About Adam Kane
I
consider myself to have a truly blessed life and upbringing. I was born
an only child to two wonderful, caring, and loving parents who nurtured
my creativity, intuition, and spiritual abilities. I can recall seeing
the spirits of nature at a very young age and this was never frowned
upon or invalidated by my parents. Quite the contrary- it wasn't out of
the ordinary for my mother to ask me about my intuitive feelings and
dreams.
So when people ask me how I got started in spiritual work- I'm left feeling that I never "got started"- it just always was a part of life for me.
Right around the age of 13 I picked up my first set of tarot cards and started doing readings for myself, my family, and my friends. By the age of 15 I started reading tarot professionally. In my late 30's I was guided to set aside reading professionally to follow a calling that was given to me during my first vision quest in the early 1990's. On that vision quest I was urged by one of my spirit guides to aid people in healing physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. This wasn't a path that I understood how to walk at the time, so I simply continued working with my guides and learning new techniques for self discovery and spiritual understanding.
It was also during these early years that I connected with a Native
American medicine man from the Karuk Nation by the name of Charlie "Red
Hawk" Thom. I attended sweat lodges and ceremonies that he conducted
several times a year. He was a true catalyst for my personal growth. It
was through the songs that he taught and the wisdom that he shared that
I truly felt my connection with Spirit growing stronger and stronger.
It wasn't until 1993 that I actually realized that what I was learning
and practicing since childhood had a name... shamanism. I picked up the
book "Way of the Shaman" by Michael Harner on a whim one day. I was
browsing the local metaphysical bookstore and was just pulled toward it.
After reading this book, adopting some new techniques to further my
connection with my guides, and actually realizing that there were other
people using the same techniques as myself- my calling to work with
Spirit and learn as much about Shamanism was strengthened to the point
of doing daily work.
I spent the years that followed in the mountains of New York walking through the woods and learning about the spirits of the land and animals. There was many a day when I could be found sitting on a ledge overlooking a valley where the hawks and vultures would fly so close you could almost touch them. Many nights would be spent alone in a cave performing a night vigil to learn from my guides and open up doorways that lead deeper inside myself. I feel that these practices were my greatest tools for learning- it's often said that no one can teach you as well as Spirit can.
So it was through these experiences that I eventually found how to walk
the path I was told about during my first vision quest. It's been an
honor and a blessing to work with Spirit and my guides to facilitate
healing in others. No other job or task has been as rewarding as the
role I play in the healing that Spirit does.
Since the late 90's I have been studying with other shamanic
practitioners and indigenous medicine people to learn the techniques and
philosophies of others and see what aspects may be assimilated into my
own way of practicing. I have studied with the Foundation for Shamanic
Studies through David Corbin and Nan Moss. I have also studied with
Elise O'Shea and Julie Lang in New Jersey and with Eeve Crowe in New
Hampshire. I have studied Native American spirituality with several
medicine people and traveled to Peru to learn from the plant spirits
there during ceremony.
The primary sources that I draw from for healing come from the traditions of the Maya, Peru, Ecuador, Native North America, Celtic, and Kemetic (ancient Egypt).
I feel that it is very important for people to have access to teachings
and techniques found within shamanism for their own self growth and
healing. For this reason I also spend time conducting drumming circles
and teaching classes and workshops on shamanism and its techniques.