There’s a fairly standard definition of
The Imperative of Delight
The Word Shaman and the Work : Use and Mis-use, a prologue...
The Word Shaman and the Work: Use and mis-use... a prologue
This is a contentious topic in some circles and I tread here with some hesitation. But I am asked about this a lot and so I like to approach it with respect for all of us and our many different perspectives, backgrounds and understandings as well as respect for both the benefits and failings of language and the varied cultures from which this all arises.
There have always been medicine people in every culture we know of. The names given to these people befitted the culture and conveyed among their people what was needed. In present time, all over the world we still have medicine people who are now often called by the singular term shaman, especially by those outside the specific culture.
(Art: “White Hummingbird” in memory of great southwestern artist Frank Howell who featured beautiful images of original peoples and their great dignity. www.frankhowell.art)
What Is Shamanism?
The Poetry of Consciousness: Crossing Thresholds
Crossing thresholds---dying to old ways of being and coming alive to new visions and aspects of awareness--- are common themes in a shamanic life. Working in close, consistent relationship with the helping spirits attunes you to their vibration, which is unconditioned. Because we tend to live mostly from conditioned thoughts, habits, emotional patterns and dogmas, becoming more detached from conditioning is revolutionary and tends to introduce a sense of free-fall and sometimes chaos into one's life. Who am I now? is often the underlying sense...