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MOTH
Wild Woman


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 23,431
Loc: In the jungle
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The "Path of the Shaman" ....how?
#3166368 - 09/23/04 03:58 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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I am interested in shamanism. Can anyone be a shaman? How is it done? If I wanted to be an actual shaman, what kind of changes/sacrifices would I have to make in my life?
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Todcasil
rogue DMT elf


Registered: 08/09/99
Posts: 16,381
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: MOTH]
#3166464 - 09/23/04 04:20 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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you must undergo a death and rebirth experience. that is the second requirement. there are MANY ways that this can be done.
i am a shaman, but not of the normal sort.
of real shamnism my working knowledge pales in comparison to some on this forum, so i will leave them to explain it to you.
my path is my own though, as should your be your own. take whatever anyone tells you with a grain of salt. you will find your spirits, and your quest will be shown to you in due time, alone.
perhaps you already know?
seek out the spirits of nature, and your neighbors, the moon the sun the stars. so many of them are willing to show you the way.
all journeys are taken alone, no matter who you bring along. remember this.
peace
-------------------- Men look at themselves and they see flawed humans, we look at women and we see perfect GODDESSES Women look at themselves and they seem utterly human, when looking at men they see proud GODS. ~Casil
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Todcasil
rogue DMT elf


Registered: 08/09/99
Posts: 16,381
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: Todcasil]
#3166469 - 09/23/04 04:21 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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also,
read the amanita primer on my signature. it has some wonderful information for those seeking a shamans eyes.
-------------------- Men look at themselves and they see flawed humans, we look at women and we see perfect GODDESSES Women look at themselves and they seem utterly human, when looking at men they see proud GODS. ~Casil
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truekimbo2
Cya later, friends.


Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 9,234
Loc: ny
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: Todcasil]
#3167137 - 09/23/04 06:25 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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this only recently became a very neat question to me. in a very long meditation session (about 4 hours) i kept repeating the question of why i can see so many illusiary/real layers to things when it seems to do me more harm then good.
suddenly i got an image in my head of the "first shaman" who told me that for me thats what shamanism is about, being able to move from one set of rules/perceptions to the next fluidly. i was also told that the differnce bettween a "dark" shaman and a "light" shaman is that a dark shaman uses/moves the differnt worlds out of fear, to escape things/limitations. a light shaman uses the same thing to enjoy himself/herself as best as possible. i was told that niether one is worse than the other.
so i guess the real question is what type of shaman do you want to be?
-------------------- You can check the last post in my journal for contact info.
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Huehuecoyotl
Fading Slowly


Registered: 06/14/04
Posts: 10,679
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: MOTH]
#3167459 - 09/23/04 07:10 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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To be an actual shaman requires many years of discipline and training. A shaman (or shamaness)is a healer. They are not sorcerers who bend reality ala Don Juan. Todcasil refers to a death and rebirth experience. This is not a literal thing. Usually it involves the shaman unsergoing a serious personal crisis sometimes concerning mental illness, but often it is brought on by personal mismanagement such as a substance abuse problem or a divorce or exile that calls the shaman's sanity into question. This is the symbolic death. The shaman as a last resort manages to heal themselves through spiritual means. This is the symbolic rebirth. Read Mircea Eliade's "Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy" and you will see this story of crisis and recovery told many times over. It is at this point that the shaman's training begins because he/she has demonstrated a basic mastery of the spirit. I have studied shamanism in books and first hand for 11 years now and I would not pretend to call myself a shaman. I underwent this type of crisis 8 years ago due to a severe bought with alcoholism. I was at the point of losing everything dear to me through my foolishness and addiction, and nothing I tried (not even AA) worked. I underwent a 3 day vision quest (no drugs) and was healed by the vision I recieved. Quite simply God told me to how to end the misery I was experiencing. From that day on I have experienced no signs of alcoholism. My liver had shown signs of damage and I had been told by a doctor that my liver was failing. A physical 3 months after this experience showed no signs of liver damage. What had been an interest in shamanism went full blown at that point. During this time my health has improved drastically. My vision which was 20/80 in both eyes has gone to 20/20. My weight has dropped from 350 to 220 (I am about 6'4" so I can carry a bit of weight), and a hearing loss I sustained as a young man has corrected itself until my hearing tests now register no loss. I do not attribute this to "magic" or dancing around a fire. The shamanic belief system that I adopted has led me to place faith in the spirit and myself while encouraging me to engage in a healthy, harmonious lifestyle. The path of the shaman is about healing only...healing the self and others...it is not about PSI, UFOs, or exploring alternate dimensions. Do not expect to become a full fledged shaman unless you can use this knowledge to heal others as well as yourself. Oh yeah, anyone can call themselves a shaman so beware of false "masters" they are common. I have met, in 11 years, one actual shaman. Another book which can give you a good rundown of the shamanic experience is "The Way of the Shaman" by Michael Harner it is a good read as Mr. Harner can write well.
Edited by Huehuecoyotl (09/23/04 02:14 PM)
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


Registered: 05/28/04
Posts: 27,202
Loc: Iceland
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: truekimbo2]
#3167461 - 09/23/04 07:10 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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my program for becoming a shaman:
1. practice some form of 'stopping the world' a meditation to stop the internal dialouge. practice long and hard and often.
2. Practice lucid dreaming extensively and keep a dream journal. Lucid dreaming will become a valuable tool for reaching shamanic realms, dealing with spirits etc
3. First ritual vision quest a. Spend the day fasting on water, green tea, fruit and veggies. Clear your schedule, unhook your phone etc. b. Meditate for a period of no less than one hour in the manner you have been cultivating. c. Ritual stretching and deep breathing D. cleansing in shower or bath E. Intake 5-10 grams dried psilocybin or a huge bong rip of salvia extract
Keep the formula for the 'heros journey' in mind
(what called you to this quest? answer the call. Pass the threshold of no return. Pass the guardian/gatekeeper (with aid from totem?) trials and revelations. Death. Rebirth. The world is changed)
continue your meditations cycles. Practice shamanic drumming and dreaming.
Once every month or two, perform a new ritual vision quest. Try to get out to nature.
Without drugs, try to make one or two excursions into wilderness solitude, day trips and hiking alone in wilderness, trying to listen to the sounds and sights of nature and feel its rythm.
(shamanic dreaming can involve many things. Pick up carlos' castanedas Art of Dreaming, and a book on senoi dream practices.)
then, when you are ready, make a pilgramage to the rainforest for an eco friendly excursion. See the ruins and pyramids of mexican cultures. If you dare, do mushrooms on the pyramids. Spend the night on one. Under a full moon
Learn a spirit song that you sing in your lucid dreams and during your trips.
Ask for lessons from dream and trip entities.
seek out the instruction of a real shaman.
Pick up all the good literature on the subject and strain it through the filter of your own experience.
--------------------
Everything I post is fiction.
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entiformatie
EvolutionaryMovements

Registered: 03/06/03
Posts: 1,043
Loc: miami, florida
Last seen: 14 years, 2 months
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: Huehuecoyotl]
#3167861 - 09/23/04 08:18 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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good post Huehuecoyotl
-------------------- /opinion
.sean
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redgreenvines
irregular verb


Registered: 04/08/04
Posts: 33,780
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: MOTH]
#3168716 - 09/23/04 11:25 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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good work. healing is where it is at.
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Huehuecoyotl
Fading Slowly


Registered: 06/14/04
Posts: 10,679
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: Moonshoe]
#3171150 - 09/24/04 02:45 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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"3. First ritual vision quest a. Spend the day fasting on water, green tea, fruit and veggies. Clear your schedule, unhook your phone etc. b. Meditate for a period of no less than one hour in the manner you have been cultivating. c. Ritual stretching and deep breathing D. cleansing in shower or bath E. Intake 5-10 grams dried psilocybin or a huge bong rip of salvia extract "
This is not how a vision quest is conducted. First go into the forest alone with no food (some native tribes would allow no water, but it is not widely recomended) and a blanket. On a mountain side is ideal. Lay down the blanket and build a circle of stones (10ft or so) around it. Then sit down and remain for 3 days. No drugs should be ingested as your body and mind will be highly stressed. Sit there and try not to even sleep. Take note of your surroundings. If you see something out of the ordinary make note of it. If you drift off and dream or see a hallucination make note of it. On the morning of the third day go home. In 3 days go back over your memories or notes and sort out your vision. Sometimes it will be so dramatic that you will know your vision at the time it occurs, usually it is very subtle and well hidden. That is a quick breakdown. I encourage you to seek more info as well.
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psyka
Praetorian


Registered: 06/09/03
Posts: 1,652
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: Huehuecoyotl]
#3172486 - 09/24/04 06:41 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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I inherited that book you speak of; but its buried away somewhere. Due to your post I'm going to search for it and see if it will help me learn help others. Thank you for an inciteful view of shamanism I did not know before
-------------------- As the life of a candle,
my wick will burn out.
But, the fire of my mind
shall beam into infinite.

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Huehuecoyotl
Fading Slowly


Registered: 06/14/04
Posts: 10,679
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: MOTH]
#3172590 - 09/24/04 06:59 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


Registered: 05/28/04
Posts: 27,202
Loc: Iceland
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: Huehuecoyotl]
#3173041 - 09/24/04 08:26 AM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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In my oppinion, any time you undertake a quest to have a vision, it is a vision quest. I mean , globally every primitive culture uses a different method to achieve visions, some with drugs, some without. I was just trying to give some exdperiences and techniques an average person can do... i mean some tribes used to climb naked into a tree for days at a time with no food and water, and if that didnt work theyd cut off their fingers one at a time until a vision came. Other tribes hung from trees by hooks in their chests. Still others just danced and chanted. But their all good.
Once you have some experience i hightly advise taking a trip into deep solitary wilderness area with a drum, some dried fruit and water and a big pile of shrooms
I also always pray to the spirit of the mushroom and of nature for a valuable lesson and a good trip.
--------------------
Everything I post is fiction.
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bmarley3434
wildwalker


Registered: 08/17/04
Posts: 1,162
Loc: nj
Last seen: 6 years, 9 months
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: Moonshoe]
#3173589 - 09/24/04 12:03 PM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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the importance is inner ritual.. smacking yourself in the forehead for 3 days will work as long as it is your inner communication with the power of ritual.. a great book on true accounts of tons of symbolic deaths and rebirths is called shamanic voices.. by joan halifax, ph.d this book is no joke
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CJay
Dark Stranger


Registered: 02/03/04
Posts: 931
Loc: Riding a bassline
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: MOTH]
#3174240 - 09/24/04 06:22 PM (18 years, 4 months ago) |
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You will know your path.....Follow your instincts and stay strong.
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Ozekat
Cosmic Observer



Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 186
Loc: Kentucky
Last seen: 10 years, 2 months
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: CJay]
#8170382 - 03/20/08 12:00 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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this thread has a good feel to it.
that pic you posted is beautiful, huehuecoyotl.
-------------------- Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. - Chinese Proverb
Beauty & Simplicity
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eve69
--=..Did Adam and ...?=--



Registered: 05/01/03
Posts: 3,871
Loc: isle de la muerte
Last seen: 5 years, 7 months
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: MOTH]
#8170520 - 03/20/08 02:55 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
MOTH said: I am interested in shamanism. Can anyone be a shaman? How is it done? If I wanted to be an actual shaman, what kind of changes/sacrifices would I have to make in my life?
It's pretty easy and to start you might read, "Way of the Shaman." Some structured visualizations and connecting with power animal, learning to drum to capture it, and to focus. Can be done with others. It would be cool to get a Shroomery Shamanism group together. We could meet at a sacred power spot every year.
-------------------- ...or something
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eve69
--=..Did Adam and ...?=--



Registered: 05/01/03
Posts: 3,871
Loc: isle de la muerte
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: eve69]
#8170531 - 03/20/08 03:02 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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The term -shaman- has been appropriated many countless ways, but typically it refers to the native means and methods of sourcing your power and learning to use it. I am a shaman of the Tibetan Buddhist school. But I do nothing more elaborate than chant one particular mantra. That's all I need to do. But I am not by any means a shaman like a native Indian. There are shamans and shamans. A real shaman should study the subject and know the various tools at their disposal. And lineages. The shaman cannot be separated from their lineage.
-------------------- ...or something
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MOTH
Wild Woman


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 23,431
Loc: In the jungle
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: eve69]
#8170877 - 03/20/08 06:04 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Damn this thread is old.
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eve69
--=..Did Adam and ...?=--



Registered: 05/01/03
Posts: 3,871
Loc: isle de la muerte
Last seen: 5 years, 7 months
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: MOTH]
#8171533 - 03/20/08 08:42 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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But we're all still here, and the knowledge is timeless
-------------------- ...or something
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MOTH
Wild Woman


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 23,431
Loc: In the jungle
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Re: The "Path of the Shaman" ....how? [Re: eve69]
#8171600 - 03/20/08 08:56 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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True. Though I'm still interested in shamanism, I'm more interested in walking my own path, which doesn't seem to adhere to any particular mode of being or doctrine.
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