What is a shaman?
(I like to spell it shahman, but everyone thinks that’s wrong.)
A shaman does ceremonies in the wilderness. Simple as that.
Why wilderness? Well shamans will do ceremonies anywhere, but they love the wilderness best because a shaman is basically an entertainer. They entertain spirits, from the spirit of their purpose for the ceremony, to the local spirits, to their own spirits that they have befriended over years, to the great spirit - the spirit world loves to be entertained! And via this, boons are granted. The wilderness is alive with the power a shaman relishes in a way that the human tamed world can’t match, unless it has been constructed for that purpose. Yet still, all said and done, shamans love the natural world best - it joins them back to the ancient lineage of their tribe, and avoids the impurities that humans attract.
Why ceremonies? Ceremonies are journeys. Journeys into the spirit world and journeys into the physical world. Shamans are travellers into the unknown. It is through these journeys that treasures are brought back for the benefit of the shaman, the people for whom the shaman dances, the world around, and the spirits themselves. It is celebration of life that enriches all.
Shamans recognise each other immediately. Behind them is this whirling energy.
The ceremony.
Not always necessary to have a purpose though rarely will a shaman do a ceremony without some points that need resolution. Still they will do it for the sheer joy of it. So there is the focus - it could be a healing, an inquiry, or a journey for knowledge. (Can also be for destructive purposes, but that is best left out of this discussion for the moment.)
Then comes the preparation. A shaman jealously prepares her energy over a week, but esp on the day. Important to have that ‘edge’ which is what counts most at the critical moment. I like to sleep for a few hours in the afternoon and do my ceremonies at night. I am careful what I eat, or not eat. Degrees of preparation match degrees of intention for the ceremony. I almost always do my ceremonies alone, ie human aloneness, unless I am meeting up with some other shamans.
Then comes the invitation. Sometimes, for a big ceremony, I will let the spirits know well ahead - this is esp true of physical journey ceremonies (a difficult concept to explain). If the ceremony is ‘external’ I like to use a special spirit catcher as a callout. Once the ceremony begins, I call the spirits. This means first the immediate local spirits - never leave them out, as they can get very nasty if ignored. By these I mean, I look out at the major beings around me - special trees, hills, storms, creeks etc, but more importantly the beings that live in these, and for that one needs to know spirits and how to call them.
Then I call my old standbys, friends that relate to the task at hand. As the ceremony progresses, one enters into the spirit world of the ceremony’s purpose. This can be dodgy, so I like to move slowly mostly, letting them know - bit like offering the back of your hand to a strange dog. Unless we are on a covert mission, but they are a different matter.
The shaman’s tools.
What fun! Here I want to quickly describe the spirit catchers I use - I could devote a book to each.
Clothes. Most important to dress in your ceremonial clothes - each shaman has special clothes that are the preferred dressings of their double.
Peripherals. Like a special mat, certain statues if that is your preference (I currently always bring along a small statue of Durga that came to me in auspicious circumstances), water (always keep some water handy), whatever you like to have about you that speaks potently for the purpose at hand.
Instruments. I want to tell you about some special spirit catchers I use.
Conch shell. What a ripper! I first brought one back from India 10 years ago that had a power which I eventually discerned to be nefarious, so unfortunately I had to get rid of it and purge its influence. Last trip I brought one back from the very bottom tip of India, and it is great. Conch shells have a natural power and a penetrating sound (also soft sounds if you explore them).
Bull-roarer. This is especially prised by Aboriginal shamans (clever men) and I don’t know their word for it. I made mine myself and its sound is deeply penetrating. This is an awesome instrument, and I recommend every shaman have one - they are effective like nothing else. I can’t describe the effect, but it does take a little practice to get up a good sound. (I recommend adding a small fishing swivel at the business end so that the twine doesn’t twist too much.)
Didgeridoo. What a trip of an instrument - it defies sophistication and speaks of the most ancient ancestors. Takes some to learn the breathing technique but is no way as hard to learn as say guitar.
Shakers/rattles. Old shaman standards.
Hand/mouth sounds. Two I like, clapping against the open mouth to create a resonant penetrating sound - takes a little skill; and blowing into cupped hands like a flute which give a mysterious wind instrument sound, and can be developed to make a piercing cry. These are good as you don’t have to carry anything with you.
Drums. As expected, these have been shamanic tools forever.
Voice. This I use most. Here are some of the sounds I use:
Harmonic chanting/throat singing. This is a sound made at the back of the throat and has harmonic overtones. This takes many years to develop without destroying your vocal cords.
Deep throat singing. A variation which is my current preference and has taken me years to accomplish. I can now produce a deep purr like a large cat. It is usually a deep gurgling sound.
Pure deep voice. I practised this for years before I discovered the Tuvan throat singing. I used to build it up quiet and deep till I could feel the ground vibrating underneath me - one night in the Himalayas I felt the whole mountain vibrating, but I was pretty far gone that night.
Shamanic instruments always have trouble playing with popular instruments, as they seem out of place. It can work, but they have the tendency of changing the music to their mood, such is their power. But there is one thing that causes problems - all shamanic instruments belong to the old tone, which is about a quarter tone below the modern pitch. Somewhere last century, musicians changed the value of A to 440, shifting it up a few cents so as to make stringed instruments sound brighter (now they had metal strings) and slightly more stressed, adding to the vitality of the music to match the increased pace of the modern world.
Didgeridoos thus come in two types - those of the old tone (as I have) or those made to modern pitch. Buddhist chanting is done in the old tone. I am not an expert in this so I don’t know the full story, and I think there have been numerous muckings around with pitch for different purposes, I sure some internet searching would explain more if anyone was interested.
Shamans need to be internally strong and resilient, as the forces they attract can disintegrate the average person. Especially prised is the ability to hold one’s position, eg within the circle, while dramatic events unfold about - not a game for the uncourageous, ie don’t do it if you don’t belong to the tribe, and even then go carefully.
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