A retired Marketing and Advertising professional with a strong background in television and radio, Rose Aleta Barbee is a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to many. She is also a Shamanic Practioner. She commemorated her own fiftieth birthday with a Crone Ceremony and a Crone Cake to celebrate this final stage of life, and was presented with the hand dyed silk shawl shown in this photo. In tribal culture this is the stage of a woman's life when she has finished raising her family and is now available to assist her tribe with spiritual medicine as a Medicine Woman.

Barbee's ethnic background is Irish, Italian, and Native American (a descendent of the Lakota Nation). She is a true American. Barbee's desire is to incorporate ancient teachings into our modern life to provide a source of meaning and inspiration for daily living.

Throughout her life, Barbee has studied various religions in an effort to better understand the world and her place in it. She considers herself a Zen-Baptist of sorts. She has been "in touch" with Spirits and others guides throughout her life, communicating, learning, and basically being helped along her path by these very real entities.

Rose discovered Shamanism close to 20 years ago, reading anything she could find on the subject. This journey led her to the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, founded by Michael Harner. She has studied Soul Retrieval with Sander Ingerman , and continues to study Bear Medicine with Carol Proudfoot-Edgar. Through the Foundation she has taken many courses studying techniques for Shamanic journeys, soul retrievals, extractions, and ritual to assist those near death and with great fear of dying. Ms. Barbee also facilitates ceremonies and rituals to empower and enrich all stages of life and death. In addition, Barbee is involved with Shamanic Drumming circles that meet regularly to help heal people, communities and the earth through ritual, prayer and intention.

Considered by many to be a "Road Warrior", Rose has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Mexico and Central America. She prefers to think of herself as a "Roads Scholar" as these journeys have taken her down a path of self-discovery. These have been life-defining adventures that have introduced her to many cultures and ideas beyond that of a little girl growing up in Indiana.

All of these travels, studies and life experiences have led to the development of her touring company, Sacred Explorations, her shamanic work through Ceremonial Circles, and an educational website about shamanism which also serves as an outlet for her world collection and artistic production of drums, jewelry and other ritual tools, Shaman's Shadow.

Through Shamanism Barbee shows others how to be more alive, and provides ancient tools for coping successfully with today's troubled times.