Guiding Souls to Cross Over: The Art & Practice of Psychopomp

Many people facing death report feeling alone and afraid, when in fact, they are surrounded by benevolent helping spirits.

These specific spirit guides, known as psychopomp allies, always gather when death is near. Their function is three-fold: to signal to the dying that death is approaching; to help them prepare to release their body; and to guide their soul to the other side. However, most people are not aware that this spiritual support is available, nor how to access it. 

The term “psychopomp” originated in Ancient Greece and it means conductor or conveyor of souls. Both helping spirits and people can function as psychopomps. In fact, many people drawn to the bedside of the dying are psychopomps who simply aren’t aware they have this gift. 

One way a human psychopomp serves is to use the practice of shamanic journeying to establish direct contact with a dying person’s psychopomp allies. This assures the dying that they are surrounded with the love, compassion, and support of their helping spirits, and enables their soul to be guided to the light with ease and grace.

Psychopomp allies are recognized cross-culturally in the forms of benevolent ancestors, animal spirits, gods and goddesses, angelic beings, deities, teachers and masters, etc. When we partner with psychopomp allies to support the dying – as well as the souls of the departed that still linger – we are renewing longstanding alliances between the human realm and the spirit world. 

Who Is This For?

• Anyone who feels called to support those in the dying process
• End-of-life, palliative, and hospice care providers such as doctors, nurses, social workers, bereavement counselors, volunteers, etc., as well as allied health professionals who would like to explore the spiritual dimension of death
• Other professionals whose scope of practice includes supporting the elderly or those with a terminal diagnosis 
• Those with a loved one who is in the dying process
• Anyone who feels inspired to become more well prepared for their own passing

How We’ll Practice & What You’ll Learn

Shamanic journeying is a practice for partnering with benevolent helping spirits by way of natural trance states, which are achieved through drumming, rattling, singing, dancing, and whistling. 

Using the practice of shamanic journeying, during this retreat you will:

• Learn how to partner with a variety of psychopomp allies in order to facilitate radiant passages for the dying, regardless of their spiritual and/or religious orientation, ethnicity, etc.
• Establish or rekindle relationships with your ancestral psychopomp allies so you can support the dying in your family and prepare for your own death
• Explore the soul’s trajectory at the time of death, once it has become decoupled from the physical body 
• Consider ways to prepare to have a good death and help others in your community do the same 

Prerequisite

Everyone attending the retreat will receive a complimentary virtual introductory shamanic journeying course, which you can complete online at your own pace. This will enable you to learn the practice of shamanic journeying before joining the retreat.

Alternatively, you may attend Julie’s upcoming three-day introductory workshop in person in Vancouver (June, 2026, dates TBA).  

Testimonials

“Julie was one of the most adept, magical, and profoundly wise facilitators I have ever had the privilege of learning from. This program rocked my world.” – Beth Glick, past participant 

“This program was powerful and masterfully prepared and delivered. Julie knows the reality of helping spirits through decades of learning and experience, and provides a container for the group to explore this subject with comfort and confidence, resulting in amazing experiences!” – Kathleen Nawaz, past participant

Daily Schedule

A detailed schedule will be emailed to you about 30 days prior to your program. Click here to view a sample program schedule.