Question by Wicked~Galinda: How do you know if you are a Shaman?
I’m a 13 year old girl and I watched this show and it talked a little bit about Shamans. Now I’m really into it and I was wondering how do you know if you are a Shaman. Some places say that you have a trauma in your 20’s or a near death experience but I was wondering if you could find out at my age.
Best answer:
Answer by Applehunter
Amusingly due to the nature of the faith it can change dramatically from one requirement to another.
Some of them i’ve looked over simply require the individual to be spiritually aware, in which case just about anyone who follows a faith qualifies as a shaman.
What do you think? Answer below!
Well, this one is actually pretty simple.
To be a shaman you must believe in Shamanism. However, this does not automatically make you a Shaman. Saying you are a shaman just because you believe in shamanism is like going to a church once and saying you are a priest.
Essentially, shamans are the priests of Shamanism. You need to be trained, some countries require you to be a certified “card-carrying” shaman. like Britain.
1. (noun) shaman, priest-doctor
in societies practicing shamanism: one acting as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds; practices sorcery for healing or divination
As there is no such thing as ‘spirit worlds’ and you cannot use ‘sorcery for healing’ there is no such thing as a REAL ‘shaman’, only deluded people who imagine they are!
If you think you suffer from delusions then maybe you could class yourself as a ‘shaman’, but just remember, you will be suffering from a DELUSION!!
How adorable
You take many years of training and when you have earned it your mentor passes the title on to you.
The existing Shaman usually watched for who he/she should train next.
It’s my understanding that “natural” shamans experience what
is referred to as a “calling” in some cultures. But it is hardly
that. The child experiences dreams of strange and terrifying
nature, of animals and half animals. They are “distracted” and
unable to focus on their daily chores. They sometimes see
those who have passed on.
They may experience Initiation in the Spirit World, which
consists of a vivid nightmare of being chased by demons,
caught, dismembered, and the flesh stripped from their
bones. Then the bones are counted. Then the flesh is
‘returned’ to the bones…but instead of some organs…
“power crystals” are substituted.
But many will not have the “Initiation Dream”. In the
cases of those “distracted”, the parents (if the culture
includes shamanism) will contact a local shaman for
a Healing. And the shaman figures out quickly that
the child is not sick…but is a “fledgling” shaman…and
begins the Training.
In other cases, which I suspect is your situaiton, a person
is “drawn” to or develops an Interest in shamanism. These
people must either travel far to a known shaman and
apprentice themselves…OR when of legal age take some
coursework in such.
The word ‘shaman’ is over used. A true Shaman is a follower of the Russian tribal spiritual path. These days archeologists and anthropologists have dubbed the word ‘Shaman’ to mean any person who performs the priestly functions of sacrifice, herd calling, divination and healing for the tribe. Whether this person is a Medicine Man or Woman (as in the case of the First Nation tribes) or a Drui, as in the Celtic tribes, or whatever other name might be correct; these people go through years of training by the current priest of priestess of their tribe. Children who show a tendency toward the gifts of the ‘shaman’ are often taken for testing once they reach adulthood. At 13 you are too young to even begin to know. I suggest you read Good, Historically Accurate and well Researched Scholarly books on shamanism so you can really understand what it is all about. It is not for kids. You are riding the spirit waves to another world where many terrible things can and do happen. You are not doing it for ‘fun’, you do it to heal or to help your tribe.