I created this website as an introduction to shamanism for the layperson.  Here you will find:

My Contact Information & Services if you would like to inquire about fees, location, and appointment availability. Also included is a description of services and a short bio.

An Introduction to shamanism and Two Spirits (below).

A page called Medicine Bag which includes a description of the tools and techniques used by shamans.

A page on Books which includes a good beginners list by some of the best known shaman experts  today.

A page on Links if you would like to do a deeper dive into Shamanism.

Photos and a personal journal of Vision Quest.

Photos and a personal journal of Prayer Walk.

Original shamanic Poetry.

Original shamanic Artwork & Graphics.

I hope you enjoy this site. Aho!, Drake Bear Stephen, RMT

INTRODUCTION

NOTE: I am not a Native American therefore I am not representing Native American cultures and/or beliefs.

Shamanism is not a religion but rather a healing practice that has been in existence for at least 10,000 years. Shamanism has originated from indigenous tribes from all over the globe. The most well-known today are Native American, South American, Tibetan, Siberian, Mongolian, African, and Celtic shamans.

A shaman is synonymous with medicine person, witch, wizard, sorcerer, magician, seer, healer, herbalist, dream interpreter, and spiritual advisor. The label of shaman is not self-assigned but bestowed out of respect on an individual by others. The term shamanic practitioner can be substituted when referring to one’s self. The term shamanist can be applied to a person who uses shamanic principles and techniques in everyday life for the well-being of him/herself and others, but who does not claim to be a shaman.

The original word shaman originated from the Siberian word “saman”, meaning “he who knows” or “seer”. In Siberia, shamans are chosen by the spirits at birth but are not struck down (dismemberment and rebirth) until later in life (usually in their 20’s). There are only two ways of being struck down: shaman’s sickness and being struck by lightning. Those with the potential to be a shaman are called “butur” (cocoon). There are 9 degrees (levels) of shamanism and it takes years of training to reach each level. The 9th level is rarely reached.

The word “shamanka” is Russian for a female shaman. In the Russian language, the feminine form has an “a” at the end. The “shaman” word spread from the Russians to the Americas via anthropologists. In the native cultures of the Americas, the word shaman does not officially exist.

However, the word has become generic for earth-based spirituality just as “Xerox” has become generic for “copy” or “Kleenex” for “tissue”. With the recent sharp rise of interest in shamanic practices, I believe the word is here to stay.

“There are those who argue against the assimilation of the traditions of other cultures into apparently alien spiritual ideologies. These individuals imply that this is a form of theft. However shamanism in itself is not the property of any indigenous culture. The themes and practices of the ecstatic art are remarkably similar in cultures that are separated geographically by thousands of miles.” -P. M. Staunton

A Scientist lives by the code: Seeing is Believing.

A Psychic lives by the code: Believing is Seeing.

But a Shaman lives by the code: Seeing & Believing, there’s a difference?

CORE SHAMANISM

Many anthropologists describe core shamanism as common principles amongst all shamanic cultures. It tries to exclude anything that is specific to only one culture. Michael Harner and Mircea Eliade were pioneers in studying core shamanism.

There are 7 essential concepts that shamans believe:

 Energy and matter are the same. Everything is vibration. Everything that exists is an energy system within a greater energy system.

 Everything is alive. Spirit is in all things.

 All beings are divine and enjoy direct access with Spirit.

 Everything that exists is connected to everything else in a web of energy or life.

 The diversity of all life forms is to be honored and celebrated.

 Harmony and balance between all beings must be respected.

 Unseen/inner/spiritual reality affects visible reality.

According to Christopher Penczak in The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft, core concepts to the practice of shamanism include the following:

 The ability to enter an altered state of consciousness through the use of sound, rhythm, movement, and plants.

 The experience of one or more nonphysical realities that are just as real to the practitioner as the physical world, and of actions in the nonphysical worlds that directly affect the physical world.

 The use of an altered state, a trance sometimes defined as an ecstasy, to project self-awareness from the physical world to the nonphysical worlds.

 Dealings with nonphysical beings, or spirits, who enter into a relationship with the practitioner. They offer guidance, healing, or power used to create change in the physical world.  

I believe a shaman is not defined by how s/he practices shamanic healing but how s/he strives to live every moment of every day. Therefore I wrote the following

The Shaman’s Codex by Drake

 A shaman knows that everything in the Universe is a sentient being and so shows respect and courtesy towards everything. He/she knows that everything is connected, originates from one source, and that nothing happens without a reason.

 A shaman practices non-dogmatic spirituality. The entire world is his/her church and he/she serves the Great Spirit 24/7. He/she tries to make every thought prayer-based.

 A shaman knows everyone has Free Will and that only that which is for one’s highest good can be manifested.

 A shaman ritualizes daily activities in order to raise them above the mundane, to honor and appreciate life.

 A shaman is the master of ceremony. Ceremony keeps him/her in right relationship with the world.

 A shaman can easily enter into a trance and freely travel to the Lower and Upper Worlds.

 A shaman communicates often with ancestors, spirit guides, and animal guides. He/she is guided by and channels Higher Spirits. He/she receives messages through feeling, knowing, and hearing.

 A shaman honors all the Nature Spirits, Gods, and Goddesses. He/she expresses daily gratitude to Father Sky, Grandmother Moon, Mother Earth, and Mother Ocean.

 A shaman understands the Energetic Laws of the Universe and knows that everything in the Universe is energy. He/she is a sorcerer and alchemist with the ability to shift and transform energy.

 A shaman develops a rainbow body by clearing, balancing, and energizing all of his/her chakras and energy channels.

 A shaman is a master tracker and energy reader. His/her intuition is finely tuned.

 A shaman is a spirit seeker. He/she uses soul sonar to find other soul connections.

 A shaman embodies the archetypes of the Seer, Mystic, Prophet, and Elder.

 A shaman is a Peaceful Warrior and courageously faces his/her fears.

 A shaman is on the learning path and his/her quest for knowledge never ends.

 A shaman recognizes that every concept has its polar opposite but that a person can be at any point along a continuum between the two poles.

 A shaman is charismatic which means he/she is grounded, conscious, energized, and exudes love.

 A shaman balances his/her life between meditative aloneness and interacting connectedness.

 A shaman walk’s his/her talk. His/her most important quality is integrity.

 A shaman does his/her own personal work before he/she expects others to do theirs.

 A shaman expresses unconditional and nonjudgmental love. His/her heart is love and light.

 A shaman uses his/her empathic skills to know how it feels to walk in someone else’s moccasins.

 A shaman always carries his/her medicine bag, both literally and figuratively. A shaman has learned many healing tools.

 A shaman is a healer, helping others to tap into their own healing powers.

 A shaman is a caretaker. He/she mentors and nurtures others.

 A shaman listens well and directs without Ego.

TWO SPIRITS

He told me that if nature puts a burden on a man by making him different, it also gives him a power. –John Lame Deer

Dual-sexed or third gender people were treated with respect and considered sacred by over 155 Native American and Canadian indigenous tribes. These androgyneous people have both male and female heart and souls. Berdache, an old French term for cross-dressing, is considered a derogatory term because it originated from bardaj, which is a passive homosexual or feminine young boy. The term most acceptable to use is now Two Spirit.

Two Spirits often became healers, counselors, therapists, high religious priests, shamans, witch doctors, medicine men, holy men, prophets, marriage counselors, and matchmakers. Female bodied Two Spirits became chiefs, traders, hunters, trappers, fishers, warriors, guides, prophets, and medicine persons. 

Two Spirits are identified by the following traits:

 Gender difference in temperament, dress, lifestyle and social roles.

 Specialized work roles of the opposite sex or unique to their identities.

 Same sex relations.

 Spiritual sanction as a result of visions or dreams. 

“To become a [Siberian] shaman, one had to be both man and woman, because a person should be the sum total of all human experiences. As part of the training of the shaman-to-be, he or she was expected to live for some time as a member of the opposite sex. During this period, the aspirant had to think, act and dress like a man if she was a woman, like a woman if he was a man. Often, a person who successfully passed this part of their shamanic examination would choose to continue living as a member of the other sex. In some parts of Siberia, this was even expected of all male shamans. Many traditional shamanic cultures offered their homosexual members the possibility of living with a partner: a gay or lesbian could become a shaman and change sex, afterwards being able to marry a person of the same biological sex. Usually such transformed shamans would be looked upon with awe, fear or suspicion. They were considered to have very strong and special magical powers and carried distinctive and important responsibilities, yet their shaman costumes were androgynous.” -Daan van Kampenhout