Soul Survivor

Shepherd Hoodwin soothes the spirit by channeling the wisdom of Michael – a healing collective of souls

By Shanee Edwards

Shepherd Hoodwin is a master channel. If you don’t know what that means, you’re not alone. A channel is a person who allows a group of bodiless beings to speak through them. A channel is different than a medium, who communicates with individual spirits (i.e. loved ones who are now deceased). Hoodwin channels an entity called Michael, who according to Hoodwin is “a causal plane teacher. The causal plane is an intellectual dimension directly above the astral plane, an emotional dimension.” He also explains that Michael consists of 1050 souls working together and have all completed their lifetimes on the physical plane.   

Still not clear about what Hoodwin does? I wasn’t either, so when I heard Hoodwin would be channeling Michael in Playa Vista, I decided to check it out for myself.

On Sunday, September 30th, Hoodwin invited about 30 guests to participate in his Michael channeling that took just over two hours at a yoga and meditation center called Middle Way LA. But accessing Michael doesn’t happen immediately; Hoodwin spent about a half hour speaking about his 30+ year relationship with Michael and various books he’s written.

As sense of calm envelopes the room, Hoodwin goes into a meditative state that allows Michael’s energy to enter his body. He asks the guests to join him in a “grounding” exercise. He, along with many others, close their eyes and engage in some deep breathing. Hoodwin’s face contorts, exposing his teeth as if he were in pain. A few seconds later, his face relaxes. After a few moments, he begins to speak. His voice is now slightly higher, but his speech is slow and stilted. His eyes are mostly open and he makes eye contact with individuals around the room.

The information he shares isn’t necessarily specific to any one individual in the room, but rather the group as a whole. Topics include making suggestions to “create a stronger bond with Earth energy” and ways to access the divine in physically or emotionally painful situations by “realizing the temporal nature of pain.”

The goal of being on Earth is to raise its inhabitants’ consciousness, though he says, “You can only raise your own consciousness but you
might inspire others to raise theirs. There is great ignorance in the world and some of it is willful. You will not reach those who still wish to defend their ignorance.”

He also acknowledged the political divide that is present in America and why the truth is so difficult to get at. “There are many reasons people can be unconscious and believe things that are not true. Do not assume they are lacking in goodness or intelligence or evolution. People are extremely complicated. The side they are showing you at any given moment is not the whole of who they are. See if you can engage with others as divine beings and not who they are temporarily revealing themselves to be.”

Something to remember when the subject of politics comes up this Thanksgiving.

Overall, the messages were hopeful and intended to be healing. He suggested not beating yourself up over making mistakes and to instead, “learn from them and move on.”

The wisdom shared was not outlandish or revolutionary, it was simply a reminder that none of us are perfect and to move through life with compassion for others and especially ourselves. Many of us can get stuck in our lives, possibly due to fear or having been the subject of conditional love, but our souls are meant to grow and evolve through the conflicts we face everyday.

Many people at the event shared their own feelings, epiphanies and tears. Sometimes, just a reminder that we are all good enough just as we are — that even our pain is part of the divine — goes a long way.      

To find out more about Shepherd Hoodwin and Michael, visit shepherdhoodwin.com.  To see upcoming events at Middle Way LA visit middlewayla.org.