Q&A: "How Did You Become A Shaman?" and "How Does One Become A Shaman?"

My favorite book explaining shamanism is the Pocket Guide To Shamanism by Tom Cowan.  It is a tiny book divided into two parts: The Traditional Shaman and the Urban Shaman.

In this book you will learn how traditional shamans become shamans.  How someone born in a tribal, shamanic culture is chosen and groomed for the shaman's path.

You will also learn how an Urban Shaman (someone who was raised in the modern world) is called and trained on the path.

Both paths are regarded as equal and valid in this book.  When I was just starting out, Urban Shaman that I am, I found that comforting.

How Does One Become A Shaman?

How do you become a shaman?  The short answer is: you are called to the path and then you are trained.

Whether you keep seeing books about it, you feel a past life connection to it or someone (or something) tells you to get off your butt and get on with it...there are messages that draw you to it.

Do not be afraid to study up on shamanism.  But be open to the outcome.

Perhaps you will learn a bit and then feel "done".  You can then smile and thank shamanism and move on to the next interest you feel drawn to.  Sometimes we only need to learn a thing or two to complete a particular cycle.

But if you keep wanting to learn more and more and you feel "called" to become a shaman: go for it.  You are being called for a reason.

"But I'm Just A Kid From Michigan!"
When I felt the call to study shamanism I was conflicted.  I was a girl from Michigan with Polish ancestors - what did I know about being a shaman?  What right did I have?

Since my early days of feeling insecure I have come to understand a few things.

One is that shamanism is 25,000 years old and is found on every continent.  Shamanism is about a connection between the visible and the spirit worlds.  It has to do with healing and coming into right relationship with yourself and the earth.  It is not just Native American.  It is deeper and older than that.

In fact, the term "shaman" is Siberian.  So while I felt called to shamanism and I fretted that I wasn't a Native American I realized that there is a balance between honoring the native path of the land where I live (USA) and recognizing and honoring the natural human and spiritual path in all of us.

Also,  I realized that we have many, many past lives.  You happen to be one color or ancestral origin in this lifetime - what about the others?

And lastly - Mother Earth has a say in this, too.  I firmly believe she has a conscious way about her... and why wouldn't she want more shamans honoring the Earth?  Do you consider yourself called to action on her behalf?

All that being said, I do my best to honor the native people of America.  I call myself a "shamanic practitioner" and not a "shaman".  Which is one way to show that you are a practitioner of the shamanic arts and an Urban Shaman vs. someone who is pretending to be, or mistaking themselves for, a native shaman.

How Do You Train To Become A Shaman?
There are two ways you can be trained in shamanism:

• If you can hear or communicate with your Spirit Guides, they can train you.
• You can work with a shamanic training program and shamanic practitioner who will train you.

Search around until you find the the person or the program that really speaks to you.  There ARE differences in how the shamanic practice is taught, so make sure you know what you are getting into.

One thing to consider is what symbolism speaks to you.  Do you want to work with native symbology and ceremony?

For example my adopted spirit-mom, Maria Yraceburu, is a Quero Apache holyone.  She has a training program.  From her you learn the traditional methods.  You go on Vision Quest.  You learn the Quero Apache names for things.

If you train with an Urban Shaman you will learn things - but all in English.

How do you know who to train with?

You have to listen to your gut.  Learning about shamanic practices may make you feel nervous or even scared - but it should always be a "good" scared - something you know you must do and you want to do but perhaps need help in doing.

If you feel "bad" in any way about your shamanic teacher do not assume you are just a neophyte who doesn't know better.  You do know better.  Go out and find a teacher you feel good about - even if they intimidate you.  It's got to be a "good" intimidation - you know what I mean?

There Are Different Types of Shamans
The other fantastic thing about the Pocket Guide I mention is that it talks about the different types of shamans that exist.  There wasn't just one shaman for a community; there were several who specialized in different areas.

Some shamans were herbalists.  Some were ceremonialists.  Some where "psychic" advisers.  Some were healers.

You do not have to know everything to be a shamanic practitioner - you can specialize in a few or one area.  For example, I am very good at soul retrieval and spiritual or psychic advising, but I do not know traditional ceremony or herbs.

How Do You Know You Are Ready?
When you find the right program or way to learn shamanism that feels right to you then you are ready to start learning.

It's the same with becoming a professional practitioner.

When you feel ready to make the leap - leap!  Sometimes you feel nervous about it, but somewhere in your gut you feel it is time.  If you are rushing things or if you feel impatient you are not ready.

Also, when people start asking you to work with them, perhaps that is a message that you are ready.  Again, you have to live it, but you will know - so will those around you - especially if you surround yourself with people of integrity.

More Shamans Are Awakening
If you are feeling called to shamanism then you are feeling called to shamanism.  Go for it.

There are more shamanic practitioners and shamans "waking up" every day.  It's a part of the evolution of our planet.  You are here for a reason.  Do not deny it.  Make the best of it, have fun with it, learn from it, let it heal you but most of all - get going on it!  We need you!

How I Became A Shaman
I have always felt a bit psychic although I never knew what to do with it.  Mostly I read up on astrology trying to figure out my relationships and dating life.

One day I read a book that said if I wanted to have a relationship with my Spirit Guides I should just say that every day.  So, every day (usually getting ready in the bathroom before work) I would say "I'm ready to have a relationship with my Spirit Guides" and then I would go about my business.

One day while doing the dishes I heard a voice.  It was a deep, male voice.  I can't remember what he said, but it was a short hello of some sort.  I didn't tell him to go away, mostly I wondered if I fancied myself a man from the south somewhere in my psyche (my mom was a psychologist).

Birds and Burials
A lot of things happened after that.  A Peregrine Falcon crashing through my window was one.  My mom was hanging out with a guy named "Bear" at the time who told me how to honor my bird with a burial involving sage, tobacco, red cloth and the head facing north.

I had no idea about any of this, but I did the burial because I felt like I should.  Not a "your mom is going to be mad at you" should... but a deep gut-thudding "should".

While I was hiking with the bird I started to hear the wind.  I could understand the trees.  It was very surreal.

After that I wanted to find a shaman to explain all of this to me but I couldn't locate one.  A series of wrong phone numbers and dead ends led me to yell at God saying, "If you want me to find a shaman, you'll send me one.  I give up!"

A year or so went by.

I had an out-of-body experience that urged me to leave Los Angeles and move to San Diego.  I did.

As soon as I moved to San Diego a new friend in a local improv troupe emailed.  "My shaman friend is going to bless our new theatre with a ceremony - want to join us?"

Yes!

My First Ceremony
As soon as I met him he said, "Welcome home".  I cried.  Hard.  And I saw and heard things that day that I couldn't explain.

A while later I had my Kundalini Awakening with this shaman that I write about in this post where I saw all of my Spirit Guides for the first time.

Later he taught me how to do a soul retrieval and how to unscrew chakras.  But all of my information, everything else, came directly from my Spirit Guides.

Self-Study
For one year I went on a shamanic journey every day and I wrote about it.  I did what my Guides advised.  They told me to open a Shamanic Healing Arts Center and I did.  And somewhere in there I started doing healings with people.

The process of opening up to shamanism scared me, I'll admit, but it was easy to keep moving forward with it.  I was very excited and I felt driven with purpose.  I also had a fantastic friend and spiritual partner, Mellissa, who was also waking up to her gifts at the same time.  (She was the one who wrote to me about the theatre.)

We spoke on the phone every day.  We did journey work together.  We shared everything.  It made is so much easier to have a partner with me during that time.  She is a fantastic spiritual healer and she is still doing shamanic healings today.

It wasn't until after a year of running a Center and healing people that I read my first book on shamanism - the Pocket Guide I mention at the beginning of this post.  I have never been one for studying spiritual things much.  I go to workshops now and again but mostly I just channel or ask my Guides directly.

(Although I have to admit I was very relieved to hear from a published source that I had been doing it right all along!  Everything my Spirit Guides told me was what a shamanic trainer would have told me.)

There Is No Right Path - Only YOUR Path
I have a very "distinct" story about becoming a shaman.  My tale involves birds crashing through windows and surreal out-of-body experiences.  But that doesn't mean my story is any better or worse that anyone else's.

Do not wait for a bird to crash through your window.  If you are feeling the urge to study the path of shamanism then you already have the message.

Welcome home!

Comments

[Cori]

Thank-you,
That was just the information I needed. Easy to understand and right to the point. Helps put things in perspective.

[Alora Cheek]

You're welcome, Cori!