| To be shaman is not a question, it is a metaphor of | | | | be asked, to what service? |
| shamanism itself, being shamanic is a natural calling to | | | | The answer to this question can be summed up |
| a life best served. Shamanism and its origins are far | | | | easily in one short sentence, which was 'dictated' to |
| removed from the outdated understanding of being | | | | this author during his own shamanic experience ... 'for |
| called to service of ones community. Tribes have | | | | the good of the whole'. The whole being, the whole |
| ended, villages consumed and towns divided, so why | | | | planet, the whole universe. It seems such a |
| be a shaman at all in these current times? | | | | gargantuan task that it surely cannot be completed |
| As mentioned in the opening sentence and now being | | | | by one individual? ... or can it? |
| expanded upon during the remainder of this article, to | | | | A shaman understands that he / she (some of the |
| be a shaman, one has to receive a calling to be so. | | | | greatest shaman are women) is within himself an |
| This calling cannot be learnt, it cannot be bestowed | | | | universe, everything he/she sees, touches, associates |
| and it cannot be passed from one to another. In so | | | | or communicates with is a part of the shaman, a part |
| many cases of definition, shaman are called to be | | | | of the whole. Therefore when a shaman is speaking |
| shaman usually during a particular difficult or traumatic | | | | or communicating with the universe and travelling (the |
| time of their life. | | | | term commonly used to signify a deep shamanic |
| Normally, shaman are called to be during a period of | | | | meditation or trance) to other realms to seek |
| serious disease or illness which has taken the | | | | answers to a particular question or problem asked of |
| individual to near death experiences. During this state | | | | the shaman he / she fully understands that all |
| of being (sick) the shaman is usually saved from his | | | | answers are contained within. |
| fate through the aid of spiritual guardians or in the | | | | So, what does a shaman do, you may ask. A shaman |
| words of this author, spooks! These spirit guardians | | | | does whatever it takes to perform a service to his / |
| never leave, they cannot be forgotten and as is the | | | | her universe. This may be in the form of healing |
| norm for a shaman, they never shut up! | | | | another (putting one at ease), healing the |
| During the calling of a shaman, the individual may | | | | environment (many landscape gardeners are |
| experience extreme psychological imbalances which | | | | shaman), seeking answers to questions or problems |
| can manifest themselves in various forms of | | | | (both from the shaman and from others) and believe |
| psychosis. Hallucinations, voices in the head, manic | | | | this or not financial solutions (yes, some debt doctors |
| euphoria, aggravated depression, feelings of being | | | | are shaman). |
| alone, seeing ghosts or spirits, these are just a small | | | | As a final departing gift, this shaman will say this, if |
| selection of intuitive words to describe the impact of | | | | you are thinking about becoming a shaman by |
| being shamanically called to service. These psychotic | | | | investing large amounts of money in training to |
| manifestations never last forever, they simply | | | | become a shaman, then please don't. It is |
| become balanced once more as the shaman grows | | | | unnecessary to do so and ultimately foolhardy. You |
| comfortable with other forms of existence previously | | | | can be a shamanic seeker, but the answer always |
| unknown or thought of. However, the question must | | | | remains the same, the spooks choose you! |