SEEK A SHAMAN

Wendy Champagne goes in search of the soul in city life.

While the so-called ‘civilised’ nations have mostly lost their relationship with nature, many of the neo-pagan traditions, such as druidism and Wicca, forge a strong link with nature and believe it central to their way of life. These all have a strong element of shamanism, which is a form of spirituality that reveres the earth as a sentient, living, vibrant entity.

Michael Harner, contemporary shaman, anthropologist and author of The Way of the Shaman, defines a shaman thus: “A man or woman who enters an altered state of consciousness at will to contact and utilise an ordinarily hidden reality in order to acquire knowledge, power, and to help others. The shaman has at least one, and usually more, spirits in his or her personal service.”

How it works

There have been shamans – healers who walk and talk with spirits and maintain a close link with nature – in almost every world culture and religion, from Tibetan Buddhism and Aboriginal Dreaming to today’s bestselling books by Paul Coelho about his experiences as an apprentice sorcerer under a Yaqui Indian shaman from New Mexico.

Healing takes the form of a journey in shamanic practice: a journey into oneself, beyond this physical realm, into different layers of consciousness or forms of being; it’s also a journey the practitioner takes on behalf of the client. “The shaman goes into a trance, during which his soul is believed to leave his body and ascend to the sky or descend to the underworld,” explains Micea Eliade in Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. “In his trance he works to heal a patient by restoring beneficial or vital power or by extracting harmful power.”

During my shamanic healing session at Sydney’s Earth Institute, founding director Paul Perfrement began by shaking a rattle, whistling, and playing a drumbeat to welcome the spirits. Drumming is used by shamans the world over: its repetitive sound is calming and helps both practitioner and client enter a state of altered consciousness. “Healing occurs when the practitioner opens to a state of receptivity to what is needed to restore life force and balance to the client,” explains Perfrement.

What happens when you have a treatment: Be prepared for strange noises during a session –
Perfrement made a kind of burping sound he said expelled unwanted energy. And don’t be surprised to see a wolf or an eagle enter your dreaming state. Animals symbolise certain energies, characteristics and skills and therefore have particular messages for you (see below). Shamans believe individuals who are ill or demonstrate negative or harmful behaviours may lack one or more of these power animals, and they can undertake a series of ‘soul retrieval’ journeys on their behalf to reclaim their power animals. Perfrement relates the story of one client who was reconnected to the eagle and the wolf during her sessions.

“The eagle’s gifts are to see keenly and to gain a larger perspective of the world, while the wolf creates a safe and sacred space for the inner self,” he explains. “In the case of this client, the end result was that she experienced a profound release from the fears and emotional insecurities that had been plaguing her.”

SPIRIT ANIMALS

Shamans believe that we all have special ‘spirit animals’ which protect and guide us. Which animals have always attracted you? To which animals or birds are you drawn?
Is there any animal you often dream about?

BEAR Linked with the element of fire, Bear’s energy is strong, powerful and determined.
EAGLE Linked with the element of air, Eagle’s energy is inspirational and far-sighted.
ELEPHANT A symbol of being steadfast; its energy is of power and stability.
TIGER Usually a symbol of urges beyond your control; this overdeveloped ‘animalistic energy’ is potentially dangerous, unless you can rein it in.
FROG Stands for emotional and spiritual changes, like the changes that take place from spawning to the final form.

WENDY CHAMPAGNE is a health writer and psychologist. Contact Wendy at wendy@realware.com.au. Article Published in Nature & Health #44 October November 2007

Paul Perfrement is Director of the Earth Institute - a college, consultancy and centre for life and work fulfilment and care of the future. Located in Sydney, we provide education and development opportunities to address the current challenges facing individuals, organisations and the global community. We offer a series of professional studies, individual consultations, life programs and corporate and coaching services in these and other exciting areas:  Shamanic and Energetic Healing;  Contemporary Astrology;  Corporate Services;  Psychodrama;  Shamanic Journey;  Eco Meditation and  lots more.