SPIRIT OF THE SACRED DRUM
SHAMANIC PRACITIONERS Yorkshire
WHAT IS SHAMANISM?
The word Shaman originally came from the Tungist people of Siberia and translates as “one who sees in the dark” or “healer”.
Shamanism is one of the oldest and most enduring practices and can be traced back at least 50,000 years. It has commonalities in every tribe across the globe. Each one of our ancestors would have had their roots in shamanism.
In the modern world the word shaman is increasingly seen to mean any kind of medicine man or woman. The shaman is actually defined by the way in which he or she works. A shaman changes their state of consciousness at will in order to travel to another reality to obtain knowledge and power (energy). They then use this knowledge to help themselves and or others.
A shaman uses rhythmic drumming, rattles and song, dance or hallucinogenic herbs to change their state of consciousness which enables them to journey to a state of non-ordinary reality (spirit world). In many cultures this spirit world is divided into three levels, the Lower World, the Middle World and the Upper World.
It is believed by some cultures that the shaman journeys to the Lower World to get power to ask for guidance or for practical help. This is where you would go to contact your Power Animals and where the shaman would go to retrieve soul parts that have fragmented. The Middle World which is in non-ordinary reality, runs parallel to our Earthly World and is where you would go to find lost things and people or sometimes to do distance healing, de-possession and Extraction Medicine. Shamans believe that there are two main reasons for Power Loss- an unwanted intrusion or that something is missing, hence the term Soul Loss. The Upper World is where you would go to contact your Spirit Guides who can show themselves in many different guises.
A Shaman works with the spirit or soul and heals at soul level, which means that they can access, with the help of power animals, information held in the vast data banks of the Universe.
Although we no longer live in tribal communities, shamanic practices still have a place in our society, perhaps even more so today than ever before. Getting back in touch with nature is central to shamanic work and having respect for and living in harmony with all things is vitally important when following the Shamanic Path.
Shamans believe that the universe is the teacher, that anything is possible and that there are no accidents and perhaps by trusting this universal wisdom we can all find harmony and peace within ourselves.
"The Drums will always beat loudly in our hearts even through the noise of the world, and every time your feet touch our Mother Earth our souls will feel the pull of those who walked before us".
-William WindWalker-
Shamanism has adapted to changes the world has experienced over many thousands of years and is possibly still relevant to the needs of the world as it was to our ancestors thousands of years ago. Living in a multi-cultural, consumeristic, technological world and all the pressures this brings to us suggests that it's relevancy is needed more than ever in people being able to connect with the core of their true selves and their place in the Universe. Being Human brings individual and unique challenges to us all. Following the Shamanic Path enables us to heal ourselves and others, working within a framework of Trust, Harmony, Respect, Peace and Love, being guided by Great Spirit for our highest good and for the benefit of all. Spirit of the Sacred Drum