Tracy Gaudet is a spiritual teacher and practical ascension guide that helps people to expand into greater possibilities and the next level that is open and available to them now. In this special interview for MysticMag we talked about her interest in shamanism and spiritual pursuits, her personal struggles and how she overcame them and much more.
When did you discover your interest in shamanism and spiritual pursuits?
I’ve always had a connection to the natural world, from childhood where I would talk to flowers, love being in nature and often have vivid dreams and sensations of connection to other aspects of our world. This expanded into intuitive development in my teen years, I played around with ritual, oracles cards, numerology and all things new age. It was always just a natural pull for me, yet I never really connected my interest in the metaphysical world to one of spirituality until around 10 years later.
Being raised Catholic (though I never resonated with the teachings) I had this subconscious idea of what spirituality meant, of what Divinity meant. It wasn’t until my mid 20’s when I really started to understand my spiritual connection and detach the idea of the Divine from religious teachings.
As I started to understand more about what spirituality really meant to me I saw the connection that I had to the natural world as a part of that. From there it was a natural unfolding. That magical way the Universe will deliver to you the exact right books, teachings, meditations and experiences that allowed me to dig into shamanism and spiritual teachings in ever expanding ways.
Can you explain to us what Practical Ascension is?
Practical Ascension to me, was born out of my natural tendency to connect to multiple dimensions, intuitions and spiritual truths partnered with a desire to actually apply these things I channeled and learned to my life in practical ways.
To me Practical Ascension is engaging all parts of yourself in your spiritual awakening. Taking into account the ego and subconscious, your mindset, practical action, physical body, emotional body, as well as a connection to the larger, energetic aspect of who you are on a Soul level.
Practical Ascension is taking these spiritual truths that we resonate with on profound levels and understanding how we can incorporate them into our lives, weaving awakening into every day and moving deeper into embodiment of who you really are on a Soul level. Practical Ascension recognizes that we are having a human experience and are also Divine and it is my method of bridging the two and helping to make ascension and soul connection a normal part of everyday life.
In your Instagram you share a very powerful personal story about depression and anxiety. Can you share with us how you overcame those issues?
In my journey with depression and anxiety, through my initiation as I call it, I was moved into the depths of challenging emotions like I had never experienced before. There had always been some extent of anxiety and depression throughout my life, yet this 18 month initiation that I recently moved through took me into territory that debilitated me and my only option was directly through it. Throughout even the most challenging times there was always a seed in my awareness that this was happening for me, not to me. Even when I was at my wits end and feeling heavy victim energy of why is this happening to me, there was a far away dot of light.
This seed of knowing that this was something I had designed to help wake me up into deeper levels of compassion and healing. Ultimately it was the determination that the only way past this was directly through it and so dealing with these emotions in whatever way I could every single day. Many days I choose the option to do nothing. To ignore my intuitive nudges, to stay in bed, to give up and give in to the dark spiral. I did what I had to do to get through each day, it was a situation of 1 step forward, 3 steps back. Ultimately the energy became so intense about a year into it that I couldn’t handle anything except self care.
The option to numb myself, watch TV, listen to music or any other type of entertainment was off the table. Everything would send me into a full panic attack. My only options were to listen to my intuitive nudges about what felt ok to do and focus on, and it was following these intuitive nudges that led me slowly back into the light day by day. It was clear from every part of myself physical, mental, emotional, spiritual that it was time to heal on very deep levels and begin my ascent out of the dark.
I was very gentle with myself through this period. A lot of meditation, yoga, Qi Gong, EFT tapping, journaling, nervous system regulation and connecting with nature. These tools were not new to me, but in this period they became my full time job. I continued to put one foot in front of the other, and it was about 6 months in this space before I was fully reconnected to my truth, creative, inspired and engaged with life. I still have this echo of the emotions that debilitated me every now and then, and when I feel them I take it as my indication to step back into that full self care as I am guided and always come out with increased clarity and a deeper embodiment of who I really am and why I’m really here.
What plant medicines helped you heal?
I worked with a variety of plant medicines for my healing. The #1 thing I would say about this is when working any plant medicine, even herbal tea, do so with intention. The intention and connection that you place into whatever plant medicine you work with is as powerful as the medicine itself. I would feel a connection to a plant medicine or it would come into my awareness and I would research and learn more about it before intuitively integrating it into my life.
A few that were quite impactful to work with for me were Tulsi (Holy Basil) for feeling that sense of connection that can so often be lost during challenging periods. Psilocybin mushroom microdose for when I was in my deepest state of depression. The way I found the microdosing work for me was that it allowed me to feel like I deserved to take care of myself. I would feel inspired to go for a walk in nature, do Qi Gong, even have a shower and get dressed or other actions that guided me into healing. So it’s not that the microdosing itself healing me, but the medicine of the psilocybin in that tiny dose allowed me to care for myself and bring myself out of the darkness. I also worked with many types of non-psychoactive mushrooms throughout my healing and process including chaga and cordyceps.
All of these plant medicines are always intuitively guided for me and there was no one protocol that solved everything, more of a journey that continues to this day based on what I most need to feel balanced and vibrant.
What shamanism can teach us to live a better and more fulfilling life?
One of my favorite aspect of Shamanism is the interconnection of it all. When we see ourselves as an integral part of the whole, as a unique and needed puzzle piece that is connected to all that it, when we really connect into this truth and allow ourselves to feel it magical things start to happen. We begin to flow and trust more in life. We feel that sense of connection that lifts us up into our soul truth and helps us to disengage from the illusions that surround us in everyday life of separation. When we feel connected and engaged with life we feel fulfilled and open ourselves to so many possibilities that feed us on a soul level.
Do you have a special message for our audience in these challenging times?
The message that I’d like to share right now is to honor your path and remember that no matter how challenging of a time you may be moving through you were designed for this. You were designed to see beyond your current circumstance and reach toward the light. Don’t fear going into the depths within you, exploring how you really feel and who you really are. It is those depths that hold the greatest light and awakening to your Soul truth. Trust yourself, your inner vision, let go of what others are doing and focus on creating your unique puzzle piece and path.
If you would like to find out more about Tracy Gaudet, please visit tracygaudet.com
