Post by angelis on Aug 25, 2005 22:58:41 GMT 1
Shamanism is a set of tools and techniques used to interact with the spirit world and the world around us. It has no specific pantheon of gods and is attached to no particular culture. It is a way of looking at the world and at yourself. There are no hard set rules, no hierarchy to try and work through. Shamanism is the oldest known form of spiritual practice. It is a time-tested practice, what works is kept, what doesn’t is left behind. When our ancient ancestors prayed that the spirit of the Deer would come to them allowing them a good hunt, they were using shamanic techniques although I am sure that was not the word they used to describe it.
Shamanism is a personal quest for knowledge and inner power, but it is a quest that has traditionally taken place within the confines of a tribe or family group. The same holds true for those who follow a shamanic path today, but our groups might be different. We could work to guide and aid our family or a group of friends or a pagan circle. These groups are just as valid and appropriate a place for a modern person walking a shamanic path as a tribe was to an ancient one. A shaman's place is within a community, not apart from it.
Shamans have held an important place in many different cultures throughout the world since our beginnings. They have been mediators, ceremonialists, healers, diviners, many different kinds of artists and much more. They learn and work with power for both themselves and the good of those around them. They understand the connection and need for balance amongst all things, that all aspects of the world that we share with the rest of creation is alive, humans, animals, plants, rocks, and even the wind.
Traditionally people generally came to a shamanic path by being chosen and trained by an experienced shaman, or by inheriting the role from a parent. Often people choose or are led to follow a shamanic path after a near death experience, but that doesn’t mean that you have to go out and try to kill yourself if you want to learn shamanism. In today's world many people come to the shamanic path becasue they feel drawn to it or curious about it. Anyone can incorporate shamanic practices into their lives. You only need to believe that you can.
However, interest in shamanism does not make you a Shaman. If you are just starting this path it is much more appropriate to say you are following a shamanic path or a student of shamanism. Shaman is one among many titles that can be used for a person who has followed and studied this path for many years. Another common title is Medicine Woman or Man.
Another common misconception is that shamanism is synonymous with Native American spirituality. Native Americans were one of many groups that used shamanic practices in their spirituality. Many other cultures did and still do, from South America all the way to Siberia in fact. Some of the better known shamanic paths include Native American shamanism, Celtic shamanism, and Siberian shamanism. The following pages are purposefully very general, except for a few that were written by someone with a Native American background as an example of that path. Almost all forms of shamanism hold to the main ideas and concepts that follow, although the particulars and dieties will vary from group to group and even from tribe to tribe.
Web of Power:
One of the most basic beliefs of shamanism is the belief in the web of power that runs through all things. Shamans believe that everything is alive and is connected in a mutually supportive way to everything else in the world. It is this web of power that brings sense to the world. The web has an unlimited amount of potential and power to send to the physical world. Understanding this web of power, this spirit world, is necessary to understanding and learning shamanism.
All objects in the physical world have "spirit." It is the spirit that is the source of power. Shamans communicate with the spirit of both living and (what most would consider) non-living things. Through this communication they gain an understanding of the world around them and the more you learn the more power you have to draw from.
As a general rule, shamans believe that unlike natural objects, plants and animals, each human has his or her own unique spirit body. (I believe all things do, but that's my twist on it.) This spirit body can be see surrounding people like brightly colored flames or heat waves. The spirit body normally extends around people anywhere from eighteen inches to about three feet and responds to how people feel and what they are thinking. Brighter colors have higher vibrations and darker, duller ones have lower vibrations. Some believe that the size of a spirit body equates to how much power a person has. Basically it is aura by another name.
Since shamans deal so closely with the spirit world it is easy to become "lost" between the real and the spirit worlds. People who are always daydreaming or are said to have their heads in the clouds are such unattached people. Shamanic presence is the ability to live with a foot in the real world and a foot in the spirit world and not forget who and where you are. This is done by keeping balanced, grounded and 'present,' or mentally aware of your physical presence. Shamans must know where they are at all times. This is one of the reasons shamans seem powerful to others, they always know where they are. People very familiar with Shamanic techniques and very aware of their presence can do a quick inner journey while walking down the street.
One way shamans stay organized and focused as to where they are is through use of certain images. One is the Tree of Life. Its roots are in the Lower World, also known as the underworld or world of the dead, where shamans go to talk with ancestors, to find lost information, or to find information about diseases and other things to do with the physical body. Travel to the land of the dead should not be attempted without a guide. The trunk of the tree is known as the Middle World. Often the trunk is seen as square, one side for each of the four directions and their corresponding season. It is the magickal version of our reality and shamans visit it to solve everyday problems. The branches of the tree are in the Upper World. It is a place of the future, creativity and flight. No one world is viewed as better or more important than any other and most shamans from around the world have used similar guides.
Another such image is the medicine wheel, also known as a mandala. It is a circle that is divided into four sections (or sometimes subdivided down to eight) that symbolize the four directions. The circle of the wheel symbolizes the Middle World, the sky above it, the Upper World, and the earth below it the Lower World. the center of the circle is the center of the universe and the entire circle, including the Upper and Lower worlds are spiraling to the center. Every person has a place on this wheel which symbolizes where they are in relationship to their spirit center at the center of the circle. The better you know your center the more power you will have.
Here is a simple exercise to help you find out where you are on the medicine wheel.
Center yourself and relax. Close your eyes. Create a medicine wheel in your mind. Divide it into the four quarters with two lines intersecting in the middle. Decide which line stands for which direction. Make a dot in the center and then color the quadrants however you wish. Let a spirit animal come to symbolize each quadrant. Don't think about it, they'll come if you should be doing this. If not stop and try again at another time. Ask your spirit animal to show you where you are in the wheel. Remember the quadrant, the color, the spirit animal for that section, and how close you are to the center. Feel free to ask your spirit guide what this means for you at this time. Thank the spirits for their help and come back to where you are (in other words, feel your body and what you are sitting on etc...) Then open your eyes. Write and/or draw what you saw. You should do this every so often to see where you are in relation to your center.
BALANCE:
Balance is all important to a shaman. Since all life is interconnected through the web of power, all actions will have many reactions. You must consider these reactions before you act. The Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law are just as valid in shamanism as they are in Wicca.
However, just as the triple goddess of Wicca has the crone aspect to deal with death and change, shamanism also deals with these aspects of life. Shamans understand that for anything to be created something must be destroyed, that without dark there could be no light. Good and evil are just flip sides of the coin. There is such a thing as appropriate destruction, for instance, bad habits, beliefs that you wish to change, unhealthy relationships, etc... Destruction has tremendous power and shamans understand this and use it to benefit themselves and those around them.
Creation is just as important, but without destruction there can be no creation and vice versa. Shamans must learn to balance these two forces in their lives. Power is found in balance because if you keep you life balanced and consider balance in what you do then you are in tune with the web of power. This means creating and destroying, giving and receiving. The more you give the more you shall receive, but remember that to stay in balance you must accept the gifts you receive, just giving is not enough. Accept your gifts gratefully and remember that everything in life is a gift.
Shamans are very aware of the big picture. If your goals are in harmony with the big picture (the spirit world's version of it, not necessarily what you think it ought to be) then if you work towards your goals you will reach them. Not necessarily when you think they should or in the way you expected but they will come to be. The key to it all is neutrality. Strong emotions can cloud or even block information coming to you from the spirit world, the same holds true for blind opinions. You have to be willing to look at both sides of an issue because sometimes the answers will be on the side opposite your opinion.
Shamans learn to detach from situations, often through the use of humor. It's very hard to stay emotional and attached to an issue when you are laughing at the situation or at yourself. Humor can be found in everything, especially if it involves humans, you just need to learn to see it. If you are too emotional about something your road will probably lead to failure. Your emotions will blind you. The same goes if you pay too much attention to something. A watched pot never boils, you know. The spirit world needs to be free to work and to give as it chooses. You will need to learn to surrender to succeed and to understand that the spirit world works in its own way and time.
Remember to listen to yourself, your guides, and allies and to look at the big picture and consider balance in what you do. Be willing to change and to view it as an interesting learning experience, rather than hiding or running from it. Do not let your emotions cloud what you do. Most of all remember to be patient and accepting of the spirit world.
Visualization:
Shamans live with a foot in two worlds, the physical one that we all know and the visionary or "spirit" world, the world of the imagination. Shamanism teaches how to bridge the gap between the real and the imaginary. The main tool of the shaman to this end is visualization, or simply put, their imagination.
Put the idea that imagination is useless make-believe play out of your head right now if you want to learn anymore about shamanism. It is not pointless mental activity and it is most definitely not just for children. It is the link to the spirit world. If you want to use Shamanic techniques in your life, get used to the idea of using your imagination.
Children can access the spirit world easily, but learn to block this ability as they get older. This is not a bad thing. Children need to learn the difference between the real world and the imaginary, but some people learn to shut it off too well and will need to relearn what they automatically knew how to use when they were a child. But don't worry, it's just like riding a bike, you'll remember very quickly.
Shamanic visualization uses all of your senses, sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste, and even the 'sixth' sense if you wish to use it. The more senses you bring into your visualizations the more powerful they will become and the easier your travels will be.
Here are some visualization exercises to try. They are in order from simple to more difficult. It will probably be most helpful if you work them in the order given. Remember after you complete an exercise feel your body and your heart beat and where you are sitting before opening your eyes. It can be jarring to be relaxed from practicing an exercise and then suddenly being back in the physical world without a moment to adjust.
Learning:
As you start to practice shamanism in your life you will start to see obstacles being removed from your path and things starting to work for you. You will notice that you will become more comfortable with yourself and with the world around you. You will feel more connected and will find potentials within yourself that you never before realized were there. This will only happen if you let it and if you politely work with the spirit world and give it a chance to work for you.
What is on these pages is by no means everything there is to know, or even a good percentage of it. As you study you might decide that you want to go further than simply using some basic shamanic practices in your life. If so then you will want to find a teacher. This teacher will not necessarily be a human being in the physical plane. You might find that you are more comfortable with and will learn more of what you want to from a plant, animal or other spirit in the spirit world. Or you might be more comfortable with a human teacher. Neither choice is better or worse. It is all a matter of personal preference. Remember that formal training will take time and dedication.
When choosing a teacher remember to be selective. You will find some great advice on the subject of at another link here: Finding A Teacher. However when choosing someone to help you learn shamanism, there are some other things to keep in mind. Look for someone who has a good sense of humor and is able to laugh at themselves and help you laugh at yourself, rather than someone who is serious all the time. A good teacher should have respect for the world around them, for themselves and you. They should be more willing to include people than to exclude them. They should not claim to be perfect and should not expect you to be. They should be able to make mistakes and learn form them and to show emotions. They should have a strong shamanic presence and should practice what they teach.
Journey:
One significant aspect of shamanism is journeying. This could either be questing within or using the Tree of Life as a guide. Journeying is done by imagining or visioning. You will enter what is often called an "altered state of consciousness" or an "ecstatic state." Basically it is a deep meditative trance in which you journey, most often with the help of a spirit guide, within yourself or using the Tree of Life as a map. Journeying allows you to communicate with your spirit self and with the web of power.
Most shamans use drumming to help them into and out of a trance state. You do not have to use drumming, and rhythmic sound will work, for example ocean waves. You may use tapes, but it is best if there is some control over the rhythm to adjust it as the need arises, so it is preferable have "live" music. You may either drum yourself or have someone drum for you (which gives you the added benefit of having someone to watch your body as you travel). You can journey without the sound, but it really does help you get into the mood and go into a trance easier. It also helps call you back from your journey. I would suggest that you do not try to travel without it until you are very comfortable with the process. Besides how hard is it to find something to tap on? You do not have to have a fancy drum, an empty tissue box will do in a pinch.
The length of a journey depends on the person and on what they are trying to do. Try and make sure that there will be no interruptions. If you find outside thoughts intruding just accept them and move on. The same holds true if you try to judge what you see. Just accept that your mind is trying to judge then move on.
When you travel remember to be respectful, calm and patient. You won't get very far if you aren't, in fact you will probably get some rather amusing lessons on it. Normally the answers you get will be simple and direct, they can also come in puzzle or dreamlike form. If so there is often more to it than there seems. Do not try to think it to death just let it rest and you will understand when it is time. Accept what you are shown or given (gifts from the spirit world should be treasured) even if what you see makes no sense to you at the time. Trust that it will eventually when the time is right. You should have no expectations or preconceived notions of what you will find in the spirit world, if you do it can skew what you find there.
If you try to journey and nothing happens don't panic and, no, you probably did nothing wrong. Don't stress about it. You might not be ready or it might not be the right time. Just wait and try again later. Timing matters and remember that practice makes perfect.
Place of Power:
Have you noticed that certain places just "feel" better than others and that others make you "feel" uncomfortable? This is because the energy in certain areas has a more harmonious, or positive, reaction with people and the energy in other places can have a negative reaction with people. These effects come from the rocks and earth of the area.
People can effect the energy levels of the area around them (this is easily noticed during spellwork or rituals). If people feel enough negativity in one place the area itself starts to feel bad and the same holds true if people feel enough positive emotion in one area, it will slowly become positively charged. Churches and places of worship are good examples of this. I had the opportunity to visit a concentration camp in what used to be East Germany a few years ago. I could feel the negative energy of the place even as we were driving up to it and that was without even trying. Cleansing an area with sage can often clear negativity, especially if the negativity centers in a room in your home. It isn't quite that easy to cleanse a place such as a large metropolitan area, for example.
Certain areas can have tremendous energy to them. You can often tell when you have found one by a tingling feeling in your hands, feet or face. A few famous examples are Stonehenge and the pyramids, but there are many more places, both large and small, that hold tremendous power. There are many small areas of energy all around, even in your own home. Certain places can be beneficial to all, some just to certain people. Animals and plants are very aware of these power places and will either flock to them or avoid them depending on the types of energies there. These places can magnify your emotions, so be aware of how you are feeling before you visit one. They are also known to balance, energize and heal. However, there are also many places that have the opposite effects, so be careful. What is a good place for one person may not be so for another.
To find a place of power relax, close your eyes, ask your guide to help you and feel for one. Try to sense it either as a sensation on one side of your body or as a glow that you see as you look around with your eyes closed. Open your eyes and move towards the area you sensed the energy from. Repeat this until you find one, i.e. the sensation or glow is all around you. Ask your guide if this is a good place for you or if you should keep searching. If you should keep searching repeat the original steps, but look for a different spot than the one you already found. If it is the right spot for you ask the Earth to let you use the spot and thank her when you are done. Always greet her when you visit it. It is best to do this exercise outside in natural surroundings. If you can do it blindfolded and just feel your way to the spot that would be best. If you do try it blindfolded, have someone you trust with you to keep you from breaking something or falling off a cliff.
Try journeying form the spot you have found and from where you normally work from and feel the difference. You can also try journeying form different areas in you home. Some may have better energy for you than others.
Even if you cannot physically go to your power place, once you have found it you can still benefit from its energies by visiting there in the spirit world or by visualizing it in your mind. Make it a practice to do this until you become comfortable with it. Then when you need a boost your place of power will be a thought away.
You can also create your own place of power that can be used for rituals and journeys. Sites such as these are sometimes called Medicine Wheels. Pick a place that is outdoors if possible, basically flat, and feels right. It can even be at a place of power you have searched for if you can find one that will work. Outline a circle of about eight or nine feet in diameter, or whatever size feels best to you (you might want a larger area if it will be for groups) with natural objects such as stones and pine cones. If you use objects that came from plants, use found objects. Refrain from pulling apart a pine tree just to line a ritual circle. It goes against the entire idea. Smudge the area with sage and mark the center with a firepit or a large stone, or something else that feels right to you. Call upon Earth and Sky as you do this. Place markers such as rocks at the four directions, calling each one as you do. You may also wish to place crystals (two in the center one pointing up, one down, and one at each direction) to amplify the energies. You may also want to place markers at northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest as well. Add whatever other markers or objects you feel necessary.
Some Interesting:
Time
Most of us are taught to think of time as a linear thing. Minutes, seconds, hours.... These are just words humans have given to a concept that we choose to call time. For shamans this is a very restricted view of time. We all know the sayings, "Time flies" and "the minutes just crawled by." Time flows forward and backward, swiftly and slowly. It is a relative concept. You can ask your guide to teach you how to slow time or speed up time. Slowing time is especially useful before journeying. You can experience hours in the spirit world in what seems like minutes in the physical world. Your guide can also teach you how to travel to the future or retrieve things or change events from the past. This is a good way to get closure with events that have haunted you, even if the change is in the spiritual world instead of the physical.
Directions:
Like wiccans, shamans recognize the powers of the four directions, North, East, South and West. Depending on the type of shamanism they often also recognize two more, Sky and Earth. They are called by different names depending on your practice, for example, Mother Earth and Father Sky or Earth Mother and Sky Father. A seventh is also used by certain people. The seventh direction is inside of yourself.
Shamanism is a personal quest for knowledge and inner power, but it is a quest that has traditionally taken place within the confines of a tribe or family group. The same holds true for those who follow a shamanic path today, but our groups might be different. We could work to guide and aid our family or a group of friends or a pagan circle. These groups are just as valid and appropriate a place for a modern person walking a shamanic path as a tribe was to an ancient one. A shaman's place is within a community, not apart from it.
Shamans have held an important place in many different cultures throughout the world since our beginnings. They have been mediators, ceremonialists, healers, diviners, many different kinds of artists and much more. They learn and work with power for both themselves and the good of those around them. They understand the connection and need for balance amongst all things, that all aspects of the world that we share with the rest of creation is alive, humans, animals, plants, rocks, and even the wind.
Traditionally people generally came to a shamanic path by being chosen and trained by an experienced shaman, or by inheriting the role from a parent. Often people choose or are led to follow a shamanic path after a near death experience, but that doesn’t mean that you have to go out and try to kill yourself if you want to learn shamanism. In today's world many people come to the shamanic path becasue they feel drawn to it or curious about it. Anyone can incorporate shamanic practices into their lives. You only need to believe that you can.
However, interest in shamanism does not make you a Shaman. If you are just starting this path it is much more appropriate to say you are following a shamanic path or a student of shamanism. Shaman is one among many titles that can be used for a person who has followed and studied this path for many years. Another common title is Medicine Woman or Man.
Another common misconception is that shamanism is synonymous with Native American spirituality. Native Americans were one of many groups that used shamanic practices in their spirituality. Many other cultures did and still do, from South America all the way to Siberia in fact. Some of the better known shamanic paths include Native American shamanism, Celtic shamanism, and Siberian shamanism. The following pages are purposefully very general, except for a few that were written by someone with a Native American background as an example of that path. Almost all forms of shamanism hold to the main ideas and concepts that follow, although the particulars and dieties will vary from group to group and even from tribe to tribe.
Web of Power:
One of the most basic beliefs of shamanism is the belief in the web of power that runs through all things. Shamans believe that everything is alive and is connected in a mutually supportive way to everything else in the world. It is this web of power that brings sense to the world. The web has an unlimited amount of potential and power to send to the physical world. Understanding this web of power, this spirit world, is necessary to understanding and learning shamanism.
All objects in the physical world have "spirit." It is the spirit that is the source of power. Shamans communicate with the spirit of both living and (what most would consider) non-living things. Through this communication they gain an understanding of the world around them and the more you learn the more power you have to draw from.
As a general rule, shamans believe that unlike natural objects, plants and animals, each human has his or her own unique spirit body. (I believe all things do, but that's my twist on it.) This spirit body can be see surrounding people like brightly colored flames or heat waves. The spirit body normally extends around people anywhere from eighteen inches to about three feet and responds to how people feel and what they are thinking. Brighter colors have higher vibrations and darker, duller ones have lower vibrations. Some believe that the size of a spirit body equates to how much power a person has. Basically it is aura by another name.
Since shamans deal so closely with the spirit world it is easy to become "lost" between the real and the spirit worlds. People who are always daydreaming or are said to have their heads in the clouds are such unattached people. Shamanic presence is the ability to live with a foot in the real world and a foot in the spirit world and not forget who and where you are. This is done by keeping balanced, grounded and 'present,' or mentally aware of your physical presence. Shamans must know where they are at all times. This is one of the reasons shamans seem powerful to others, they always know where they are. People very familiar with Shamanic techniques and very aware of their presence can do a quick inner journey while walking down the street.
One way shamans stay organized and focused as to where they are is through use of certain images. One is the Tree of Life. Its roots are in the Lower World, also known as the underworld or world of the dead, where shamans go to talk with ancestors, to find lost information, or to find information about diseases and other things to do with the physical body. Travel to the land of the dead should not be attempted without a guide. The trunk of the tree is known as the Middle World. Often the trunk is seen as square, one side for each of the four directions and their corresponding season. It is the magickal version of our reality and shamans visit it to solve everyday problems. The branches of the tree are in the Upper World. It is a place of the future, creativity and flight. No one world is viewed as better or more important than any other and most shamans from around the world have used similar guides.
Another such image is the medicine wheel, also known as a mandala. It is a circle that is divided into four sections (or sometimes subdivided down to eight) that symbolize the four directions. The circle of the wheel symbolizes the Middle World, the sky above it, the Upper World, and the earth below it the Lower World. the center of the circle is the center of the universe and the entire circle, including the Upper and Lower worlds are spiraling to the center. Every person has a place on this wheel which symbolizes where they are in relationship to their spirit center at the center of the circle. The better you know your center the more power you will have.
Here is a simple exercise to help you find out where you are on the medicine wheel.
Center yourself and relax. Close your eyes. Create a medicine wheel in your mind. Divide it into the four quarters with two lines intersecting in the middle. Decide which line stands for which direction. Make a dot in the center and then color the quadrants however you wish. Let a spirit animal come to symbolize each quadrant. Don't think about it, they'll come if you should be doing this. If not stop and try again at another time. Ask your spirit animal to show you where you are in the wheel. Remember the quadrant, the color, the spirit animal for that section, and how close you are to the center. Feel free to ask your spirit guide what this means for you at this time. Thank the spirits for their help and come back to where you are (in other words, feel your body and what you are sitting on etc...) Then open your eyes. Write and/or draw what you saw. You should do this every so often to see where you are in relation to your center.
BALANCE:
Balance is all important to a shaman. Since all life is interconnected through the web of power, all actions will have many reactions. You must consider these reactions before you act. The Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law are just as valid in shamanism as they are in Wicca.
However, just as the triple goddess of Wicca has the crone aspect to deal with death and change, shamanism also deals with these aspects of life. Shamans understand that for anything to be created something must be destroyed, that without dark there could be no light. Good and evil are just flip sides of the coin. There is such a thing as appropriate destruction, for instance, bad habits, beliefs that you wish to change, unhealthy relationships, etc... Destruction has tremendous power and shamans understand this and use it to benefit themselves and those around them.
Creation is just as important, but without destruction there can be no creation and vice versa. Shamans must learn to balance these two forces in their lives. Power is found in balance because if you keep you life balanced and consider balance in what you do then you are in tune with the web of power. This means creating and destroying, giving and receiving. The more you give the more you shall receive, but remember that to stay in balance you must accept the gifts you receive, just giving is not enough. Accept your gifts gratefully and remember that everything in life is a gift.
Shamans are very aware of the big picture. If your goals are in harmony with the big picture (the spirit world's version of it, not necessarily what you think it ought to be) then if you work towards your goals you will reach them. Not necessarily when you think they should or in the way you expected but they will come to be. The key to it all is neutrality. Strong emotions can cloud or even block information coming to you from the spirit world, the same holds true for blind opinions. You have to be willing to look at both sides of an issue because sometimes the answers will be on the side opposite your opinion.
Shamans learn to detach from situations, often through the use of humor. It's very hard to stay emotional and attached to an issue when you are laughing at the situation or at yourself. Humor can be found in everything, especially if it involves humans, you just need to learn to see it. If you are too emotional about something your road will probably lead to failure. Your emotions will blind you. The same goes if you pay too much attention to something. A watched pot never boils, you know. The spirit world needs to be free to work and to give as it chooses. You will need to learn to surrender to succeed and to understand that the spirit world works in its own way and time.
Remember to listen to yourself, your guides, and allies and to look at the big picture and consider balance in what you do. Be willing to change and to view it as an interesting learning experience, rather than hiding or running from it. Do not let your emotions cloud what you do. Most of all remember to be patient and accepting of the spirit world.
Visualization:
Shamans live with a foot in two worlds, the physical one that we all know and the visionary or "spirit" world, the world of the imagination. Shamanism teaches how to bridge the gap between the real and the imaginary. The main tool of the shaman to this end is visualization, or simply put, their imagination.
Put the idea that imagination is useless make-believe play out of your head right now if you want to learn anymore about shamanism. It is not pointless mental activity and it is most definitely not just for children. It is the link to the spirit world. If you want to use Shamanic techniques in your life, get used to the idea of using your imagination.
Children can access the spirit world easily, but learn to block this ability as they get older. This is not a bad thing. Children need to learn the difference between the real world and the imaginary, but some people learn to shut it off too well and will need to relearn what they automatically knew how to use when they were a child. But don't worry, it's just like riding a bike, you'll remember very quickly.
Shamanic visualization uses all of your senses, sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste, and even the 'sixth' sense if you wish to use it. The more senses you bring into your visualizations the more powerful they will become and the easier your travels will be.
Here are some visualization exercises to try. They are in order from simple to more difficult. It will probably be most helpful if you work them in the order given. Remember after you complete an exercise feel your body and your heart beat and where you are sitting before opening your eyes. It can be jarring to be relaxed from practicing an exercise and then suddenly being back in the physical world without a moment to adjust.
Learning:
As you start to practice shamanism in your life you will start to see obstacles being removed from your path and things starting to work for you. You will notice that you will become more comfortable with yourself and with the world around you. You will feel more connected and will find potentials within yourself that you never before realized were there. This will only happen if you let it and if you politely work with the spirit world and give it a chance to work for you.
What is on these pages is by no means everything there is to know, or even a good percentage of it. As you study you might decide that you want to go further than simply using some basic shamanic practices in your life. If so then you will want to find a teacher. This teacher will not necessarily be a human being in the physical plane. You might find that you are more comfortable with and will learn more of what you want to from a plant, animal or other spirit in the spirit world. Or you might be more comfortable with a human teacher. Neither choice is better or worse. It is all a matter of personal preference. Remember that formal training will take time and dedication.
When choosing a teacher remember to be selective. You will find some great advice on the subject of at another link here: Finding A Teacher. However when choosing someone to help you learn shamanism, there are some other things to keep in mind. Look for someone who has a good sense of humor and is able to laugh at themselves and help you laugh at yourself, rather than someone who is serious all the time. A good teacher should have respect for the world around them, for themselves and you. They should be more willing to include people than to exclude them. They should not claim to be perfect and should not expect you to be. They should be able to make mistakes and learn form them and to show emotions. They should have a strong shamanic presence and should practice what they teach.
Journey:
One significant aspect of shamanism is journeying. This could either be questing within or using the Tree of Life as a guide. Journeying is done by imagining or visioning. You will enter what is often called an "altered state of consciousness" or an "ecstatic state." Basically it is a deep meditative trance in which you journey, most often with the help of a spirit guide, within yourself or using the Tree of Life as a map. Journeying allows you to communicate with your spirit self and with the web of power.
Most shamans use drumming to help them into and out of a trance state. You do not have to use drumming, and rhythmic sound will work, for example ocean waves. You may use tapes, but it is best if there is some control over the rhythm to adjust it as the need arises, so it is preferable have "live" music. You may either drum yourself or have someone drum for you (which gives you the added benefit of having someone to watch your body as you travel). You can journey without the sound, but it really does help you get into the mood and go into a trance easier. It also helps call you back from your journey. I would suggest that you do not try to travel without it until you are very comfortable with the process. Besides how hard is it to find something to tap on? You do not have to have a fancy drum, an empty tissue box will do in a pinch.
The length of a journey depends on the person and on what they are trying to do. Try and make sure that there will be no interruptions. If you find outside thoughts intruding just accept them and move on. The same holds true if you try to judge what you see. Just accept that your mind is trying to judge then move on.
When you travel remember to be respectful, calm and patient. You won't get very far if you aren't, in fact you will probably get some rather amusing lessons on it. Normally the answers you get will be simple and direct, they can also come in puzzle or dreamlike form. If so there is often more to it than there seems. Do not try to think it to death just let it rest and you will understand when it is time. Accept what you are shown or given (gifts from the spirit world should be treasured) even if what you see makes no sense to you at the time. Trust that it will eventually when the time is right. You should have no expectations or preconceived notions of what you will find in the spirit world, if you do it can skew what you find there.
If you try to journey and nothing happens don't panic and, no, you probably did nothing wrong. Don't stress about it. You might not be ready or it might not be the right time. Just wait and try again later. Timing matters and remember that practice makes perfect.
Place of Power:
Have you noticed that certain places just "feel" better than others and that others make you "feel" uncomfortable? This is because the energy in certain areas has a more harmonious, or positive, reaction with people and the energy in other places can have a negative reaction with people. These effects come from the rocks and earth of the area.
People can effect the energy levels of the area around them (this is easily noticed during spellwork or rituals). If people feel enough negativity in one place the area itself starts to feel bad and the same holds true if people feel enough positive emotion in one area, it will slowly become positively charged. Churches and places of worship are good examples of this. I had the opportunity to visit a concentration camp in what used to be East Germany a few years ago. I could feel the negative energy of the place even as we were driving up to it and that was without even trying. Cleansing an area with sage can often clear negativity, especially if the negativity centers in a room in your home. It isn't quite that easy to cleanse a place such as a large metropolitan area, for example.
Certain areas can have tremendous energy to them. You can often tell when you have found one by a tingling feeling in your hands, feet or face. A few famous examples are Stonehenge and the pyramids, but there are many more places, both large and small, that hold tremendous power. There are many small areas of energy all around, even in your own home. Certain places can be beneficial to all, some just to certain people. Animals and plants are very aware of these power places and will either flock to them or avoid them depending on the types of energies there. These places can magnify your emotions, so be aware of how you are feeling before you visit one. They are also known to balance, energize and heal. However, there are also many places that have the opposite effects, so be careful. What is a good place for one person may not be so for another.
To find a place of power relax, close your eyes, ask your guide to help you and feel for one. Try to sense it either as a sensation on one side of your body or as a glow that you see as you look around with your eyes closed. Open your eyes and move towards the area you sensed the energy from. Repeat this until you find one, i.e. the sensation or glow is all around you. Ask your guide if this is a good place for you or if you should keep searching. If you should keep searching repeat the original steps, but look for a different spot than the one you already found. If it is the right spot for you ask the Earth to let you use the spot and thank her when you are done. Always greet her when you visit it. It is best to do this exercise outside in natural surroundings. If you can do it blindfolded and just feel your way to the spot that would be best. If you do try it blindfolded, have someone you trust with you to keep you from breaking something or falling off a cliff.
Try journeying form the spot you have found and from where you normally work from and feel the difference. You can also try journeying form different areas in you home. Some may have better energy for you than others.
Even if you cannot physically go to your power place, once you have found it you can still benefit from its energies by visiting there in the spirit world or by visualizing it in your mind. Make it a practice to do this until you become comfortable with it. Then when you need a boost your place of power will be a thought away.
You can also create your own place of power that can be used for rituals and journeys. Sites such as these are sometimes called Medicine Wheels. Pick a place that is outdoors if possible, basically flat, and feels right. It can even be at a place of power you have searched for if you can find one that will work. Outline a circle of about eight or nine feet in diameter, or whatever size feels best to you (you might want a larger area if it will be for groups) with natural objects such as stones and pine cones. If you use objects that came from plants, use found objects. Refrain from pulling apart a pine tree just to line a ritual circle. It goes against the entire idea. Smudge the area with sage and mark the center with a firepit or a large stone, or something else that feels right to you. Call upon Earth and Sky as you do this. Place markers such as rocks at the four directions, calling each one as you do. You may also wish to place crystals (two in the center one pointing up, one down, and one at each direction) to amplify the energies. You may also want to place markers at northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest as well. Add whatever other markers or objects you feel necessary.
Some Interesting:
Time
Most of us are taught to think of time as a linear thing. Minutes, seconds, hours.... These are just words humans have given to a concept that we choose to call time. For shamans this is a very restricted view of time. We all know the sayings, "Time flies" and "the minutes just crawled by." Time flows forward and backward, swiftly and slowly. It is a relative concept. You can ask your guide to teach you how to slow time or speed up time. Slowing time is especially useful before journeying. You can experience hours in the spirit world in what seems like minutes in the physical world. Your guide can also teach you how to travel to the future or retrieve things or change events from the past. This is a good way to get closure with events that have haunted you, even if the change is in the spiritual world instead of the physical.
Directions:
Like wiccans, shamans recognize the powers of the four directions, North, East, South and West. Depending on the type of shamanism they often also recognize two more, Sky and Earth. They are called by different names depending on your practice, for example, Mother Earth and Father Sky or Earth Mother and Sky Father. A seventh is also used by certain people. The seventh direction is inside of yourself.
