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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Paganism

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  #1  
Old 26-06-2016, 04:59 AM
Crystal Ambassador Crystal Ambassador is offline
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Shamanism: how were you "chosen"?

When I first began to look into Shamanism, and even nowadays when I find sites or books about it, I often notice that it is said a shamanic practitioner is "chosen" and must have a sign such as being struck by lightning, a near-death experience, or being bitten by a poisonous snake.

Oddly, in my experience I've met a few people who have been shamanic practitioners and yet didn't experience as dramatic an experience as that. Often, when I talk to people who can or have the potential to study this practice, I see them withhold action for fear of not being "chosen", as they haven't had one of the experiences that is a traditional requirement. Yet, often they feel a deep resonance with the practice and feel they are meant to follow it.

I'm curious to hear from those of you who are shamanic practitioners what it is that drew you to it, if you had one of those or a similar traditional experience, and also to hear from those of you who support or don't support the traditional requirements. Why do you feel the way you do?
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  #2  
Old 26-06-2016, 06:05 AM
BlackHoleSun BlackHoleSun is offline
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You should check out this guy's thing. He knows what he's talking about; and does well in putting it in layman's terms...
http://www.shadowdance.org/toteg/wannabe.html

As for me, I didn't have a choice. From an early age I was plagued and plagued by spirits. I started accidentally slipping out-of-body at an early age too, and it was terrifying for me. I regard my calling as a curse. You don't get a choice. You don't get to have a normal life. You will wish you could. But you can't. You are tormented until you acquiesce to fulfilling your mission. I attempted suicide multiple times and was miraculously saved in ways so impossible you wouldn't believe me if I said it. I was told in no uncertain terms by the spirits that no matter how hard I try to end it, they will, and I quote, "kick [me] out of the spirit world like a red headed step child."

"We don't want you here," they said. "You're our ambassador. Do your job."
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Modern Shaman. Sorceress. Energy worker. Astral, out-of-body, dream traveler. Truth-seeker. Reality augmenter. Spirit worker. Ethereal warrior. Shapeshifter. Middle Path walker. That crazy woman with all the wild stories. Proud flyer of the Freak banner.

See you on the flipside, baby.
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  #3  
Old 26-06-2016, 08:21 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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OMG!! A thread on SF I can actually reply to! Yes!!

I grew up in Bali and was initiated into the Balian tradition and way of life from about 16-21 years.

I had many mystical experiences practicing Yellow Bamboo...pranic healing and worshipping the Hindu God, Siva.

I eventually went that way and became a full-blown Hindu and had many experiences with this also...reached very high levels of awareness, but I never felt satisfied with it...with all my prayers to Shiva...I wasn't getting anywhere.

Until I realised what was up with that!

I can contact the Spirit World...I almost permanently dwell in the Astral World...can't talk with people much....what the hell was going on with me??

Until I went into deep trance again...for the first time in many years and reached the awareness of what I was...a Balian...a Shaman who just happened to believe in Siva!

So now, I have made the transition to Shamanism and enjoying the whole ride....may I never look back!

I was called to Shamanism at 14, when I experienced my very first full Arul Vaaku state and I've had 4 since.

I know this is what I am now...I got the re-calling a few days ago.
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  #4  
Old 27-06-2016, 12:53 AM
Rozie Rozie is offline
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I don't consider myself to be a shaman because that is a cultural designation and I am of 'this' culture, but I do the same kind of work.

As for the death's doorstep initiation, I had that and it was farking brutal. Not something that I would have volunteered for. I would have ran away and never looked but that was not the plan.

One thing I do is escort people through the process so they don't have to do it the hard way. They can do it the easy way and not have an extreme initiation. I only do that when I am asked. The person has to be ready and prepared and then I am asked to help if that is what is required.

I think we are called to walk our path, and there are different ways to get to where we are headed but I don't believe in the teaching method. It is necessary to do the homework but I don't think you can take a course and get all A's and then the spirit world is sent a copy of your report card.
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  #5  
Old 12-07-2016, 03:42 PM
MommaBear MommaBear is offline
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Shaman apprentice here

I think the initiation is different for each shaman, but most people do go through a transformative experience before being called.

My personal experiences that lead me to the shamanic path involved mental health, general life dis-ease, a situation that could have ended in near death that woke me up to my life situation, and a rebuilding of my life. I didn't know this was where I was being lead, but can look back and see those turning points in hindsight.

I think too that it's not necessarily a life altering situation that calls you, but something that is with you since you can remember, the life altering situation is a wake up call that it is time to start.
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  #6  
Old 12-07-2016, 04:48 PM
Crystal Ambassador Crystal Ambassador is offline
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Thank you all for your responses. It's interesting to hear the different life stories and intitiations, and to see how many shamanic practitioners are here. I think perhaps what happens is there tends to be an overemphasis of physical initiations, whereas it seems to be a higher likelihood of mental initiations with one or two physical ones thrown in.

Regarding the learning process, I know at least one of you for sure, what did you guys do for learning? I know that in the early stages, many people have doubts about the validity of their experiences and having a physical mentor to at least talk about them can help alleviate that. To those of you who didn't have a physical mentor, did you have trouble with self-confidence in the experiences? How did you overcome them?
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"Sometimes you will act as an angel to others, perhaps without even realizing it. One day a woman comes up to you and says 'You saved my life'. You look at her astonished, trying to remember the last time you even saw this person before, the meeting meant so little to you at the time. 'Don't you remember? I was standing on the bridge, staring at the water, and you passed and said 'Good morning'."
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  #7  
Old 12-07-2016, 05:18 PM
MommaBear MommaBear is offline
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I am in an apprenticeship with a shaman trained in the pachakuti mesa tradition out of Peru. We are being lead in this specific tradition but are encouraged to make it our own and find out own path. I take what I learn and modify it to my area and my own ritual and ways of thinking. it has been an eyeopening road of discovery. I found this by attending some local conscious women meetings, making friends, and one of the shamans attending talked to me about an apprenticeship opportunity coming up.

I knew once I said yes to this path that I would have changes in my life, but didn't fully realize at the time that this is not a study, it is a way of life and that the changes would be major internal shifts. It really is amazing, scary at times, and can be difficult to navigate, but having a mentor in this helps keep me grounded and helps open doors for me when I am searching.

Maybe research local shamans in your area and ask about apprenticing or mentoring.

*Also, I am thinking more on the initiation bit. This isn't necessarily a one time thing. Like I go through this very hard thing, then bam, I am on the path and it's done. There are many "deaths" you will go through shedding your old life and ways of thinking as you peel back the layers on your path.
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  #8  
Old 13-07-2016, 03:46 AM
Rozie Rozie is offline
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I was trained fully by my guardians. That's why it was so hard. They were very thorough and they trained me very well. No human could have done that.
I did have someone to work with early on, or to practice with and be my guinea pig so to speak. He was sent for that purpose and he was very complicated inside and I had to try to fix that over and over and over until I got it right and then some other problem would spring up. That took 1 year. I thought I was supposed to fix him in one way, but that wasn't the plan. I did fix him in a way that he was more comfortable and able to function better. I did what I was supposed to do but I wasn't aware of the goal from the beginning. I learned through experience and from my guardians who will make me to a task over and over and over until I get it right.

It was confusing at first. I didn't know what was going on and I was very scared but they gave me enough evidence to show me that this was a real experience and not a hallucination. They would tell me what was about to happen, which I couldn't make up. I did remember my imaginary friends from when I was little and they were them. They showed me that they were always there, but their communication was subtle. I had dreams and I was very intuitive, and I knew things but I never made any connection to 'guidance'. or 'higher self' I kind of pretend believed in my 'friend's but not in any official way. I knew I wasn't crazy, but I was very frightened of having that be the outcome. It is tricky.

I had more then one initiation, and I had a physical deathly experience also.

I wouldn't recommend it. Yes it is a calling but you can leave the phone off the hook.

Just kidding, I don't think you can. I think there is a plan and if you don't go along with the plan then there is not an alternative. As I am told "You could do it the easy way, or you can do it the hard way, but you will do it"..so I do it the easy way because I tried it the hard way and that never works.

I know that initiation and training from within is a different experience then being trained by a human. It's the hard road. Of course ideally one would combine both methods. I have met other people who were fully trained from within and I can see some similarities but we are quirkier because we conform to our ways, not necessarily what is traditionally expected.
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  #9  
Old 14-07-2016, 10:30 PM
Melahin Melahin is offline
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I had no call at all, only an internal guidance to The Branching Oak. Neither do I see why such a thing would be vital in this new spiritual age we have entered.
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  #10  
Old 18-07-2016, 12:52 AM
Wyaunagh Wyaunagh is offline
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there seem to be many different definitions of shamanism. I agree that the term 'shaman' is linked to specific cultural experiences, which is one of the reasons I do not apply the term to myself.
My ancestors are for Pre-Saxon Britton. Their experience is not the same as the experience with spirituality on this side of the world. That being said. There are some strong parallels between shamanism and other earth based spiritualities.
The early Brittons were Celts and their spirituality was strongly connected to the earth- both as a physical place and in a spiritual sense through deities and the Fearie realms.
As far as being "called" to ones spirituality, I have had may share of dramatic experiences in my life, but i do not feel that any of them are how I was called. I feel I was called the first time i was contacted by one of my guides. That first interaction, with a being i hadn't even belied could exist before that, is what really changed things for me.
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