Info for the Beginner/Intermediate Shaman

Hey there everyone .

It's been a bit since I've poked around are on this particular forum and I have noticed an extreme lack of real information regarding old/neo shamanism. I hold a lot of Shamanistic beliefs, but the sad part is, I don't know where to start to learn about actually practicing in a constructive way.

I have astral projected a few times, I can meditate with ease and have had a few trips with my black leopard spirit guide, and have done very limited, but successful healing journeys with water in the past.

I really want to get to know more though and ATS Search isn't particularly helpful considering there isn't much on this subject. And I doubt I'm searching correctly on google for the right things since I don't know much about it. All I know is what I feel and where my spirit guide brings me.

So as far as ATS goes, I am looking to create a thread centered around shamans, shamanism (in any form), and the spread of information. It would be excellent for some more knowledgeable members to point to good sources of knowledge about the practises of Shamanism, to start with.

Please help spread our spirits through the cosmos

a reply to: scghst1

Well, although I am by no means an expert on such matters, I have a few suggestions. The first thing to figure out is which tradition of shamanism you find most comfortable. I have heard that those who wish to go down that route often find that the traditions which originate closest to the origins of their ancestors in terms of geographical and chronological proximity, feel more natural to them.

You see, shamanism is not a single tradition which encompasses all forms practiced across the globe, in all periods in history. There are different ways and means, and even different goals for each of the many traditions. There are shamanic rites and methodologies in the history and culture of a huge number of different nations, and on many continents, many of which have little or nothing to do with one another, in terms of the motivations and the methods applied by practitioners. For example, the shamanic traditions of the Africas differ dependent on region, and are different again from those practiced by Native American shamans.

In fact, the word shaman is one whose explicit definition is not even agreed upon in full by anthropologists, despite the fact that the Western world learns most of what it knows from their studies of tribal cultures, written histories, and feild investigations. The Western world was only exposed to the word Shaman sometime near the end of the 1600's. The word is said to be derived from a word in a dialect spoken by the northern siberians during that period.

So, figuring out what you mean by shaman is actually very hard, and it will be a little different in all likelihood, from what someone else who has an interest in these matters, might think it to mean. Frankly, I think a wise start would be to figure out if you know what you mean, and to figure out if there is a more precise description for what you are looking to be trained in. That would at least allow you to narrow your search parameters in google, and perhaps lead you to sources of information that would be useful to you.

However, all that I have said aside, be careful what you wish for!

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: scghst1

Well, although I am by no means an expert on such matters, I have a few suggestions. The first thing to figure out is which tradition of shamanism you find most comfortable. I have heard that those who wish to go down that route often find that the traditions which originate closest to the origins of their ancestors in terms of geographical and chronological proximity, feel more natural to them.

You see, shamanism is not a single tradition which encompasses all forms practiced across the globe, in all periods in history. There are different ways and means, and even different goals for each of the many traditions. There are shamanic rites and methodologies in the history and culture of a huge number of different nations, and on many continents, many of which have little or nothing to do with one another, in terms of the motivations and the methods applied by practitioners. For example, the shamanic traditions of the Africas differ dependent on region, and are different again from those practiced by Native American shamans.

In fact, the word shaman is one whose explicit definition is not even agreed upon in full by anthropologists, despite the fact that the Western world learns most of what it knows from their studies of tribal cultures, written histories, and feild investigations. The Western world was only exposed to the word Shaman sometime near the end of the 1600's. The word is said to be derived from a word in a dialect spoken by the northern siberians during that period.

So, figuring out what you mean by shaman is actually very hard, and it will be a little different in all likelihood, from what someone else who has an interest in these matters, might think it to mean. Frankly, I think a wise start would be to figure out if you know what you mean, and to figure out if there is a more precise description for what you are looking to be trained in. That would at least allow you to narrow your search parameters in google, and perhaps lead you to sources of information that would be useful to you.

However, all that I have said aside, be careful what you wish for!

Very insightful and informative, thank you . So what I can gather that would seem imperative is that my roots are Sicilian, but that doesn't help at all considering Sicily used was a melting pot throughout almost all of it's history, mixing European, Arabic, Asiatic, and African cultures. I would have no clue which one I can really follow closer. I will continue to research it more. Thank you.

Some good books on the subject, Shaman, Healer, Sage by Alberto Villoldo. The Secret Science Behind the Miracles by Max Freedom Long. Energy Work by Robert Bruce. Mindsight and Perception by Lloyd Hopkins.

These ones stood out for me and influenced my path for the better. Shamanism to me is gaining control of your mind and learning to channel and manipulate energy for healing and other things.

Some folks see Shamanism as using psychedelic drugs and mind altering plants to reach an altered state of consciousness, and I realize some indigenous Shamans use the plant helpers in this way. In reality you can do some amazing and mind blowing things through simple meditation and rhythmic drumming. Feel free to pm me if you have questions you would like a direct answer to.

Shamanism is a life path, and can lead to some interesting changes in your perceptions and the people around you as well.

a reply to: scghst1

You jump in as far as you can go.

Balls out if your serious, anything short of that and your kidding yourself.

a reply to: scghst1

Sounds like you need to go with the oracles of Delphi. That I guess would be the closest thing to shamanism you have with Italian roots,and even then,that is Greek.

a reply to: scghst1

Might I suggest then, that you start your search by looking at the origins of the Roman and Greek mythologies, and perhaps go further to look into Etruscan religious practice also.

Here is a wiki for you.

en.m.wikipedia.org...

As you may be aware, the Roman tradition, which would have had some significant effect on Sicilian affairs, was spawned partly by the influence of the Greeks, and also by the Etruscan culture which had existed in a region including, but not limited to Tuscany. The way of the Haruspex (the divination of things by way of examination of the entrails of sacrificed animals) is thought to connect back to aspects of the methodologies laid down in the Etrusca Disciplina, more information on which, can be found in the above link.

I hope this helps you find what you are looking for!

Also, since the Greeks actually had an outpost on Sicily from which they traded with the Etruscan civilisation, it might be worth looking into the origins of their particular mystical origins, for guidance in how to proceed. If there are any traditions native or exclusive to the island, this may be a good way to get grounding in their history and practices.

a reply to: scghst1

Also, it might be worth having a poke at the Minoan civilisation, since that predates the Greek by a considerable stretch, and is thought to have heavily influenced the establishment of the better known, and younger civilisation.

The reason I have been pointing you at all these ancient civilisations and their practices, is that one often finds that the older the tradition, the more likely it is to have spawned others. This also means that if you want to get the skinny on what the younger civilisations were all about, you have to read further into their origins.

Since the closer to the source of a practice or methodology you get, the more basic things become, it makes sense to start from the beginning, rather than halfway through. I would never recommend someone begin to worship strange gods, since I myself am a Christian.

However, to learn anything one wishes to know, it is necessary to understand where the information comes from, and a little about how it came to be. You could probably read all manner of translated texts from the early years of print, or collections of translations from tablets and pieces of parchment, scribbled down by candle light into jotters by gin crazed explorers and fanatics and get an idea of what was happening in the period covered by the original texts, but in order to understand the context for those writings, it is necessary to gain understanding of the origins of the cultures which birthed these concepts.