Healing the Wounded Child Within: Archetype of the Orphan
Soul Retrieval, Kambo, Dieta and Sacred Work with Me
Dear Heart,
The path of healing is not a straight line. It spirals, descends, disappears into the dark and rises again…
I’m sharing this 12-part series on Jungian Archetypes and Shamanism because I believe deep healing requires both maps:
- The psyche, with its layers of identity, survival strategies and shadow
- And the soul, with its ancestral memory, elemental wisdom, and unseen realms
Carl Jung understood that archetypes shape our inner world, therefore outer reality. In the same way, traditional, core shamanism also evokes figures such as guides, spirits, wounds and guardians of the unseen. When these two worlds meet, they create a powerful framework for transformation.
Archetype 2: The Orphan
Where the Innocent lives in trust (see part 1 here), the Orphan arises when that trust is broken.
Theme: Wounding, Belonging, Disillusionment
Soul Invitation: To heal abandonment, reclaim self-worth, and forge authentic belonging
The Orphan is the child within us that felt left behind, betrayed, or never chosen. This is the one who learned the world isn't always safe; who put on masks to survive; who longs for family, belonging and a home. However, they may now keep people at arm's length as a means of self-protection.
In shamanic terms, this is the part of the soul that may have become fragmented during trauma. It is a lost piece, still wandering and waiting to be seen and reintegrated.
🧠 Jungian Understanding:
In Jungian psychology, the Orphan represents the first fall from innocence - when the child realises the world is not safe, parents are flawed, and pain is part of life. It marks the end of Eden and the start of ego-formation.
The Orphan is not merely a victim archetype - it’s the part of us that begins to differentiate and to see reality clearly. It becomes the foundation for empathy, depth and resilience - if we don’t get stuck in the shadows.
🕯️ Shamanic Perspective:
In shamanic terms, the Orphan is often a soul part that has fractured and split-off, remaining energetically stuck in the moment of abandonment, betrayal or neglect.
This part may show up in ceremonies, hypnosis or dreams as:
🖤A lost or crying child
🖤A figure behind glass, under water, or in the dark
🖤A sense of emptiness, invisibility, or not being “fully here”
The Orphan needs to be found, welcomed and retrieved. Not fixed, but witnessed. Often, we also need to release spiritual contracts we unknowingly made at the time of trauma - vows like “I’ll never trust again,” or “I’ll stay small so I won’t get hurt.”
🧿 Light & Shadow:
☀️Deep compassion and emotional intelligence
☀️Realism and clear perception
☀️Authenticity and rejection of false masks
☀️Capacity to be in solidarity with others who suffer
🌑Victimhood and learned helplessness
🌑Chronic distrust, emotional shutdown
🌑Fear of abandonment driving people-pleasing or isolation
🌑Co-dependency and self-betrayal
The Orphan may wear the mask of the ‘strong one’, while hiding deep grief. It may become cynical, believing healing or love is for others - not them.
🧬 How It Shows Up in Life:
🖤Feeling like you never quite belong
🖤Seeking approval but never feeling seen
🖤Attracting relationships that repeat rejection
🖤Chronic inner emptiness or fear of abandonment
🖤Over-identifying with pain as identity
This archetype is often deeply active in healers, sensitives, and empaths - those who turned to spiritual paths after early emotional wounding.
🐚 Healing Path:
🖤Soul Retrieval + Reparenting + Boundaries
🖤Soul retrieval to bring the lost part home
🖤Inner child reparenting to meet unmet needs
🖤Boundary work to stop the cycle of betrayal and self-abandonment
🖤Ceremonial witnessing to anchor the return
🖤Creative expression (song, art, dance) to give voice to the Orphan's story
The Orphan doesn't want fixing - it wants truth, tears and your tenderness.
When we work with the Orphan consciously - when we stop abandoning ourselves - we create the inner conditions for soul retrieval. When healed, it becomes the Heart Warrior - a bridge between the Innocent and the future archetypes, like the Warrior, Lover and Caregiver.
🌿 Soul Retrieval with Me
What is Soul Retrieval?
It’s a powerful shamanic healing where we call back the parts of you lost in fear, shock, heartbreak or trauma. This work takes place in sacred space, supported by spiritual allies and guided by intuition and deep presence.
Why have Soul Retrieval it with me?
I’ve walked this path myself for over 25 years in the Amazon, sitting with the pain and fragmentation of the human spirit. My work is grounded, experienced and deeply held. I don't just guide you - journey with you.
How can Soul Retrieval help?
🌀Move forward from old stories and invisible blocks
🌀Heal from trauma stored in the body or spirit
🌀Reconnect with purpose, joy, and your true essence
If you're ready for that return, book here
🐸 Kambo Ceremony - This Saturday
I have 4 spaces left for this intimate and deeply held Kambo circle.
Kambo is the secretion of the Amazonian tree frog, applied in a sacred way to clear the physical and energetic body. It’s not a psychedelic - it’s a powerful reset, a warrior’s medicine and a beautiful clearing and connection to Spirit.
Why Attend?
If you feel stuck, heavy, numb or called.
Kambo can clear out what's not yours, boost immunity, sharpen your mind, and bring you into deep alignment with yourself and path again.
This circle is for those ready to shift. To face themselves and rise cleaner, clearer and lighter.
🐸 Message me to reserve your place or click here to book
🌸 Solstice Sacred Circle 10 Day Plant Dieta: 14–26 June
10 Days of Bobinsana and Blue Lotus weaving their magic to help uncover yours.
This is a guided and ceremonial dieta, honouring the spirit of Solstice - a sacred passage of light.
You’ll journey with Bobinsana (the heart opener, dream weaver) and Blue Lotus (the feminine mystic, throat and crown activator), held in ceremony, stillness and deep shamanic care.
✨This is for those ready to shift timelines, soften grief and rise in love✨
I’ll be guiding every step of the way - with holding, plant spirits and my full presence.
🌿 Click here to read more or sign up here
🔥 Join My Patreon Portal
If you’re looking for a place to root into this path more consistently, my Patreon is a living altar of support.
Each month you receive:
✨Exclusive moon ceremonies and rituals
✨Guided audio journeys
✨Access to a private community of seekers, sensitives and walkers
It's for those walking the path of self-remembrance, and rising in their truth. Come join us to get support on your path.
"Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form." - Rumi
You are never truly lost. May you welcome all parts of yourself home with every step you take.
With love and wild femininity, Nancy Xx
Curandera I Guide I Mirror I Sister in The Unseen