DENISE SHEEHAN
Founder / Shamama
In gratitude and honoring, I live on the sacred lands of the Numu and Welmelti Washeshu. I am a White woman, though I carry Native ancestry as well. Though my life has held deep trauma too, I was raised with privilege that comes from being White-bodied. I acknowledge, regret, and to the extent possible, apologize, for the ancestral harm caused by my ancestors and those who conquered and colonized, with lingering destruction that exists into the now. With every breath of my body, I intend to honor all life, all races and cultures, and especially those who are the natural stewards of our lands. More than ever, such earth-honoring wisdom is key to our evolution, together with our earth and all our relations.
Since a near-death experience at age eight that awakened me to my other lives amongst the tribes, my soul has sought a way to return to its essence, to express though my human experience. That essence connects to both Indigenous and Star-Family origins. Spirit and synchronicity guided me in miraculous ways to help me to remember, to live, to express, to share and to teach the heart of who I be, and I am eternally grateful to all who chose to teach me and I assume full responsibility for any errors in my judgment. I have received the greatest, life-changing wisdom from many teachers in my path as Shamanic Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Life Coach, and Stargate Experience Facilitator. In an ethereal way, I was also activated as “galactic shaman,” whereby I experience direct contact with the Ancestors of this Land, Ascended Masters, Archangels, Star Families and other Spirit Guides who desire to work through me in sharing the ancient healing and wisdom-traditions, in service to all life and to our beloved Earth herself.
This makes me a “wannabe” and a “cultural appropriator.” I humbly bow in the face of any and all offense given, always, with all my heart. Yet — to live without the rituals, the ceremonies, the prayers, this way of life that support me in living in unity and respect with our earth and all of the beloved relations on our planet — that would be no life, no soul, no spirit at all for me.
Great Spirit, allow all my ways of being in this lifetime to serve the greater good of All, to honor all the People, including all our relations. May my heart be open and guide my way on, that I may be a healing presence for all who know me. In these times of turmoil and shifting consciousness, may I bring peace and unity with each thought, word and deed, always with utmost respect to those who have carried essential wisdom since time immemorial.
In embracing this destiny, a path where my heart, soul and spirit meet service, Sky Spirit Shamans was birthed in January 2017, an offering for our community and world, in deepest humbleness, honoring and gratitude to all my teachers, the Ancient Ones, our Ancestors, and all the Indigenous People and Cultures who have provided healing wisdom since time immemorial. – Denise
My heart bursts with gratitude and love, for the honor of living as my Self.
Professional Bio
Denise supports conscious evolutionary journeys by unleashing vital wisdom and promoting vibrant health through one-on-one sessions, Reiki Certification Workshops, and many other products and services. Denise created a unique blend of life coaching, Shamanic Reiki, and The Stargate Experience meditations that gently but powerfully removes barriers and challenges to a life fully lived, while empowering personal gifts, goals, and dreams, so that our lives align with our highest potential.
To support this vision, Denise studied Reiki and became a Usui Reiki Master Teacher in 2006, Usui/Holy Fire® II Reiki Master in 2018, Usui/Holy Fire® III Reiki Master in 2019, and a Karuna® Reiki Master in 2021. She began formal studies in life coaching in 2007. She completed her credential as Certified Professional Co-Active Coach through the internationally accredited Coaches Training Institute in 2010. In 2011, she became a Certified Job Coach with NextJob, helping to reduce unemployment in America. She is a full mesa carrier, completing training in 2013 with Jeffre Talltrees, in Peruvian traditions through the Four Winds Society and Sacred Rainbow Mesa. In 2015, she became is a Stargate Facilitator, Level II, and Level III in 2016. In 2020, she completed a course in reading the Akashic Records from The Akashic Academy. She is a Reverend, Universal Life Church Monastery, since 2007.
Denise also holds an English Degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a minor degree in French. She took many an academic turn in the process, also studying psychology, sociology, education, counseling, and Spanish. Before becoming spiritual entrepreneur of Sage Spirit, she worked at the University of Nevada, Reno from 1988 to 2009. As Prevention Specialist since 1998, she traveled the country providing training and technical assistance with a focus on community health to states, community coalitions, tribal entities, faith-based organizations, and Pacific Islanders. She co-authored a college textbook, Substance Abuse Prevention: The Intersection of Science and Practice. She has also authored and co-authored several other products on the topic of prevention, including a popular national curriculum, “Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training.”
Denise founded her business, Denise L. Sheehan LLC dba Sage Spirit Coaching & Reiki in 2009. In 2017, she birthed an innovative new two-year program called Sky Spirit Shamans.
Personal Bio
Five-year-old Denise, then called “Dee Dee,” was a passenger in a car with a highly triggered, angered drunk driver, speeding through the night on a country road in a little red Corvair. The driver was verbally processing how to commit a murder/suicide. In those moments, Dee Dee receives a message from Spirit on the meaning of life and death, with glimpses of the destiny she was brought to Earth to embody, along with the guidance to defy her conditioning not to talk back to an adult, and instead to literally beg for her life. This incidence, and many others, created problematic PTSD symptoms that incited more punishment than support. Her fearful childhood led to a prayer to God and Jesus, through the lens of her Catholic upbringing. As a result, she was gifted with the capacity of dreaming all of the events of each day during the night prior. She began to feel more empowered and protected as she awakened each morning with full knowledge of all that the day would hold for her. Three years later, Dee Dee had yet another near-death experience, another of many that would be part of her life. This time, she’s in the hospital with an out-of-control infection, followed by months of bedrest and quarantine. In her return to life, she spontaneously regained knowing and insight regarding many lives shared in Indigenous tribes. She frightened her family, friends, and teachers in disclosing her experience, so she learns to keep her intuitive knowing close to her heart. She was guided during those years that she would leave the Eastern US to go West, not for Manifest Destiny (as she learned in school), but to recover her true self and sacred path.
Denise’s young adulthood was filled with a disconnection from Spirit and a profound sense of lostness and loneliness, even though her life was filled with roommates, community college courses, and generally working multiple bartending and food service jobs at any given time. A divine intervention led her to move to Reno, Nevada, where life didn’t become easier, but rather all of her experiences led to a profound accumulation of wisdom that guides her into her Elder years. Denise’s affinity for learning about Native American language, culture and spirituality took her to many a book, specific classes at the University, and many other resources and research to fold into her work in the substance abuse prevention field. She worked with several Indigenous people, tribes, communities and agencies, as well as with Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians.
Denise experienced another huge dark night of the soul, where she transitioned out of her marriage, moved away from a brilliant University career into vocation, and went deep into a healing crisis. In the wake of all that fell away, much spiritual wisdom as well as opportunities came into her life. As she embraced her vocation as coach and Reiki practitioner, she began to see clients and students with a deep need for shamanic work, which she intuited her way as best she could. One such client is diagnosed with a terminal liver condition, where a Reiki session revealed that she has several dozen spirits connected to her from the US Civil War era. The spirits were draining essential life force from this client, and upon their removal, she actually healed and survived. Each time such a session occurred, Denise took on some of the energy and had to complete exhaustive healing and rebalancing phases following. This began her query of learning to support clients in a way that’s more balanced, effective, and safe.
Denise, was guided to move away from the city and onto property. She had seen a vision of a particular space, and as she and her life partner, Dana, were looking at options, their very first visit brought them to the ideal place to connect deeply with the land and the spirits of the land, as responsible stewards. Here, Dana, Denise, and their Australian Shepherds create sacred sanctuary at OdaBe, a beautiful home plus ceremonial training & retreat center on 76 acres in Northern Nevada.
In 2009, Denise met a couple, both shamans, connected with The Four Winds Society. A few years later, Jeffre TallTrees began to teach locally. Although Denise never imagined, as a White-bodied person, that she could access such sacred teachings, she felt guided to follow her intuitive knowing and the path that Spirit guided her on, since the very beginning. Expanding into shamanic wisdom, Denise’s life became more magically guided, deepening her connection to the ancestors of the land, her star families and many other ascended guides. In 2015 Denise became a trained facilitator for The Stargate Experience, which enhanced her connection to our star families even more deeply. In fact, she was initiated by them as galactic shaman. Her guides became her co-creators in Sky Spirit Shamans, a gift to the spirit of evolution for humanity, that we may expand into the prophesied era of peace, love, unity and stewardship of the earth. The guides have shown how important it is for humanity to gain the spiritual wisdom and tools to return to earth-honoring ways and to be supported in lives of service that match the calling of their hearts.
As part of accepting the responsibility of my sacred path of service, to live, heal and teach in a shamanic way, I also accept the responsibility to be a student of unlearning my White colonial programming, striving to live as much as possible in an anti-racist and de-colonized way. For me, colonization is connected to White supremacy, patriarchy, Christianity’s Doctrine of Discovery practices, capitalism and a compendium of unhealthy programming that affects us all. Even so, I acknowledge that this Sky Spirit Shamans space reflects a colonial approach that I am actively committed to healing as my awareness expands. To learn more, please visit our Ethics link above.
Supportive WisdomKeepers:
I would like to express my gratitude to the following teachers who have influenced my life most beautifully. I also honor and offer gratitude to my students, as our tradition is non-hierarchical, and I am always gifted by their creativity, caring, connection to Spirit, and wisdom. At the same time, I acknowledge an errors in my own judgement to be completely a reflection upon myself.
Shamanism & Indigenous Studies:
Jeffre TallTrees, Sacred Rainbow Mesa
Dahlahk Pahtahlngee
Robert White Mountain
Jose Federico Munoz
Art Cisneros
Don Coyhis
Henry Lozano
LaVerne Jeanne
Reiki:
Akimi Yoshikawa
Stephen Vanderver
Laura Bruno
The Stargate Experience:
Prageet Harris & Julieanne Conard
Life Coaching:
Marti Benjamin, Business Energetix
Laura Plato
Mai Vu
Akashic Records:
Emily Harrison of The Akashic Academy
Anti-Racism:
Timothy Gay and Wade Gainer of Alchemist Movement
Resmaa Menakem
De-colonialism:
Dra. Rocio Rosales Meza
We also provide support to non-profits serving Native populations, including but not limited to:
Heart Walk Foundation
Wild Rose Center
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Since a near-death experience at age eight that awakened me to my other lives amongst the tribes, my soul has sought a way to return to its essence, to express though my human experience. That essence connects to both Indigenous and Star-Family origins. Spirit and synchronicity guided me in miraculous ways to help me to remember, to live, to express, to share and to teach the heart of who I be, and I am eternally grateful to all who chose to teach me and I assume full responsibility for any errors in my judgment. I have received the greatest, life-changing wisdom from many teachers in my path as Shamanic Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Life Coach, and Stargate Experience Facilitator. In an ethereal way, I was also activated as “galactic shaman,” whereby I experience direct contact with the Ancestors of this Land, Ascended Masters, Archangels, Star Families and other Spirit Guides who desire to work through me in sharing the ancient healing and wisdom-traditions, in service to all life and to our beloved Earth herself.
This makes me a “wannabe” and a “cultural appropriator.” I humbly bow in the face of any and all offense given, always, with all my heart. Yet — to live without the rituals, the ceremonies, the prayers, this way of life that support me in living in unity and respect with our earth and all of the beloved relations on our planet — that would be no life, no soul, no spirit at all for me.
Great Spirit, allow all my ways of being in this lifetime to serve the greater good of All, to honor all the People, including all our relations. May my heart be open and guide my way on, that I may be a healing presence for all who know me. In these times of turmoil and shifting consciousness, may I bring peace and unity with each thought, word and deed, always with utmost respect to those who have carried essential wisdom since time immemorial.
In embracing this destiny, a path where my heart, soul and spirit meet service, Sky Spirit Shamans was birthed in January 2017, an offering for our community and world, in deepest humbleness, honoring and gratitude to all my teachers, the Ancient Ones, our Ancestors, and all the Indigenous People and Cultures who have provided healing wisdom since time immemorial. – Denise
My heart bursts with gratitude and love, for the honor of living as my Self.
Professional Bio
Denise supports conscious evolutionary journeys by unleashing vital wisdom and promoting vibrant health through one-on-one sessions, Reiki Certification Workshops, and many other products and services. Denise created a unique blend of life coaching, Shamanic Reiki, and The Stargate Experience meditations that gently but powerfully removes barriers and challenges to a life fully lived, while empowering personal gifts, goals, and dreams, so that our lives align with our highest potential.
To support this vision, Denise studied Reiki and became a Usui Reiki Master Teacher in 2006, Usui/Holy Fire® II Reiki Master in 2018, Usui/Holy Fire® III Reiki Master in 2019, and a Karuna® Reiki Master in 2021. She began formal studies in life coaching in 2007. She completed her credential as Certified Professional Co-Active Coach through the internationally accredited Coaches Training Institute in 2010. In 2011, she became a Certified Job Coach with NextJob, helping to reduce unemployment in America. She is a full mesa carrier, completing training in 2013 with Jeffre Talltrees, in Peruvian traditions through the Four Winds Society and Sacred Rainbow Mesa. In 2015, she became is a Stargate Facilitator, Level II, and Level III in 2016. In 2020, she completed a course in reading the Akashic Records from The Akashic Academy. She is a Reverend, Universal Life Church Monastery, since 2007.
Denise also holds an English Degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a minor degree in French. She took many an academic turn in the process, also studying psychology, sociology, education, counseling, and Spanish. Before becoming spiritual entrepreneur of Sage Spirit, she worked at the University of Nevada, Reno from 1988 to 2009. As Prevention Specialist since 1998, she traveled the country providing training and technical assistance with a focus on community health to states, community coalitions, tribal entities, faith-based organizations, and Pacific Islanders. She co-authored a college textbook, Substance Abuse Prevention: The Intersection of Science and Practice. She has also authored and co-authored several other products on the topic of prevention, including a popular national curriculum, “Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training.”
Denise founded her business, Denise L. Sheehan LLC dba Sage Spirit Coaching & Reiki in 2009. In 2017, she birthed an innovative new two-year program called Sky Spirit Shamans.
Personal Bio
Five-year-old Denise, then called “Dee Dee,” was a passenger in a car with a highly triggered, angered drunk driver, speeding through the night on a country road in a little red Corvair. The driver was verbally processing how to commit a murder/suicide. In those moments, Dee Dee receives a message from Spirit on the meaning of life and death, with glimpses of the destiny she was brought to Earth to embody, along with the guidance to defy her conditioning not to talk back to an adult, and instead to literally beg for her life. This incidence, and many others, created problematic PTSD symptoms that incited more punishment than support. Her fearful childhood led to a prayer to God and Jesus, through the lens of her Catholic upbringing. As a result, she was gifted with the capacity of dreaming all of the events of each day during the night prior. She began to feel more empowered and protected as she awakened each morning with full knowledge of all that the day would hold for her. Three years later, Dee Dee had yet another near-death experience, another of many that would be part of her life. This time, she’s in the hospital with an out-of-control infection, followed by months of bedrest and quarantine. In her return to life, she spontaneously regained knowing and insight regarding many lives shared in Indigenous tribes. She frightened her family, friends, and teachers in disclosing her experience, so she learns to keep her intuitive knowing close to her heart. She was guided during those years that she would leave the Eastern US to go West, not for Manifest Destiny (as she learned in school), but to recover her true self and sacred path.
Denise’s young adulthood was filled with a disconnection from Spirit and a profound sense of lostness and loneliness, even though her life was filled with roommates, community college courses, and generally working multiple bartending and food service jobs at any given time. A divine intervention led her to move to Reno, Nevada, where life didn’t become easier, but rather all of her experiences led to a profound accumulation of wisdom that guides her into her Elder years. Denise’s affinity for learning about Native American language, culture and spirituality took her to many a book, specific classes at the University, and many other resources and research to fold into her work in the substance abuse prevention field. She worked with several Indigenous people, tribes, communities and agencies, as well as with Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians.
Denise experienced another huge dark night of the soul, where she transitioned out of her marriage, moved away from a brilliant University career into vocation, and went deep into a healing crisis. In the wake of all that fell away, much spiritual wisdom as well as opportunities came into her life. As she embraced her vocation as coach and Reiki practitioner, she began to see clients and students with a deep need for shamanic work, which she intuited her way as best she could. One such client is diagnosed with a terminal liver condition, where a Reiki session revealed that she has several dozen spirits connected to her from the US Civil War era. The spirits were draining essential life force from this client, and upon their removal, she actually healed and survived. Each time such a session occurred, Denise took on some of the energy and had to complete exhaustive healing and rebalancing phases following. This began her query of learning to support clients in a way that’s more balanced, effective, and safe.
Denise, was guided to move away from the city and onto property. She had seen a vision of a particular space, and as she and her life partner, Dana, were looking at options, their very first visit brought them to the ideal place to connect deeply with the land and the spirits of the land, as responsible stewards. Here, Dana, Denise, and their Australian Shepherds create sacred sanctuary at OdaBe, a beautiful home plus ceremonial training & retreat center on 76 acres in Northern Nevada.
In 2009, Denise met a couple, both shamans, connected with The Four Winds Society. A few years later, Jeffre TallTrees began to teach locally. Although Denise never imagined, as a White-bodied person, that she could access such sacred teachings, she felt guided to follow her intuitive knowing and the path that Spirit guided her on, since the very beginning. Expanding into shamanic wisdom, Denise’s life became more magically guided, deepening her connection to the ancestors of the land, her star families and many other ascended guides. In 2015 Denise became a trained facilitator for The Stargate Experience, which enhanced her connection to our star families even more deeply. In fact, she was initiated by them as galactic shaman. Her guides became her co-creators in Sky Spirit Shamans, a gift to the spirit of evolution for humanity, that we may expand into the prophesied era of peace, love, unity and stewardship of the earth. The guides have shown how important it is for humanity to gain the spiritual wisdom and tools to return to earth-honoring ways and to be supported in lives of service that match the calling of their hearts.
As part of accepting the responsibility of my sacred path of service, to live, heal and teach in a shamanic way, I also accept the responsibility to be a student of unlearning my White colonial programming, striving to live as much as possible in an anti-racist and de-colonized way. For me, colonization is connected to White supremacy, patriarchy, Christianity’s Doctrine of Discovery practices, capitalism and a compendium of unhealthy programming that affects us all. Even so, I acknowledge that this Sky Spirit Shamans space reflects a colonial approach that I am actively committed to healing as my awareness expands. To learn more, please visit our Ethics link above.
Supportive WisdomKeepers:
I would like to express my gratitude to the following teachers who have influenced my life most beautifully. I also honor and offer gratitude to my students, as our tradition is non-hierarchical, and I am always gifted by their creativity, caring, connection to Spirit, and wisdom. At the same time, I acknowledge an errors in my own judgement to be completely a reflection upon myself.
Shamanism & Indigenous Studies:
Jeffre TallTrees, Sacred Rainbow Mesa
Dahlahk Pahtahlngee
Robert White Mountain
Jose Federico Munoz
Art Cisneros
Don Coyhis
Henry Lozano
LaVerne Jeanne
Reiki:
Akimi Yoshikawa
Stephen Vanderver
Laura Bruno
The Stargate Experience:
Prageet Harris & Julieanne Conard
Life Coaching:
Marti Benjamin, Business Energetix
Laura Plato
Mai Vu
Akashic Records:
Emily Harrison of The Akashic Academy
Anti-Racism:
Timothy Gay and Wade Gainer of Alchemist Movement
Resmaa Menakem
De-colonialism:
Dra. Rocio Rosales Meza
We also provide support to non-profits serving Native populations, including but not limited to:
Heart Walk Foundation
Wild Rose Center
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
ENROLLMENT FOR SKY SPIRIT SHAMANS CLASS OF 2024-2026
beginning January 2024
CLASSES ARE ONE WEEKEND PER MONTH BEGINNING MARCH 2024So, here you are, on our website. Something has called you here. Perhaps you've been getting signs that it's time for you to go deeper into your self-exploration, to take responsibility for your life path, or perhaps to embrace some natural healing talents that have been starting to come through.
The best way to discover if the Sky Spirit Shamans Training Program is right for you is to schedule a free consultation with the founder of the program, Denise Sheehan. |
Class of 2022 Graduation, Lake Tahoe, CA |
