Shamanism is alive in my family lineage. But for many generations it lay dormant, suppressed, and the gifts of the ancestors were lost. In the distant past, my ancestors lived among the spirits and listened to the wisdom of the Great Bear Goddess. Then, somewhere along the way, they stopped listening and chose to disconnect from the centre of their being. They began living in fear, forgetting their identity as children of the Great Bear Mother. So when the voices of these spirits came to me, I decided to embrace what had frightened my mother and grandmother. Since then, I have dedicated my life to teaching people how to listen to the lost ancestral voices that live in their ancient memories.
The Bear Woman of Korean legend
The Korean people are descendants of the Bear Woman, Ungnyeo. Her son was Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea's first kingdom. It is said that a tiger and a bear prayed to Hwanung, son of the Lord of Heaven, to become human. The Heavenly Prince longed to govern the earthly realms. When he heard their prayers, he gave each of them 20 cloves of garlic and a bundle of mugwort to eat, and told them to stay in a dark cave for 100 days. The impatient tiger could not complete the task and left the cave after 20 days. But the bear remained, and after 21 days she was transformed into a human woman.
The birth of a nation
Although her wish had been granted, Ungnyeo found herself lonely without a family. She prayed again, making offerings beneath a sacred tree and asking for a husband. Touched by her devotion, Hwanung decided to marry her, and she bore a son, Dangun, who would go on to establish the first kingdom of Korea. Thus the Korean nation was born from the union of heaven and earth.
A visitation in a dream
The Bear Woman visited me during my initiation. In a dream, a bear entered my home and then turned into a woman, who walked out of the house. She is my distant ancestor, whose courage and wisdom were transmitted to the women of my lineage. In South Korea, the majority of shamans are women, and I believe she gave me the strength and fortitude to enter her cave despite family opposition.
Reclaiming what was lost
Although shamanism remains a thriving cultural and spiritual practice in modern Korea, colonization, war and technological change have left the spirit of the Bear Woman lost and no longer easily accessible to ordinary people. Her dream visitation awakened her ancestral energy within me. With the support of this goddess and my immediate ancestors, I was able to reclaim the shamanic gifts that had been asleep in my family lineage. The Great Mother now lives and works through me, healing the painful wounds of prior generations. This is the power of ancestral connection in shamanism.
Entering the cave together
The Great Mother is present in our ancient genetic awareness. The memories may be buried, but they are never permanently lost. We always have the possibility of resurrecting the Great Mother in our own lineage. She is calling her children, inviting them into her cave of healing and transformation. Let us enter this cave together, and magical events will follow.
Join Helena in London
If this story resonated with you, you can experience Helena's work first-hand as she leads Korean Shamanism & Ancestral Ritual, an in-person workshop at the College of Psychic Studies in London. Helena will share her journey of becoming a mudang, then guide you through an ancestral honouring ritual and a shamanic journey to connect with your ancestors and guiding spirits. Open to all, with no experience needed, and you'll leave with simple rituals to take home. Spaces are limited so book now.
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