When I say the word “shaman”, what imagery immediately comes to mind? Is it a male or female? Old or young? What nationality?
There is an interesting phenomenon that most experienced ethnobotanists and anthropologists are well aware of, and it’s this: most shamans don’t like to attract much attention to themselves. They tend to dress and act exactly like the rest of the community. Only family, friends, and local villagers who at one time needed their services are usually in on the secret.
A few months ago, my colleague Shannon and I had the great honor of meeting with well-known ethnobotanist, Dr. Rosita Arvigo down in Central America. She shared some poignant plant wisdom with us (which we will be sharing with you in the coming months), but the biggest teaching I received that day came from a story about a legendary midwife that Dr. Arvigo befriended decades ago in Belize.
This woman was Ms. Hortense Robinson, known by locals as “mil secretos”, or a thousand secrets.
Born on the Island of Cozumel, which happens to be the mythical sanctuary of the Maya moon goddess of medicine and midwifery, Ixchel, Hortense came from a long line of midwives, her mother and grandmother included. When she was thirteen she had to be hospitalized after a severe asthma attack and it was here that the legend of Ms. Hortense began.
One afternoon during her stay at the hospital, a group of chicleros (gum factory workers) raced into the room with a pregnant woman on a stretcher. She was in the middle of hard labor and there were no doctors or nurses in sight, only little Hortense. Desperate, the woman on the stretcher yelled to Hortense, “Come here, child, and catch this baby!”
Instinctively, young Hortense knelt down knowing exactly what to do, guided the little baby’s head out of the birth canal, and caught the little one as it came out. She did exactly what she had watched her mother and grandmother do many times and massaged the belly until the placenta came out. Next, she removed her hospital gown and used it to wrap the baby and placenta up snug, then sat down to wait for the doctor.
The nurses frantically rushed into the room, saw what had occurred, and pleaded with Hortense to not tell the doctors what had just happened. Forgetting that she was a child, they handed her her first cigarette. For some, adulthood starts well before age 18.
Thus began a life of perhaps the most important work there is, delivering babies into the world. Not only that, Ms. Hortense had 8 children of her own AND adopted 14 unwanted babies, raising them all to adulthood!
In Dr. Arvigo’s words, “If she delivered a baby that a woman didn’t want, Hortense wrapped it up, put it in the crib, and took care of it. Sent them all to school. So she raised 22 kids, most of the time as a single mother.”
That was just a peek into the depths of Ms. Hortense.
According to Dr. Arvigo, everywhere they went together, someone would say, “That’s Ms. Hortense and she delivered me!”, or “She delivered all of my babies!”. But what most didn’t know is that Ms. Hortense was also a female shaman.
Rosita told us a story that gives me goosebumps as I write this:
“Hortense was a female shaman. She had such a connection with animals. All the time that she was staying with me, animals, and birds, and creatures that I never see would come up on the porch and just walk in front of you. Armadillos, all kinds of animals.
Hortense was with me one winter for about four months. She was sleeping in the downstairs bedroom and I was in the upstairs bedroom. One morning I heard a strange noise. It sounded like something scratching. So I got up out of bed and I looked down to the first floor veranda and there’s a jaguar walking across the downstairs porch.
And off it goes, over my deck and jumps into the bush. When Hortense got up , I said, ‘Hortense, you won’t believe it! I saw a jaguar this morning and it was right on the porch by your bedroom!’
She said, ‘SHHH! Don’t you dare say a word. That jaguar comes every night to sleep.’ She said, ‘You didn’t notice that it’s injured?’
And I said, ‘Yeah, as a matter of fact it was limping. It was kind of walking on three legs.’ And she said, ‘That jaguar knows this is a safe place and it comes every night for protection and as soon as dawn comes, off it goes. And it will be there until that leg is healed, so don’t you dare tell a soul.'”
Rosita said that she saw that jaguar about 10 more times. If you were careful, you could get up in the early morning and as soon as the sun came up, off it went.
One night, Rosita asked her if she could sleep with her and wait for the jaguar to come. And it did. Almost exactly at 10 o’clock at night. The animal came limping in and it layed down. The door was open, but there was a screen door. In bed she could see the cat’s back. It was about 6 feet long. A big, big animal and all night long you could hear it breathing.
It was guarding, but was also there for its own healing. It felt safe because of Hortense. It was there because she was there.”
In addition to her gifts as a midwife, Ms. Hortense had an innate connection with the natural and spiritual world. Her knowledge of medicinal plants, home remedies, and spiritual healing was enough to fill a library, and she had a lifetime of hands-on experience with patients, big and small. She healed thousands of sick people, using only traditional methods and prayer, and welcomed everyone into her home without prejudice.
According to Ms. Hortense, much of her knowledge came through dreams in which she was shown which herb to use for a particular patient and how to prepare it.
In a beautiful essay that Dr. Arvigo wrote to honor Ms. Hortense after her passing, she says:
“She had humility, and would never big-up herself – in her own words, ‘you could never be too humble.'”
She wore no special garb, had no elaborate ceremony or entourage of devotees. Ms. Hortense lived a life of loving service to others and revered nature like few others do. If you asked her if she was a shaman, she would probably smile to herself and tell you no.
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
Director, The Sacred Science
37 Responses
I continue to be moved by the incredible love some people are able to express in their everyday normal lives. What a wonderful spirit and human being this lady was. What a gift she gave to those fortunate enough to cross her path. What a legacy she left the rest of us to be more humble and compassionate. Thank you Hortense , and thank you Nick for sharing such a beautiful exhibit of love in its purest form.
Nick: The story of Hortense, the Shaman, is simply beautiful and to me
true, pure LOVE.
Oh, if we all could be or at least know of a Horense in this life time.
Nick, please keep telling us of these wonderful true stories and your
life experience.
Thanking you a million times for your web site.
Cherie
Great story. It was funny though, that the staff rewarded her with a cigarette after delivering the child. Peace and good health to you, Nick.
Stories such as this, help us all to connect more consciously and deeply to our innermost selves. Thank you for sharing this!
Beautiful! Thank you for this post. I always smile when I see a new email or post from you. The stories and info you share are a blessing in my life!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. It dawns me that in Indian, from India, culture some deities are shown with multiple arms. Reading this story I picture that Ms. Hortense must have had abonormal strength and agility to deal with her life, raise so many kids. Strength balanced with sensitivity, spirituality ,moral attitude – this is so precious and touching. So good you spread this story out. Me too will share it. Thanks .
Thank you for sharing this beautiful woman, Ms. Hortense. with us. She certainly was a light in this world.
Mercy
Thanks Nick. I Love Ms Hortense. Her Light Shines Brightly.
Great article – only one correction: her name was Robinson, not Roberts
I’m wondering why it’s necessary to call her a “female shaman.” Do you also refer to shamans who happen to be men as “male shamans”? Why is this qualifier necessary when simply her name and the word “she” will do?
Seems like a beautiful woman I would like to have as a friend. Loved to read about the Jaguar. Thanks for sharing!
The Bible tells us God is Love, and His love is unconditional, this woman seems to be just another great example of Love. It seems so hard in more populated cities to grasp this, I believe living in more remote places allows the slower pace which allows more time for thought, of knowledge, the gaining of understanding, and seeking the wisdom to walk it out. This story is awesome
Thank you for sharing that wonderful story about the female shaman. There are humble heroes/heroines among us and they are greatly valued.
What a beautifull story. I feel so connected with Jaguars…. i COUD FEEL THE PRESENCE OF IT, AND yes IT WAS THERE BECAUSE HE-SHE KNEW ABOUT hoRTENSE HEALING POWER.
tHANK’S hORTENSE …
About a year ago I purchased Rosita Arvigo’s book, Sastun, at a secondhand bookstore, and managed to read it only a couple months ago. Fascinating stuff.
A most beautiful story about a most beautiful woman. Thank you!
These stories are a much needed antidote to the war, slaughter, greed etc that media outlets are force-feeding us daily. It is negative reinforcement. Ms. Hortense and Nick you are earth angels. Keep shining!
That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Honored to have known this woman. Thank you for wonderful article. She was all of this, and more.
Thank you for sharing one more heart warming story!
Good one.. Thank you for sharing…
This story is a gift. Thank you.
Thank you Nick for this beautiful post. I feel that many of us are certainly blessed as we absorb the inspirational information from you. Ms Hortense continues to reach out and heal.
I love your stories and your program. I have had experiences where wild animals would come to me when I was practicing non-violence with a Guru. It’s an amazing, humbling gift.
I would really love to meet someone like this, and learn from them… but if they keep so secret… how can I find someone to learn from? How does one become a shaman?
Kendal – it is said that when you truly seek, one will find you.
What a beautiful story about a beautiful soul! We need so many more people like her, on Mother Earth!
Love this!! So much to learn yet we don’t always open our eyes to the true sciences of days gone by. Thank you for sharing.
How can I get in touch with one. Please help. I have been searching for shamanic help for years. Please send me some details. I am in Melbourne
Thanks in advance
only if we were all like this lady, true peace and love would flourish, thankyou
For this beautiful article
thank you for this info got bless this angel who came down to earth to help mothers, children’s and the animal kingdom
Beautiful story.
How wonderful to have experience Mr. Hortense’s prescence and energy. I felt such emotion reading about her. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Wow, powerful stuff. What a super star. Thanks Nick for sharing this sunshine story. Beautiful. wow, wow wow.
Wow. How fortunate to be in the company of this beautifully intelligent, compassionate woman! There was a magic about her. I can feel it now thru the words of the writer of this story.
Like to join your mailing list i am a student of Rosita’s.
When I was scrolling through I saw this photo and said oh wow! That looks like Ms Hortense! So I checked out the article and it was! I had the pleasure of being with Rosita in Belize and learning from her. She told us this story and many others. I would have really loved to have met Ms. Hortense in person but she died a few years before I made it to Belize. I will add to this that I was told Ms. Hortense never lost a baby or a mother. She delivered almost everyone in her village and the surrounding area. I keep her picture with my sacred things because I want to always remember such an amazing women.