What does a shaman do?
A shaman is a holistic practitioner who functions as a bridge between everyday reality and spiritual dimensions. The connections a shaman creates include living beings, plants, the elements, and extend to spiritual beings, helper energies, and deities. Techniques such as trance states, dancing, singing, drumming, and rituals are used.
This ability to access different levels of consciousness in order to connect with the spiritual dimension makes shamanic work so unique. Whether someone is a shaman depends on the connection to the spiritual world. The spirits therefore decide whether someone is a shaman or not.
Shamanism begins in nature
Energy arises from the source and forms the elements, and these in turn create living beings, plants, and all achievements of modern life. Due to the complexity of objects and information in modern societies, we quickly forget that everything is made of the elements and that we will also return there again.
The shaman works especially with this knowledge, in contrast to science or technological development. He knows which plant has which energetic character, which contents help with which illness, which element in the body is not in balance in the case of an illness, and he knows the corresponding deity or the planet in the case of a karmic problem.
The knowledge of the shaman arises through the connection to the elements, which we find in the purest material form in nature. The energetic and spiritual dimensions from which the elements arise can be accessed through this connection. The classical elements fire, water, earth, and air have a spirit that embodies these elements, so called elementals. The spirit serves as a bridge between the material and the spiritual.
Cultural and local influences
What a shaman does depends strongly on region, culture, language, and upbringing. Practitioners from the same region can use completely different techniques and objects that are culturally shaped in a similar way. Shamans from the same bloodline sometimes follow fixed rules of a tradition in order to maintain the power of the rituals. Worldwide, similar rituals can often be found again, only with different words and materials.
As a rule, a shaman has knowledge of the local spirits, helper energies, and deities, as well as the plant world in the region where he grew up. Often, students from other parts of the world are trained and take this knowledge with them in order to practice in their own region. The place and its tradition have the greatest influence on how a shaman uses techniques, rituals, and objects.
Function of a shaman in the community
A community in a village consists of various specialists. Farmers, craftsmen, hunters, and a shaman who is responsible for the psychological and spiritual balance of the community. It is also not unusual for the shaman to have a normal job, because in most cases this practice does not earn enough money to support a family.
In areas where these communities have largely dissolved, shamans still work according to the same principles, with the difference that people come to them who are part of a very large and dispersed community.
Daily work of a shaman
Because the spiritual world influences every area of life, people come with very different problems. Whether it is the blessing of a newborn child, a curse on the family, a skin rash, or money problems. For this, the shaman needs various helper energies, techniques, and rituals.
- One on one conversations with spiritual guidance, a combination of counselling and spiritual knowledge such as astrology, karma, and soul
- Interpretation of dreams and signs, interpretation of spiritual messages, predictions, or astrological knowledge
- Shamanic healing, healing through energetic and spiritual techniques such as Ayurvedic medicine, mantra, or physical applications
- Rituals, adapted rituals such as fire rituals, ancestor rituals, or offerings
- Establishing contact with ancestors, nature spirits, and higher energies through channeling or trance
- Cleansing of the energy body, aura, chakras, nadis
It is decided on site which combinations are carried out in order to achieve the best possible result. Some shamans are very specialized in a direction such as astrology or healing, while others cover all fields.
Daily rituals of a shaman
Shamanic Space
Some shamans perform daily rituals, while others do not. In principle, this is about maintaining the connection to the spirits. Ancestor spirits require different rituals than helper energies or deities in rhythm, scope, and intensity. Typical daily rituals of a shaman are:
- Connection with the directions and the three worlds, upper world, middle world, and underworld
- Connection with the elements, fire, water, air, earth, ether
- Ritual for the ancestors, deities, planets, or the universe
- Meditation, singing, dancing, drumming, or inducing trance states
- Energetic cleansing of the body and the environment
This is also about a personal relationship and respect, and remembering the importance of these connections every day. A connection should not be established only when the village is burning or diseases break out, that would be disrespectful. A shaman does not work alone, and the effect of his actions depends on the relationships with the spiritual world.
Process of a shamanic session
Consultation and first meeting
The personal connection is essential. Mutual liking is not strictly necessary, but a relaxed atmosphere supports the healing process significantly. In this conversation the problem is analyzed and clarified whether and how shamanic help is possible. Sometimes no treatment is advisable, for example in the case of unfavorable planetary constellations.
Shamanic session
The actual treatment includes various rituals and techniques to resolve the problem. Depending on tradition and complexity, a session can last a few minutes or several days. In their diversity such sessions differ fundamentally. With touch or without touch. From energetic dancing, singing, and drumming to simply sitting without doing anything at all. Fundamentally everything comes together here, and in every case a relief of negative symptoms is aimed for, on whatever level they may occur.
Follow up treatment
For long term healing, the client often receives mantras, rituals, or Ayurvedic remedies for independent practice. Follow up visits can be useful after some time.
Rituals in a shamanic session
Various rituals are available that can be combined individually. Each of these rituals has its own energy and effect. In the form of an offering, they provide support for the respective level, which can provide helpful support in the case of a conflict.
Planet ritual
For karmic problems and themes connected with life cycles, destiny, or cosmic influences. It connects the power of the planets with healing energy. The planets are fundamental because they influence our karma and our subconscious.
Fire ritual
For energetic cleansing on all levels. Fire transforms heavy energies, brings light into the system, and strengthens life force. Fire is an element that is used for cleansing and a tool for the shaman to assert himself against negative energies.
Offering ritual
Used to remove foreign, negative energies through offerings to energies that are in turn able to remove them. These are elementals, regional deities, spirits, ghosts, or other helper energies. This ritual exists in many variants and forms in all traditions.
Ancestor ritual
Through the connection to the ancestors, objects can be offered to them. This can be combined with a fire ritual or simply with a place where we bring together the elements and gifts. Ancestors are very powerful in supporting healing on all levels.
The shaman as a teacher
As a spiritual teacher a shaman can instruct students long term in various disciplines. This includes yoga, Ayurveda, or shamanic knowledge in order to strengthen their mental and physical strength. Such a teacher can also establish the connection to the spirits if they agree. Through this someone also becomes a shaman or can at least work as a healer. It is also not uncommon for such a mentor to be knowledgeable in other fields and therefore teach broader, cross cutting information.
What does a shaman do and what does he work with?
A shaman is a holistic practitioner who acts as a bridge between everyday reality and spiritual dimensions. He creates connections to plants, elements, fire, water, earth, air, ancestors, helper energies, or deities, and uses methods such as trance states, drumming, singing, dancing, and rituals. Whether someone acts as a shaman depends strongly on this lived connection to the spiritual world.
Why do people seek shamanic help?
People come with very different themes: financial worries, heartbreak, curses, karmic blockages, physical complaints, or energetic burdens. Depending on the situation a shaman combines different approaches, for example spiritual counselling including karma, astrology, soul, dream and sign interpretation, shamanic techniques such as mantra, physical applications, Ayurvedic approaches, rituals, as well as contact with ancestors and nature spirits through trance or channeling, plus cleansing of the energy body, aura, chakras, nadis.
How does a shamanic session work?
The process is usually three part. First a consultation and first meeting to clarify the concern and assess whether and how shamanic help makes sense, sometimes treatment is not recommended, for example with unfavorable constellations. Second the shamanic session with suitable techniques and rituals, duration and approach can vary greatly. Third follow up treatment, often with mantras, rituals, or remedies for independent practice and possibly later follow up appointments.
Which rituals does a shaman use and what are they intended for?
In a session different rituals can be combined individually, for example an ancestor ritual for connection and support through the ancestors, often with gifts and elements, a planet ritual for karmic themes, life cycles, cosmic influences, a fire ritual for energetic cleansing, transformation of heavy energies, strengthening life force, and an offering ritual for removing foreign or negative energies through offerings and calming underlying dynamics, with offerings to elementals, regional deities, spirits, ghosts, or other helper energies.
