Beginners guide to Shamanism – What is Shamanism?

What is shamanism?

Shamanism is perhaps the oldest system with which man has sought connection with creation, yet it has no scriptures or dogma. It doesn’t tell you to worship one god, or to associate only with those who hold the same beliefs. Shamanism is concerned with what goes on beneath the surface of things – why certain situations occur in our lives and why we act as we do. It is concerned with the nature of our creation – why and how we came to be.

Shamanism takes nature as its teacher. It is concerned with the natural flow of life and with showing respect to our fellow creatures and to one another. North American medicine men are similar to African witchdoctors in their belief in the power of the earth. Those who share these beliefs have often been misunderstood and regarded with suspicion and fear. Medieval witches were burnt and, more recently, Native Americans killed and their ancestral homes seized. The Aborigines face discrimination, and the development of the modern world draws Inuit and other native peoples away from their traditional ways.

Shamanism would seem to be hanging on by a thread. Because all is connected, this is also true of humanity and the globe. In the West, there has been a resurgence of interest in nature-based religions, shamanism among them. Shamanism is not complicated. Many people conduct their lives in a shamanistic manner without referring to it in that way. For others, the word shamanism describes this energy perfectly.

How can I use shamanism?

Shamanism is concerned with being a true human; living in a manner that is respectful and true. Many who choose to travel this road develop clairvoyance or healing ability, but as a by-product of shamanism.

Shamanism is something with which you feel a connection. It is not something to which you sign up. It is not about having powers, but it is about the power to be ourselves, to live the way we would like to live and to feel connected to something greater than ourselves.

Another way to describe it is as a form of personal development. Many of the ceremonies of the Native Americans help us to improve ourselves. If during a ceremony you pray that you may become less angry, this may draw situations to you that will force you to overcome your anger. You may also find yourself moved to help your prayers into being. Praying for help for a neighbour is good, but it is not so easy to actually do their shopping for them.

What is ceremony?

Ceremony is central to shamanism. It is a method of putting your intention into practice, like kneeling and putting your hands together to pray in the Christian tradition. It is about expressing how you would like to live and what you want to be.

There are many traditional ceremonies in use, but you can invent your own as appropriate. You may make up an ‘I want a job I can really enjoy’ ceremony. You could meditate for five minutes, write a wish-list of all the things you want from a new job on a piece of paper and then burn it, symbolically sending your message to the spirit world. Performing this ceremony won’t guarantee you a new job next Monday, but it will signal to the spirit world and to yourself that you are ready for something new. Using ceremony can bring opportunities for change.

In ceremony I tend to focus on the one or two issues that are most important to me. When I started attending sweat lodges, I prayed for every little thing that I wanted to change in my life. Afterwards I would have very concentrated periods of learning because praying has consequences, and prayers are often answered in unexpected ways. You may pray for a better relationship with your wife and then, when you get home, have the biggest row the two of you have ever had, only after which can you start talking openly with one another. If, during a sweat lodge ceremony, you pray for 10 different things, you may trigger 10 events of similar magnitude and give yourself a very unpleasant time. My advice is to choose your prayers wisely, as results will entail some work on your part.

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