Shamanism

Hey there everyone! I was interested in learning more about shamanism and wanted to see if anyone had any good suggestions? I have read "Psychedelic Shamanism", but that didn't really touch on it. Or atleast I didn't think so lol. I have watched a few movies on shamans that use the ayhuasca tea for healing. I also tried doing a google shearch, but there was a lot of places I had to pay to learn. So that has been the extent of my research.

Chicago Jedi Angelus/Gabriel Calderon happens to be a trained shaman. If you'd like for me to get you two in contact shoot me a PM with your facebook page and I'll direct you two to talk.

Yes, he and Mark Anjuu both are. I've let Mark know about your request

Hi, Dave

I was a practicing shaman for 8 years. There are many forms of shamanism, most of which bear little resemblance to ancient traditions. I personally don't think that's a bad thing, but some do.

Here are some books that I think might be decent places to start. Even if you don't agree with everything that's written in them (I don't), they may give you ideas on new directions you might want to look or other types of shamanism that might appeal to you.

The World of Shamanism by Roger Walsh
Shamanism from a psychiatrist's perspective. A little dry, but probably a good starting point. It discusses what shamanism is (in the past and present), what shamans do, and how they do it.

The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner
Some people love this book, some hate it, but it's still a good resource for information on core shamanism.

The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna
This one might seem a bit out there if you're not familiar with Terence's mind-altering ideas, but it's a fun book. Basically a collection of interviews.

Urban Shaman by Serge Kahili King
This is actually about Hawaiian shamanism and Huna, but contains some great techniques and helpful general info.

Secrets of Shamanism by Jose & Lena Stevens
I almost hesitated to suggest this one because it has a decidedly New Age bend, but it was the first book on shamanism I ever picked up and I have effectively used (and continue to use) many of the authors' techniques.

I'm sure there are many others that I can't think of at the moment, but hopefully those will offer you something of value.

Awesome guys, thank you so much! This will give me a lot of info to digest and people to ask questions

In addition to the other suggestions, it depends what form of shamanism you're interested in (as Arcade mentioned, there are many!!). These are all good books too:

Spirit in the City - Ross Heaven
By Oak, Ash and Thorn - D J Conway
The Serpent and the Circle - Namua Rahesha
Where Eagles Fly - Kenneth Meadows

Wolf Moondance also wrote an interesting selection of Native American based works.

Of course, you can also post any questions in this forum or in the Pagan section here: http://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/Pagan-studies

It's always good to discuss things!