Aahara supports others in finding their own inner authority to become conscious, independent beings who fulfill their role in the interdependent web of nature.
Carley Mattimore and John Malan are cofounders of Aahara Spiritual Community, an active 501(c)(3) non-profit congregation of Venus Rising, since 2011. As Shamanic Ministers and Master Shamanic Breathwork Facilitators, they offer psycho-spiritual workshops in the Heartland of the US, including Dare’ Dream Circles, The Shamanic Healing Initiatory Process (SHIP), and their signature program, The Shamanic Warriorship Path--a series of initiations for a new paradigm of warrior energy.
Carley is co-author of Sacred Messengers of Shamanic Africa: Land of ZepTepi, and a collaborative author on Shamanic Breathwork; the Nature of Change, and Shaman Heart: Turning Pain and Passion into Purpose. She is a Shamanic Midwife for our times, a Shamanic psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience working with
children, adults, and families as well as a Therapeutic Energy worker (Healing Touch Practitioner and Shamanic, Usui and Tibetan Reiki Master). In addition, Carley co-facilitates a Global Shamanic Multi-Dimensional Mystery School with Judith Corvin-Blackburn, author of Activating Your 5D Frequency.
Carley continues to deepen her own soul work as she listens to the call of spirit guiding her journey to her next right step.
John is an explorer, mainly of his inner life but lately of the world at large as well. He is fascinated with dreams and has studied with Jeremy Taylor, Mhondoro Mandaza, and Farai Hove, a Zimbabwe native Healer.
A student of life, he enjoys taking classes at the local community college in ceramics, botany, and writing. He is deeply grateful for his life.
John continues to be of service to his family and community with an open heart for each soul he meets.
Carley and John offer journeys to Africa and other places, empowering journeyers to connect with the natural world in support of Mother Earth. They are both graduates of the White Lion Leadership Academy in Timbavati, South Africa. They are explorers of the world in love and respect, traveling to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Tonga, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Egypt, Colombia, China, Thailand, Canada, Mexico, and Peru.
What is Aahara?
Aahara means “to breathe” and “to eat,” embodying the core of our relationship with life itself:
nourishment of the mind, body, and spirit in a way that champions conscious connection to ourselves, each other, and nature, thus promoting responsible living.
Aahara promotes regeneration and renewal that begins when we reconnect with Spirit, nature, and each other, recognizing our interdependent relationships with life. Through a conscious relationship with the earth, we nurture overall wellness—mind, body, and spirit. We rekindle our connection with Land as Kin, Food as Medicine, and the belief that healing ourselves supports healing the world.
Spiritual regeneration is the concept of a radical spiritual rebirth, connecting with higher consciousness or divine energy in one’s life, leading to change that balances body, mind, and spirit.
We offer a shamanic psychospiritual perspective grounded in the understanding that the challenges we have endured in life present an opportunity to grow and expand our consciousness. These challenges become catalysts for transformation into something greater as we process them. We allow ourselves to feel them, digest, release, and transform them into a higher perspective understanding.
At a psychospiritual level, Aahara offers opportunities for healing work to release and transform our internalized trauma from challenging experiences into a sense of purpose that helps us live a more authentic, connected life.
Our offerings support us in connecting with our inner wisdom, thereby helping us learn to live from truth and trust as sovereign beings aligned with nature, deepening our connection to life force or Spirit.
Thus, shamanic work is grounded in the spiritual understanding that we live in a world that is vastly interconnected: Earth and Cosmos; we are all related, brothers and sisters in the web of mutual interdependence; humans and nature are kin.
This work includes the breath to support one in healing and transforming our pain into our passion and purpose.
The shamanic breathwork process is a supportive way to transform one’s life experiences. It does so by shifting our perspective, allowing our conscious and unconscious minds to integrate our experiences more holistically. This holistic process is inherently healing; through the work, we harness the medicine of our experience and thus gain understanding. We come home to ourselves, allowing our own genius to be embraced.
This psycho-spiritual work includes the opportunity to grow and evolve oneself, to transform in a supportive, non-denominational community, into an individuated, independent being. As independent beings we recognize the inherent value of each human and creature of the earth, the land, and cosmos. We step into living from an interdependent model, showing love and respect for all of life.
Meet the Team
Ruth Souther
Ruth Souther is the Lead Trainer and Cofacilitator of Aahara Spiritual Community. She is a Shamanic Minister and a Master Shamanic Breathwork Facilitator. She is a certified Consulting Hypnotist and a Holy Fire Reiki Master Practitioner.
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Ruth is the Director of the Vega’s Path Priestess Process, author of The Elemental Priestess, and The Heart of Tarot. She is an accomplished Astrologer and has thirty years of experience in Tarot Studies. She is a graduate of Venus Rising University with a Master’s in Shamanic Intuitional Practices and a Doctorate of Shamanic Psycho-Spiritual Studies. She is a founding member of The Sanctuary of Formative Spirituality, a NFP eclectic spiritual foundation, and The Edge of Perception Collective. She is also a founding member and Chief Editor of Crystal Heart Imprints, a co-operative author/artist owned press.
Teri Freesmeyer
Teri Freesmeyer, adjunct Aahara Staff, has been instrumental in weaving her talents, gifts and inspiration through the birth of Aahara’s Shamanic Warriorship Path. She is the creator of the Art of Receiving and Transforming Energy Academy, The ART ACADEMY.
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Teri is an intuitive healer offering transformational and integrative bodywork (LMT) and coaching, using a variety of metaphysical skills and holistic arts. Teri is a certified metaphysician, consulting hypnotist, priestess, and Holy Fire Reiki Master and a Transformation Game Facilitator®. She is an ordained Shamanic Minister and Breathwork Facilitator and shares her creative passion and work through writing, teaching, creative and spiritual coaching and as a speaker and presenter. Teri works with wellness advocacy, offering self-care practices, yoga, mindfulness, energy medicine, movement therapies, sound healing, aromatherapy and more.