a Modern Practitioner for Today's World

THE Uncommon Shaman

Celebrations of a Well-Lived Life

Humans have celebrated milestones in our lives since time immemorial. From the traditional ceremonies surrounding the birth of a baby such as baptism or bris, to the celebration of the joining together of two lives in matrimony, to celebrations of a life well lived and saying goodbye. Our lives are marked by ceremony, though this is becoming less and less a part of modern life.

Shamanism is not a religion. But, this belief can offer a unique opportunity for one to celebrate the important milestones of life in a very real way without the trappings of religious dogma.

Welcoming a new child into the family, be it through birth or adoption, is a wonderful and joyful time in a family. If you'd like to celebrate the new addition to your circle of love in a nontraditional way, welcoming this new being into your family and home without the addition of the more traditional baptismal ceremony, a Naming Ceremony might be the right fit for your and your family.  All options and ideas can be discussed to make this milestone a truly memorable and personal one for you and your family.

For an older child in the case of adoption, a Welcoming & Acceptance ceremony, whether with just your family, or with your extended family and friends, can be a cherished memory for the entire family.

Celebrations of Love

Love is love, and should always be a cause for joy and celebration. Life can be lonely, and finding The One Person with whom to share that journey is a wonderful event which should be celebrated.

​If you'd like to plan a wedding or handfasting -- be it traditional or nontraditional joining -- but your preference is to celebrate without religious dogma and/or the restriction or limitations sometimes attached to these ceremonies, asking a shaman to officiate is a lovely option. If this is something that interests you,

It is a long-held shamanic belief that those persons born into the body of a gender different than that which they identify, are called a Blended Spirit or Two Spirit being. It is believed that these individuals walk between worlds unhindered by the societal standards of gender with which we are societally defined.​

A wonderful man, Reverend Fred Hammold, developed a Unitarian Universalist Transgender Naming Ceremony, the first of its kind to be developed, but hopefully not the last! In the spirit of love, a non-religious Naming Ceremony can be a wonderfully healing and empowering ceremony in

Celebrations of New Life

Death is something we will all experience regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, or religion. And, as hard as it is to lose some we love, it is nothing to fear. Planning a celebration of life for someone nonreligious in their beliefs can be challenging when one desires to follow the wishes of the deceased and plan a beautiful and fitting ceremony that also aligns with the beliefs of the person who has recently crossed.  Melissa will be truly honored to help you plan a funeral or celebration of life for your departed loved one that reflects their beliefs in life, shares the joy that that life has brought to so many, and one which the deceased would be truly proud.

Melissa would be truly honored to help you plan and deliver a celebration worthy of whatever life change you are experiencing and wish to mark in a special way.  Please contacther to discuss whether travel can be arranged outside of the North Denver Metro area.

Melissa is a licensed minister and would be honored to officiate your joining ceremony within reasonable travel distance in the north Denver area.​

Celebrations of Identity

Shamanism in Ceremony

which to participate.  Whether this celebration takes place privately between the person and the shaman, or whether something a bit more grand 

 appeals to you, Melissa will be honored to help you plan a celebration of this transition from the you originally born, to the REAL you which you've struggled and labored so hard to understand and bring forth into the world.