Nahwe Imbwisk

Shamans and their Power

Shamans are Spiritual Doctors. The Word Shaman means Witch Doctor, which illustrates the power of the Shaman to curse and to heal. They are often called the Wounded Healers, since an essential part of becoming a Shaman is to undergo an innitiatory crisis, ussually psychotic in nature, from which the Novice emerges a powerful Warrior and Seer of the Spirit.

In Primitive Societies and Basic Religions, the Shaman is the Main Man. He is the Priest, the Doctor, the Teacher, the Miracleworker. Shamans are rumoured to be able to control the weather, turn into animals and fly through the air. They are usually well-versed in the use of plants, minerals and other natural objects for the purpose of healing and hexing. At the core of Shamanism is the belief that Spirit is Imminent and all-present. In healing, the Shaman attempts to journey to the Other World in order to collect soul-fragments of his patients, or the spirit of Power Animals, or seek advise from spirits in order to cure sickness. Although the Sceptic might not believe it, the competent Shaman can be as effective as the regular doctor.

Shamans believe that all sickness, pain and death is caused by malevolant spirits. For example, the cause of a disease might be physical, but it is the spirit that causes the pain - by neutralizing the spirit, the pain is neutralized. An essential part of the Shaman's training is the ability to detect and control spirits. In this task, the Healer must have developed impeccable intuition and be able to see energy. Above all, they have to learn to be guided by their Higher Self, which is silent and intuitive and not to the voices and spirits that talk loudly, since those ussually try to entrap and enslave us. In the Modern Society, many Shamans are seen as mentally ill and do not get the proper training, but are medicated with antipsychotic drugs. That can be avoided by listening to the heart and not the voices in the head.

Axis Mundi

Common to Shamanism is the Concept of a central point of the universe, called the Axis Mundi, through which the Shaman travels to other realities. Witch Doctors ussually use psychedelic plants, drumming, dancing and singing and reach a state of trance in order to liberate their spirit from the body and enter the alternate reality, where they find power and answers to questions.

They use caves, trees, and holes in the ground to travel to the lower world, where they learn the art of shapeshifting and the properties of plants. The Shaman works with the spirits of mountains, birds and the stars to travel to Heaven where s/he interacts with Gods, Angels and Saints. In Shamanism, the Lower World is not seen as evil and the Higher World not neccessarily as good, merely below and above us. For the Shaman there is no good or evil as such, there is only the way energy flows throughout the universe.

The Shaman seeks strength of character and spirit in order to not be like a leaf at the mercy of the wind, but more like the eye of the hurricane, with a quit center and turbulent outside. He stands at the very center of being and directs the forces of nature instead of being swayed by them. 

Luck and Strength

In her book The Witch's Dream, Florinda Donner puts forth the thesis that in order to become a Sorcerer the Seeker requires above all luck and strength.

Luck is neccessary to find a shaman who will become your benefactor and strength in order to be able to survive the Shamanic Path. Most true healers retain youth even in old age. They credit that to the power gained over many years of struggle.

"We cannot know what power is, but we feel its effect all the time". Power is felt as an infusion of life and vitality.

Did You Know:

Many Shamans have the problem with a stinging pain in their heart, usually after being attacked by most terrifying spirits. In this way they are motivated to become warriors and healers. The Heartache can be remedied by pressing the central inside of the forearm and telling the evil spirit to go back to who sent them, while focusing on the entity's heart.