A Brief Guide to Shamanism

A Brief Guild to Shamanism What is a Shaman? A Shaman is defined primarily as a healer and spiritual counselor for his/her community. Shamans sometimes serve other roles within their community, such as; medicine man, officiant of ceremonies, priest, personal guide, and amateur psychiatrist. A Shaman may also work with the spirit world and the unseen energies that consist of our total reality. In many cultures a Shaman is considered to be a community pillar that assists with balancing energies between the living and the dead. In performing such work, there are many practiced ceremonies designed around assisting the healthy flow of energies between our dimensional states of reality. Shamans are also known as people who can enter altered states of consciousness in order to complete their work. The purpose of a Shaman is to be a spiritual servant of their community. The path of a Shaman is one that is life long. A true Shaman follows this path throughout their life and many times reincarnates to subsequently serve again as a Shaman. What is Shamanism? Shamanism is not a religion, but a spiritual path based on community service. Shamanism is believed to be one of the oldest forms of spiritual practice, regardless of what Shamanism was called; its practice and principles predate all known religions. Although Shamanism has undergone some evolutionary transitions, it has remained relatively unchanged. Traditional Shamanism has usually been found in hunting and gathering tribes. Some of these cultures who have had Shamans in the past are; Native Americans, Australian Bushmen, African Native Tribes, South and Central Americans (Incas, Mayans, Aztecs), Eskimos, Many Siberian Tribes, as well as many tribes within the Oceanic and Asian peoples. Shamanistic practices can also be found in other cultures that may term their spiritual leaders under different names, but may also observe primarily earth based traditions. Modern day Shamanism has an eclectic approach and is more in tune with the problems of our present day world. While drawing upon much of the same mythology and practice of the more primitive Shamanistic teachings, modern Shamans work to reform those areas harmful to the human spirit and the health of the planet. Where Does the Word Shaman Come From? The word Shaman is an English translation of the Tungus word Saman. The Tungus are an indigenous people of Siberia located in the Altai Mountains. The literal translation of the Tungus word Saman, means, “To know”.  Other research indicates that the word Shaman was derived from earlier peoples, perhaps even the Vedic people of northern India. One such example is that the Tibetan word for a Buddhist monk is Samana. Regardless of the words true origin, it has come to represent on a global level all that practice Shaman like techniques. What is the Purpose of a Shaman and how do Shamans Serve their Community? Shamanic roles vary, according to Tom Cowan, author of the Pocket Guide to Shamanism, some of the roles or services of a shaman are: "…healing the spirit, herbal healing, body work, divination, dream work, soul-leading...." It should be noted that not every Shaman performs the same services. Not every shaman is a healer of the spirit or body. (Pages 23-27) The actual role of a Shaman depends upon the Shaman’s “calling”. Some Shamans are herbal healers, energetic healers, diviners, communicators with other realities, soul retrievers, and light-workers. The role is of less importance than the service a Shaman provides. read more... http://moonpathcuups.org/shaman/ related:  http://www.wyrddin.com/shamanism/index.html