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A shaman is a person, who interacts with both the normal world and the world of spirit, usually acting as a sort of intermediary between the two. Shamans are common in many cultures, although shamanism may exist in types of cultures. The shaman is often responsible for both the physical and spiritual health.
So let’s look at the Origin!
Shamanism is a tribal religion in societies without literary tradition. Healing is one function of the shaman along with prophecy. The shaman uses mystical powers to journey to other worlds or realities and communicate with spirits in order to bring about balance between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Shamanism is the oldest form of healing. It is a form of religious medicine that originated over 25,000 years ago in the Paleolithic hunting cultures of Siberia and Central Asia. The word shaman is derived from the Siberian Tungus word “saman” which is defended as a technique of ecstasy. The shaman is considered a great master of trance and ecstasy. He is the dominating figure in certain indigenous populations.
The shaman is often the leader or priest of the tribe. He was believed to have magical powers that healed the sick. The shaman is called upon to meditate between the people of the community and the spirit world to cure disease and promote balance. Traditional shaman rituals include singing, dancing, chanting, drumming, storytelling and healing. The shaman is a specialist in human souls. The shaman controls the spirits, rather than being possessed by them, he communicates with the dead and nature spirits.
The shamans work is based on the belief that the soul can forsake the body even while a person is alive and can stray into other cosmic realms. The shaman will diagnoses the problem, then go in search of the wandering soul and makes it return to the body.
Shamanism is still practiced all over the world, although each culture's shamanic tradition has evolved in different ways. Native American medicine men perform soul flights and vision quests to heal. North American Inuit shamans undertake undersea spirit journeys to ensure a plentiful supply of game. Tibetan shamans use a drum to help them in spirit flight and soul retrieval. Central and South American shamans often use hallucinogenic plants to invoke their shamanic journeys. Australian aboriginal shamans believe that crystals can be inserted into the body for power.
Some people believe that in a shamanic journey, the spirit leaves the body and in shamanic healing, a person is healed by spirit helpers. Others believe that a shamanic journey allows access to ones own intuition, which may otherwise be drowned out by everyday thinking or by anxiety. Shamanic healing is a way of engaging a person’s sub-conscious desire for healing.
The truth is, as long as it works, (and believe me it does work for many people) it does not matter which way you explain it.
It is important to understand that shamanic healing may not cure physical or psychological illness; however, it does help you gain physical energy that allows you to handle illness. Shamanic healing therefore is best used in conjunction with other treatments, not as a substitute for other treatments.
Shamanic healing assumes that all illness has a spiritual as well as a physically component. A person who is physically unwell has become spiritually out of balance and balance must be restored for healing to occur. Traditional shamanic cultures regard the following as primary sources of illness.
Soul loss is where parts of the soul of life force split off or dissociate as a result of trauma.
Spiritual intrusion is where the void created by soul loss allows entry of negative energy.
The shaman helps by cleaning energy blocks and restoring a person’s vitality the shaman reconnects the person’s essential self, life purpose and sense of oneness with the universe.
Let me explain soul loss and power loss
Trauma, stress, abuse and a serious accident at any time in ones life can result in loss of life force vital energy or essence know as soul loss. In order to survive seriously challenging situations the soul leaves the individual and takes refuge in one of the other worlds, taking with it some of the life force. It does this to assist overall survival. However, it often results in depression, apathy, or an inability to move on after a loss or death and it also affects the immune system.
It is the job of the shamanic healer to track down the soul in the other world and offer it healing and reassurance so that it can return and bring back positive qualities to the person. This is what is known as soul retrieval.
Power loss is another form of healing and is similar to soul retrieval except one regains lost spiritual power that may have been lost to similar traumatic events or injuries. Restoring your lost power not only helps one to heal physically, but may spark your creativity, dreams and visions as you align with your true divine nature and full potential.
Through life’s journey you may have experienced periods of vulnerability that provided an opportunity for an outside energy to attach or invade your energy field. Shamanic healing clears you from outside influences. The focus is placed on rebuilding and strengthening your ethereal body and life force.
Apprentice Course by Shaman Elder Maggie Wahls
Aho!
Take a journey and an exploration into the worlds and the way of the Shaman. Come and sit down before the fire with the Shaman as you calm your mind and open your heart to the teachings of the Elders. As you walk the path of this course, you will re-member many skills, talents, places and people from your past that you have forgotten. Welcome to the reconnection to your purpose as healer. Let the Shaman Elder take the talking stick and listen to his words.
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Inner Awareness
