Home > Author >
1 " In some cultures, apprentice shamans receive a call as well as shamanic knowledge, powers, and spirit relationships from shaman elders or shamans within their own families. Benefactors may set up arduous training designed to foster specific achievements or trials and initiations that the apprentice must successfully complete. They may lead an apprentice through specific cultural rites of passage. Benefactors may also transmit knowledge, powers, and spirit relationships to the apprentice at the moment of their death. A shaman who has passed may return to an apprentice in dreams, as might that shaman's helping spirits. Potential shamans selected by shaman elders are usually (though not always) chosen at a young age, when the elders notice something special or extraordinary about them. Sometimes something special happens during or shortly after their day of birth or the child is heard talking or seen behaving in certain ways that indicate spirit connection or possession. Sometimes the initiate experiences unique, profound visions or dreams or successfully performs healing without training. The initiate might display an undeniable compulsion to learn shamanism at a young age when other children are focused on play or learning to hunt or fight, or an initiate might be able to easily memorize long stories or songs. Elder shamans are always on the watch for individuals showing signs of contact with the spirits. "
― , The Hollow Bone: A Field Guide to Shamanism
2 " The greatest distance in the existence of Man is not from here to there nor from there to here. Nay, the greatest distance in the existence of Man is from his mind to his heart. Unless he conquers that distance he can never learn to soar like an eagle and realize the immensity within. . . . Only by melting the ice in the heart of Man does Man have a chance to change and begin using his knowledge wisely. "
3 " The Circle of Life You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. —Black Elk, Black Elk Speaks Shamans know that life—all of life: nature, humans as components of nature, helping spirits, energy, ordinary and nonordinary reality— moves in circles, spirals, and cycles. Within life, there are infinite circles, and circles within circles, since energy is neither created nor destroyed, but simply recycled. "
4 " Shamanism is not a religion, but the most widespread and time-tested practical system of spirituality and mind-body-soul healing known to humankind. "