Hoop, is understood as a living teaching. Simply acknowledging the directions with respect and care is enough to begin orienting yourself in practice.

For those who feel called to explore further, I’ve included reference to a couple of books below which offer deeper cultural context and guidance.

Step Six: Begin the Journey

Once you feel settled, grounded and oriented, you’re ready to begin journeying, whether through drumming, rattling or another method you’re working with.

And even if you don’t intend to journey on this occasion, this preparation can stand alone as a daily practice: a simple ritual to ground and resource yourself, and to meet the day ahead with greater presence.

After all, life in this reality is a journey too.