It is interesting, our modern world. Our post-post-modern, new-age society that has elevated the role of shaman into a self-help empire, a world in which you can go through workshops at often idyllic resorts and retreats to get a certificate that says that you are a "shaman" and thus can heal people using your shamanic capabilities.
On the surface level, there is much to complain about this set-up. Some argue that shamans are from a specific culture and time, and nobody except for those who are from that specific culture should be able to use the term shaman. And this is true in many ways... the term "shaman" seemingly comes from the Tungus people of Northeast China/Siberian regions. From other cultures, the duties ascribed to the catch-all "shaman" term may be medicine woman, spiritual healer, curandera, or a whole variety of other labels. But although technically the term shaman originated (seemingly) from the 1500's in Siberia, the word shaman has come into a new life as a catch-all for the described communication that some are able to do between the world of spirit and the material world.
So let's forget the anger over the genesis of the word shaman for a moment. As an aside, I generally call myself a spiritual healer- it seems much more valid for the sort of work I do, and then I don't have to have the debate that has been happening over decades about the paragraph before this one, but I have found that I also have to use the words shamanic healer because that is simply what has been created by the new-age google searching types to be able to find me. And on most days I am okay with that.
Arguably, the biggest issue in terms of shamanism right now is "real" vs. "plastic". For some, this means issues of nationality/race/family lineage. For others this means those who have had a "true" calling vs. those who have simply gone and done a weekend workshop and hung a shingle on their door. And for others, the term plastic has to do with the merchandising of shamanism combined with other new-age thoughts and modern psychological methods and packaged by the likes of Michael Harner, Alberto Villoldo, and others to anyone who might have curiousity about becoming a shaman and money to pay, but not necessarily a calling to become a shaman.
Although the modern shamanic format of overpriced courses and non-native teachers with dubious motives and pedigree business advisors certainly has its issues, the question remains of what do modern (likely white) people do who feel a calling to learn about shamanism? Even if they are called to the work, the first books and classes they are going to run across are likely to be the new-age hybrids of Villoldo and Harner. And this actually isn't a bad thing, because in Part 2 of this blog post, I will discuss what actually happens to those who have a calling to become a shaman. The watered down, pleasant versions that the new-agers offer is seemingly just enough information and initiation and self-help to satiate the weekend workshop warrior without them being in any physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional danger. For many who I have attended these workshops with, the provided initiations are enough for them to feel "spiritual" and "special" and they are able to help those similar to them with their learned material without any real understanding of how truly frightening being a shaman can be. But many have gone into their communities and helped, even without having a true calling or understanding of spiritual matters.
So, generally, when people come down on these workshops and practitioners, I can truly understand where they are coming from. It is shamanism-lite, spiritual work typically without the illness and pain and suffering and devastation and separation that comes from a true shamanic calling. But on the same level, they are helping others on the same level as them- people who have some interest in spirituality, in self-help. Some find these workshops because they have had a true calling to become a shaman, and these workshops and authors allow them to wade softly into the waters of spirit without being shoved underneath. Some go to workshops to find community- although shamanism is a part of the mainstream new-age canon these days, it is still refreshing to find whole groups of others who you can talk about spirituality in community (and this sentiment of finding spiritual community/a "tribe" is actually pretty funny when you know about how true shamans operate in a community, but I digress). As a white middle-class suburbanite I can totally empathize. These classes are what show up when you have a spiritual calling and are googling at 2:00 am. But as I go on to Part 2, you may realize that what a shaman is, or does, is actually extremely difficult. It is not a job or path that anyone in their right mind would actually wish for. I truly do believe that if others on the shamanism-lite path realized what a calling was like, they would run screaming in the other direction.
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