Guest Profile
Carley Mattimore John Malan
Carley Mattimore and John Malan are co-founders of the Aahara Spiritual Community of Venus Rising in Springfield, Illinois, located in the Heartland of the USA; a 501(c)(3) organization aimed at serving their community and helping others discover their inner wisdom and share their unique selves with the world.
Carley and John are Shamanic Ministers, Master Shamanic Breathwork Facilitators, and graduates of the White Lion Leadership Academy in South Africa, embodying the principles of Lion-hearted Leadership. Carley is also a Healing Touch Practitioner and Master of Shamanic, Usui, and Tibetan Reiki.
Carley Mattimore describes herself as a psychospiritual midwife. Through her roles as a psychotherapist, therapeutic energy worker, and facilitator of psychospiritual workshops, she helps others heal, transform, and discover their freedom to be their authentic selves.
Carley has been a psychotherapist in Springfield, Illinois, for 39 years, providing services to children, adolescents, adults, and families in various settings. She is currently focused on serving primarily adults from a shamanic perspective at the Heartland Healing Arts Center, a holistic mind-and-body center. She also offers therapeutic energy services. Carley was one of ten finalists for the Athena Award in 2025 through Illinois Women in Leadership.
Carley co-authored “Sacred Messengers of Shamanic Africa: Teaching from ZepTepi, The Land Before Time,” along with Linda Star Wolf. Her next book, on the Shamanic Warrior: Seeder of Hope, Light & Heart, comes out in the Fall of 2025. She also has chapters in two collaborative books, Shamanic Breathwork: The Nature of Change and Shaman Heart: Turning Pain, Passion, and Purpose.
John loves Dreamwork and offers a Dream Circle called Dare’ once a month. This is an African tradition that involves gathering to share one’s dreams for personal and collective understanding. Each person’s dream benefits us all.
John is a storyteller. His ability to connect with people stems from deep sensitivity, honest reflection, and vulnerability, complemented by his sharp wit and dry sense of humor. These qualities support Carley’s work by creating a safe, dynamic space for growth.
Carley and John have been offering the Shamanic Healing Initiatory Process (SHIP) for thirteen years, since fall 2012, and have built a thriving community of people who have gone through their program in Springfield, Illinois, and the surrounding area.
In 2017, Carley and John launched their signature program, The Shamanic Warriorship Path. This program introduces a new paradigm of warrior energy for our times.
Carley also co-created and co-facilitates the Global Shamanic Multi-dimensional Mystery School with Judith Corvin-Blackburn and offers training in Shamanic, Usui, and Tibetan Reiki.
Carley and her husband are spiritual explorers who co-facilitate transformational journeys to sacred sites around the world, including Africa along the 31st Meridian. These journeys aim to foster both personal and collective transformation in our world.
John and Carley are the parents of five strong and independent daughters in a blended family and the grandparents of nine wonderful grandchildren. Carley, John, and their cat, Couscous, enjoy activities such as gardening, spending time in nature, eating and/or cooking wholesome meals, traveling, and connecting with people and land worldwide.
