The Shaman's Worldview Shamans were the first knowledge seekers,
Practicing their craft without strict rules.
They observed that everything in nature is interconnected,
Each element influencing the others.
Shamans understood that they too were part of this harmony,
A harmony with nature that is essential for physical and spiritual health.
Shamans discovered a simple yet profound truth.
Everything can influence everything else,
Including me.
Therefore,
I can influence everything as well.
Shamans live in two worlds simultaneously.
The human world,
The material world,
And the shadow world,
The spiritual world.
Everything that exists is alive and has consciousness.
How can a modern person understand this?
Take a walk in the forest and feel its life.
Sense the vitality of the trees,
Stones,
Flowers,
Animals,
Mother earth,
The moon and sun,
Water and flame,
Wind,
And everything around you.
Feel this connection to live fully.
Find your unique path to the spirits.
They are waiting for you.
If they weren't,
You wouldn't be studying this.
Develop your own spirit.
Absorb the eternal wisdom of nature.
Gain insight by communicating with nature's spirits.
Live as one with them.
Inside every person lies infinite power,
Even if they are not a shaman.
Our task is to uncover this power within ourselves.
Sometimes a shaman chooses their own path,
But other times the spirits choose them.
When spirits select someone as their intermediary,
They may experience what is known as shamanic illness.
This condition can manifest as severe physical or mental suffering,
Which can only be healed by accepting the shamanic initiation.
Without this acceptance,
The individual may continue to suffer or even perish.
For a shaman to maintain well-being,
They must practice regularly.
Daily rituals are the minimum,
With more extensive practices weekly and larger ceremonies monthly.
However,
This is a flexible system,
Like all aspects of shamanism.
Shamanism is the original source of human knowledge on earth,
The first science,
The first magic and religion,
The first dances and art.
What makes shamanism unique is its universality.
It has existed in every culture and on every continent with strikingly similar traditions,
Despite the lack of communication between ancient peoples,
They shared a common spiritual world,
Connecting them beyond time and space.
Shamanism also includes the magic of inner animals,
Totemism.
Sacred animals,
The merging of human and animal spirits,
And communication with ancestors are all integral aspects of shamanic worldwide.
Special shamanic dreams and journeys between worlds are also universally characteristic of shamanism.
Respect your body and remember your spirit.
Both are equally important.
Strive for physical health and strength,
While also cultivating magical power and spiritual wisdom.
Remember,
Everything contains a great spirit that sustains life.
Without this spirit,
Nothing could exist.
This force is the essence of life,
The energy that upholds all things.
The world tree is not a physical tree,
But a cosmic symbol.
Its roots reach into the lower world,
The realm of demons and the dead.
Its branches extend to the upper world,
The realm of gods and spirits.
And its trunk resides in the middle world,
The realm of humans and nature spirits.
Shamans do not worship their gods,
But communicate with them as equals,
With respect and reverence,
Like a sibling or advisor.
Shamans often travel along the world tree to explore different realms.
To do this,
The shaman enters an altered state of consciousness,
Referred to as a trance.
Trance is a working state of consciousness tuned for communicating with spirits and gods,
Essential to all shamanic practices.
Shamans enter trance through music,
Dance,
Throat singing,
And rhythm.
I will describe the practice of entering trance later.
Totemic magic varies greatly,
As every animal has its own unique power.
For example,
My favorite animal is the eagle,
A bird that flies higher than any other and,
According to legend,
Can pass through the sun itself.
Shamanic traditions often include four elements,
Earth,
Air,
Fire,
And water.
However,
Northern traditions may recognize five,
Adding metal,
Or even eight.
I will focus on four.
North,
Earth,
Green,
The element of reason and stability.
East,
Air,
Yellow,
The element of creative magic.
South,
Fire,
Red,
The element of passion and sometimes associated with ancestors and the spirit.
West,
Water,
Blue,
The element of healing.
These elements are also compared to the seasons,
Though shamanic understanding of elements is less rigid than in later pagan systems.
Shamanism also features the shamanic wheel with eight arrows.
Four primary arrows in a circle,
A cross within a circle,
Symbolize harmony.
The intermediate arrows represent transitional elements between neighboring directions.
I will elaborate on this later.
Never forget your humanity.
Do not harm others or yourself with magic,
As it will inevitably rebound on you.
The good you do,
However,
Has a tendency to return.
Shamanic practice is done with boundless love and unwavering faith.
When practicing,
Recall the feeling of love,
Whether current or past.
Projecting this love in a trance toward the person or goal amplifies your actions significantly.
Believe fully in what you are doing and trust that the results will bring you joy.
Shamanism is a path of understanding the world and oneself.
It is not merely a method to achieve goals.
The Shaman's Intuition This is a foundational aspect of shamanic practices,
The shaman's intuition.
While you may use divination tools like cards or stones,
Traditional shamanic practices rely on the guidance of spirits,
Which can be received in dreams or waking states.
Shamanic intuition typically works in one of three ways.
1.
Visual.
Seeing images from spirits,
Which might be abstract symbols or vivid,
Detailed visions like photographs or videos.
These images should be interpreted as you would a dream,
Rarely taken literally.
2.
Auditory.
Hearing the voices of spirits or engaging in direct communication with them.
3.
Knowing.
Simply knowing what the spirits are conveying without visual or auditory input.
Each person's intuition functions differently,
Depending on the abilities granted by the spirits.
No method is better or worse.
It is entirely individual.
For instance,
I developed all three abilities as a child.
While this offered many opportunities,
It was also challenging because I had no one to guide me in understanding or using these gifts.
Over time,
Though,
It became an advantage.
Even the same gift manifests differently for each individual.
Some see runic-like signs,
While others notice subtle symbols in nature.
Some hear conversations.
Others hear songs or poetry.
The most important thing is to trust your shamanic intuition.
Beware of false spirits that might try to deceive you and disrupt your intuition.
It is crucial to learn how to identify and rely on your true intuition,
Which comes from your inner spirit.
Trust it fully.
This is the essence of all shamanic and magical practices.
