Is there different kinds of Shamanism?

[MoonAmethyst]

I've seen different books titling Shamanism, is it the Author's special way of how they found Shamanism or is there different types of Shamanism that people practice. Just something I've came across and wanted to know. :) I've been reading a lot of books by Ted Andrews about how to find your spiritual animal. Look forward to come across more books. Does anyone recommended one?

[Shanti]

Yes. Google. :D

Also there is no right or wrong. Whats works for one doesnt have to work for another.

Also perception of exactly what it is varied. Again, no right or wrong, just different from one to another. For some its a belief and for some an action and some both of the two.

Its roots are ancient but through time, across all the cultures of time, it to has changed as people have. Some ancient ways are still practiced though across the globe.

Its not from any one culture or time line.

Shamanism is a word that has other equivalents too as in some NA tradition, it is a medicine man. So the word itself is a blanket term as many cultures and people had and have their own word or phrase for it.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Shamanic practices are as varied as the many peoples that practice it. Yet it is also somewhat of an error statement for the Neo-shamanic movement has ursupered the term where most peoples have other names.

For instance in NA tradition a Keeper of the Sacred Relic is part of a shamanic role, yet they do not refer to themselves as Shaman. In some ways one who is a Pipe Holder also has shamanic facets but again they do not typically refer to themselves as Shaman.

Another mis-nomer is the idea that all Shamanic practioners are healers. There where Warrior Shaman who worked with the warrior caste of the tribal system. They worked their magics against the shaman of the opposing group. They provided strength and guidance to the warrior clan. They may know and do healing but it was not the mainstay of their practice.

There was also the Land Father or Mother. They worked for the funcidity of the land and herds. Sought to make their land prolific in its ability to support the people. Yet like their warrior counter-part they sought to ensure thier enemies had no such luck.

Then of course there was also the Spirit leader or Medicine Man type role. They spoke to the gods / goddesses of the people, the spirits of land and place. Many times a loner or recluse outside the actual village but always a part of it.

I agree with Shanti in that one has to research it all. Yet one also has to be careful for many cons exist simply to seperate the gulliable from their money. The term Plastic Shaman has risen in popularity to describe many of the psuedo practioners.

Where a great difficulty arises in shamanic circles is the notion of what is correct and what is not. Core shamanic practices hold one belief, neo-shamanic a differing set of beliefs, traditional native practice of indigenious peoples even something different based upon nation and tribal beliefs.

One significant difference being in the notion of the "Shamanic Death" itself. Some profess that one must trully die, some that one simply meditate upon their death, other's the death of their physical life but not phsycal self. Yet again it depends upon practice, nation and ones personal slant. However, it does not mean that what is appropriate for one group will be embraced or accepted by another.

But one must be aware that today SHAMAN is becoming a catch-all phrase not unsimiliar to PAGAN as more and more is being attempted to be placed beneath its defination.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Just as an aside note but you also need to be careful in reading about Animal Guides / Spirit Guides / Totems, etc. Ted Andrews book Animal Speak is a useful resouce but it also fails many times in that it does not address the medicine of the animal as it is preceived by the people. Yet many net sites have aped it and copied it word for word upon the net as if it were gospel.

Ta Tanka is more than just Buffalo to the plains peoples. Yet Animal Speak does it an injustice in speaking of its medicine.

Totems are another issue that causes many problems. To many native groups one never has a personal totem they have family or clan totems. The very notion of a personal totem is somewhat of an affront to them. It's like the Totem Poles of the Pacific Northwest, they represent family totems not personal totems. Other's have clan totems such as Bear Clan and Wolf Clan within the warrior caste of the individual nations.

[adrasteashadow]

Just as an aside note but you also need to be careful in reading about Animal Guides / Spirit Guides / Totems, etc. Ted Andrews book Animal Speak is a useful resouce but it also fails many times in that it does not address the medicine of the animal as it is preceived by the people. Yet many net sites have aped it and copied it word for word upon the net as if it were gospel.

Ta Tanka is more than just Buffalo to the plains peoples. Yet Animal Speak does it an injustice in speaking of its medicine.

Totems are another issue that causes many problems. To many native groups one never has a personal totem they have family or clan totems. The very notion of a personal totem is somewhat of an affront to them. It's like the Totem Poles of the Pacific Northwest, they represent family totems not personal totems. Other's have clan totems such as Bear Clan and Wolf Clan within the warrior caste of the individual nations.

Thanks for the insight on this book, I have had it on my wishlist forever and nearly purchased it but then went for something else on my list. Are there any other books relating to animal guides/totems you could recommend instead?

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Thanks for the insight on this book, I have had it on my wishlist forever and nearly purchased it but then went for something else on my list. Are there any other books relating to animal guides/totems you could recommend instead?

Please don't get me wrong. It's not a bad book to have as a reference. You just sort of have to look at it like a cook book. while one person may think of something one way, another will fix it differently. Which is more correct would actually depend upon how one preceives it. A stew fixed in the mountains of West Virginia is quite a bit different than a stew fixed in the Bayou of Lousianna, yet both are still stews.

I use it as reference but I also tend to try and find out what the peoples of a given area though of a creature. The realility of its medicine lies somewhere in between the two points.

I can't reccomend a given book for there really is no book that speaks to how each group related to or saw the various things. Many times it's just a matter of researching and discovering through little flickers of fact.

[phathead]

Excellent responses MonSno....thank you for clearly explaining the real deal.

[Shanti]

I would like to just make a note here. Its common for people to automatically go into a Native American thought line when they hear Shamanism.

Actually the word is from the Tungus of North-Central Asia. It came to the English language via Russia.

Shamanism has its roots in that region, Asia and parts of Russia.
It does not have roots in NA culture. For them the word never existed in any of their cultures.

As I stated cultures world wide have shamanistic type practices but they are not call shamanism. Each culture has its own name for it except for where the word came from, Asia/Russia.

If you want to know what Shamanism truly is, read anthropology books. Thats where you will find what it truly is/was.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Shanti wrote: I would like to just make a note here. Its common for people to automatically go into a Native American thought line when they hear Shamanism.

Very much agree. That implied connection to Native American practice and belief things is one of the building blocks that is used by the Plastic Shaman. It's like the Sweat Lodge ceremonies that so many see at these retreats and such. Thing is no one really quesitons them until something goes wrong and people die like that one in Arizona.


It does not have roots in NA culture. For them the word never existed in any of their cultures

I've spoken to a number of member's of different nations and that is one of thier problems with the whole mess.


If you want to know what Shamanism truly is, read anthropology books. Thats where you will find what it truly is/was.

Very True