Walk with the Unseen: Dreams, Shamanism + Spirit Communication - Episode 12

In this week’s podcast, we were honored to have Mimi Young as our guest. Mimi is a Taiwanese Canadian spirit communicator and the founder of Ceremonie, an esoteric brand focused on imparting practical ancient wisdom so you can actively receive support from spirits, break negative patterns, and celebrate your path. Mimi works at the intersection of animism and core shamanism, ancestral wisdom, dreamwork, chaos magik, and other Chinese mystic practices to communicate with the Unseen.

Mimi offers private readings, education and mentorship, as well as made-to-order skin and aura care.

You can find out more about Mimi and her offerings at
shopceremonie.com

You can follow her on social at
IG: @shopceremonie
Clubhouse: @shopceremonie

You can sign up for Mimi's free Substack.

Mimi is offering $50 off of her Remote Shamanic Readings for "Seeking Center" listeners  by using the promo code Seek50off.

You also will want to check out her upcoming Shamanic Journeying to Soothe and Rest offering  on April 26 + 28 from 6-8PM PST.

And her Managing Our Energy + Psychic Bodies two-part series on June 7 + June 9  from 6-8PM PST.

Visit seekingcentercommunity.com for more with Robyn + Karen and many of the guides on Seeking Center: The Podcast. You'll get access to live weekly sessions, intuitive guidance, daily inspiration, and a space to share your journey with like-minded people who just get it.

You can also follow Seeking Center on Instagram @theseekingcenter.

Transcript

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EP12_MimiYoung

[00:00:00] robyn: We're honored to have Mimi Young with us today. Mimi is a Taiwanese Canadian spirit communicator and the founder of Ceremonie an esoteric brand focused on imparting practical, ancient wisdom. So folks can actively receive support from spirits, break negative patterns and celebrate their path.

[00:00:19] Mimi works at the intersection of animism and core shamanism, ancestral wisdom, dreamwork, chaos, magik. Other Chinese mystic practices to communicate with the unseen and offers private readings, education, and mentorship, and made to order skin and aura care.

[00:00:36] I've had the opportunity to work with Mimi firsthand. And not only did she tap into who I am and why I'm here. She taught me about practices that I had never heard of or considered. There is so much to discuss. Let's get going. Hi Mimi, 

[00:00:51] mimi: Hi Mimi thank you so much, Robyn and Karen for having me. 

[00:00:56] robyn: We're so honored.

[00:00:57] And 

[00:00:57] mimi: Robyn, I'm 

[00:00:58] karen: just listening to that introduction [00:01:00] that you put together. And I'm sure as a listener they're ready to jump in because there's so many practices that you just listed that I've never heard of, but some incredible. so I don't know if you want to ask the question. I have like 10 chomping

[00:01:18] robyn: first and foremost, Mimi, how did you come into the knowing of these gifts 

[00:01:24] mimi: I feel that my story was more about running away for a long time and denial. When I was very young, I had assumed everyone experienced these things. When you start sharing about it with people? I felt crazy.

[00:01:37] I really realized that, wow, this is what makes me unique as a person. And when you're little, you confuse unique with weird. you don't embrace it. And because there's multiple factors when one is trying to fit into the world. I think for me, what told me what the circumstances told me to do is hide it, downplay it, tell yourself that it's fantasy.

[00:01:58] That you're imagining things, [00:02:00] even though I would have pre-cognitive dreams, even though I can communicate with trees, even though, even though, even though. And so, I think my story was a knowing, but also a huge denial around it. 

[00:02:11] robyn: Wow. What did you see when you were young? did you talk about that with your family?

[00:02:16] karen: Yeah, so, what's interesting. I don't know 

[00:02:19] mimi: if you have ever heard of the term synesthesia it's the ability to perceive the world in a multi-sensory way. So for instance, if you listened to music, someone who experienced a synesthesia may also see colors as they hear music, or they may taste something or smell something as they experience music.

[00:02:38] And you can sort of apply that to every other thing that you can experience in life. for me, I'm, also synesthetic. And so I would say things like, but the number five is always blue and people would just not understand what I meant by that, including people in my family. And so You can say that is simply synesthesia and there's actually no science to back up that experience.

[00:02:59] Now, I [00:03:00] don't know if science necessarily has made it so far as to understand deep intuition and pre-cognition and spirit communication per se. But for me, once again, it was things that I would kind of tell my family, or even just tell my friends. People would sort of look at you weird.

[00:03:15] And, or because my mom is religious, it was something that was seen as dangerous. And so it's like, oh, we don't do that. that's dangerous or that's not something that God would like. And so I have these multiple factors once again, telling me that it wasn't really safe to tap into those things.

[00:03:31] And for me, I wanted to feel safe. I wanted to feel approved and validated and, supported in a community. And so I learned to just diminish that, dismiss that and hide it. So is there 

[00:03:41] karen: anyone that supported you at all when you were younger in this space? Or were, were you just automatically turning it off or just keeping it to yourself when you saw these things?

[00:03:49] mimi: So in certain church circles, Aspects certain church circles may really embrace pre-cognitive dreams, especially if there were appearances of church approved [00:04:00] figures such as angels or, Mary or beings that exists within their narrative that are deemed safe.

[00:04:07] So in those contexts, yes. And then I did have a friend in high school who was a closet, witch closet, witch meaning she had tarot cards and we would pull and interpret. And sometimes just for fun, neither of us actually knew how to read hands. And I still don't know how to read tabs, but we do it just for fun but I would say that's the only person that I felt understood me to a degree. 

[00:04:26] robyn: Well, and you have such a connection with nature. And you mentioned, being able to communicate with trees when you were younger and your childhood and teenage years were you, at that point, able to understand that you were, communicating with nature, did that feel natural to you then?

[00:04:44] mimi: I would say when I was very young, it felt very, very natural. So, three, four years old, extremely natural. It was just who I am. It was so fluid that I didn't even realize that it was. Paranormal or supernatural, it felt so normal to me. And then it did go dormant because I, I didn't want to go there.

[00:04:59] [00:05:00] So it did go dormant for a number of years. And when I was a teenager, , I was start smelling things. And I would smell something and it was essentially the spirits communicating with me, giving me a little warning or a little sign about what was going to happen or what was actually happening,

[00:05:15] and that's when I knew what I smelt was true. But once again, you can't talk about it out loud because I felt crazy. I couldn't say something like, oh, well, you're not telling the full story. And, most people will say, well, why would you say that?

[00:05:28] And what I had to share would make me sound cuckoo 

[00:05:31] karen: before we leave this. On the communication with the trees specifically was it actual communication? Was it a knowing, what was that experience like? What did you hear? What was the two-way communication 

[00:05:43] mimi: that you received? It would depend on the day. and this is the thing. 

[00:05:46] Movies like the X man or stranger things or folks with these paranormal superpowers they can recall, and they can access those gifts all the time and very consistently I don't find that, that as the case for [00:06:00] me, especially when I was that young. So some days I would hear something or I would get a single word. Other days I would feel it physically as if the tree places. Their hands on my shoulder, even though trees don't have hands, but that's what it would feel like. It would be this warm, fuzzy, reassuring hand on the shoulder. And other moments they would have a conversation. So I could hear it all in my head and I would ask something back and, I would learn the names of a tree or what it was that they saw earlier that day, or, just as you would speak with a friend.

[00:06:28] But it was, it was never dramatic. It was always quite subtle, but it felt so real that I didn't deny it, especially when I was very young. 

[00:06:35] robyn: So what happened then? You kind of pushed it away. What was that crossroads point for you where you couldn't deny all that you felt or saw knew, 

[00:06:48] mimi: So fast forward through my adolescence and early and mid twenties, and I did everything that, a quote unquote, successful desirable woman would do.

[00:06:57] So, you name it. I did those things, you go to [00:07:00] college and get a degree and you get a good job and you get your first condo and live life. It's like all those things you get married and you have your first child. And then boom, I.

[00:07:11] I realized that life wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, with a , young baby at home and me probably experiencing a little bit of postpartum depression. Even though it wasn't enough, so to speak, not to say that one needs to experience something enough, but for me, I didn't go see a doctor.

[00:07:28] I just was just sitting in it and trying to figure out what's happening. I felt that the depression was more pointing to a deeper need to be me again, because I felt ill-equipped to be a mother. I felt like, wow, I'm responsible for this human being.

[00:07:43] And if I'm just teaching this human being to follow all the rules, And, jump through hoop after another hoop, after another hoop, because I saw so much magic and my son, it just, it didn't feel right. I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to tell him to just keep calm and go along with [00:08:00] everything.

[00:08:00] And just March to the beat of somebody else's drum, I didn't have the answer but I knew deep, deep down, but my, mind hadn't caught up yet. And so I was really confused and I became really resentful of a lot of things that I really in theory should be very grateful for.

[00:08:14] I was just like, well, this did bring me happiness. That didn't bring me happiness. What is the point of all this? It felt very existential. And so for me, that crossroad it was actually returning to my. My being my full, true expression and being reacquainted with her and really realizing how much of myself I had forgotten.

[00:08:33] robyn: wow. 

[00:08:34] karen: We're doing a lot of 

[00:08:35] mimi: head nodding here, by the way. 

[00:08:38] karen: I think there's a lot of people who can relate to that moment and, a child is such a crossroads for so many of us, Because it is that moment where we have that opportunity to change or make the decision on who we are 

[00:08:50] mimi: as a parent, 

[00:08:51] karen: What did you do? 

[00:08:52] mimi: I was having a conversation with a voice. I didn't know who she was. I feel that she was the archetypal, witch now looking [00:09:00] back.

[00:09:00] So I felt she was asking me to tap into all the forbidden. So for her, it was an everyone's definition is different because it depends on upbringing and culture. So for me it was saying, okay, well, I don't need to do these certain things. These are not actually relevant anymore.

[00:09:17] And it was me learning how to break my own rules, but they weren't really my rules. They're the rules I had taken on just through life. And me deciding to question, I think that was the very first step. Cause I had actually turned off that, that choice to question in my head. And so the first step was like, what'd you question now?

[00:09:35] And it was this interesting inner struggle of learning how to rebel against myself against, all the rules that I had lived by things like do, do I really want to be working 70 hour weeks after mat leave? No, I don't. So like, you know, that, was one thing because I realized that having a salary that's really comfortable is different than having true wealth.

[00:09:56] those are things that are starting to re-examine and part of it was I [00:10:00] don't know if you've ever been in these situations or listeners have been in situations, you earn a really comfortable income, but then you spend that comfortable income on conveniences because you don't actually have time to be present.

[00:10:11] So, you wind up having a lot of takeout dinners instead of being connected to the food and making food from scratch and having experiences in the kitchen, things like that. So it was just me really examining what I really wanted to do how I wanted to spend my time, what I want to put my body, how I wanted to relate with my kid.

[00:10:26] And eventually both kids And of course with my spouse just redefining everything. and yeah, that was really what accelerated everything. And of course, once you start challenging ideas, your intuition is going to start knocking on your door. Actually not even knocking like intuition kicked my door down.

[00:10:44] robyn: Wow. So like, this was like your, like a broken open moment for you. You were cracked open at that point. 

[00:10:51] mimi: totally. And also scared because was like, am I going to die? Because we were taught that if you don't, continue with the program that something [00:11:00] devastating, catastrophic is going to happen.

[00:11:02] And I believed it, but at that point I was so unhappy and I didn't see the point of continuing that. I was like, I'm willing to take the risk. I'm actually willing to take the risk to die. 

[00:11:11] karen: how old was your son at this point? And was your spouse supportive? Yeah, so 

[00:11:18] mimi: this happens I think a big thing did happen shortly after he was born.

[00:11:22] So, under 12 months. And then there were a few more, these huge moments, these crossroad moments that there's probably about three or four total. And that all happened within the first three years of his life. And my husband's, God bless him. Like truly goddess bless him, I should say have more of an affinity with goddess and God.

[00:11:39] He probably thought I was going crazy, but he probably thought that I would figure it out. and this is looking at it then, but for him, he was also careful, because he came from a religious home too, like. Really dangerous or talking to spirits is really dangerous.

[00:11:54] Mimi. So be careful, it wasn't like hands off, but he even had that ingrained in him. But it was [00:12:00] never a shameful thing. It was definitely out of love and concern. And when he saw everything changing, including our chemistry, it improved our chemistry. I think he realized just how important it was to return to oneself.

[00:12:12] karen: So were there certain practices that you were doing during this time that you went to, or that you utilized to support you in this journey? how did that 

[00:12:22] robyn: start? How did you then start to recognize what was actually your soul talking to you or spirit.

[00:12:30] And that you weren't just going crazy, people wonder, I mean for themselves, 

[00:12:39] karen: well, because I think all the way, right? Where you have the courage really to move forward in the direction that you did 

[00:12:46] mimi: for me, I was having nightly intense dreams. And I started a dream practice and back then, I didn't even have the words to describe what I was doing.

[00:12:57] I just knew, listen to your dreams. Don't [00:13:00] deny them, write them down. And then over the course of, the days and the weeks and the months, I realized that I wanted to develop a better dream symbol vocabulary and I didn't go to metaphysical bookstore. And look at the dream symbol dictionary cause there's a bunch of them at any local metaphysical bookstore, but it didn't feel right because I would look and I'd say this, this symbol means this.

[00:13:22] And I'm like, well, I don't know You know, some of it was actually activating more anxiety and I felt that my dreams were not about anxiety at all. It was actually about knowing and about reconnection. So I never did buy those books. And I went home feeling frustrated, but also hopeful at the same time frustrated because the answer wasn't served to me on a platter.

[00:13:42] And I wanted that because I want it easy, but I also felt hopeful because it was just maybe I can do something. And so I was already journaling, but I decided to keep a spreadsheet on my phone. And it's a simple spreadsheet. It's just date. The dream key symbols and my potential working interpretation.

[00:13:59] [00:14:00] I said working interpretation because would have maybe an immediate response. And then after the course of sort of ruminating about it over the course of the day, I might be like, actually, it might mean this. and then it's interesting as I start seeing consistent symbols and consistent themes and consistent emotions show up, and then that's really what helped me get good at reading symbols.

[00:14:20] I don't mean symbols as in the cryptography or anything like, hieroglyphics. It was me understanding of, I have a dream about this and these are the fixtures and these are the feelings and these are the themes. Chances are, this is what my inner knowing.

[00:14:34] Ancestors or other spirit beings are trying to communicate with So that's really what it was. It wasn't even, it wasn't Tarot. It wasn't astrology. It was in those sort of go tos or what new age would maybe say go to it just started with what I had already. I would wake up in the morning, I'll be like, wow, okay.

[00:14:50] get to work. 

[00:14:50] robyn: That was the beginning of your soul work at this point in your life. Really? 

[00:14:55] mimi: Yeah. And it's teaching me how to speak again, but to speak in a language of dreams, [00:15:00] one that doesn't require, good punctuation or a proper syntax, it was about really understanding what those symbols mean and how that relates to emotion and the people and the circumstances.

[00:15:10] And 

[00:15:11] robyn: everybody can do that. 

[00:15:12] karen: How simple to be able to just do that on your phone, even if you just do it over a couple of weeks time, just to see what comes to just, and I know there's a million questions, but just on that point, how did you know that the messages that you were getting 

[00:15:25] mimi: were really from your higher self or your spirit guides 

[00:15:28] karen: versus what some of us may think of?

[00:15:30] Like, well, that's just my subconscious, it's just my brain's way of working through the things that are happening to me in the course of the day. How did you make that distinction 

[00:15:39] mimi: as you were logging your dreams? Yeah. I feel that if the, the dreams come with. Some pre-cognitive cue 

[00:15:45] karen: or a pretty cognitive 

[00:15:47] mimi: message.

[00:15:48] I don't personally feel that I have my subconscious as a capacity to know what's going to happen. But if I have a dream and it's very clear on what could happen next day or the course of the week involving [00:16:00] me, or involving someone in my life and it does happen, then I actually have to figure out, well, whoa, where did that come from?

[00:16:06] And at the same time, ' cause, then I was so fixated on the, where it came from, that it would prevent me from just being with the dreams and being with the symbols that I eventually had to tell myself, you know, that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it's my subconscious or my higher self or my ancestors because the fact is something.

[00:16:25] And just be grateful and give gratitude for all those parts of life. You know, whether they're parts of you or parts of something, someone beyond you just give gratitude. And then everything else will sort of figure itself out later. And I, I feel like the two of you can relate because the two of you are, you know, highly entrepreneurial, it's like, there's so many of those courses out there, like how to start a business, how to reach your first 50 K 100 K 500 K or whatever.

[00:16:52] But for me, I don't know about you, but how do you go about your business? for me, it's like one step at a time 

[00:16:59] robyn: could not agree [00:17:00] and doing it our own way, 

[00:17:01] mimi: Yes. Yeah. 

[00:17:04] So for me at that time, when I was trying to figure out, the meanings and the voices behind the dreams, I realized, received the message, figure out what you're going to do with this message and then give gratitude.

[00:17:14] karen: That's great. And you said they were pre-cognitive. So a lot of them were dreams that actually did happen, correct? Yes. Wow. I haven't had many of those. Can you give us an 

[00:17:24] mimi: example of one? Yeah, I should also add before I give you the example some dreams would be.

[00:17:30] Providing a deeper explanation on why something happened. So let's say if I got into conflict with my mom, I would have a dream. And then I would just get this deeper wisdom of why the conversation went when south, and, and how to repair. So, so it, wasn't always pre-cognitive in that sense, but definitely deeper cognition, no matter what so, okay. I'll give you an example. And it's a funny one, just, because not all dreams are, deep and painful and some of them are but I just thought, I think it's good to have a little bit of laughter. So I had this one dream and I actually [00:18:00] wrote about on my blog, but I'll share it anyway.

[00:18:01] So I had this dream and what was funny was it felt like even though it wasn't a cat, but I was coughing up this huge, hairball, and it was so visceral in the dream, I was just sort of doing my thing. And then I was just coughing, coughing, coughing, coughing, coughing up, this hairball as if I was a cat and the cough so hard that my shoes flew off my feet.

[00:18:22] And then I woke up and at that time I was actually. I was employed at a clean tech organization. And so, I wasn't actually operating ceremony full-time yet. And so I, that morning I was like, wow, that's a strange dream. And I normally in that organization, I wear pumps to work.

[00:18:36] But that day, that morning, I was like, I better not wear pumps to work because I don't know why. I just feel like I need laces to keep my shoes on my feet. So I word these cute little Oxfords instead. And and I went to work and the whole day went without a hitch. it was such an amazing day and I was waiting for that coughing hairball moment.

[00:18:55] And. Okay. Did I misinterpret that dream? Because I felt so visceral that I was [00:19:00] like, I feel like it's going to show up in the body. I didn't feel like it was a metaphorical parable I felt very literal because it's easy to also sort of ask yourself, like, did I interpret it in a way that was not meant to be interpreted?

[00:19:10] And at the very end of the day, as I was wrapping up her presentation and I was taking questions from the group that I was presenting to a fly flew into my mouth and down my throat I know of course. I started coughing as if I had a hairball in my throat and I coughed so hard and, tears running down my cheeks because my stride looked like a disaster.

[00:19:35] I was coughing, coughing, coughing, but the best part of the story was my shoe stayed on.

[00:19:41] robyn: Wow. that's a crazy story. 

[00:19:47] karen: Swallowing. I love that example because it does show for those of us who don't have this pre-cognitive dreams. We don't even know because we're not paying attention. And that the simple act of just taking a moment, when you 

[00:19:58] mimi: wake up, jotting it 

[00:19:59] karen: [00:20:00] down, that feedback that you're actually having those kinds of dreams.

[00:20:04] It just takes a moment to acknowledge that it's there and see what happens in your day. I used to do that and I was always amazed how many insights came, not pre cognitively 

[00:20:14] mimi: as many times, but 

[00:20:15] karen: at least how those dreams actually do make so much sense in so many of us just ignore them.

[00:20:19] mimi: It could be so subtle that doesn't even make it in our consciousness, but if we make that, if we make space for it, maybe it would make up to your consciousness. Exactly. 

[00:20:28] robyn: So then what happened from the dreamwork? What led you then to start really digging into these other practices and even your own abilities?

[00:20:38] mimi: Yeah. So I started working with tarot. I feel like Tarot so many people wind up sort of landing there. And I think for me it was natural because I already had all this strong language or interpretation skills with symbols. And so Tarot is very much rich with symbols. And so it was a natural place for me to go.

[00:20:56] I should sort of be really clear that it wasn't this linear Lily [00:21:00] pad kind of experience I was still working with drains. It's not like I left dreams and worked exclusively with tarot it was like, dreams was still there. And then at the same time, I was also starting to speak with nature.

[00:21:09] Again, I would go on very long, long walks and just started to tune in. And at that time I was also experiencing a heightened what's called clairfaction or clairofactence which is psychic smelling. So all about what's happening at the same time and psychic smelling. I should provide listeners a bit of a definition is being able to smell something that is not physically there.

[00:21:28] And then making some meaning out of it. So it could be a scent that reminds you of a certain person and it might be like the call to action. I'd be like, oh, check in on your friend. Because that particular scent reminds you of your friend. It might mean something a little bit more literal.

[00:21:43] As in, I went out, I remember with a couple of girlfriends and my husband was interested tucking my son into bed. And I smelt when I was out with my girlfriends. I smelt the stove burning. So I text my husband. I said, you're up with him and making a snack. And by the way, you [00:22:00] forgot to turn off our stove.

[00:22:03] Oh, my gosh caught me red handed. They made, Kraft dinner as a fun thing and he forgot to turn off the stove and it was well past my son's bed time. So stuff like that was happening at the same time. And then of course, tarot and tarot this beautiful invitation to get even deeper with symbolic language and to understand a story because, , the major kind of talks about the story of how a seeker, interesting, how, , the name of the podcast and includes that word, how the seeker is navigating through these big archetypal life experiences.

[00:22:35] And so for me, it was just me seeing myself in that story. so that was the next thing. And then fast forward, a little more. I was pregnant and on bedrest because of a very complicated pregnancy with my second child. And I was on bed rest for over five months. And that was when I started journeying.

[00:22:52] I started really tapping into that core shamonic practice of entering into a trance. For me, it was by [00:23:00] accident, I was in bed every day and then nothing else to do and had exhausted, my Facebook, I had exhausted my books 

[00:23:06] but I didn't want to read anywhere. So I decided to spend some time in meditation and from meditating, I one day accidentally accessed a different world. And through that access. I met with spirits and they shared some very important insights that involved me and some loved ones in my life.

[00:23:23] And that was my entrance into a whole new world. 

[00:23:27] robyn: Did you even have words for that did you know that you were entering that when you were no, 

[00:23:33] mimi: not at the time.

[00:23:34] I didn't even really know if at that point it was one of those experiences where it's just like, was that real? it wasn't like I came out of, it'd be like, wow. I went on my first journey. No, no, no. Whoa, what exactly happened? Did I imagine that is that real? And then I just observed the next few days, things played out 

[00:23:52] robyn: and I was like, holy moly.

[00:23:54] Like 

[00:23:55] mimi: that was real. and then of course I wanted to get back there. I wanted to meet them again. And so that [00:24:00] sort of opened up a whole new chapter. 

[00:24:02] karen: Did you do all of this work without any other teacher practitioner helping you along? Was this really a solitary journey 

[00:24:09] mimi: Yeah. So the, the dream work, the psychic smelling.

[00:24:15] The communicating with nature that was done on my own. And should say, it's not like I didn't look for a teacher. I just couldn't find someone. There's no books written out there about psychic smelling. I looked and looked and looked. And when one feels crazy at a metaphysical bookstore, that's when you really think you might be crazy, right.

[00:24:34] Because I would be like, do you have any books on this? And they would look at you as if you're not

[00:24:38] karen: actually

[00:24:43] robyn: one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. 

[00:24:46] karen: So 

[00:24:47] mimi: I had no choice, but to explore those on my own with. It was a hybrid. I explored it on my own. And then the first deck I actually worked with was the wild, unknown very rarely nature-based deck. And then the second deck I worked with was the [00:25:00] RWS or the Rider-Waite Smith deck, which is fairly commonly available, I should say.

[00:25:04] And many, many books that discuss. So I did purchase books and start working through it with that deck. And then eventually I found myself with the mother piece deck and so I did work with the co-creator tricks of the deck, Vicki noble. But by then it wasn't how to work with taro. At that point, it was much deeper. And I was attracted to her depth because it was so nature based. It also features almost exclusively women as figures in the deck, I, and there are some men in the deck represented that mostly women and also women of all shapes and sizes and colors.

[00:25:36] And so it was a very global deck in that sense. And , I felt it was more honoring. And then with the actual core shamonic journeying, I did actually wound up working briefly with a teacher named delaying boom.

[00:25:49] And her and her mother are both work in core, shamonic traditions and and a little bit more from a counseling background. So it's, it's slightly different because there's so many ways to approach these [00:26:00] things.

[00:26:00] But that's a little bit more of her background and a little bit more exploration in past life which I also do, but I'm more interested in current impact current life. I love communicating with spirits about sort of the day to day and helping clients communicate on their behalf to answer questions about the day to day and purpose and sort of present life stuff.

[00:26:18] robyn: Can you define what core shamanism is 

[00:26:22] mimi: so, yeah, I think that's a really important distinction.

[00:26:25] So core shamanism is essentially looking at what is universally practice in regional shamonic traditions, or if it's not universal, it's near universal. So the idea of working into working oneself into a trance state, So in some regional traditions, maybe drum and some other regional traditions, they may be through dance or maybe through rattling, or maybe the combination of, and maybe it's something that I didn't even list.

[00:26:54] And so when you, one has entered into the trance and they can spirit travel to [00:27:00] another world, to a spirit world. And they're typically working with an energy or a set of energies or spirits and depending on the region. So this is why I have core shamanism.

[00:27:09] It doesn't really necessarily go into all these, minutia details of how it's done. But depending if we're were talking about more regional based shamanism, it may be very specific tied to land or tied to the culture are tied to the beings that are really present in the, the group.

[00:27:25] And so core shamanism is more focusing on what's universally practice. This idea that everyone, for the most part in shamanic, where it goes into trance, everyone for the most part travels to a spirit world or spirit worlds, plural, and communicates with spirits. And the whole point is to come back with insight or to make changes or make appeals, even in a spirit plane for harmony, for peace for resolution.

[00:27:50] robyn: And so when you are working with somebody else, are you traveling on their behalf acting as that Shaman 

[00:27:59] mimi: , so [00:28:00] I think the first thing is I'm not a shaman. And I have to say this just at a deep reference for shamans and ancient traditions of initiating Shamans

[00:28:08] I really see myself as someone who is depleted to them that works in the core shamanic tradition, but yeah. Answering your question. Yes. So, when folks let's say book with me there's like a field in the booking system where they can type in a question that they have or a request.

[00:28:25] And so when it's right before their call, so it roughly, 30 minutes to 45 minutes prior to a call with a client, I would then enter into that state go spirit, traveling. I'll go on that journey. I'll speak with the spirits. I'll take out all the notes and then when we're on the call, then I share everything.

[00:28:41] robyn: which I've experienced and it was incredible. I think for those listening, I feel like everybody creates their own way of speaking with spirit, and healing others. And so it's really interesting to see how you take these different practices and for you, I feel like it is a combination [00:29:00] of different practices that you bring to working with with others.

[00:29:04] So 

[00:29:04] where did something like animism come into play for you? 

[00:29:08] mimi: So let me define animism for your listeners. So animism is the perspective that everything is alive and is conscious. So it may even be things or objects or energies that we have not traditionally. And by traditionally, I mean, traditionally for modern humans would give credit as alive and conscious.

[00:29:30] So it would mean in my case, but really for any animist would be that one can communicate with trees. We'll go back to that. Or any other being that exists in nature, including rocks and water and weather patterns, one can communicate with the wind and receive wisdom from the wind.

[00:29:47] So there's that, but then there's also beyond that. So especially when you see it in the context of modern life. So animism can show up as everyday objects. So your phone has consciousness the [00:30:00] actual physical phone itself. I'm not talking about the app apps and all the stuff that we access within it money has consciousness.

[00:30:06] Our homes have consciousness, our bikes are ours. Even the mug that I'm holding here has a consciousness to it. And when we work in the animist tradition it's being able to deeply listen and. 

[00:30:20] karen: Becoming very quiet 

[00:30:22] mimi: and very humble and realizing it's what we were talking about just before we started recording Robin is being in awe of life and being an awe that everything around you is surrounded with is energy and is consciousness.

[00:30:35] So in my sense, when I work with them, especially when I teach is I remind folks that it's not just the spirits that we traditionally deem as spirits. So, it's not only ancestors. It's not only like a spirit, like an animal spirit but it can even be the wisdom of your desk or the wisdom of a room or the wisdom of a rock or wisdom of a monk that is holding space for you.

[00:30:59] And you can [00:31:00] seek wisdom that way. 

[00:31:01] karen: Wow. I love how you bring up that fact of our everyday world. 

[00:31:06] mimi: Everything has an influence on us. It doesn't have to be spiritual necessarily, everything that we have around us 

[00:31:12] karen: has an impact on us. I don't think about that.

[00:31:14] mimi: I think 

[00:31:15] karen: about having to go into a meditation or to go outside to kind of seek out the spiritual versus it being really in my day to day around me at all times. 

[00:31:24] mimi: That's really different. Yeah. And I feel that continuing with that observation, Karen is I feel that is actually a part of what creates division and separation in the world is thinking that you have to go to yoga class 

[00:31:36] karen: to 

[00:31:37] be 

[00:31:37] mimi: able to tap in, or you have to receive Reiki in order to clean your aura.

[00:31:42] I think that's really the intention of earth living on earth. Everything is, was originally designed to be beautiful in the fullest sense of the word to be meaningful and to be spiritual, even when we're washing dishes, that can be kind of wondrous and totally if one steps [00:32:00] into that, it is full of awe that we are working with water and the dishes these gorgeous, earthenware that have held food and brought food up to your lips.

[00:32:09] karen: it's really 

[00:32:10] mimi: hard to not be grateful when you see it all as alive. 

[00:32:14] karen: Oh, wow. 

[00:32:14] robyn: agree. I really think that people listen to it. This is going to change the way they look at everything. and if you're listening to this while you're driving your car, or you're listening to this on your phone, you can start to think about things differently and it really, then you can't, then you, can't not, the awareness is there, is that what happened to you? 

[00:32:33] mimi: One of the rules I had to ask myself is, are only humans and animals are they only the ones that are alive? Are they only the ones that are intelligent?

[00:32:43] And I asked myself, is it possible that everything is alive? Is it possible that even the stuff in our life is alive? 

[00:32:51] robyn: Karen and I talk about this all the time. We talk about energy, we were just talking about the things in our home that we can get rid of because it's [00:33:00] bogging down our own energy, 

[00:33:02] energy of our home. And actually I think energy in itself for people listening to our podcast, it's somewhat new. It's the concept that we are made of energy. We are the energy we bring to the room. And then to think that our stuff, that our things are also made of energy and consciousness.

[00:33:20] I actually think it's a somewhat new concept. Yeah, for people listening and who are starting the seeking journey. And so I'm so grateful that you're bringing this up in a way to carry on and even expand upon what we are talking about now on a more regular basis and putting it in ways that everybody can understand, because that's how I think we can help change everybody's day to day and have them live these more fulfilling lives.

[00:33:48] So thank you 

[00:33:49] karen: yeah. And it's so funny, going back to what you said at the beginning, how many stories we've heard of people who are born with these incredible gifts and then shut them off.

[00:33:57] And it takes 

[00:33:58] mimi: big things like a child [00:34:00] being born, or a job loss or death for them to really pay attention and really relook 

[00:34:05] karen: look at all of these things that, 

[00:34:07] mimi: Are really their intuitive 

[00:34:09] karen: gifts that they were supposed to really share with the 

[00:34:11] mimi: world. 

[00:34:11] karen: So 

[00:34:11] mimi: I'm really anxious to kind of hear about 

[00:34:14] karen: how you started to give this to others.

[00:34:16] What made you decide that this is what you wanted to do with your life? 

[00:34:19] mimi: So I started off actually with my skin and aura, care line something, you know, I, I wanted to work with my hands, so it started there.

[00:34:26] And once again, it's it was after the birth of my second. And I was breastfeeding him and I was looking for the kind of skin and body care that could support me through his breastfeeding months and years. But also something that could support me energetically and there wasn't anything out there on the market.

[00:34:45] I was really aware of my energy. I noticed that depending on what, even the colors or the kind of fabrics that were touching my skin, it would affect me a certain way. And I knew, well, all the more in terms of food that you put in your body and things that you put on your largest organ, these things [00:35:00] mattered and.

[00:35:00] Even though there's a lot of beautiful green beauty products out there. I, at that time had not encountered anything that was also focusing on the impact of the energy. And so it just led me to start making my own and start experimenting on my own. and I think it had a result because other moms were like, oh my goshMimi you look radiant.

[00:35:21] And what's the secret sauce. And, you know, women, like the minute you talk about skincare, everyone kind of goes crazy.

[00:35:28] karen: So I 

[00:35:29] mimi: wound up just bottling a few up. And I have my undergrad is in graphic design and I was like, well, I'm not going to give them just like a plain bottle. So purely for fun. I whipped up a logo. And at the time I couldn't even think of the name of the business. So I named off the name of the street. That I lived at the time. And I just drew this logo, and for fun, I purchased the domain name, from GoDaddy 

[00:35:53] and that was that. And I passed it as gifts to my mom, friends. And sure enough, they used up the bottle and [00:36:00] they're . Like I see that you have a web a URL, but like there's actually no, e shop yet. So are you selling this? And it sort of just became a thing. And later on I found out that I couldn't actually legally use that street name for skincare because there's actually a much larger organization in Canada also sells skin skincare, coincidentally, by that same name and that street name was such a unique name that I didn't even think that it was already taken.

[00:36:26] Cause I didn't actually go through the initial sort of due diligence when you normally set up a business is to do a name search and all that. And so I was at a crossroads there. I was like, oh, well what should I actually named my business? And I didn't know, and that's not my waking self. So I wound up casting a dream.

[00:36:42] spell I'd lit a candle before bed. I called the spirits that I knew are with me and watching me before bed. And I said, can you please teach me and show me what this business, if this is going to be a business. Cause even it was so small, then what, what is it going to be called? Or what should it be called?

[00:36:58] And then went to bed. And [00:37:00] I didn't dream of anything that night, because when I woke up, it was this interesting moment where I was just like, I didn't dream anything. And yet I sat there after realizing that. And I was like, but just tune in. And the word ceremony.

[00:37:11] robyn: Oh, my goodness. It's such a helpful lesson to people who may also look for answers. And I love the way that you called it, casting a dream spell. 

[00:37:23] karen: And I 

[00:37:23] mimi: hear right at Robin, I'm just, I'm writing this all down. For those who want to experience their 

[00:37:28] karen: dreams and interpret their dreams, you've really given us some exact things to do 

[00:37:32] mimi: down to the casting, a dreams spell, which I love. And just 

[00:37:35] karen: recap that for a second. You said you lit a candle, you called in your angels and guides, With that intention. And then that was it. That's 

[00:37:43] mimi: all you did. Yeah. I also work with certain plants that have a fair bit of dominion over dreams. And actually one of my products as a dream aura mist. So that's what I work with. And I have an on-demand course on how to interpret your dreams.

[00:37:58] And I do go into detail on [00:38:00] what you can do, including all those points that you've been taking notes 

[00:38:03] robyn: on. Well, now people can go to your course and I love that you you have these aura mists which I am very excited about dream. One is going to be number one. 

[00:38:12] mimi: I think you'll really love the dream.

[00:38:14] the reason why I love them. I mean, I actually designed them, not so much for the interpretation, but for the protection aspect, because both my boys tend to get night terrors. And so I wound up creating that so that it could support them into a peaceful sleep, peaceful rest, and it works. It really does.

[00:38:34] And what's also great. Is it helps you recall the dream? It helps you gain clarity on what the whole point of the dream was. What would the message of the dream was? So it has this multifunctional qualities to the mist. 

[00:38:46] robyn: I'm excited. We had actually heard about your skin care line from others prior to ever knowing you.

[00:38:53] so that's how you started out. It was a very tangible, as you said, using your hands [00:39:00] using and using really the elements of the earth. 

[00:39:03] mimi: Yeah. I should actually mention this. So I have formal training working with plant compounds for skin particularly aromatic plants.

[00:39:11] So I had that as training and yet when I was sitting at home I invited the spirits and it was the plant spirits that showed up.

[00:39:19] Whoever showed up in the room, those were the ones that wanted to be in the formulation. And once I knew who wanted to be there, I could then work with ratios from a technical perspective because of that technical training. So it was this beautiful blend of intuitive slash spiritual, and that. Technical mathematical aspect.

[00:39:38] And this is not to say, you don't need to think about the intellectual rational side and I'm like, no, no, that that's still needs to be there. That still needs to be honored. It's there for a reason.

[00:39:47] It's just hyper developed and we've come to a point where we're almost like prioritizing that over all things. But I do feel that if we can make space for both we're going to feel much more cohesive and much more full as a human being. 

[00:39:59] karen: That's a true. 

[00:39:59] robyn: [00:40:00] One of the things I took away from our session, you said to me, talk to the elements in general as your girlfriend, I remember that. And I do every single day now I do. For me, there's a specific tree that I actually go talk to. However, I'm talking to the rain and the wind, and I'm thanking the land.

[00:40:20] That was one of the things, again, that I took away from working with you was recognizing the land that I live on, and giving gratitude for allowing me to live on this land because it's not mine really, and there was so much, but that idea of acknowledging the elements as beings it is actually life-changing

[00:40:39] at how cool that, you have put that all together in these products, that's literally coming from spirit through you, and then you're utilizing your actual human experience to know how to create the right formula. I can't imagine there's many products out there at the moment that are like that.

[00:40:58] , 

[00:40:58] karen: So can I ask the question, I guess [00:41:00] I have not had an experience with you, and I heard so much from Robin about how valuable it was for all the things that we've talked about, because you bring in elements of the world we live 

[00:41:10] mimi: in to that energetic experience that you offer to Robin.

[00:41:15] karen: Can you just kind of talk about, so to the viewer 

[00:41:17] mimi: who hasn't had an experience with you just maybe talk through what they should expect, what do they offer you about themselves? And then what's the actual session like with you?

[00:41:27] So I'll respond in the context of. My remote shamonic readings, as well as my dream interpretations. So when, when a client books, they basically do what you would book for any appointments you know, you punch in your name and select the date and time. And in the context of a remote shamonic reading, they would place in that little field.

[00:41:49] Like I'd mentioned a little earlier, the question or the request. And if it's a dream, they just wait until we hop onto zoom and we'll share them there. I do not know their birthday, so I don't know [00:42:00] their astrological chart at all. And I'm not trained in astrology.

[00:42:03] I have understanding of Chinese astrology, but I just, want them to know that this information is from the spirits. I don't need an external system that can validate that they're behaving like an Aquarius or whatever. Cause that actually almost, maybe makes them doubtful how real the spirits are.

[00:42:20] And so, yeah. So if it's a remote shamanic reading, I wind up visiting the spirits and asking the questions. And for me it's usually a very. Symbolic experience, very visual, 

[00:42:32] karen: but 

[00:42:32] mimi: loaded with symbolism. And I take note at all from which animals or which plants are, which being show up to, what kind of landscape are we in to what exactly happens?

[00:42:43] Like where did they take me? What did they say? , what was unsaid? I think that's also a big one. All that information is noted and then I share with them and I basically share with them when we are on the zoom call, this is what happened. This is what I saw. And then I start breaking down what each of these things mean.

[00:42:58] And a lot of times [00:43:00] it's very practical information. I've had clients where the spirits said, she's taking too much vitamin a like super random stuff. There's no way I would know this. how would I know if they're taking vitamin a or whatever. And I'll just share that.

[00:43:12] And other times it's more thematic. It's more like, wow, this person is, going through a lot of change. And these are the big themes and what's amazing is the spirits speak to the person's needs each and every time. And then in terms of the dream interpretations, it's similar in the sense that as the client shares with me, the dream I tune in on listening very deeply.

[00:43:34] And I'm also writing down notes, really noticing what the key symbols are. And I may ask a couple of questions, like, how did you feel at the time? Or what, if anything happened since that dream or whatever, and then I will start unpacking. And it's usually a very accurate interpretation because oftentimes it's interesting, even though they don't even know it, that it's pre-cognitive, it is pre-cognitive and I'll say.

[00:43:55] Is probably what's going to happen. And it's not to say that it will, because that's the other thing [00:44:00] we need to remember that as humans, we actually own so much power through choices. And so if you take that information and you're like, wow, I really don't want that to happen. You can make changes a lot of times through whatever choices you make.

[00:44:13] And it doesn't mean that it'll change the outcome entirely, but it can definitely shift the outcome. So I love that about our lives, how it can be very collaborative especially when we invite the spirits to give us input and then maybe giving us some suggestions or some even warnings of like, okay, well, this would be the most likely outcome if be continue down this road.

[00:44:32] karen: I love that. And it sounded like I remember Robin, when you shared yours, it was not only the interpretation of what you saw, but it was also really. Concrete application of what she could do moving forward, you really gave Robin some practical day-to-day things to do with that information, 

[00:44:49] mimi: , I just feel that, what is the point of spirituality, if it's just going to make you feel good for five minutes and then you're back to your normal shitty life or, you know, troublesome life [00:45:00] or confusing life or conflict, baseline or whatever.

[00:45:03] To me it's, if it doesn't. Bear relevance on your day to day life. I don't feel that that is truly spiritual. I feel true. Spirituality shows up in a way that matters. 

[00:45:16] robyn: Yes. And we talk about the now what, so it's like, you can get information now, what, and that you offer the now what, and not only do you offer the, now what, within a session or a reading you offer the, now what, with your skincare and aura line, you offer that with your workshops and your classes.

[00:45:38] there's so much that if you want to dive deeper, As a soul, within this human body, within this human experience, you can dive deeper because there is the, now what that is so important, it really is. this isn't a magic trick, that's so important for everybody listening.

[00:45:57] This is real. You can change [00:46:00] your life with it. You can live a more fulfilling life, but it has to be practical. You want to have validation and information, but then you need to know how to use it. 

[00:46:08] mimi: Totally. This, this relates, it may seem unrelated, but one of my undergrads is in early childhood education, specifically in Montessori studies.

[00:46:17] And what I love about that particular, I'm not saying that that's the only. Educational approach that works. But one thing I do find with the Montessori approach is because it's so centered on the learner, that everything that shows up in the curriculum is all about the now what, and I think that's impressed me very deeply because, we were always, certainly at least in the training.

[00:46:39] when we're all in school, I haven't been in touch with these folks for a long time, but we, as in like the group of us in the program what really helped me understand the role of a teacher, the role of an educator is if the student, if the learner needs that teacher forever, then the teacher has failed, That's how I feel with my work. If people and I'd love[00:47:00] all my clients, once they work with me, they are repeat clients. And I am so grateful for that loyalty. And I love the relationships each and every time we intersect and get together, cause there's a deepening in the connection.

[00:47:12] But one thing is each time I see at a witness and them, them returning to themselves and growing in their sovereignty, it's not like they become increasingly doubtful and increasingly helpless because maybe from a business perspective, that is how you retain. But I don't philosophically aligned with that.

[00:47:33] I want to equip people because the whole point is for not to make me one. 

[00:47:36] karen: I find it hard to believe them because I think what you bring to the table is that what you were saying before, there's that deepening that people are really searching for that.

[00:47:45] They're not able to find elsewhere. It's okay. Now what do I do with it now? How do I interpret it? What else is there? Is there another kind of a plant medicine that I can utilize? How do I learn more about the symbology? And granted, I know that you promote a [00:48:00] lot of intuition with your students.

[00:48:02] Like what are they learning from it? I think that sometimes you do need that person to be that. Larger reminder that there is always more. And I think that that's what Robin and I feel very often when we have these conversations, it's that you're learning as you learn, you give more to your students and because you are learning so many different modalities and interpreting, and in your own way, you're giving something that's so unique to others that they can't find anywhere else.

[00:48:29] And then therefore they will utilize right and come up with their own brand of spirituality and utilize that for themselves in their life. So it's almost like a gift that keeps evolving and giving with every student that you have. 

[00:48:42] mimi: I totally love how you put that. I'm here for that too. What I meant, I think earlier is it's not setting me up as a guru.

[00:48:50] It's not setting me up As I have the answers and client doesn't it's, I mean, I'm here to cheer them on. And I do have clients that either particularly ones that like to [00:49:00] have that annual check-in, like we're at an a, well, you know, what's ahead for the year. What's ahead for the next little bit, here what the spirits have to say about updates in my life.

[00:49:07] And, and they're navigating it with a lot of resilience and a lot of purpose, but it's so nice to have someone to be there much like how the tree offers that reassuring hand on my shoulder. I do love being that for folks as well. Well, 

[00:49:21] karen: love your story. Love what you do. Just so inspiring. And so, so many ways I feel like I wrote down a million quotes 

[00:49:28] mimi: there anything 

[00:49:29] karen: that we haven't talked about that you want to 

[00:49:32] mimi: share?

[00:49:32] I would love you listeners to think about, some of the points that were shared.

[00:49:38] I would love to know what points resonated, what points maybe make you feel open and curious. I'm definitely very happy to do a part two zeroing in or focusing in on one specific theme or a set of themes. I think that would be really fun. And then just as a general word of encouragement, it's a 20, 22 is the [00:50:00] year of the water tiger.

[00:50:01] And we know. Just by looking at the news. a year with a lot of movements of fast moving year. It's a year of a lot of polarity and it's because tiger has this thing called FOMO and wants to experience all things that sort of how the myth goes with tiger. But it's also a year where you can not only be clear on who you are, but to really live it out.

[00:50:24] So it's moving beyond just theory or philosophy. And it's about how does that land with your body and with the concrete world. So I think for me in the midst of the commotion, what reminds me to stay in me and to stay being me is to cultivate a quiet practice a time and place a commitment.

[00:50:46] To be still. And usually when I've been extra. Busy and extra active that first little bit is it looks like I'm sitting still, but on the inside, it definitely not. And eventually, once you get still enough it's not about necessarily [00:51:00] going into meditation, but going into a prayer with the spirits.

[00:51:04] That's something I'm currently in the process of navigating as a series and it's a beautiful community. That's in the series with me between now till the end of September where we gather live on zoom, but gathering, weekly to, to pray with the spirits on the different things that show up in our lives in a way that's real where it's beautiful, but it's also unfiltered.

[00:51:27] So it's a way once again, going back into that practical, real world application and what's great is in that place, we learn how to listen to. We learned how to receive. We learn how to soften. We learn how to release, relearn, how to surrender. And then we also learn how to be creative and active and playful and sensual and delicious things again.

[00:51:48] karen: When does that start? 

[00:51:49] mimi: We were just in week three. So it's very, very early. And of course, folks who enroll can get access to all the recordings. And there are some folks that are in it that never go on lives [00:52:00] because the time zone is too different.

[00:52:01] There's some folks from other parts of the world, so that's 

[00:52:04] karen: beautiful. 

[00:52:04] robyn: you are such a teacher. And just, having an understanding of your whole journey and seeing where you are now. I feel so grateful for all of us that we get to learn from you and all of your gifts, but all that you continue to learn and you're really are teaching everybody so that they can then take their own gifts and live their own best life within this lifetime.

[00:52:29] And also to give back sharing with others it's just helping shift the world. I think that that's really what it comes down to. 

[00:52:36] 

[00:52:36] karen: Yeah. I've learned so much just listening to you about the symbology of dreams. Something that's always been fascinating to me, but didn't know where to start. The symbology of listening to the outside world and, and plants and trees and something I've always been drawn to, again, , didn't know what to do with down to like the physical products that you've created that can help enhance my understanding of all these things.

[00:52:59] [00:53:00] you really have thought through and offered things from every level, that we can utilize. So thank you for that. And I really want to check out that course. That sounds fantastic 

[00:53:09] robyn: You can find more about Mimi and her offerings at shops ceremony, C E R E M O N I e.com. You can follow her on social on Instagram at shop ceremony on clubhouse at shop ceremony, and you can sign up for Mimi's free sub stack by looking in our show notes and clicking on the link.

[00:53:31] Mimi is generously offering $50 off of her remote shamonic readings for seeking center listeners. By using the promo code, seek 50 0 off. You also will want to check out upcoming shamonic journeying to suit and rest offering on April 26th and April 28th from six to 8:00 PM Pacific. And that you can go to her website, shop and you can also check out her [00:54:00] managing our energy and psychic bodies.

[00:54:02] Two part series that starts on June 7th and is also on June 9th from six to 8:00 PM Pacific again at her website. shopeceremonie.com So we will have all of that within our show notes and we just want to thank you, Mimi for everything for your time today, for your wisdom, for your guidance and for following your soul's path 

[00:54:25] mimi: and yeah.

[00:54:25] For your inspiration 

[00:54:27] karen: for all of us. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks 

[00:54:30] mimi: for giving me the space to share my story and to have fun with the two of you as well. 

[00:54:35] robyn: We look forward to talking again and hopefully working together in the future.