Amy Mermaid Isakov‘s journey into alternative healing and shamanic practices has been guided by a deep connection to nature and a quest for soulful living. In the newest edition of MysticMag interviews, she shares insights into her spiritual journey and the transformative power of shamanic practices in a modern world longing for connection and meaning.
What has your professional journey been like and how did you get into this line of work?
I would say this line of work got into me rather than me getting into it. It wasn’t until I was 27 years old and writing a resume while trying to get a program started in a local high school related to self-awareness through the lens of fashion through history, that I realized all my credentials were the spiritual studies I’d been pursuing the past seven years. I had tried to make it in music and studied out in Hollywood, but found it to be too much of a soulless industry. The quest for soul led me to study bodywork, plants and trees, yoga, and meditation. It was a never-ending treasure trove of learning. I’ve been a bodyworker for 22 years and now primarily use it as a vehicle for accessing the many realms that it is to be human, preferring to work more with energy, sound, and the natural world.
What is the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition and what can you tell me about the work that you do as a teacher at The Heart of the Healer Shamanic Mystery School?
The Pachakuti Mesa Tradition is a cross-cultural, Peruvian-based shamanic path. It combines 2 primary lineages from Peru, from the Northern coast, and the Cusco area. It brings these two together in an altar (Mesa) practice. Don Oscar of The Heart of the Healer Shamanic Mystery School, who is the originator of the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition (PMT) is also a deep student of the esoteric, gnostic, Western hermetic, mystical paths. He saw a universal template that weaves these two paths into a deep and resonant harmonic that is truly Universal. There are so many threads and paths that find a home within the very integral context of the PMT, which sources itself from thousands of years of traditional folk practice in the Andes.
In addition to teaching apprenticeships in the PMT, both foundational and in-depth, my work also includes helping to develop these apprenticeships for future generations. It’s important to me that we, students of nature, remember the ways our ancestors walked, in a way that makes sense wherever we may be living.
You also run an online Tree Communion. What’s the story there?
The tree communions came from one of the practices we do during the in-depth apprenticeships called The Art of Earth Offerings. One of the days is spent getting to know the Tree beings, whom we call the Malkikuna. I asked the Trees, along with my students, “Malkikuna what can I do to be a better vessel of your medicine in the world?” The trees answered and said, “Lead meditation for people to commune with us every day.” I was a bit overwhelmed at making a commitment to do something every single day, so I negotiated. “Five days a week?” and they said ok. And so I had made a commitment to the Tree beings to lead a communion with them 5 days a week. After some back and forth with them clarifying how long I was to do this, I committed to a nine-month period as they said that was a good start. I initially asked if one month would be enough and they said “Do you want to learn ANYTHING?”
I’ll be honest, it took me a bit to get off the ground. I got caught up in making it a class or having a rotating schedule for who would host but after two months of no communions, I decided to keep it simple. I would do it on clubhouse and I said, “I’ll be here on weekdays at noon, and whoever wants to join me is welcome.”
The way I do it, a tree communion is a very short shamanic journey to commune with the trees. Sometimes we share what our experience has been. It’s never more than 20 minutes and it’s been a life-altering experience for me.
People can find your services through the Village Wellness Center. Can you share a few details about the Center itself?
Village Wellness is a Holistic Acupuncture & Integrative Wellness center located on the Main Line, in Berwyn, PA, outside Philadelphia. You can find my offerings like classes, apprenticeships, and Solstice and Equinox events which are based out of my home medicine lodge near Valley Forge, PA, in the events section of Village Wellness.
What is your favorite part of your profession?
My favorite part of teaching and working with people is seeing the moment the light turns on. There are so many fun and beautiful ways to remember your connection with the Earth, the stars, and the divine, and feel immense hope. I also love when people remember that they can impact the future of our world through their own small but very important actions.
Is there anything else about your work that you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?
I just want to add that I feel profoundly grateful to be trusted to carry the spirit and traditions of indigenous practices that have been kept alive by people who have had to suffer a lot in order to maintain them. There has been a lot of sacrifice and great efforts made by various people and groups for these ways to be maintained and carried forward to reach somebody like me so that I have pathways back into interconnectedness and relationships that reflect the truth of our living world.
To find out more about Amy and her work you can visit www.clubhouse.com/house/communion-with-trees or www.villagewellness.net
