alt.religion.shamanism FAQ - Introduction to Shamanism
bosco
Version 1.3 - 3 June 2003
This is the monthly posting of the alt.religion.shamanism FAQ -
Introduction
to Shamanism. This FAQ may be revised from time to time,
new questions asked
and answered, and redundant questions and answers removed, based upon
comments and input from the participators in the newsgroup.
Answers are copyright 2002 by the individual authors. This FAQ may be
freely
circulated and posted on individual web pages as long as it is
not for
financial gain.
1. Q: What is shamanism?
A: Shamanism is primarily a set of spiritual techniques used to enter
into a
trance state called ecstasy in which the shaman travels
out-of-body to Other
Worlds in order to diagnose, heal, learn the
causes of and solutions to
problems, guide souls, etc. Traditionally
these purposes have included
locating or attracting game for the hunt,
weather control, and mediating
between the sacred and profane
dimensions. In traditional societies a shaman
may also perform
divinations, make amulets and charms, neutralize curses,
and sometimes
cast curses. (Joseph B Wilson)
The word shamanism describes:
1. The techniques and beliefs used by a shaman/shamanist in his or her
practice of ecstatic trance and related.
2. A type of religion or belief system that requires a shaman as a
necessary
central figure, whose actions are considered required for
the health and
well being of the culture/group. The indigenous
shamanic religions of
Siberia are generally used as the standard
yardstick of shamanism to which
other cultures are compared.
(StarrHawke)
2. Q: Is shamanism a religion?
A: No. Shamanism is neither a religion nor a spiritual path. It is a
set of
spiritual practices that may be used by anyone no matter what
their religion
is. A religion is defined as a set of beliefs, values,
and practices based
on the teachings of a spiritual leader or
tradition. The creeds of the
various religions that shamanism can be
found in lack any uniformity, only
the practices of the shaman are
similar. (Joseph B
Wilson)
Shamanism is not a religion in and of itself, but a label used to
describe a
type of religion. It is also used to describe the
methodology typically
associated with a shaman, used within a
religious/cultural context.
(StarrHawke)
The word shamanism is loosely used to identify a classification of
religions
in the same way that monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, and
animism are
types of religion, but not religions themselves.
(Joseph B Wilson)
3. Q: If shamanism is not a religion why is this newsgroup called
alt.religion.shamanism?
A: The topic of alt.religion.shamanism is “shamanism“. It is in the
alt.religion hierarchy because shamanism is found in many different
religious traditions. While shamanism itself is not a religion, it is
a
religious practice. (Joseph B Wilson)
Because the Net Gods decreed it that way. Deal with it. (StarrHawke)
4. Q: Where does the word “shaman“ come from and how does it relate to
“shamanism“?
A: The practice, study and experience of the shaman is not limited to
any
single cultural group. The word 'shaman' is from the language of
the Tungus
of Siberia. It is variously 'shaman', 'saman' or 'haman'.
Among the Tungus
it is both a noun and a verb. The Tungus themselves
have no word for
'shamanism'. “Shamanism“ is the magical practices
that are done by a shaman.
It is by no means the name of their
religion or of anyone's religion. That
being said the general
discussion of native religion is not on topic for
alt.religion.shamanism. That is, as it has been pointed out elsewhere,
a
very broad topic. [Adapted from Dean Edwards in the
soc.religion.shamanism
FAQ] (Joseph B Wilson)
5. Q: What is on topic for discussion in alt.religion.shamanism?
A: A great many things. A few of them include but are not limited to
shamanism in general, historical shamanism, contemporary shamanism,
traditional shamanism, non-traditional shamanism, Core shamanism,
neo-shamanism, and techno-shamanism, their origins, methods,
techniques, and
objectives.
Healing techniques, soul retrieval techniques, divination techniques,
other
miscellaneous magical operations; becoming a shaman, shamanic
initiation,
also the different spirits, power animals, divinities,
landscapes, etc.,
found in the non-corporeal worlds are particularly
on-topic. (Joseph B
Wilson)
6. Q. What is off topic in alt.religion.shamanism?
A. Religious philosophy in general whether it be native religion,
neo-Paganism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism,
Shinto, or
any other are particularly inappropriate. Although it's
entirely appropriate
to discuss shamanic practices found within
different religions, discussion
of the religions and religious
philosophies for their own sake is off topic.
Political issues are
also off topic, as are anything else that is not
directly or
indirectly related to shamanic practice. And, of course, SPAM.
(Joseph
B Wilson)
7. Q: Sometimes we work with a foot in NOR and OR at the same time.
This is
done particularly with healing work because of the need to
move around and
see the spirit of the illness in the patient whilst
being able to extract it
somehow. I also use a rattle for a light
trance in order to speak with
middle world spirits for example if I'm
working with a place that is
spiritually damaged or I wish to ask for
a teaching. In your opinion,
Joseph, is this shamanism? There is
communication with the spirits, but not
a lying down on the floor,
totally out of it journey. Just curious to see
how far this definition
extends. (“Jo B....“)
A: I've been thinking about this since you posted, Jo, and I think I
can now
safely answer -- I don't know! I think it would be considered
shamanism in a
traditional culture. I don't think that the deep
trance, the ecstatic
journey is or was used in every instance and that
light trance often served
as it does today.
The problem is that damn word is so difficult to pin down. According to
Gloria Flaherty (a professor at the University of Chicago), in
“Shamanism
and the 18th Century“, University of Princeton Press, the
word shaman comes
into the field, including the English language,
circa 1750. The German
scholars working largely (thanks to Catherine
the Great's patronage) among
the Tungus and Altaic people. The word
comes from these cultures. The
Germans rendered it “schaman,“ and as
they were the most influential of the
scholars of the 18th Century,
the German term “took“ as a common term to
cover all the various
indigenous names for shamans.
In the Tungus language the word s(h)aman is both a verb and a noun.
Therefore there a shaman is one who shamans. Or as we would say a
shaman is
one who shamanizes. Just adds to the confusion.
Want more confusion? Apparently the word migrated to the Tungus
language via
Buddhist missionaries and has it's roots in the Sanskrit
word “sramana“.
During the 19th and first half of the 20th century the word was used as
a
synonym for any indigenous occultist and was interchanged with
witch, witch
doctor, sorcerer, wizard, warlock, medicine man,
magician, necromancer,
fortune teller, etc., etc., etc. I suppose it
made life easier for the
scholars, studying among many different
peoples to use a word that
immediately said “indigenous magical
practitioner of some sort.“
As happens with words it started to be applied to others. One book I
have by
a respected author, published in 1880 or so, refers to Gypsy
shamans.
Eliade and some others found the way the word was used to be too vague
and
therefore tried to identify elements that would make it more
useful. That's
a trend that I lend support to.
As Starrhawke pointed out elsewhere, “shamanism doesn't exist. It is
not a
real thing, it is just a label for an abstraction.“ And I agree
with her
that it is a useful lable. (Joseph B Wilson)
8. Q: Is the study of shamanism 'safe'?
A: Once one has come to realize that there are more intelligent beings
than
just humans, who can be contacted through a variety of means but
who exist
independent of human life, there has to be the realization
that common sense
in dealing with any other living entity in a
physical way is as important in
the Otherworld. Treat any kind of
spirit with respect, but also in a similar
manner as a stranger met
downtown.As with any unorthodox study, experiences
will not always be
conform what is considered 'normal', as defined by
society. One has to
be prepared to deal with such confrontations.
While it is not the goal of shamanism, self-realization is often a
result.
Some aspects of yourself that become conscious are not always
wanted or
desired. Especially with shamanism, where there is a good
measure of working
along side other beings, it's not always up to the
person to decide how far
and how deep it goes.So it's relatively safe,
as long as common sense is
strongly present. (Yerune SilverSong)
9. Q: I bought a rattle and a drum, met Power Animals, know my Totem
animal,
chat with the trees and spirits and dream an awful lot. Am I
now a shaman?
A: No. In the shaman's perspective, everyone has such relations with
certain
spirits, not just a shaman. As it's often healthy for a person
to have good
relations with other people besides her direct family,
it's also healthy to
have good relations with those non-physical
beings. For a person's health
it's important to stay physically fit.
Shamanising in this context provides
a way of becoming or staying
spiritually fit and healthy. A shaman is a
specialist in this, and
with duties and responsibilities that go beyond
staying healthy.
(Yerune SilverSong)
10. Q: How does one become a shaman?
A: In traditional societies a person may be eligible to become a shaman
because they are descended from shamans, they received a “shamanic
call“, or
they chose that vocation. The most powerful shamans are
considered to be
those who became so because of the first two
elements, the least powerful
those who sought out the profession.
Regardless of the method of selection
shamans are not considered
legitimate unless they have gone through shamanic
initiation and
training which takes place both in dreams and visions and in
transmission from elder shamans in the form of ceremonies and
instruction in
shamanic techniques, names and functions of spirits,
mythology, the secret
language, and so forth. (Joseph B Wilson)
11. Q: What is Shamanic Initiation?
A: Shamanic Initiation varies from culture to culture but in
traditional
societies usually involves an intense vision or dream of
being killed and
dismembered (and sometimes eaten) and then
reassembled with a new “shamanic
body“. This dream or vision is often
considered the call to become a shaman.
Before being accepted by the
community a potential shaman must often also
undergo initiation
ceremonies performed by the elder shamans of the
community. Unlike
modern civilized initiations into Lodges or Covens the
potential
initiate may not survive the ordeal of the initiation ceremony. In
neo-shamanism the initial Journey to Retrieve a Power Animal and
instructions on Journeying could be considered an initiation of sorts.
(Joseph B Wilson)
12. Q: What is Shamanic Ecstasy?
A: Shamanic Ecstasy is the trance state in which the shaman journeys to
the
other realms of existence. Shamanic Ecstasy is the altered state
of
consciousness a shaman experiences while shamanizing.
(Deermouse)
13. Q: What is Journey/Journeying/Journey of Soul/Soul Travel?
A: The travel of the shaman's spirit (while in trance) to the
non-physical
areas of existence known as the Upper, Lower, and Middle
worlds. (Joseph B
Wilson)
14. Q: What is the Lower World?
A: A term popularized by Michael Harner and associates referring to
that
area of non-physical existence that can be reached by journeying
down into
the earth through a tunnel where wisdom about physical
reality, the body,
helping spirits, and Power Animals can be found. It
also contains the dark,
shadowy realms or hells of most cultures.
(Joseph B Wilson)
15. Q: What is the Upper World?
A: A term popularized by Michael Harner and associates referring to
that
part of non-physical existence that can be reached by journeying
upwards by
climbing a tree, mountain, ladder, or any combination.
Usually teachers and wisdom about emotional, spiritual,.and
philosophical
aspects of existence are found in the upper world. The
First/Great/Celestial
Shaman is located here. It also contains the
traditional heavens of most
cultures. (Joseph B Wilson)
16. Q: What is the Middle World?
A: A term popularized by Michael Harner and associates referring to
that
part of non-physical existence that that parallels the physical
world we
live in. The non-physical aspects of the world we live in.
(Joseph B Wilson)
17. Q: What is the Otherworld?
A: The physical world is but one of many worlds, characterized by the
solid
nature of its components in relation to each other. Everything
not-physical,
by this definition, is considered Otherworld. But it's
not to be considered
as a simply dualistic state of existence, the
physical world, like any other
world, is part of the whole. (Yerune
SilverSong)
18. Q: What is the Tree of Life, or Axis Mundi?
A: This is a complex symbol representing the self-centeredness of every
part
of the Universe. Every part of Creation is its own center and
revolves
around this. In the same way, it represents the co-existence
and relation
with all these centres towards each other. The tree
symbolizes the Upper
World, in which the branches reside, the Middle
World where the trunk is
located, and the Lower World where the roots
are. In this way, it shows the
connectedness and integration of a
being across all the worlds. (Yerune
SilverSong)
19. Q: What is a Totem?
A: The word totem entered the English Language a couple of hundred
years
ago. It comes from an Ojibwa word, nindoodem, which means “my
family mark.“
It most closely translates to “clan.“ It is a plant,
animal, natural force
or material that is identified with a specific
group or clan, rather like a
group badge with sacred connotations.
(Joseph B Wilson)
20. Q: What is a Power Animal?
A: Michael Harner defines a power animal as: “a spirit being that not
only
protects and serves the shaman, but also becomes another identity
or alter
ego for him.“ (Michael J. Harner The Way of the Shaman, 1980,
1990; page
43.)
A power animal is a spirit that shares a certain quality with the
person. It
can be considered to be both a personification of that
quality as well as an
entity that helps you working with that quality.
In most cases, Power
Animals are spirits who agree to aid you with
specific tasks and quests, and
will leave when that task is completed.
(Yerune SilverSong)
21. Q: What is a Spirit Helper?
A: This is a term used by Michael Harner to identify a spirit that is
subordinate to the shaman that assists him or her to carry out
shamanic
responsibilities. He used the term in relation to a “class“
of spirits that
would be pretty much identical to the “familiar
spirits“ or the medieval
magicians and witches. Harner identifies
Spirit Helpers as plant spirits
that in their nonordinary form may
take the form of insects, some other
zoomorphic, or even inanimate
forms. They are similar to domesticated work
animals such as herding
dogs, hunting dogs, plough horses, pack mules, etc;
possessions that
must be trained to do your bidding or at best they have no
practical
purpose and at worst may be harmful to you. “Unlike guardian
spirits,
spirit helpers are only possessed by shamans. . a shaman can come
to
possess hundreds of spirit helpers .“
(Michael Harner, The Way of the Shaman, Chapter 7) The term Spirit
Helper
should not be confused with generally helpful spirits. (Joseph
B Wilson)
22. Q: What is a Guardian Spirit?
A: A spirit that protects and assists a shaman (or other persons) while
journeying, carrying out shamanic responsibilities or training. This
is not
necessarily the same as a Power Animal. (Joseph B Wilson)
23. Q: What is a Spirit Guide?
A: A spirit that advises you and guides you in your “Higher Purpose“ A
Spirit Guide is often an ancestor.
(Joseph B Wilson)
24. Q: What is a Tutelary Spirit?
A: Technically, a spirit that serves as a guardian or protector.
Colloquially, a spirit that teaches often by creating situations for
experience rather than by giving instructions. (Joseph B Wilson)
25. Q: What is a Nature Spirit?
A: The spirit of any animal, plant, or mineral. (Joseph B Wilson)
One realm that is closely related to the physical world, in which
nature
expresses itself, is the Green World. There are realms that can
be
considered Kingdoms, the Plant Kingdom, the Mineral Kingdom and the
Animal
Kingdom. There is also the Elemental Kingdom. This last Kingdom
deals with
the structure of natural forces found in nature, such as
the four elements
(air, fire, water and earth), as well as
manifestations such as clouds,
rain, storms and snow. In some cultures
natural occurances such as storms
are not only manifestations of gods
or spirits, but are the result of the
activity of these Elemental
beings.Together these Kingdoms form what is
sometimes called the Green
World, and a spirit of that realm is called a
Nature Spirit. (Yerune
SilverSong)
26. Q: What is a Spirit Wife/Husband/Spouse/Lover?
A: A spirit who engages the shaman in an inner sexual relationship and
may
even become the person's numinous spouse. This is a frequently
encountered
motif in both Siberian Shamanic Tradition and Celtic
Faerie Lore. (Dean Edwards in the soc.religion.shamanism FAQ)
An entity whose spiritual significance is expressed through the shaman
or
chosen individual. (For instance, ancient Celtic kings were
“wedded“ to the
manifestation of the forces of the land, often
expressed as a white mare.)
(Jilara in the soc.religion.shamanism FAQ)
27. Q: What recommended books are available on shamanism?
A: Three basic books on shamanism in general are:
Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy
by Mircea Eliade
Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr; ISBN: 0691017794; (May 1, 1972)
*The* classical reference that clearly defined what is and is not
shamanism.
This is not a how-to guide to instant shamanism; it is a
scholarly read, and
may be difficult going, especially for beginners.
Still, it should be on
every practioner's bookshelf. It provides
necessary grounding in classical
shamanism, and is invaluable as a
reference for understanding aspects of
your own experiences. (Metista)
Shamans, Healers, and Medicine Men
by Holger Kalweit, Michael H Kohn (Translator)
Publisher: Shambhala Publications; ISBN: 1570626561; (December 1992)
Similiar to Eliade's book, but a bit more approachable, this is an
exhaustively researched study of shamanic traditions around the world.
It's
simply filled with accounts of shamanic theory and methods.
(Starrhawke)
The Way of The Shaman
by Michael Harner
Publisher: Harper San Francisco; ISBN: 0062503731; 10th anniv edition
(October 1990)
While Eliade is the father of modern shamanic scholarship, Harner is
the
father of the popular neo-shamanic movement. Even if you don't use
his
methods, or agree with his commercial endeavors, this book is a
must read,
as it established and defined much of the popular
vocabulary and theory.
(Metista)
A separate list with recommendations for useful books on Siberian,
Central
Asian, Finno-Uralic, Arctic, African, North and South
American, South and
East Asian, Scandanavian, nontraditional,
contemporary and shamanism and
Celtic Otherworld Tradition is found in
the Shamanism General Overview FAQ.
28. Why was this FAQ written?
A: This FAQ was written to support the USENET newsgroup,
“alt.religion.shamanism“. Although the Shamanism-General Overview and
the soc.religion.shamanism FAQs written by Dean Edwards for
soc.religion.shamanism are thorough it was felt that a FAQ written in
less academic language would be more useful to the participants of
alt.religion.shamanism.