Ozark Avalon: Shamanism in 25 Easy Steps

This question could apply to anything in your life; just insert another word instead of "shamanism." For anyone, especially a shaman, not to fall prey to other humans or the control of other entities, she/he must know absolutely why she/he is choosing to do what she/he is doing at any given moment. Emotions or society should not control your decisions and actions. Shamanism is not a game; it is serious spiritual work that will change your life if it is done properly. Decide if you are willing to have your life changed, for you will not emerge from your Otherworld journeys the same as you were before. Ethical behavior will become ingrained; your subconscious mind will become accustomed to avoiding wrong actions, even though you personally on a conscious level may see nothing too bad in what you want to do.

Far too many humans are great talkers and planners, but seldom great doers. It takes a lot of self-discipline to forge ahead to goals, especially if they do not meet the approval of friends and family. If the set of plans or goals requires long-term efforts, humans tend to give up. We are not a patient species. In order to become a shaman, a person met set realistic goals and strive to meet them. And the goals are ongoing, never static. Often we must revise those goals as we change, for our perspective will no longer be the same as it was when we made the goals. The time and effort put into the practice of shamanism is great. Without discipline, the shaman can not find her/his way around the Otherworlds.

Most of us are quite good at the physical side of life. We take care of jobs, homes, family, and pets every day. Many of us also get in extra exercise to keep the body running more smoothly. We think we do a great job by getting this much accomplished. At the end of the day, we park ourselves in front of the television and let our minds go into neutral. Watching television is fine if you think about what you are seeing. If you really think about it, though, you may well find yourself becoming more selective about your choice of programs.

Reading is a better activity if it stimulates your thought processes. Granted, light reading is an excellent way to unwind. However, if you find yourself reading just one type of material all the time, you have locked yourself into a rut and had better consider how to get out.

The spiritual aspect of life seems to be the least stimulated facet of human development. Dealing with spiritual ideas means dealing with the abstract, and most people do not want to put forth the effort required for this. If you do not have these three aspects of your life in balance, your life will not run smoothly. Be warned, balance is not a constant thing. No one ever stays in perfect balance. If you did, you would no longer inhabit the physical body. Constant perfect balance would be a static condition; the laws of the universe do not allow static conditions to exist. Universal laws break down static conditions, reforming the energy into new forms.

Every human, and especially every shaman, must have an ongoing set of goals. Goals and plans have to be periodically revised as the desires and life change. But first you have to have a set of goals. Anyone desiring to become a shaman, or even a better person, can not afford to drift though life. Decide what minor steps you can take to bring your personal life into a better balance on all levels. Don't make your first set of goals so difficult that you give up.

Society and the accepted orthodox religions have done an excellent job of programming humans to fear anything that can not be seen with the physical eyes, touched, and put under a microscope. Children learn very quickly that if they "see" something that no one else sees, they had better keep it to themselves. The penalty for talking about such things is physical punishment for lying and/or endless lectures about hellfire and damnation. A shaman sees a great many things that others do not. To be prepared for this, you must get to the root causes of your negative programming and change it.

Most people do this without thinking about it. For instance, you are introduced to someone and your first impression is one of distrust. You ignore those gut feelings and allow that person into your life, only to pay for it later. You may be driving somewhere when you feel that you want to take an alternative route. Later you discover there was an accident on that stretch of road that would have been dangerous to you or delayed your trip. You think of someone you haven't seen or heard from in a long time, and then you get a letter or telephone call from that person. A shaman has to become aware of her/his intuitive feelings at all times. Intuition is a valuable asset in shamanism.

Too many people go to extremes in sympathy. They either get sucked into every "cause" that comes along, or they totally cut themselves off from helping anyone. As a nation we have never learned to use discrimination and say no to other countries who will never make positive changes or help themselves. We take from our own needy people to support causes that will never bear positive fruit. Nationally and individually, we need to learn to use discrimination and common sense. A shaman needs to know when to say no, and when someone who asks for help really does not want it. Be very honest with yourself on this question. We all fall into this trap at one time or another.

Just because shamanism fills a need within you does not mean it will for someone else. Keep your spiritual, religious opinions to yourself. The orthodox religions should learn to do this and stop trying to force everyone to live by their religious rules. Sooner or later, everyone is drawn to the spiritual practices that best fit their individual needs. Shamanism and Paganism attract very independent, fiercely individualistic people.

However, the time may well come when you are approached for healing by someone in an orthodox religion. Do your shamanic healing by yourself and carefully word your report to her/him. For instance, if the person is Catholic, suggest that she/he pray to a saint and light a candle at church. A Pagan could quite easily accept what the shaman did and saw on her/his journey, but not a Christian. Avoid putting yourself in a position where you are ridiculed or put on the defensive about your belief and practices. One way of doing this is to do your shamanic journeys without others present. And do not proselytize!

Some people who will come to you as a shaman do not want advice or healing. They merely want a shoulder, either to talk out the problems or to cry on for sympathy. A good shaman can quickly discern the differences.

Some people are just natural psychic energy vampires. They have the negative ability to "feed" off the vibrations of others. If they were isolated, these people would constantly be depressed, sick, and without enough energy to keep their lives running smoothly. At the beginning of their careers, most psychics and shamans make the mistake of not protecting their own auras from such vampires. They may even feel it is their duty to help people in this way. But if you want to be a powerful shaman, you must have control over what is done with your auric energy. Shamans tend to have powerful auras that, unfortunately, may attract energy vampires.

Accepting total responsibility for yourself and your life is a difficult concept for most people. If your life as a child was horrible, you chose to experience those things, perhaps so you could be more understanding with others in the same conditions. If your friends are causing you problems, keeping them is your choice. If you are in a rotten, abusive relationship, get out if it. To be an effective shaman, you must accept responsibility for your choices.

One positive way to handle past negatives that occurred in your life is to find one good, positive thing that resulted from each of your experiences. At first it may be difficult to see anything positive in them, but, believe me, that little seed of light is there, probably buried deep under old resentments. When you have discovered that positive seed, you will be amazed at how easy it is for you to begin letting to of the hurtful past.

I have known people who went through all types of therapy and declared that they were free of old resentments, but in the next breath they were emotionally repeating every negative detail of their life. Talking about past experiences in order to help someone else understand they are not alone in their tribulations is one thing; emotionally recalling and dwelling on such events is another. Unfortunately, there is not a one-shot cure for this problem. It takes constant monitoring of your thoughts and words to get this under control and in its proper perspective. Just when you think you have gotten over a negative experience, it will pop up in your mind. Recognize it immediately, dismiss it as irrelevant to your life today, and do not let it gain control of your emotions.

There was a woman in her late thirties who was still fighting for her independence from her controlling mother. The mother had treated her daughter like dirt all her life, favoring the other children and trying to control this daughter's every move. When the daughter did break free, the mother took a new tactic; she developed a heart condition and demanded that the daughter leave her sole supporting job and travel long distances every time the mother had a spell. The daughter soon saw through this and cut the visits back to what she could afford. The other siblings, who had been favored in childhood, found themselves with the responsibility of caring for a manipulating, ever-sick parent. They began to use guilt tactics, but the daughter remained firm in her decision. She is quite happy with her choice and learned to be aware of her own actions, so she would not repeat the scenario with her own children.

A shaman can not afford to practice manipulation, intimidation, and deception. Such behavior tends to rebound, almost always in a nasty way. Also a shaman needs to be aware when someone else is playing this game with her/himself or others. You can not help or heal a person who does not want to be helped or healed. For some people, their illness is the way they control those around them.

If you answer yes to this question, you are not alone. Every single human being struggles with patience. The practice of patience is an on-going experience. To the shaman, impatience may be a signal that she/he is approaching the problem from the wrong angle, trying to force a solution that is not meant to be, or not listening clearly to inner voices.

What effect does a sunset have on you in a moment of calmness? The sight of moonlight on fresh snow? When you see beautiful nature scenes, does something in you yearn to express itself, yet you can not find adequate words?

Nature itself should inspire you, refresh you, and give you new hope. Unfortunately, most humans spend little time relating to nature or taking the time to enjoy a sunset or a Full Moon. To the shaman, all of nature is related, and therefore, part of her/himself. Nothing in nature is disconnected, animate and inanimate are all part of a whole picture and being. A shaman must re-establish her/his connection with nature in order to journey successfully to the Otherworlds.

Obviously, atheists will not be attending a retreat on the spiritual power of shamanism. There is no right way or wrong way when it comes to describing a Supreme Power. It does not matter if you use God, Goddess, Allah, or any other name to designate the Ultimate Creating Power of the universe, only that you acknowledge that such power exists. A shaman will find her/himself dealing with some aspects of this power throughout her/his journeys.

A shaman has to be aware of all her/his moods and track down the possible causes. It has long been known that the Moon, and especially a Full Moon, affects humans mentally and emotionally. After all, most of a human body is water, and the Moon affects bodies of water on Earth. Most violent crime is committed during a full Moon; hospitals have the most trouble with mentally ill patients at this time.

Some people find that a Full Moon sets off bouts of nervous energy and makes them more attuned to the psychic. If this is your case, you will probably find that you do your best shamanic journeys and meditations during this time. The first and biggest problem you will have, though, is training yourself to relax, instead of feeling that you want to run into the streets screaming.

The New Moon is less powerful but can affect some people with bouts of lethargy. This phase of the Moon often works best for some shamans when they journey into the Underworld.

Seasons of the year symbolize certain phases of human spiritual growth to the subconscious mind. The shaman realizes that she/he progresses through a series of repeating growth cycles, as do all people, indeed all creation. Realizing where she/he is in a cycle at any given time helps the shaman to determine what needs to be worked upon.

Spring stands for new beginnings, childhood and youth, new relationships, and new ideas. If people become locked into the spring attitude, they often do not want to let go of their childhood or take further responsibilities.

Summer is a time of parenting, the center of work cycles, reveling in sexuality, and being responsible for yourself and others. Being locked into this attitude, people reject mature, responsible relationships and planned work patterns. They try to be external parents, even when the children are grown. Sexuality and sexual conquests may become an obsession, as if such forced activity will prove there is not such thing as aging.

Autumn is symbolic of harvesting the results of job and plans, taking more time for spiritual pursuits, and becoming comfortable with your physical body as it is, not as society tells you it should be. An autumn-centered person constantly worries about aging and looks, parties and activities are more important than finding a spiritual center, and no goals are set job-wise beyond the next paycheck.

Winter is probably the most difficult for humans, as it symbolizes rest, growing older, facing death, and preparing for new, unknown challenges. People locked into winter attitude are always trying to appear younger than they are; plastic surgeons make millions off this type. They are at a loss when faced with only their own company and seldom, if ever, think about death, new challenges, or spiritual ideas.

All humans dream; we just do not make the effort to remember those dreams. Most dreams are clocked in symbology that is different for each person; no dream book will help much. For example, dream books say that dreaming of cats is bad luck; for cat lovers, obviously this is not true. There are a few universal symbols, however, that seem to hold true. Mud and manure are said to represent wealth and money.

A shaman needs to keep a dream journal so she/he can date and record each dream, later adding notes as to what happened that might be an interpretation. By keeping such a journal, the shaman will remember dreams better, can chart the influence the Moon has on dreaming, and have an exact date and record when dreamed events do occur.

Not everyone who undergoes these experiences will have changes in their spiritual views, but a shaman will certainly have had such transformations. One does not have to have a near-death experience to undergo great personal changes. An illness, surgery, tragic end to a relationship, or loss of a loved one is often enough to send a natural, but undeveloped, shaman seeking along new spiritual paths.

Shamans are great animal lovers. It does not mean their homes are overflowing with a variety of animals; it means they are fascinated by all creatures of the animal kingdom, and very likely of the plant kingdom as well. A shaman instinctively knows which animals she/he can approach and which to leave alone. This instinctive knowledge is a type of intuitive communication. A shaman may not personally like some animals, but she/he can, at the same time, marvel at their beauty of movement and design. Shamanic journeys always encounter a variety of animals, and the shaman must be ready and willing to communicate with them, even if she/he dislikes the physical appearance of that creature.

Practicing shamanism requires a balanced view of all things. At the same time, the shaman must learn when to be open to new ideas and when to reject them. Being to liberal will lead the shaman into wrong, possibly negative, situations, while being too conservative will keep the shaman from progressing at all.

If you value a certain social position, you will never become a dedicated shaman. A shaman is intensely individualistic, yet willing to help others and the Earth. She/he needs privacy for the journeying and meditations; numerous social functions simply do not fit into the schedule. The very act of practicing shamanism will, to varying degrees, create a separateness to a shaman's life; she/he quickly learns that sharing the experiences with people who are not like-minded will precipitate negative remarks concerning the shaman's mental condition and eccentricity.

Some people just cannot keep quiet about anything; their whole life is on public record. A shaman knows that excessive talking diminishes her/his power. Sometimes a shaman will not even speak of the details of a journey to the person for whom it was done, especially if that person shows any sign of disbelief. Disbelief can kill shamanic power quicker than anything else. Another reason for keeping silent about your beliefs and practices is that orthodox groups can, and likely will, work against you.

A shaman hears many personal details of lives and must keep quiet about these. To gossip about what you are told breaks the bond of confidence that a shaman needs to build between her/himself and the patient. One time I had a "friend" and psychic ask me to share with her what I knew about one of my patents. I was so shocked at the blatantness of the request for personal information that it took me several minutes of stammering to say "No, I don't do that." The "friend" went off in a huff and we seldom communicate now. A shaman may also be told important things while journeying, things that the spiritual entities may tell you for your ears only. If you break that bond of trust with them, they will not tell you anything else.

A shaman values her/his aloneness, knowing that spiritual messages and guidance come through during these times of quiet. Shamanic guides and helpers cannot compete with the noisy, preoccupied conscious mind, nor will they try.