An Empath is a person who has the ability to understand the emotional state of another individual. There are many different types of Empaths and many levels of gifts and abilities. It’s one thing to be an empath, it’s another to be Heyoka.

For the Heyoka Empath, there is little available information and yet is the most powerful type of Empath. Heyoka or “Sacred Clown” is a Native American term and has been loosely translated to mean “Fool or Clown”. This translation does not give justice to the true meaning of the term. To say, to act in a manner that is different, backward, opposite of normal, gives us a clearer understanding.

The spirit of a Heyoka is the Great Mirror. When you connect to a Heyoka, what you see in them will show you what you need to work on to evolve spiritually. You may say that the world is our mirror, and this is true and the Heyoka’s mirror is one of emotion, for however you react to them emotionally is their guidance.

For example, after being with one you may feel anger, feeling them to be arrogant yet the Heyoka’s mirror is showing you your need to be humble. Or you may feel great love, again the Mirror is showing you the path of self-love.

The following traits of a Heyoka does not define a person as a Heyoka, it’s the energy they carry that is the real ‘tell tale’. Some of the traits may include; being dyslexic (thinking backwards), being born breach (coming into the world backwards), doing things backwards, appearing younger than their age (aging backwards) and a strong healing ability. Heyoka is movement and transformation.

Traditionally, you don’t claim to be a Heyoka, it’s when another Heyoka sees that energy is carried by them also and they will be inspired to inform. “One Heyoka always knows another Heyoka when he meets one,” according to Richard Erdoes, co-author of the book “Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions”.

In Native American ceremonies, the Heyoka would be the one to disrupt the proceedings so as to get the people to see things differently or to change the energy of the situation. Modern day Heyokas, when working with people, will say or do something to disrupt the energy which creates change, healing and balances the energy.

The Heyoka’s gift is to bring people back into balance and get people unstuck by showing the opposite, the backward way. Heyoka’s carry the medicine of chaos and this medicine has the power to change people’s lives and shove them down their spiritual path. There’s nothing gentle about the Heyoka’s energy, their medicine is to show the shadow that remains unseen and the mirror that is hard to look in.

So if you were to meet a Heyoka, would you turn away and run or would you have the courage to see the unseen and see yourself as you truly are and accept the profound healing that will occur?