Cowrie Shell Divination
Session Rates:
$75 - 30 Minutes
$150 - 1 Hour
My name is Lisa Lorius. The practices that I share are borne out of a desire for meaningful change in my own life. There are a lot of letters after my name – BA, MBA, LNHA, CDP, RM, CEP, RYT-500 – and what does that all mean? They really represent the milestones of a journey to getting to know who I am and how I see the world. A world view that was significantly different at BA than at RYT-500. Most my life was spent as an overachiever, an over-doer, and an over-giver who would only consider asking for help as an absolute last result. This resulted in feelings of depletion, depression, stress, and exhaustion. And, ultimately, a search for a new way of being. The study and practice of yoga, Reiki, and shamanic practices have given me the tools to heal trauma, shift perspective, and move forward in a way that feels nourishing to me. As a Mom of three amazing children, it feels so important to share these practices because positive change in me supports positive change in my children and in the world at large.
What is a Cowrie Shell Reading?
Cowrie Shell Divination is a shamanic tradition originating from Africa. The art that I was taught was shared by Elders of the Dagara tribe in Burkina Faso. The messages in a cowrie shell reading come directly from the ancestors and speak to the current state of being as well as ways to overcome obstacles. The Dagara have the belief that our ancestors have a vested interest in our wellbeing. This type of divination is different than others in that it does not require any intuitive interpretation by the reader. I think about it as a letter from the ancestors that I read to a client.
The reading itself has two distinct parts. The first is a mat that represents the five elements:
- Earth – represents home, nurturing welcome, and abundance
- Water – represents healing and reconciliation. Water has two parts the “shallow” water which represents conscious healing and the “deep” water represents healing that happens outside of our awareness in our subconscious.
- Fire – represents passion, inspiration, and clear vision. Fire is also the place of the ancestors
- Mineral – represents stories, and communication
- Nature – represents magic and transformation
The second part is a collection of cowrie shells, stones, rings, and other objects that the client spreads over the mat. The reading (or the letter as I call it) is based on where the items end up on the mat. Each item has significance and different meanings depending on what element they are in.