What is Shamanism?

Shamanism is an ancient nature-rooted spiritual practice that honours the Earth and all that exists upon it and within its solar system as living conscious beings. This includes, and goes beyond, fellow humans, animals, plants, trees, rivers, mountains, oceans, the wind, the sky, the clouds, the sun, the moon, and all that exists within the cosmos. Shamanism honours the consciousness, the life force and the sacred energy of all creation, while at the same time recognising the possibility for direct communication with all of these beings.

The History of Shamanism

The term Shaman was first recorded in 1672 by Russian colonisers during a visit to Eastern Siberia where they came across the Tungusic community. The word itself originates from the Tungusic language and translates into ‘the one who sees in the dark' or 'the one who knows'. The word Shaman was then used by the Anthropologists of the Western world to refer to the spiritual and ceremonial leaders of Indigenous cultures worldwide, and it became a term that was often used to replace former terms such as Witch Doctor, Healer, Medicine Person, Dream Teller and Psychic. The role of a Shaman within an Indigenous community varies from culture to culture, however, the commonality of the role, which can be seen across various cultures and traditions, is that a Shaman communicates with spirit on behalf of their community. This form of spiritual communion acts to serve the community through providing healing to individuals within the community, speaking to the land and bringing forth botanical knowledge, and working with the spirit of an animal for hunting, alongside many other purposes.

The term Shamanism evolved as a broader term to reflect the ancient spiritual practices of Indigenous cultures, and is defined by the recognition of a common wisdom based on ancient or Indigenous spiritual traditions. It is not known how far Shamanism dates back, however, it is highly possible that it is as old as humankind itself, as cave drawings and ancient burial sites have been uncovered that depict forms of Shamanistic practice. Shamanic cultures, and traces of it, can be found across all five continents of the world, and the knowledge preserved by these Indigenous Shamanic communities has been passed down through thousands of human generations. These communities act as custodians of these important ancient methods, and as almost none of their cultures have written records it is only from their remaining representatives that we can learn the Shamanic principles. Sadly, the tragedies of the inquisition of the Witches and the Druids, the Shamans of the United Kingdom and some European countries, led to the loss of Shamanic knowledge in this area and timeframe. Shamanic practices are ancient healing methods that are practiced within Shamanic cultures and communities across the world, including amongst those of the Witches, the Druids and the Pictish people of ancient Britain.

Shamanism in the Modern World

Shamanism was reawakened in the Western world during the 1960’s, mainly by two individuals, Carlos Castaneda and Michael Harner, at the time of the 60’s revolution, a time when many people were seeking a new way of living. A calling for a spiritual democracy arose and people were seeking direct revelations and experiences with the divine, and direct access to spirit as a way to embody personal power rather than conform to the hierarchy of religion. Since then, Shamanism has been an ever-growing practice in the Western world, while still being practiced today amongst the remaining living Indigenous communities across the globe. There are many branches of Shamanism reflecting the variety of practices amongst the Indigenous cultures across the globe, but also within Contemporary Shamanism such as, Neo-Shamanism, Core-Shamanism, Cross-Cultural Shamanism, and New Age Shamanism, which indicates that the practice of Shamanism continues to evolve. However, the foundations of Shamanic knowledge and its basic principles of healing remain widely unchanged worldwide and even within nearly all branches of Contemporary Shamanism these principles remain rooted in ancient knowledge. The ancient healing methods found within Shamanism provide the foundations and tools to open the line of communication with all that exists and allows us to establish a deeper understanding and awareness of ourselves and of our day-to-day experiences, as well as enabling the possibility of deep healing and transformation as individuals and as a wider collective.

Today, the term Shaman generally refers to a person with a direct Shamanic lineage to an Indigenous community or Native culture where the role of Shaman is ceremonially handed down through generations, and bestowed upon an individual who will continue to live within their traditional culture and community practicing as a Shaman. On occasion, is it known that the role of Shaman is passed on outside of a particular Native or Indigenous culture to a person who will act to serve as a bridge between that traditional culture and community and the modern Western world. Within Contemporary Shamanism, in Western societies, the term Shamanic Practitioner is widely used to refer to a person who has been called by spirit to serve the needs of others in a healing capacity and who has undergone extensive Shamanic training. Generally, the Shamanic Practitioner will have no direct link to an Indigenous culture or has been unable to trace their original Shamanic roots, however, they will usually have a strong sense of connection to Shamanic cultures and practices. The role of the Shamanic Practitioner in modern Western society is to facilitate methods of healing and transformation while in communication and under the guidance of their spirit allies.

The Shamanic Journey

In traditional Shamanic practices the Shaman of the community would communicate with the unseen world, the sacred energy of all creation, to bring development, wellness and healing to their community through Shamanic Journeying. The Shamanic Journey is practiced within many Indigenous and Native communities across the globe, and is considered as a core-practice within Cross-Cultural Shamanism.

In Shamanism, the physical reality that we live in is often described as the ordinary reality, and it is within and around this reality where the non-ordinary reality exists, a parallel universe or the spiritual realm, which is filled with beings just as much as the ordinary reality. The Shamanic journey is a Cross-Cultural core method that is used as a primary tool to enable this communication between the ordinary and the non-ordinary reality to take place. The method of Shamanic journeying is a powerful visionary tool that can be used for healing purposes, problem solving and general well being either for the self, another individual, the community, or the land and its inhabitants, and remains a core practice of Shamanism today.