Shamanism

Shamanism may be the most ancient magic. It can be found in every part of the world, primarily within tribal cultures and especially those that live on the fringes; the more “civilized” a culture is, the less likely it is to have a shamanistic tradition.

The word “shaman” came from the Tungus language, spoken by a Siberian tribe of nomads, and in the original language it is both a noun and a verb. This duality should give you some idea of how the shaman worked. He was, and is, an active piece of the community, seen to be in motion through time and space in ways that the unenlightened are not.

Primarily, a shaman speaks and interacts with the spirits, not the gods as a priest or priestess would. Shamanism is very close to animism, or the belief that all things animate and inanimate are inhabited by spirits. The shaman may control these spirits, or simply be able to channel their power. He uses an ecstatic state of being to control fire or wind or other forces of nature, during which his soul leaves his body to ascend into the heavens or descend into the underworld to communicate or observe unearthly beings and powers.

Shamans often have spirit helpers who communicate with him. The shaman may, in some cultures, allow himself to be possessed, but in most cases remains in control of himself. He is generally a master of lucid dreaming and the out-of-body experience, either through mental control or with the assistance of chemicals like those found in peyote or cannabis.

Sometimes a shaman can only be created when a person goes through a near-death experience, simply because on the edge you may learn to move beyond your body. Even in shamans who don’t experience this sort of thing, the near-death experience is often ritually undergone during the shamanistic trance, particularly in healing rituals, because only by going through an experience can enough be understood about it to repair damage done by it. Most often, the near-death experience is recreated in a trance, in which the shaman has a vision.

The core of shamanism is the ecstatic vision, in which the mind or soul is moved outside of its body, or transcends the mortal. This is only one of several types of ecstacy, but in shamanism the soul moves to the heights or depths, giving the shaman insights that could not be gained otherwise. The vision is often attained only when the shaman undergoes harsh physical stress, such as starvation or cold, during a spirit quest. In the vision, the shaman’s spirit guide may be found, generally a useful or dangerous animal that is close to the shaman in nature.

During the shaman’s ecstatic trance many things may be accomplished; he may accompany a dead soul to its proper place in the afterworld, or cast evil spirits out of the sick person’s body. It may also simply be to bring knowledge of the world beyond to the other members of the community, or to know for himself or herself.

A shaman may be selected in three different ways. In many tribal communities, the position of shaman is hereditary. In others, a person who has gone through a near-death experience may be called to the path of shamanism. And for others, a personal choice and dream quest may do it; for these, the path of shamanism is generally harder and they are not as strong. The new shaman must undergo repeated ecstatic visions to understand what is beyond ourselves. In most cultures, he is also trained by another shaman so that he understands the names of spirits, techniques used by the shaman, and other traditional functions. Shamans may create themselves, but it is always easier if you have a human guide to the other worlds.

Shamans may be either male or female, and in many cultures have the “two-spirit” identity often associated with homosexuality or cross-dressing. Shamans who exhibit traits of both the male and the female are often especially revered by cultures that believe in the two-spirit, and thought to be especially powerful. Some anthropologists refer to this sort of shaman, wrongly, as a berdache; in reality, this word has some negative connotations and should not be used.

Because many New Age people have claimed the role of shaman but have not had proper training, if the shamanistic path is yours you should seek out a true shaman, not look to books or the lady down the street to guide you. Shamanism is an ancient and honorable way of seeking the spirits, but only if done properly will it work in the right ways.