Shamanism

 

The Shaman of ancient tribal life was the medicine man or woman, healer, magician, and soul retriever. The Shaman was part of all ancient cultures, including tribal peoples of Native North and South American, Nordic-Germanic, Celtic-Briton, Tibetan, Siberian, and Australian Aborigines. It should be noted that the Shaman is an active member of contemporary societies too. They should not just be considered ancient history.

A Shaman is a man or woman who enters an altered state of consciousness - at will, and not necessarily induced by psychotropic drugs - to contact and utilize an ordinarily hidden reality in order to acquire knowledge, power, and to help other persons. The Shaman has at least one or more spirit helpers in their personal service. In trance, a Shamans soul is believed to leave their body and go to the non-ordinary upper, middle, or lower world. This journey is undertaken to restore power, heal, or retrieve a lost soul. The Shaman, in his trance will work to restore beneficial or vital power or extract harmful power. The Shaman must learn the cosmic geography of non-ordinary reality, to know where to go to find the appropriate animal, plant or other medicine to heal their client.

Non-ordinary reality is like a waking dream, where the Shaman can control her actions and direct her adventure but does not know what she will discover. Non-ordinary reality is a familiar ancient universe with profound information about the meaning of life, death and the shamans place in the totality of all existence. Typically, the Shaman will use a drum, rattle, and or singing to assist the shaman into a trance state.

To perform his work, a Shaman depends on personal power, which is usually supplied by a guardian and helping spirits. Guardian Spirits are also called tutelary spirit, Nagual, totem, or familiar. The best known way to acquire a guardian spirit is during a Vision Quest. There are also involuntary or Shamanic ways to secure a guardian spirit. Without a guardian spirit it is virtually impossible to be a Shaman. The Shaman must have this power source in order to cope with and master the non-ordinary or spiritual powers whose existence and actions are normally hidden from humans. The Guardian Spirit is often a power animal, a spiritual being that not only protects and serves the Shaman, but becomes another identity or alter ego for him.

If you are interested in Shamanic experience and training, or seeking nonwestern traditional medicine to cure an ill, you can contact the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (see links page). The Foundation will aid and assist you in finding a local healer or Shamanic workshop schedule to learn and explore this ancient traditional way to heal yourself and others.

 

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