#neoshamans

[gnomedyke]

I've been pretty inactive here in terms of magic posting, but I've been working for a paper for my anthropology class comparing the ritual techniques, culture, and worldview between chaos magicians and shamans. Since I've already submitted I can share it here, if anyone is interested.

[blacklightsociety]

Thought For the Day

Uranium, coal, pollutants… our shamanism goes far beyond plastic.

[sspacegodd]

My spirit animal is paint thinner.

[urlasage]

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        .

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smiling in

APPRECIATION

                              .

                       .                             .

                                                     .

[painthropologist]

Recommended readings on pain

The following is a comprehensive reference list of readings on pain, embodiment, and ritual, to name a few of the topics that I will be discussing. This list will be updated as and when I find new sources, and covers various subjects from anthropology to sociology, philosophy, and beyond.

Adler, M. (2006). Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and Other Pagans in America. 4th ed. USA: Penguin Books. 

Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost (2024). Om Bifrost. Available at: https://bifrost.no/om-bifrost (Accessed 13 June 2024).

Asprem, E. (2008). Heathens Up North: Politics, Polemics, and Contemporary Norse Paganism in Norway. The Pomegranate, 10(1): 41-69. 

Aðalsteinsson, J.H. (1998). A Piece of Horse Liver: Myth, Ritual and Folklore in Old Icelandic Sources. Reykjavík: Háskólaútgáfan Félagsvísindastofnun.

Belardinelli, A.L. and Bonsaksen, J.A. (2020). An Ancient Perspective.  Available at: https://www.churchofpain.org/about (Accessed: 5 March 2024).

Bell, C. (2009). Ritual Theory, Ritual practice. New York: Oxford University Press. 

Eliade, M. (1969). The Quest: History and Meaning in Religion. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Calico, J.F. (2018). Being Viking: Heathenism in Contemporary America. Sheffield: Equinox.

Durkheim, E. (2012). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York: Dover Publications.

Fibiger, M.Q. (2018). Thaipusam Kavadī – A Festival Helping Hindus in Mauritius Cope with Fear. International Quarterly for Asian Studies, 49(3-4): 123-140.

Fonneland, T. (2015). The Rise of Neoshamanism in Norway: Local Structures-Global Currents. In: Kraft, S.E., Fonneland, T., and Lewis, J.R. Nordic Neoshamanisms. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 33-54.

Geertz, C. (1973). Religion as a Cultural System. In: The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays. New York: Basic Books Inc, pp. 87-125. 

Glucklich, A. (2001). Sacred Pain: Hurting the Body for the Sake of the Soul. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Gunnell, T. (2015). The Background and Nature of the Annual and Occasional Rituals of the Ásatrúarfélag in Iceland. In: Minniyakhmetova, T., and Velkoborská, K., (eds.) The Ritual Year 10: Magic and Rituals and Rituals in Magic. ELM Scholarly Press. 28-40.

Harvey, G. (2013). The Handbook of Contemporary Animism. New York: Routledge.

Hobsbawm, E. (2012). Introduction: Inventing Traditions. In: Hobsbawm E., Ranger T., (eds.) The Invention of Tradition. Canto Classics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1-14.

Hobsbawm, E., and Ranger, T. (2014). The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Jackson, J.E. (2011). Pain and Bodies. In: Mascia-Lees, F.E. (ed.) A Companion to the Anthropology of the Body and Embodiment. UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Kleinman, A., Das, V., Lock, M. (1997). Social Suffering. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Lee, N. (2022). On a Wind-Rocked Tree: Pain as Transformation in Contemporary Heathenry. In: Strickland, S., Hunter, L., and Mullin Berube, S. Riding the Bones. USA: The Three Little Sisters. Appendix D.

Luhrmann, T.M. (2012). Touching the Divine: Recent Research on Neo-Paganism and Neo Shamanism. Reviews in Anthropology, 41(1), pp. 136–150. 

Manfredi, F. (2024). Beyond Pain: The Anthropology of Body Suspensions. New York: Berghan.

Mauss, M. (1973). Techniques of the Body. Economy and Society, 2(1): pp. 70-88.

McLane, J. (1996). The Voice on the Skin: Self-Mutilation and Merleau-Ponty's Theory of Language. Hypatia, 11(4): 107-118.

Mitchell, J. (2009). Ritual Transformation and the Existential Grounds of Selfhood. Journal of Ritual Studies, 23(2): 53-66.

Obeyesekere, G. (1981). Medusa’s Hair: An Essay on Personal Symbols and Religious Experience. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Pagliarini, M.A. (2015). Spiritual Tattooing: Pain, Materialization, and Transformation. Journal of Religion and Violence, 3(2): 189-212.

Polhemus, T. (1998). The Performance of Pain. Performance Research, 3(3): 97-102.

Rappaport, R.A. (1999). Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity. UK: Cambridge University Press.

Rasmussen, R.H. (2020). The Nordic Animist Year. Estonia: Ecoprint.

(2023). Aun 2031. Available at: https://nordicanimism.com/aun-2023 (Accessed: 19 March 2024).

(2024). Aun: Cannibal Kings, Cosmic Healing and the Recovery of a Nordic Tradition. Estonia: Ecoprint.

Reynolds, C. and Erikson, E. (2017). Agency, Identity, and the Emergence of Ritual Experience. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 3(1): 1 –14.

Scarry, E. (1985). The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World. New York: Oxford University Press.

Shilling, C. & Mellor, P. (2010). Saved from pain or saved through pain? Modernity, instrumentalization and the religious use of pain as a body technique. European Journal of Social Theory, 13(4): 521-537. DOI: 10.1177/1368431010382763.

Snook, J. (2013). Reconsidering Heathenry: The Construction of an Ethnic Folkway as Religio ethnic Identity. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 16(3): 52-76. 

von Schnurbein, S. (2016). Norse Revival: Transformations of Germanic Neopaganism. Boston: Brill.

Viljoen, M. (2010). Embodiment and the experience of built space: The contributions of Merleau-Ponty and Don Ihde. South African Journal of Philosophy, 29(3). DOI: 10.4314/sajpem.v29i3.59153.

[noneofthisisreal]

While the word totem itself is an anglicisation of the Ojibwe term (and both the word and beliefs associated with it are part of the Ojibwe language and culture), belief in tutelary spirits and deities is not limited to the Ojibwe people. Similar concepts, under differing names and with variations in beliefs and practices, may be found in a number of cultures worldwide. The term has also been adopted, and at times redefined, by anthropologists and philosophers of different cultures. Contemporary neoshamanic, New Age, and mythopoetic men's movements not otherwise involved in the practice of a traditional, tribal religion have been known to use "totem" terminology for the personal identification with a tutelary spirit or spirit guide.

Totem - Wikipedia

[wxlfbites]

Yeah no offense but you don’t need to be griping about the quality of taxidermy from this person to all of tumblr. Taxidermy scraps (regardless of quality) can range anywhere from $15-50 US dollars, depending on the kind of scrap or tail, and the seller. Bitching about it on tumblr (and frankly in the otherkin tags, that has nothing to do with this??) seems petty and very rude. Unless someone is actively assaulting, harming, or grooming people, you don’t need to be doxxing.

1.) How is this doxxing? Nowhere in that post did I mention the persons legal name, their address (let alone even their state), or any identifying information other than their public Etsy shop name. Stop using buzzwords you don’t even understand.

2.) The problem is that she’s very very intentionally trying to sell scrap quality tails as high quality, spiritual taxidermy when it’s anything but. To quote some things directly from her shop:

“”My experiences range from the cerebral (a Master's degree in counseling psychology emphasizing ecopsychology) to the spiritual (over a decade's practice in neopaganism and neoshamanism).

“”Since 1998, I've been working with hides, bones, beads, and other such things in my artwork. I've created ritual tools, sacred costumery, jewelry and other devotional objects.

“” I began this work almost fifteen years ago as a way to honor the animals who once wore these skins and bones. I wanted them to have a better "afterlife" than being a trophy on someone's wall or a coat in a closet. The artistic and spiritual are very deeply entwined in my work, and every creation, no matter how simple, is a devotional to these sacred remains.

“”I've shared more about what I do and how others can take part through my writings. I have several books in print, including "Skin Spirits", a how-to book on the spiritual as well as practical end of working with animal parts and "Skull Scrying", a booklet on using animal skulls in divination. My latest book is "Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect With Totems In Your Ecosystem" from Llewellyn Publications.

“”I offer years of experience and finely-honed creativity in my work, and a strong spiritual component to my creations.

“”The majority of the animal parts and other components are secondhand or salvaged, either from old fur coats and the like, or discarded from the fur coat industry, or old jewelry and other found objects, though be aware there are some newer/not recycled remains incorporated in some projects as well.

So she’s been in the business for well over two decades, which means not only should she have the skill, but the knowledge, to distinguish between what kind of tail is considered scrap and what isn’t. Nowhere in any of her taxidermy listings does she specify that they are scraps. She is selling them as whole items that are of high quality.

She specifically mentions her spirituality being part of her work multiple times, even including her personal beliefs (not just general “please respect this tail” stuff) on how to care for the animal spirit that is attached to the tail. Now, don’t get me wrong, I personally believe taxidermy can retain spirits, but to quote the letter she included with my tail:

“You can connect with the spirit of the tail itself” […] “Before you put the tail on to wear it, ask the spirit of the tail for permission”.

This to me, even as a pagan myself, seems inappropriate to ask of someone who bought something from you over the internet.

I’ve literally been buying tails from Etsy shops since 2012, this is the most expensive tail I’ve ever bought, and never once have I seen a tail in such poor condition. If I’m paying almost $50 for something I am being told is high quality, by someone who claims to have over 20 years of experience, I expect that! And so should everyone else. I also recently started doing taxidermy myself. I work with bones and I just finished my first preserved rabbit foot. Even my rabbit foot, on my first try, is better quality than Lupa’s tail and if I sold him I’d only ask $15 max! $47 for something I’ve seen done better at my local renaissance fairs by people who only just started working with animals and going for $20 is outrageous.

Finally, you don’t know how reviews work, clearly. Just because I’m not kissing the feet of the seller and spouting on about how much I love being ripped off, doesn’t mean I’m bitching. I’m giving my honest opinion and review on a shop to inform others what to expect if they purchase it. I didn’t tell anyone not to buy from her, I didn’t say she was a piece of shit, I didn’t disrespect her in anyway. I gave facts about the quality of the tail and my opinions about whether I thought it was worth it. Which it isn’t.

Ya’ll kids be getting soft in the head if you can’t even read a review without whining about doxxing and bitching and being a bully.

(Also side note, I put it in the otherkin tags and shit because if you took 5 seconds to look at my account, you’d know I’m nonhuman so I’m posting in nonhuman tags. And if you took another 5 seconds to look up the seller, she also at one point identified as otherkin, has marketed her taxidermy and books to otherkin and has written books specifically about otherkin, making her a prominent figure in otherkin spaces.)

[nicopoussain-blog]

Le mur de Bordeaux N°48 par Ruben Carrasco En ce moment à la galerie Magnetic Art Lab pour l’exposition Neoshamans , l’artiste Muraliste Mexicain a participé au Mur de Bordeaux. L’oeuvre est à voir dans les Chartrons , place Avisseau. #Rubencarrasco #Neoshamans #renard #fox #Plmgt #polemagneticartlab #graffitiart #murdebordeaux #Frozentimes #NicoPoussain #Urbanartbordeaux #streetartphotography #streetphotographie #photographiederue #citytrip #Bordeauxmétropole #Bordeauxmaville #Streetartfrance #Streetarteverywhere #Loveart #Bordeauxstreetart #Streetartbordeaux #graffiti_n_wallart #rsa_graffiti #jj_urbanart #tv_streetart #streetartofficial (à M.U.R de Bordeaux) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ddTuDCFwK/?igshid=113d4tqrlchog

[shamandrummer]

Becoming a Shaman

Many people in today's world are being called by spirit to become shamans. A yearning exists deep within many of us to reconnect to the natural world. It is a call to a life lived in balance with awareness of nature, of spirit, and of self. We live in a culture that has severed itself from nature and spirit. Humans have lost touch with the spirit world and the wisdom of inner knowing. The spirits, however, have not forgotten us. They are calling us to a path of environmental sanity, to rejoining the miraculous cycle of nature.

The spirits call many to work with them, but only a few may respond to the call. Choosing to ignore a calling may have undesirable consequences or none at all. For some, it can lead to depression and illness as the life force is constricted and thwarted. Those who choose to follow their shamanic calling may have no idea how to begin.

What do you do if the ancestral shamanic tradition no longer exists in your culture, but you still feel the call today? While traditional, indigenous shamanism continues to decline around the world, shamanic ideology has gradually entered Western humanities and social sciences and developed into the neo-shamanic movement. Neo-shamanism is a term used to describe the creation or revival of a shamanic culture. Most modern shamanic practitioners fall into this category. Neo-shamanism is not a single, cohesive belief system, but a collective term for many such philosophies. Neo-shamans use a variety of core techniques from different shamanic disciplines.

Mircea Eliade, a religious scholar, was perhaps the first to write about neo-shamanism. In his classic work, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Eliade discusses the three stages of becoming a shaman: the Call, Training, and Initiation. The first stage to becoming a healer, as described by Eliade, is that of the calling--this call comes from the family, the community, or from the world beyond. Some are called, initiated and trained by spirit guides and/or human teachers from childhood.

Spirit calls us to a path of shamanism in many ways. It can be as dramatic as a life threatening illness or as simple as a dream. Some people receive signs of a shamanic calling through their dreams. Shamans frequently journey during their dreams, often flying through the air. Shamans may have recurring dreams in which they meet certain animal or teacher figures that are manifestations of the very spirits who are calling them.

The more common signs of a shamanic calling are ones of personality, such as a desire to spend time alone in nature. Shamanic candidates tend to be loners and are often considered eccentric or "different." One of the most reliable signs of a shamanic calling is the urge to learn about shamanism. One of the things I have learned working with spirits is that they often prompt me through urges to do one thing or another. This is a common form of communication and instruction by helping spirits. The very fact that you are reading this post at this time is meaningful. It is the spirits themselves who are guiding you to search for information about shamanism. Your yearning to learn more about shamanism is a sign that the spirits are calling you. The call functions to awaken your own inner knowing and the yearning to express your true self through the artistry of the shaman.

Shamans are called, and then receive rigorous instruction. Training may follow an ordered tradition or take a spontaneous course guided by the shaman's spirit helpers. The function of training is to develop the skills and talents so that shamanic practitioners don't unintentionally hurt themselves or others. Though the spirits give shamans their healing powers, shamans must learn the technique of invoking them. Traditional shamanic training requires considerable devotion and personal sacrifice, not so much to gain power, but to become the person who can wield that power responsibly. Ongoing practice and learning are essential to perfecting any art or skill.

Where does one find shamanic training in the digital age? There are growing numbers of spiritual seekers who learn about shamanism from the internet or through reading the published works of individuals who have received shamanic training. Though a handbook is no substitute for an apprenticeship program, it can convey the fundamental methodological information. Authentic shamanic knowledge can only be acquired through individual experience; however, one must first acquire the methods in order to utilize them. Once you have learned the basic skills, your helping spirits can provide you all the training you need.

Then there is Initiation. Shamanic initiation is a rite of passage, connecting the apprentice shaman intimately to the spirit world. It is typically the final step in shamanic training, though initiation may be set in motion at any time by spirit's intervention into the initiate's life. Ultimately, shamanic initiation takes place between the initiate and the spirit world. It is the spirits who choose and make the shaman.

How does someone embark on the shamanic path? To be an effective shamanic healer, one must go through the three steps. The first step is to acknowledge the calling.

[viadescioism]

Healing Techniques in Applied Shamanism with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.

[wisdomnohokora]

I finally had an opportunity to open my mail and enjoy the contents of my packages. One of those happened to be a treasure trove of goodies I ordered from @stasiaburrington Of this order are two prints I discovered on her Etsy. The first was titled “Ghost” and the second was titled “Double Spoon”. I’m not going to lie, “Ghost” brought tears to my eyes when I saw it. While this piece is about missing someone and grief, I saw a couple in love. As someone who is a spirit spouse, is naturally polyamorous, and has the Kamisama calling, it is hard to find representation due to the controversial nature of this topic in the spiritual community. I understand why, but I do think there should be more understanding that these practices are still alive in certain spiritual lineages and for me and many others they are culturally and spiritually legitimate. I know that in the future I may have to start being less vocal about the shamamic nature of my calling (due to possible future ordination), but for now I want to be open and comfortable about myself and my special relationship with my Kamisama. I’m so grateful for all the support and love I have received until now, so thank you all for being here. I’m definitely going to be framing these and hanging them in my new apartment. ❤️ #stasiaburrington #art #prints #polyamorous #spiritspouse #shinto #kami #gods #kannagi #kamisama #shamanism #neoshamanism #shinshoku (at Honolulu, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPuQwB9HO9J/?utm_medium=tumblr

[urlasage]

.           .       . t r u t h         and authenticity            .     .  .                                         .

are the true healers

[asteroidtroglodyte]

Here’s a game:

In the tags, list your 3 favorite “weird” genres

“I like everything.”

[ax-ov]

Beautiful sound & plant journey last night with 4 beautiful souls! #5DSound #SoundHealing #SacredSpace #Wizardry #NeoShamanism . DM yo learn more about the next one! https://www.instagram.com/p/B4sqEnKh6d1/?igshid=1l6gv0kcdbh1h

[smolccultist]

People who call themselves witches, mystics, or occultists and don’t actually practice or believe in the practice, but rather claim to be part of it just for the aesthetic or because of their feminist values are insensitive as hell. Many people find this a serious religious and/or spiritual framework, a set of practices designed for true believers in the occult, so if you don’t fully believe in what you’re practicing, then why the hell are you here? It’s not cute to impose yourself into a set of beliefs that many find deeply important to themselves for politics or some sort of aesthetic.

[shamandrummer]

8 Core Beliefs of Shamanism

Shamanism is the most ancient and most enduring spiritual tradition known to humanity. It predates and constitutes the foundation of all known religions or religious philosophies. One could view shamanism as the universal spiritual wisdom inherent to all indigenous peoples. It originated among nomadic hunting and gathering societies. These ancient shamanic ways have withstood the tests of time, varying little from culture to culture. Over thousands of years of trial and error, primal peoples the world over developed the same basic principles and techniques of shamanic power and healing. A whole way of life evolved that was based on everything being in right relationship. At the heart of shamanism are the following core beliefs:

1. Everything is interrelated and interdependent. If one species suffers, all others are affected. The health and well-being of humanity is, therefore, dependent upon the overall health of the sentient web of life. The shamanic practitioner is sensitive to this sacred interrelationship and serves as a bridge, linking the human and natural realms. The practitioner's prayerful communion with the natural elements and powers preserves an orderly, harmonious universe.

2. The natural world has two aspects: ordinary everyday awareness, formed by our habitual behaviors, patterns of belief, social norms, and cultural conditioning, and a second non-ordinary awareness accessed through altered states, or trance, induced by shamanic practices such as repetitive drumming. In a non-ordinary state of consciousness, the universe can appear fluid and nonlinear, moral absolutes vanish, death is but a transition and life exists in a variety of forms. Ordinary reality is matter-oriented, while non-ordinary reality is spirit-oriented.

3. Everything is alive and has a spirit. Shamanism is a way of perceiving the nature of the universe in a way that incorporates the normally invisible world where the spirits of all material things dwell. Shamans have different terms and phrases for the unseen world, but most of them clearly imply that it is the realm where the spirits of the land, animals, ancestors, and other spiritual entities dwell. Spirit encompasses all the immaterial forms of life energy that surround us. We are woven together into a net of life energies that are all around us. These energies can appear to us in different forms, such as spirits of nature, animals, or ancestors. The spirit world is the web of life itself.

4. Shamanic practitioners can access other realms of reality. Practitioners employ methods for altering consciousness so that they can send their souls into non-ordinary reality. The act of sending one's soul into non-ordinary reality is called the soul flight or shamanic journey, and it allows the journeyer to view life and life's problems from a detached, spiritual perspective not easily achieved in a state of ordinary consciousness. One of the most universal methods for altering consciousness for this spirit journey is a persistent, mesmerizing drumbeat.

5. Non-ordinary reality is more real than ordinary reality. When a shamanic practitioner enters non-ordinary reality, it is to obtain clarity and understanding about something in the everyday world that is not understood (e.g., Why am I sick? Why did this misfortune happen to me? How can I bring healing to myself and others? What is my mission and purpose in life?). Consequently, that is why shamanic journeying is sometimes called "going to the source." And that makes non-ordinary reality more authentic or real.

6. There are three inner planes of consciousness: the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds. The three realms are linked together by a vertical axis that is commonly referred to as the cosmic axis or World Tree. The roots of the World Tree touch the Lower World. Its trunk is the Middle World and its branches hold up the Upper World. This central axis exists within each of us. Through the sound of the drum, which is invariably made of wood from the World Tree, the shamanic practitioner is transported to the axis within and conveyed from plane to plane.

7. The purpose of shamanic ritual is to engage the spirit world to effect specific changes in the physical world. The ordinary and non-ordinary worlds interact continuously, and a shamanic practitioner can gain knowledge about how to alter ordinary reality by taking direct action in the non-ordinary aspect of the world. From a shamanic perspective, all human experience is self-generated. Experience is shaped from within since the three realms or resonant fields that define our experience of reality exist within each of us. Each human being is a hologram of the universe. Essentially, we are the universe experiencing itself in human form.

8. Shamanism is based on the principle that innate wisdom and guidance can be accessed through the inner senses in ecstatic trance. The essence of shamanism is the experience of direct revelation from within. Shamanism is about remembering, exploring, and developing the true self. Shamanism places emphasis on the individual, of breaking free and discovering your own uniqueness in order to bring something new back to the group. Shamanic practice heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. Once connected with your inner self you can find help, healing, and a continual source of guidance. To practice shamanism is to reconnect with your deepest core values and your highest vision of who you are and why you are here.

Creative Commons photo of Mongol Darkhad shaman performing shamanic ritual by Munkhbayar.B.