Shamanism

What is Shamanism?

Shamanism is one of the oldest spiritual paths on Planet Earth. The Shaman is the spiritual leader of each tribe.

A shaman knows that all things are alive and walks with one foot in this world and one foot in the spirit world. Living beings live happy productive lives by promoting balance in the world and observing the customs of respect toward Father Heaven, Mother Earth, and the sentient spirits in the heavens, animals, trees, mountains, and other natural features. There are also spirits which control the weather, spirits which interact with humans, and others who inhabit the underworld. Simultaneously the Creator and the spirits may be perceived as a single spiritual force.

The causes of illness are due to spiritual forces disrupting a person’s souls by either intruding into the body or stealing one of the souls. This requires expulsion of the foreign spirit or soul retrieval.

Shamans’ chief duties include healing, invoking protection, blessing, divination, hunting magic and weather magic, maintaining balance and harmony in society and the individual and keeping our connection with Mother Earth and All Creation.

His methods include the use of the drum, ongons, shaman staffs, dalbuur, sacred smoke, hallucinogens. A Shaman will have a special helper spirit that initiates him and empowers him to restore balance to the world.

Spirits may be encouraged to occupy the Shaman's body. Drum beating and chanting aid this process. The spirits are then asked to depart and perform the needed acts. Other times, Shamans enter into a trance and traverse the underworld or go great distances in this world to seek lost possessions or healing.

The universe is understood as being composed of multiple layers, with the natural world as a middle segment These layers are thought to be linked by the World Tree, which has its roots in the underground, has a trunk passing through the natural world, and has its top in the sky world.

A common concept is that of a dual divinity: a Creator who is responsible for the creation of the world and is recognized in religious ritual and prayers and a mythical individual, a hero or trickster, who teaches culture, proper behavior and provides sustenance to the tribe.