Shamanism

[Anonymous]

I'm interested in learning a bit about shamanism.  I'm on a quest to have at least rudimentary knowledge about all the major pagan paths.  Do you have any pointers on where to start, websites, books, that sort of thing?  I know nothing about it beyond some vague concepts about journeying, trance states, and soul retrieval.  Are there any authors that clueless beginners like me should try to avoid?  

Thanks for any advice you might have.   :wink:

[Sewa Yoleme]

First, a warning about the terms "shaman" and "shamanism."

The term shaman comes from the Tungus region of Siberia and denotes a traditional healer and practitioner of that region. Certain anthropologists, most notably Alice Kehoe in her book Shamans and Religion: An Anthropological Exploration in Critical Thinking, are highly critical of the term when used outside of its original context. Part of this criticism involves the notion of cultural appropriation. This includes criticism of New Age and modern Western forms of shamanism, which may not only misrepresent or dilute genuine indigenous practices but do so in a way that, according to Kehoe, reinforces subtly racist ideas such as the "Noble Savage."

She makes the point that what popular writers and scholars of shamanism treat as being definitive of shamanism, most notably drumming, trance, chanting, the use of entheogens and hallucinogenics, spirit communication, and healing, are practices that (a) exist outside of what is defined as shamanism and play similar roles even in non-shamanic cultures, such as the role of chanting in Judeo-Christian rituals, and (b) are unique to each culture that uses them and cannot be generalized easily, accurately, or usefully into a global "religion" such as shamanism. Because of this, Kehoe is also highly critical of the notion that shamanism is an ancient, unchanged, and surviving religion from the Paleolithic era.

That said, I believe the "rediscovery" of shamanic practice is one of the most important spiritual developments of our era. It has been my path for most of my life, even though I didn't have the proper language for it, and my concerted practice and field of study for nearly two decades now. And as Holger Kalweit wrote in his excellent book Dreamtime and Inner Space:

Shamanism and similar areas of research have gained in significance because they postulate new ideas about mind and spirit. They speak of things like vastly expanding the realm of consciousness . . . the belief, the knowledge, and even the experience that our physical world of the senses is a mere illusion, a world of shadows, and that the three-dimensional tool we call our body serves only as a container or dwelling place for Something infinitely greater and more comprehensive than that body and which constitutes the matrix of the real life.

I think the very best starting place in learning about shamanism is at http://deoxy.org/shaman.htm. It's an amazing resource.

On that page, be sure to read the Shamanism General Overview FAQ (though the book list is a tad outdated), the Shamanic terms and concepts link, and the article by Michael Harner called "Discovering the Way of the Shaman" from his groundbreaking book on the subject.

You might also check out the Wikipedia entry on Shamanism, the Foundation for Shamanic Studies website, and of course the shamanism links page here at Branwen's.

Once you've digested all of that (ha!), please don't hesitate to come back with more questions!

.:. Sewa Yoleme

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for the information.  I can't wait to jump into research mode.  I love to learn.  I'm such a dork.  LOL!

Any thoughts on authors like Caitlin and John Matthews, Carlos Castaneda, and maybe Tom Cowan?  Are there any other authors that are worth looking into?

[Sewa Yoleme]

I like the Matthewses very much indeed. Their Hallowquest tarot deck is easily my favorite, and I like their take on Celtic shamanism.

Castanada . . . that's a tough subject. I think his early books are naive and are more fiction than reality, but I think he captured something of the Yaqui mindset and worldview. His last books suffered from an overload of ego and too many adoring followers (his being a virtual recluse toward the end didn't help matters much). So the books in the middle, I think, have the most to recommend them. A controversial figure, certainly, but I think his contributions to the study of shamanism were quite important.

Tom Cowan, I'm of two minds over. I bought into his Fire in the Head when I was first studying shamanism seriously, but I now think he was trying to shoehorn Celtic spirituality into a shamanic context in ways that didn't always work. However, his Shamanism: As a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life is one of the best works on shamanism I've read.

Of course, Michael Harner's The Way of the Shaman is one of the standard texts on the subject and is really essential reading. I'd also recommend anything by Holger Kalweit (especially Dreamtime and Inner Space and Shamans, Healers, and Medicine Men); Shaman, Healer, Sage and Dance of the Four Winds by Alberto Villoldo; and even though it's a terminally cheesy mass market paperback with a sensationalist title and simplistic writing style, Secrets of Shamanism: Tapping the Spirit Power Within You by Jose and Lena Stevens has some remarkably good things inside to recommend it.

.:. Sewa Yoleme

[Anonymous]

Excellent!  Thank you so much for all of your help.  I might have to read Thoreau again, too.  Every time I see your signature, I want to dig out my old battered copy of Walden.   :wink:   Thoreau is one of my favorites.  I only wish he'd written more.