Deep in the heart of shamanic practice lies a journey of connection, transformation, and healing—a path that Melanie O’Halloran-Gomes, also known as White Feathers Woman, was called upon. Alongside her husband, Paul O’Halloran (Grey Elk), and their dear friend Sarah Cohen, Melanie works at Pathway teaching and as a Water Rose Priestess and Medicine Woman. Together, they share a vision of helping people to empower and heal themselves bringing them back into connection with themselves, nature, and the wisdom of ancient traditions. The Pathway teaching shamanic school is rooted with their own Celtic and Azorean roots as well as being gifted lineages from the Xhosa (Africa) and Matsés (South America). The school offers offer unique healing experiences that honor both the San people’s traditions (through Xhosa ceremonies) and universal spiritual teachings. With deep respect for these powerful practices, Melanie’s work is about more than healing—it’s about awakening one’s life energy and walking a path of soulful discovery awakening the dormant aspects of self. In this Mystic Mag‘s interview, Melanie O’Halloran-Gomes opens up about her transformative journey, the essence of shamanic healing, and how Pathway teaching serves as a bridge between ancient indigenous wisdom and modern seekers yearning for deeper connection and meaning.
Pathway teaching brings together shamanic traditions, Rahanni Celestial Healing, kambo, and energy healing. How do you integrate these diverse modalities to support someone on their healing journey?
The way we work is essentially by stepping out of the way. This means allowing true “I Am” consciousness—whether you call it Love, God, Goddess, Source, or Spirit—to flow through. It involves connecting the energy of our own heart with that of the person we’re working with. In an individual energy session, it’s primarily about tuning in directly to the person’s higher self, calling on the assistance of their ascended ancestors, and intuitively understanding what they need.
If I’m conducting a kambo session, it operates on its own unique terms. Kambo is a very physical process, often involving deep purging. Sometimes, the person may not purge physically, but may instead experience a fainting or other release such as crying or shivering/shaking. This process works on multiple levels—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—bringing deep healing. My shamanic training has helped me to understand a lot more the way energy can be released out of the body and how to deal with it. When I’m working with any of the modalities I always open space and call on my spirit helpers from Source.
When I’m channeling Rahanni, which is a high celestial vibration, I do not mix it with other energy therapies, as it carries a distinct frequency. It often comes through on the pink ray of love.
In answer to your question about how these modalities are integrated, it really depends on what the person is seeking and what they need. From there, we tailor the session accordingly, allowing the energy and guidance to flow as needed.
You emphasize self-healing and empowerment in your teachings. In your experience, what are the key steps to walking the path of one’s soul purpose with peace, joy, and an open heart?
That’s a really good question. If a person is not ready to look within and own what they’re feeling—if they’re still pointing the finger of blame or judgment and not taking responsibility for what’s inside them—it becomes challenging to heal. We all carry different aspects within us until we face and transform them. We all have parts of ourselves that need healing.
For me, it’s about looking within first and being honest with yourself. Acknowledging, “Okay, I have these thoughts and emotions. I wonder why I feel this way because I know it’s not my true self. Maybe I need help to understand and resolve this.” For some people, especially those going through a powerful spiritual awakening, the process can become very physical—just as it was in my own journey. The physical experiences often serve as wake-up calls to make the person truly listen and pay attention.
Everyone’s healing journey takes different forms, but it ultimately comes down to allowing the healing to happen. During a healing session, things might temporarily feel worse, or emotions may intensify as the energies move through the body and release. If a person has already done a lot of emotional processing and meditation, sometimes all that’s needed is a shift in a soul contract. In such cases, they might feel a subtle but noticeable release, like a sense of lightness, and realize that whatever they were holding on to is gone.
Healing can happen on various levels—ancestral, emotional, or spiritual—and often follows a higher process in terms of the persons higher mission on this Earth Walk and what they need to learn or experience that helps them serve from an open heart. As different layers of the issue are revealed and peeled back over time, the person gradually moves through each stage, experiencing deeper transformation along the way.
What type of services do you offer?
We offer a variety of sessions, including one-on-one sessions that work according to the guidance of the person’s Higher Self / I AM Presence. We use shamanic healing techniques and I also facilitate Moon Mother Initiations, Rahanni, rose initiations, and individual kambo sessions, which involve the Amazonian frog medicine. These Kambo sessions are only available one to one in person, and they are truly amazing. With its 16 peptides that help rewire the body, kambo has shown incredible results. For example, a client recently—though not mine, but a friend—had a blood test after a couple of sessions, and his testosterone levels had increased fivefold. Kambo is often used for fertility as well as removing “panema” or negative energy and also to boost energy.
Regarding the shamanic training we offer, participants can enroll in a Shamanic Practitioner’s Course, which provides in-depth training around the medicine wheel, connecting with the elements, with deep healing for the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of the person. This course also includes connecting with the ancestors. To me, shamanism brings the God and Goddess into the here and now, within the heart. It allows you to feel held and supported, but also takes you deeper into your own being. It’s not an easy escape from pain; rather, it’s a journey through your pain—to own it, reclaim it, understand it, and allow your story to ascend. As your story becomes a blessing, it empowers you to share it and help others who may be going through similar experiences.
We also offer an advanced course. Paul O’Halloran, Grey Elk is the main teacher for the Shamanic Practitioner and Advanced courses. It follows the Xhosa lineage, though we have integrated Celtic roots due to our heritage, as Paul is pure Irish. I have a very mixed lineage myself with Irish, Scottish and Azorean amongst others. The Kambo training comes from the Matsés lineage, which supports the space holding in the kambo sessions as well.
Then, there’s the third-level training in shamanism, which involves the Sacred Medicine Beads. This is similar to the third level in Rahanni Celestial Healing in a way, where the Spirits do the initiating, for the beads the selection process is not determined by us — Spirit chooses the people. They come to us in dreams, so a person would need to receive a dream, or we would need to receive a message about that person, to be able to offer them the Sacred Medicine Beads. These beads represent a profound connection to the elements and to the lineage, granting a deeper power of Spirit to those who receive them.
Rahanni Celestial Healing is another beautiful modality we offer. It consists of three levels, though practically speaking, it is divided into two categories: Practitioners and Teachers. The third level, however, is a unique experience. I was honored to be made an Ambassador and Guardian of the Rahanni Celestial Healing modality. Initially, I didn’t realize how strong the third level was. Again, it is given by the Spirits of Rahanni as an initiation into Truth, Love, and Compassion. Mary Magdalene is one of the guiding presences behind Rahanni and she channeled it to Carol Anne Stacey, the Founder of Rahanni. When Spirit first spoke to me about the Magdalene Initiation, I didn’t fully grasp its depth until I experienced it myself and then realized I was being deeply initiated into the 3rd level of Rahanni.
In addition, we offer retreats and various other spiritual practices. One of them is the Shamanic Rose Spiral, which is a beautiful journey through Rose Initiations combined with shamanic teaching to help you open and connect to and embody the elemental roses. These initiations focus on embodying the Divine Feminine and nurturing love—both the love of the elements and the love within you. The process involves opening different roses within your being: the White Rose in the head, the Pink Rose in the heart, the Yellow Rose in the tummy, the Red Rose in the womb/hara, and the Black Rose.
I also offer a unique modality called the Water Rose, which I received directly from the Water Beings under the sea. It represents a deep connection to the love within water and helps to heal you and bring in oneness and deep peace. It is from the lineage of the Blue Rose and brings forth the love and wisdom of the Water Beings.
Shamanism often involves initiations that open individuals to deeper spiritual truths. Can you describe one of the initiations from your courses and how it can transform a person’s life?
First, let’s be really clear about this: Paul and I never claim to be the ones personally responsible for the healing outcomes. We never say, “Oh, I did that to this person.” That’s not our approach. We see ourselves as vessels, and 99.9% of the time, we have no idea what will happen during a session. We enter the space empty, clear ourselves, and open our hearts. We express gratitude for the person’s courage in coming to see us. We connect with stillness, open our hearts, and tune into their higher self.
From there, we ask: What does this sister or brother need? We pray to the spirits and ask for guidance from the ascended beings. Do they need a clearing? Is there an ancestor who is stuck? Is there a curse affecting their soul line? Is there an unresolved abortion energy still lingering in their womb? What energy do they need? Do they need an activation? Are they disconnected from their planetary soul purpose? What ray are they meant to bring in? All of these factors are considered.
Recently, there has been a lot of deep feminine healing, with a significant rise in the Sisterhood of the Rose and an awakening of the rose priestess/knight lineage. This process involves the reclamation of the divine feminine in all her full power, as well as the activation of the womb and opening of the Shakti energy.
So, in response to your question, it is a process of unfolding, often happening in layers. However, sometimes people experience a breakthrough—perhaps a curse is lifted, and suddenly they feel a wave of emotion, realizing they’ve been carrying this burden for so long. They might also recognize that it wasn’t even theirs, but rather an inherited energy passed down from their ancestors.
In some cases, during a kambo session, people have physically purged—throwing up what they describe as darkness, or negative energy they didn’t know they were holding onto. They didn’t know how it was going to come out, but the process allowed it to be released. Similarly, with initiations like the Rahanni, people might experience such beauty and open-heartedness that it touches them deeply. They realize a part of themselves they had lost, and they are able to reclaim it. This can also happen through soul retrievals and other healing modalities.
There is so much that can happen within a person’s healing journey, and it’s incredibly beautiful to witness. When you step back and look at the bigger picture, you often see a massive transformation in someone who came to us initially with no training or understanding, and later you see them doing the work themselves. It’s both beautiful and deeply moving.
It is also a great honor because the people who come to us are incredibly gifted. I’ve had the privilege of seeing so many souls, and I’ve been deeply touched by what I’ve witnessed within them. Their journeys have also been blessings for us too, as sometimes in the witnessing you also receive blessings that enriches us all.
This is why Paul and I always work in a circle. We see ourselves as equals. We’re not the teachers as in lecturing, this is why the “teaching” in Pathway teaching has a small “t” because we sit together as brothers and sisters, sharing our soul medicine from the heart. I believe that’s where the true power lies.
Rahanni Celestial Healing is a lesser-known modality compared to shamanism. Can you explain what Rahanni is, and how it complements the other teachings within your school?
Rahanni is truly one of my favorite modalities. If I say I love it, I genuinely do. In fact, I love all the modalities I practice. I can’t really choose favorites, can I? (I wouldn’t want the others to feel left out—just joking!) But Rahanni is something special. It is an energy that comes from the Celestial realms—specifically from Sirius, Andromeda, and the Pleiades—and it operates through the pink ray of love. It’s healing for the heart, from the heart.
Rahanni is connected to a group of divine, highly ascended beings who help us open up to truth, love, and compassion. And it truly does just that. It opens the heart and creates a beautiful energy to work with. While Rahanni may come across as very gentle and feminine, it is also incredibly powerful because it embodies the divine feminine. It can be used not only for healing but also, for instance, to support conception – babies coming in and also people passing on. The energy works through the six-pointed star, which can be sent to a baby if someone is trying to conceive. This is because the baby is coming from the celestial realms, and Rahanni helps the baby transition into this world. The high frequencies of love, peace, and joy resonate with the baby’s home energy, making the transition smoother for both the parents and the baby.
Some of the divine beings associated with Rahanni include Kwan Yin, Melchizedek, and the Archangels—the seven Archangels, such as Archangels Michael and Faith, Uriel and Aurora, Gabriel and Hope, Raphael and Mary, Jophiel and Christine, Chamuel and Charity, Zadkiel, and Amethyst.
Rahanni has three levels. The first is the Practitioner Level 1, which is an excellent way to begin with this energy modality because it brings in and increases the love frequency. For those who are already practicing shamanism, it’s beneficial to spend a day learning Rahanni, as it can be used on themselves in between shamanic modules, especially if things become a bit intense or emotionally challenging.
Then there’s the Teacher’s Level, followed by the third level, which is the initiation from Spirit. This level is very special and deeply transformative. Rahanni is a beautiful and unique healing modality, brought to us by Carol Ann Stacey, a truly amazing lady based in the UK.
What is the inspiration behind your Spirit name White Feathers Woman?
Some people often ask, “How did you get your name?” Spirit names come from the spirit realm, and I received my name during a peace pipe ceremony held by a Cree elder named White Elk. When she shared her vision and revealed my name, I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion, as if I were crying from my soul. In that moment, I felt seen and heard by God, Goddess, and Source. It was a very beautiful experience and I feel blessed to carry that name.
