WARNING: This is a personal post.

Daniel practicing the curandero art. Photo by http://www.elainag.com/.

The path of the curandero can be, without a doubt, the least gratifying vocation one could ever choose.  Truly, the only reason one chooses to do it is if they have a "calling." More often than not, it is a thankless gig where heart and soul is poured into a life serving others with very little returned in favor. Additionally, like any vocation there are hits and misses. Not everything is perfect.


I use Sharon's definition because that is primarily the lineage that I practice, as there are many different lineages of curanderismo throughout the Latin Americas depending on the country (or part of each country) you are referring to. Beyond that, there are a lot of misconceptions with this practice, especially as a Caucasian American practicing this work in a modern world filled to the brim with New Age self-help gurus on every street corner offering enlightenment at a specially priced package.

Let's run down the list of misunderstandings about what I do (or don't do):

1. I am not a shaman. Shamans are indigenous healers/priests that live completely immersed in a lifestyle of which I could only hope to aspire to. They truly walk between the worlds of the seen and Unseen (and I don't mean someone who can just snap right out of a 30 meditation and then drive on over to Whole Foods to get a smoothie). Some of the practices inherent in curanderismo are shamanic, per se (in the same way that some of the practices are also Christian or Buddhist) but that does not make me a shaman (in the same way that I am not a Christian or a Buddhist). I do try to live my life by a code of conduct as a priest would, as that is how I was trained and initiated.
2. I am not a doctor, therapist, or a life coach. Nor do I want to be. I provide this warning every single time I have a client that I choose to work with. I am not certified in psychology, psychiatry, or social work, though I may be knowledgeable in them all. If you want your life problems solved what I offer is a chance to cut into the Truth underlining your soul and pave a path for transforming your current circumstances to rise up to a higher potential. It is always up to you, the client, to make those choices. You are completely responsible for yourself. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to make money off of you.
3. I am a father and husband, first and foremost. I have a life. Although this is a vocation, it is not my primary source of livelihood. I have two full-time jobs already: the first is my day job to support my family, and then the second is my family itself. I will always do my best to help someone in need, but my life comes first. Sometimes I just may not be able to find the time. And that's okay, because (refer to number 2).
4. Yes, I charge for my time. I am not claiming to be a Lakota medicine man or a spiritual guru. I am trained within a specific lineage based upon folk healing practices. In this tradition, which stems from northern Peru, this is the primary vocation of those claiming to be curanderos and curanderas. This is how they pay their bills, it is part of their culture, and it has been so for thousands of years. Some of them even advertise. So, before getting triggered about someone "capitalizing off of indigenous spirituality" do some research first on the history of curanderismo, as well as take into consideration that for the 9 to 10 hours I work at my day job, then the raising of three children, as well as being a husband (and maybe even having some time to myself....maybe?) that my time does need to be compensated in some way shape or form. I don't gut my clients. I do not aim to make a living off of them. I certainly don't swindle. I try to be flexible or sometimes even accept trade if someone is in dire need. I'm here to serve to the best of my ability. But, the teachings of my tradition beg sacred reciprocity in all of life. That means giving must always happen before receiving.
5. You have to be ready to do some work. My job is to reveal that which you are unable to currently see. After that, I provide you with some breathing room as well as tools to be able to get the desired result you would like to have. After that, you have to get to work, because any true healing comes from you doing the majority of the work. I've always been taught that curing is likened to sitting in the passenger seat of the car . . . the client is driving, I'm just there holding the map. I can point the way, but you have to get there. If I did everything for you, you wouldn't heal. You would become dependent upon me, then hyper-dependent, and finally you would become worse off. You have to be willing to change things, change behaviors, change habits, as well as change addictions. Healing is transformation and transformation means turning one thing into another, lead into gold. It is not an easy-going process. It takes work.
6. Warning! Shadows abound! If you are looking for healing it's because something isn't working right in your life, with you. 9 times out of 10, something is not working right because you are not seeing something clearly and have developed habits that prevent you from seeing it. My job is to see it, then to get you to see it, so you can then do something about it. This often leads to very uncomfortable revelations that can turn your world upside down. If you are not ready for that, and especially not ready to do anything about it, then you may want to reconsider this modality and seek elsewhere. Most especially, if you get started and do not stick with it to address the unforeseen revelation, you may open a whole new Pandora's box for yourself that could potentially unravel more chaos into your life. Be ready to face anything, most especially your own self. 
7. I am not enlightened, or more spiritually special than you are. Curanderismo takes training, skill, and an artistic knack. To be a curandero doesn't mean God chooses me especially to be more spiritually better than anyone else. It's a craft. Some people just have a knack for being a doctor, a lawyer, a painter, or a project manager. Some people are good at those things, are meant to do them somehow. It doesn't mean they are spiritually enlightened or better than anyone else. In the same light, not everyone is meant to be a curandero; everyone has their own knack, their own purpose. Because I was trained as a curandero doesn't mean I am enlightened or a spiritual guru. Moreso, it doesn't mean I always have my shit together, either. I am a human being. I'm not perfect. But, I do have a knack for this particular craft and am definitely called to share it with the world. Do not hold me to a higher standard than you would hold yourself.  

These are just some of the misconceptions that float around about those who practice shamanic healing, or any other form of alternative healing modality. I cannot speak to other traditions, but I certainly can speak for my lineage.  Somehow, for some reason, I see many people in this tradition get a lot of flak, a lot of projection thrown at them for things out of their control. We are all human, and we need to treat each other such, at the same time holding each other up to an equitable standard of integrity and respect. 

I'm here to serve. There's no question about that. But, I'm also here to be vulnerable and make mistakes as well. It's a human experience and we're all here to paint the picture we were meant to paint.

Daniel and his beloved Autumn with their mesas. Photo by http://www.elainag.com/.