How Does One Become A Shaman?
The Call to be a Shaman is often related to a near death experience by the person.
Among the traditional examples are being struck by lightening, a fall from a height, a serious life-threatening illness or lucid dream experiences in which the candidate dies or has some organs consumed and replaced and is thus reborn. Survival of these initial inner and outer brushes with death provides the Shaman with personal experiences which strengthen his or her ability to work effectively with others.
Having experienced something, a Shaman is more likely to understand what must be done to correct a condition or situation. Although some have wondered if the experience of Shamanic ecstasy or flight makes a person a Shaman, we would say no.
A Shaman is more than someone with an experience.
First, years of training under an experienced teacher are required before one becomes a traditional Shaman.
Second, a Shaman is not just an initiate who has received inner and outer training, but is a master of Shamanic journeying and techniques of Shamanic ecstasy.
Finally, a Shaman is a link or bridge between this world and the next. This is a sacred trust and a service to the wiccan community.
Sometimes a community that a Shaman serves is rather small such as a Coven. In other instances it may be an entire tradition.
One becomes a Shaman by one of three methods:
Hereditary means- (A Spontaneous spiritual call or selection by a Shaman.)
Personal choice and Quest- (This latter method is less frequent and traditionally such a Shaman is considered less powerful than one selected by one of the two preceding methods.)
In any respect, the Shaman is not recognized as legitimate without having undergone two types of training:
Ecstatic- (dreams, trances, etc.)
Traditional- (Shamanic techniques, names and functions of spirits, mythology and genealogy of the clan, secret language, etc.)
Shamanism is a way of looking at the world and at yourself. There are no hard set rules, no hierarchy to try and work through.
Shamanism is a time-tested practice, what works is kept, what doesn't is left behind. It is a personal quest for knowledge and inner power.
Shamans have held an important place in many different cultures throughout the world since our beginnings. They have been mediators, ceremonialists, healers, diviners, many different kinds of artists and much more.
They learn and work with power for both themselves and the good of those around them. They understand the connection and need for balance amongst all things, that all aspects of the world that we share with the rest of creation is alive, humans, animals, plants, rocks, and even the wind.
People generally become shamans by deciding that it is the path for them, by being chosen and trained by an experienced shaman, or by inheriting the role from a parent. Often people choose or are led to follow a shamanic path after a near death experience, but that doesn't mean that you have to go out and try to kill yourself if you want to learn shamanism.
Anyone can incorporate shamanic practices into their lives. You only need to believe that you can.
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