Im interested in shamanic earth magic i brought a book on earth magic today , shamanic healing yourself , others and the planet i was drawn to this book and after reading alittle of if i find it very interesting so any help would be great , i would like to state i joined a coven in which im very happy but would like to learn shamanism also
Thanks :)
Like many people might know. I, of course, am I trainee Shaman (I long for the day when I don't have to say that anymore), Shamanism is a very difficult area of magick, you have to have a very close connection to your element. With my element being air, I do not think I can aid you much. But Shamanism also depends on what type you would like to practice, you can be focused on one thing, or be a 'jack of all trades'. Victory is in the eye of the beholder.
If you are really serious, not just doing this as a roleplayer, I suggest you contact a shaman with the earth element.
Thankyou for your reply , im very serious about my craft , divination, scrying, candles ect being my main areas im good at , im also a people person who works with children and adults with disabilities and see the pain and suffering of others on a daily basis so healing others is a good place to start , im in no way a roleplayer , i just basicaly wanted to know how to get started books ect , as i stated i brought a good book on earth magic which is all about shamanic healing ect thats interesting and would like to learn more .
Rainbow i found your answer to be abit insulting , where is your logic in posting such a statement ? we live in an ever increasing society of people not understanding others beliefs/path and are quick to judge others with no foundations to do so . LOL if you cant be nice /helpful why bother repling just to insult ?
I agree with Rainbow actually. From what I know of Shamanism and through a friend who moved to Peru to join a group, it is something you have to get your hands dirty with. You have to actually practice it, it's a lifestyle and a commitment, not something you just read about and learn, practicing in your house. Of course, you can incorporate Shamanic ideals, teachings, and whatever into your life but you are not a Shaman. Coming online to learn Shamanism just baffles me, because when I think of Shamanism I automatically think nature. I suppose there is a new movement of "Neo-Shamanism", or "Shamanism-Lite" cropping up, but I feel that it takes away from the actual practice because it is easier to understand and more convenient for those of us living 9-5 lives in the 'Western' world.
I don't mean to be a downer, maybe I just don't properly understand your intentions? I'm glad to see the interest in the practice, because it's one of those things that amazes me, but whatever I have seen online of the practice, other than documentaries, takes away from the gritty, more raw nature of it.
Something to remember is that for one, as others said, there are many types of shamanism, and second of all, there are shamans and shamanists.
So I guess the basic is that every culture in the world has had some form of shaman. Many of the forms have been covered over or destroyed by invading religions, but at the core, it is something that would appear to be universal.
Another part is that every shaman, deals directly with the spirits. Not necessarily the dead, but the spirits and spirit realms.
I would also suggest that you look up animism and do some simple searches on different spirits, as there are many.
I guess that is the real basic stuff. after that you start getting into the rest of it.
Thankyou for your imput kikuyo , i would just like to clear up what my intentions are , im not going to claim to be a shamanist a few months down the line ,my understanding of it is also its a life-time commitment and that it is very hands on and difficult to learn , im simply interested in the background history , how its practice , what it involves ect , i do know that its a connection with mother earth , animals ect. im finding the book im reading on earth magic very interesting i cant seem to put it down , i feel very at home with nature and like nothing more than to walk in the woods sit under the trees feel the breeze ect , so im realy looking at reading more about it , i think its good to have an understanding of other religions /paths ect, and thankyou pheonix for your advice also :)
Well, ginseng, if you are going to make a commitment to learning Shamanism, I suggest you find a real life teacher, thats the way I went (although I am young, I still have some sense in me) to learn all of this. But the second trouble with a teacher, you have to find one who is focused in the same element as you. With my teacher being water and my element being air, you see the problem. Luckily, my teacher knows a great deal about the air element.
But also, reading books about, or surrounding yourself with totems etc. does not make you a true shaman, sure you may be able to do a ritual and spell or two, but doesn't make you a good shaman.
Like I said, you will need to find a real life teacher if you want to really get into Shamanism.
