Shamanism does not apply to one religion in specific. Shamanism is found in cultures around the world. It is an earth-based spiritual belief, much like Wicca. Here is a guide for someone who is beginning to walk the shamanic path.
Step 1
Do not call yourself a shaman. There are many beliefs about how one becomes a shaman. Different cultures that believe in shamanism have different shamanistic beliefs. It is much better to call yourself a 'Shamanic Practitioner'.
Step 2
Understand that you cannot do things like fly, create things from thin air or stuff like that. You may be able to do things like that on games like 'World of Warcraft'. But this is REAL shamanism. Not a video game. Plus, trying to fly would not be a smart idea.
Step 3
Respect the earth and know that she is a living thing. That's right I called the earth 'she'. In many earth-based religions, the earth is a mother goddess. Treat her like you would a best friend. Get involved in an environmentalism group, help spread the word of global warming.
Step 4
Respect other peoples beliefs. As with any other religion, shamanism is about respecting everyone no matter who they are. Do not try to convert people to your beliefs. Do not bark at people for insulting your beliefs (remember 'Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never harm you.)
Step 5
Do not fall victim to violence or unreasonable anger. Shamanism is a peaceful belief and violence is strictly against the rules. If this does happen to you, there's no need to get on your knees and pray for forgiveness. As long as you are truly sorry for your innapropriate actions, and you know what you did was wrong, you can live your life without regret.
Step 6
Authority is personal. You have no authority over anyone else besides yourself. Although, in some cultures, the shaman is a figure of authority, you are not.
Step 7
Worship is personal choice. You do not have to worship any specific gods. You may worship one god (as with Judeo-Christian religions) and believe that the Earth is a wonderful creation of god and it should be respected (God would want that, right?) If you choose to become polytheistic (many-gods), that is okay. Just respect other people's beliefs, and they'll respect yours.
Step 8
Listen to dreams. Dreams are important to the shamanic practitioner. They may be holding great truths, revelations or some other spiritual significance. If you are prone to bad dreams, use a dream catcher.
Step 9
Meditate. You may meet spirits during meditation. They can either be good or bad. Spirit guides will also appear before you. Do not ignore any spiritual entity. Some evil spirits can even disguise themselves as good ones. So, it's best to learn Native American smudging.
Step 10
Honor holy days. Just like any other religion out there, shamanism has holidays/holy-days. The most common are the solstices and equinoxes. Celebrate these holidays with happiness and good thoughts. Never think negatively about things. If you ever get negative thoughts, it's okay as long as you do not act inappropriately on them.
Step 11
Remain positive. If you come across any negative thoughts, clear your mind or focus on something else. This can be very difficult, especially if you just had a big argument with somebody.
Step 12
Keep healthy. Take care of yourself. This is very important, no matter what. A healthy shamanic practitioner, is a happy one. Get plenty of sleep, bathe often and eat healthy. If you get an injury, take care of it immediately. Even if it's just a small cut, it needs to be taken care of. A small problem can become a big one.
Step 13
Learn mind expansion techniques and practices such as meditation. Using entheogenic drugs can also be helpful, though be mindful of the laws concerning such tools in your country or region. Entheogenic chemicals such as LSD or 2c-b can be helpful, but to respect earth and her lifeforms consider using entheogenic plants and fungi such as ayahuasca or other DMT preperations, mescaline cacti such as peyote or san pedro, LSA seeds such as hawaiian baby woodrose or morning glory , cannabis or hash, psilocybin mushrooms, amanaita muscaria mushrooms, and so on.
Tips
- Read about shamanism in books and on the Internet. There are many ways to practice this belief.
- Respect all life and it's beings.
- Learn to meditate.
- Understand the differences between, reality, non-ordinary reality and a simple hallucination.
Warnings
- You cannot fly or shoot beams of light from your hands. See step 2 for more information.
- Don't starve yourself or deprive yourself of water. This can A. Land you in the hospital, B. Close your connection with the spirit world.
- When using the tools or sacraments of the shaman, be aware of their legality.
