Shamanic Principles
The following article was written by our shamanic teacher Fotoula Adrimi. Thank you Fotoula!
Shamanism is experiencing a huge resurgence, especially in the western world. Whilst some indigenous shamans see their communities abandoning traditional ways in favour of a more western lifestyle, they are happily surprised to be visited by western spiritual seekers who wish to be taught the spirituality of the Earth. Shamanism is finding many ways of expression in our modern world. In the beginning most people look for their power animal, or find the idea of travelling to parallel realities, attractive. Yet shamanism is much deeper than psychic awareness. As we walk the path we meet key principles found in shamanic cultures, that speak to our heart.
Principle 1 – Everything is alive and conscious Shamanism teaches that every life form has consciousness. In the physical world there are four kingdoms: plants, animals, humans, and stones. Every being, from a blade of grass to a small pebble has consciousness.
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Principle 2 – Everything has its place All beings are equally important and everything has its place in this world, there is no hierarchy. Humans are no more important than plants or animals. We are all vital members of this earthly ecosystem and the Earth is also a vital member of the cosmic ecosystem.
Principle 3 – Interconnectivity Everything is connected through universal energy. We are all cells of the one body of creation. Even though we experience ourselves as an individual being, we are, at the same time, all part of a universal whole.
Principle 4 – Nature is a Teacher Earth is a place of learning, a school for soul evolution and nature is potentially our biggest teacher. It is in nature that we find the way back to ourselves. It is in the wild that the voice of the conditioning may be silenced, and we can listen deeper and more fully to the music of the wind, and the sounds of the natural world.
Principle 5 – Helping Spirits These are transcended beings working for the highest good, who ask nothing in return. They will support our wish to awaken and teach us through life experiences. Helping spirits may be local – found in a certain place and forming part of a particular culture. Or, they may be global, spirits who work throughout our world and who are found in many cultures under different names and guises. Principles of Shamanism How to Walk the Shamanic Path These helping spirits appeared to our ancestors and taught them how to serve their community and the Earth by giving them access to the invisible realms, through different practices and specific pathways. They may appear to us when we are ready and as a result we may experience a deep calling in our heart. They can show us how to work with them. We cannot practice shamanism without connecting to the helping spirits. Ways of connection differ: drumming, journeying, mantra recitation, sacred song, deep listening, meditation in nature, being embodied by the spirits through trance etc are all ways to work with them
Principle 6 – The Human Teacher The path opens through connection with the spirits but our guide in the shamanic ways is a human teacher/elder who has already developed the art of shamanism to some degree. The shamanic ways may vary, as they are practiced from a person to person, but the principles remain the same. It is vital to find a teacher who we resonate with to show us how to practice and what to do. The teacher helps us build our own bridge between the physical world and the spirit realms. We may have the predisposition – the materials to build the bridge, but it is the teacher who shows us how to build it. Unless we have a sturdy bridge, it will not be safe to travel over it. The teacher imparts methods and knowledge and offers students transmissions of the teachings in the form of etheric energy. These transmissions are given by the teaching spirits through the human teacher. It is always the spirits who teach, but they go through a human person who has already embodied the teachings they offer.
Principle 7 – Sacredness of life Practising shamanism is a gift and therefore, it is important that we reciprocate, and offer gratitude back to life. So many life forms support us to live our human life. To acknowledge this and repay the gift in a sacred way, we live a life of service to the highest good and the light, and we transcend the egoic mind through the opening of the wise heart. As we heal ourselves, our community, and the Earth, working individually and collectively, we shine a light that dispels the darkness of our times. And when the time comes to pick up our steps and move through the veil, we leave the Earth a more beautiful place than we found it.