#neoshamanism

[throbandgristle]

“& the show goes on “

[ome-magical-ramblings]

A Student recounts their experience with the Neo-Shamanism course by Andre Consciencia on Perseus Arcane Academy.

Check out my Interview here :D

[shamandrummer]

Becoming a Shaman

Many people in today's world are being called by spirit to become shamans. A yearning exists deep within many of us to reconnect to the natural world. It is a call to a life lived in balance with awareness of nature, of spirit, and of self. We live in a culture that has severed itself from nature and spirit. Humans have lost touch with the spirit world and the wisdom of inner knowing. The spirits, however, have not forgotten us. They are calling us to a path of environmental sanity, to rejoining the miraculous cycle of nature.

The spirits call many to work with them, but only a few may respond to the call. Choosing to ignore a calling may have undesirable consequences or none at all. For some, it can lead to depression and illness as the life force is constricted and thwarted. Those who choose to follow their shamanic calling may have no idea how to begin.

What do you do if the ancestral shamanic tradition no longer exists in your culture, but you still feel the call today? While traditional, indigenous shamanism continues to decline around the world, shamanic ideology has gradually entered Western humanities and social sciences and developed into the neo-shamanic movement. Neo-shamanism is a term used to describe the creation or revival of a shamanic culture. Most modern shamanic practitioners fall into this category. Neo-shamanism is not a single, cohesive belief system, but a collective term for many such philosophies. Neo-shamans use a variety of core techniques from different shamanic disciplines.

Mircea Eliade, a religious scholar, was perhaps the first to write about neo-shamanism. In his classic work, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Eliade discusses the three stages of becoming a shaman: the Call, Training, and Initiation. The first stage to becoming a healer, as described by Eliade, is that of the calling--this call comes from the family, the community, or from the world beyond. Some are called, initiated and trained by spirit guides and/or human teachers from childhood.

Spirit calls us to a path of shamanism in many ways. It can be as dramatic as a life threatening illness or as simple as a dream. Some people receive signs of a shamanic calling through their dreams. Shamans frequently journey during their dreams, often flying through the air. Shamans may have recurring dreams in which they meet certain animal or teacher figures that are manifestations of the very spirits who are calling them.

The more common signs of a shamanic calling are ones of personality, such as a desire to spend time alone in nature. Shamanic candidates tend to be loners and are often considered eccentric or "different." One of the most reliable signs of a shamanic calling is the urge to learn about shamanism. One of the things I have learned working with spirits is that they often prompt me through urges to do one thing or another. This is a common form of communication and instruction by helping spirits. The very fact that you are reading this post at this time is meaningful. It is the spirits themselves who are guiding you to search for information about shamanism. Your yearning to learn more about shamanism is a sign that the spirits are calling you. The call functions to awaken your own inner knowing and the yearning to express your true self through the artistry of the shaman.

Shamans are called, and then receive rigorous instruction. Training may follow an ordered tradition or take a spontaneous course guided by the shaman's spirit helpers. The function of training is to develop the skills and talents so that shamanic practitioners don't unintentionally hurt themselves or others. Though the spirits give shamans their healing powers, shamans must learn the technique of invoking them. Traditional shamanic training requires considerable devotion and personal sacrifice, not so much to gain power, but to become the person who can wield that power responsibly. Ongoing practice and learning are essential to perfecting any art or skill.

Where does one find shamanic training in the digital age? There are growing numbers of spiritual seekers who learn about shamanism from the internet or through reading the published works of individuals who have received shamanic training. Though a handbook is no substitute for an apprenticeship program, it can convey the fundamental methodological information. Authentic shamanic knowledge can only be acquired through individual experience; however, one must first acquire the methods in order to utilize them. Once you have learned the basic skills, your helping spirits can provide you all the training you need.

Then there is Initiation. Shamanic initiation is a rite of passage, connecting the apprentice shaman intimately to the spirit world. It is typically the final step in shamanic training, though initiation may be set in motion at any time by spirit's intervention into the initiate's life. Ultimately, shamanic initiation takes place between the initiate and the spirit world. It is the spirits who choose and make the shaman.

How does someone embark on the shamanic path? To be an effective shamanic healer, one must go through the three steps. The first step is to acknowledge the calling.

[thecultoflexithewulf]

Healing Techniques in Applied Shamanism with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.

[smolccultist]

People who call themselves witches, mystics, or occultists and don’t actually practice or believe in the practice, but rather claim to be part of it just for the aesthetic or because of their feminist values are insensitive as hell. Many people find this a serious religious and/or spiritual framework, a set of practices designed for true believers in the occult, so if you don’t fully believe in what you’re practicing, then why the hell are you here? It’s not cute to impose yourself into a set of beliefs that many find deeply important to themselves for politics or some sort of aesthetic.

[magica-pseudoacademica]

[T]he term "shaman" is one of convenience, as is the term "Indian." Native American writers are well aware of the Siberian origin of the word and the scientist's tendency to name things according to a type specimen. However, the non-Native poets in question do not model their antics or poetics after the Siberian model, even when they use the term "shaman" to describe themselves and the processes of their craft. They generally exhibit a bastardized composite of pseudo-American Indian "style" (buckskins, paper masks intended to portray such beings as Coyote or Raven, the carrying of gourd rattles, beadwork, moccasins, "peacepipes" and "peacepipe ceremonies" during readings, headbands, drums of vaguely Native American model, and so on). One may be hard pressed to identify a particular tribal identity, but the obviously-intended effect is American Indian. Native Americans view this phenomenon with some humor and with some anger, wondering sadly why this particular set of symbols, this imagery, this stereotype is used to imply access to spirituality (or, to use the Greek concept, the "muse"), when, we are quite sure, access to such powers exists in every culture. It is a belief shared by most Native Americans that all cultures were given certain gifts and a certain place by the Spirit People or the Great Mystery. That they differ from one another is not a theological contradiction nor even a "problem." What makes the "whiteshaman" feel compelled to go outside of his or her own culture for spiritual and creative nourishment? And, further, to disregard accuracy?

Wendy Rose, “Just What’s All This Fuss About Whiteshamanism Anyway?” in Coyote Was Here: Essays on Contemporary Native American Literary and Political Mobilization (1984)

[hlgglh]

Year of the GL!7CH. All my bits are 1n formati0n. Logically structured holy Loophole. #SpliffPersonality

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