Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Billy Lor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Billy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

A defining moment in my journey as a shaman came during 2020-2021, right when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. For many years, since I started high school, I had been performing ceremonies for families across the country and for community members globally. I was tired, exhausted, and at my wit’s end, contemplating leaving it all behind. I was ready to put everything to rest and escape, even if it meant enduring pain. I simply didn’t have enough energy left to continuously heal others when I myself felt broken and wounded. But during this dark time, I developed a deeper meaning for the arts I practiced and fully reconnected with my work.

When our healthcare systems were overwhelmed, people were grappling with their mental health in isolation, and the community faced unprecedented challenges, I had to step up like never before to keep my community afloat. In this defining moment, I tapped into the strength of my predecessors, my ancestors who came before me, and reached out to hold everything together. This struggle made me realize the fears, dreams, and hopes my ancestors had: to desperately free themselves from oppression, to chase the stars so their children would have better lives. I understood that their hopes, worries, and strength were deeply planted inside me and inside all of us. I needed to nurture that strength and grow it to provide shade for my community caught in the heat.

As a shaman, it is said that our shamanic spiritual guides who call us to become healers are our ancestors. We call them our grandparents. The techniques and ancient knowledge passed down from teacher to student over hundreds of years are the true blessings of our roots and foundations. If I gave up then, it felt like denying my ancestors the chance to uplift and heal their grandchildren through spirit. Giving up would be denying the strength and blessings they left for me. Of course, I am not irreplaceable, and one day someone else could and would fill my shoes. But for that person to arise, it was necessary for me to teach, be present, and pave the way.

So, in that moment, I decided to create Hey Billy to educate the community and, most importantly, share my journey. I wanted anyone going through what I went through, or anyone trying to reconnect and reattach to their roots and reclaim their heritage power, to feel seen and have a resource. A Hmong shaman is always more than just an individual. They are a beacon for the community, a cultural bearer, a documenter, and a knowledge holder. To forsake my calling would be to forsake my community, so I chose not to give up. But for the first time since my inception, I was going to do it my way, set my own boundaries, and define what kind of healer I was going to be. Most importantly, I aimed to shape my legacy and mold myself into the future ancestor that young Billy needed.

Billy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a highly experienced Hmong shaman with over a decade of practice. At 26, I have been doing this for more than half my life. Becoming a Hmong shaman is not a choice but a calling from one’s ancestors to be a healer. My calling has led me to perform hundreds of ceremonies for people throughout the country and offer services globally.

For most of my shamanic career, I practiced privately within the Hmong community through word of mouth, which alone maxed out my capacity. Now, I run Hey Billy, where I teach, offer spiritual services, and consult for projects and businesses. I provide a variety of spiritual services, from divination and readings to healing ceremonies. I help solve spiritual issues that may affect your life, health, and potential, guiding people to grow into better versions of themselves through connectedness and a holistic approach.

What sets me apart from others is my use of an established spiritual healing system that has been effective in the Hmong community since ancient times. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I utilize these proven practices, enhancing them by incorporating new arts to complement and fill in any gaps in the ancient traditions. My purpose is to connect you with spirit and spirit with soul, so clients are left feeling whole and can tap into their flow state.

I am most proud of the success I have had in healing and guiding others over the years. Each client, person, and family is a new experience, and each situation provides valuable lessons that I bring to help others.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What helped build my reputation is reflected in my success with healing. The Hmong elders have a saying: “If you need a shaman who is a true healer, always pick the busiest ones, the ones whom both young and old call upon. It is that shaman who can perform profound healing.”

As a shaman, I am fortunate if I get one weekend off every 2-3 months. People of all ages call upon me daily for healing and assistance. There isn’t a day that goes by without a phone call, email, or request. This trust that the community has placed in me is what builds my credibility.

Additionally, being acknowledged by researchers, educational institutions, and medical systems elevates my reputation even further. Having the opportunity to educate and work alongside these systems, and to have my work and knowledge validated by them, demonstrates that Western and Eastern medicine can coexist and even complement each other for the benefit of all communities. Some examples include hosting training workshops for mental health practitioners, teaching future healthcare and nursing students, speaking at multiple universities each year, and consulting with medical practitioners.

Lastly, the arts I practice were created for community and collective healing. To stay connected with community initiatives and ground myself in collective healing, I also sit on multiple non-profit organization boards.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

What will keep you successful is always having a need, passion, and drive to help others. As a shaman, the issues you encounter can be heavy and draining. Your boundaries, capacity, and endurance will be tested and pushed beyond your limits. During these times, when you feel you have nothing left to give, it is your passion to heal and uplift others that becomes your eternal flame—something that cannot be extinguished. Once ignited, this flame ensures you will always be successful, maintain yourself, and continuously help others because it is what your heart truly desires.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theheybilly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheybilly/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theheybilly
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tou-ger-lor/

Image Credits

Nicole Neri

SPIRITED FILMS