Post by Warrior on Jan 23, 2012 21:28:41 GMT
The basic definition of a shaman is related to primitive cultures which respected nature and all its living things. Shamanism sees all things not as fixed objects, as our Western beliefs generall suggest, but as flowing energy patterns, constantly coalescing, exchanging, and drifting apart in an endless dance. The shaman recognizes himself or herself as being one with this dance of energy, and as such, constantly exchanging energy with all things, constantly changing. We can never be exactly what we were a mere moment before, we cannot live in our past, our only power resides in the present moment, unconditionally accepting the energy patterns which are us.
Another aspect of shamanic belief is that myth and reality are two sides of the same coin, so to speak. So in truth, both are valid. Further, one simply cannot exist without the other. As Lao Tzu said, "Being and non-being create each other." When we study myth, we search deep within ourselves for answers, we learn to truly understand ourselves and our connection with all things. Only in this way, by recognizing that we are all and all is us can we truly understand and heal ourselves and our world. In many ways, myth is what this so-called "New Consciousness" movement is all about. It's about people seeking deep within themselves to find the answers they so desperately need. When we journey into our very beings, our subconscious mind creates images that allow us to understand the world, for words alone cannot fully describe the indescribable. This is why some people see angels while others are visited by E.T.s and still others speak with animal spirits. Our minds present to us those images which we can best understand as individuals.
Although "shaman" is a word typically ascribed to Native American and other native belief systems, I feel that anyone who has begun that great seeking deep within, to find their place in the great circle of life, is a "modern shaman".
Being a shaman does not confer great powers or great respect. Rather, it is a responsibility to ourselves and our world to heal and to teach ourselves and others to live in peace with all things.
Warrior
Another aspect of shamanic belief is that myth and reality are two sides of the same coin, so to speak. So in truth, both are valid. Further, one simply cannot exist without the other. As Lao Tzu said, "Being and non-being create each other." When we study myth, we search deep within ourselves for answers, we learn to truly understand ourselves and our connection with all things. Only in this way, by recognizing that we are all and all is us can we truly understand and heal ourselves and our world. In many ways, myth is what this so-called "New Consciousness" movement is all about. It's about people seeking deep within themselves to find the answers they so desperately need. When we journey into our very beings, our subconscious mind creates images that allow us to understand the world, for words alone cannot fully describe the indescribable. This is why some people see angels while others are visited by E.T.s and still others speak with animal spirits. Our minds present to us those images which we can best understand as individuals.
Although "shaman" is a word typically ascribed to Native American and other native belief systems, I feel that anyone who has begun that great seeking deep within, to find their place in the great circle of life, is a "modern shaman".
Being a shaman does not confer great powers or great respect. Rather, it is a responsibility to ourselves and our world to heal and to teach ourselves and others to live in peace with all things.
Warrior
