Shamanic Coaching: Becoming a Better Ancestor
Shamanism simply “is”. It is both abstract and utilitarian and more than anything it is born from a sense of place.
Years ago in the 1960’s Peter Farb author of "Mans Rise to Civilization" said, “The revival of shamanism in the United States is probably symptomatic of the weakening of orthodox religion’s ability to regulate social behavior and to maintain social values – and of the lack of any stirring new philosophy or ethic to replace the vacuum left by traditional religions.”
He went on to say, “Priests are quite different than shamans. Priests exercise no supernatural powers of their own but are merely those people selected by society to become experts in the performance of sacred ritual. Shamans are born not made; but priests most assuredly are made by long and arduous training. Whenever shamanism appears in a state it represents a threat to orthodoxy, and everything is done to suppress it. The Catholic church right up until the time of the Reformation, expended considerable energy to denouncing and burning “false prophets” and “heretics” who were really shamans impelled by an inner religious feeling rather than by orthodox training.”
The word Shaman is thought to originate from Siberia and Central Asia. Although there have been many words used in different tribes and regions. One interpretation of the word means “To Know”. Every culture and every generation has their Shamans. They may be called by different names and practice in a variety of culturally distinct ways, but they are the ones that are touched directly by spirit and moved to engage with the Cosmos.
For the most part, over the ages, the tribal beliefs found on the Mongolian Steppes and in Scandinavia continue to hold tribal Shamanism that presents us with a time portal into the ancient past that carried these beliefs through Indo-European, the Caucuses and the Middle East.
It should be noted that in sociological terms there is no worldview for Shamanism. Shamanism is very much localized because it is a product of tribalism, but this being said we as a global civilization will always attempt to view Shamanism within a worldview because we are products of a worldview. In essence we will, without intention attempt to colonize Shamanism by interpreting it as a sort of pseudo-religion, which is fundamentally a mistake.
Shamanism simply “is”. It is both abstract and utilitarian and more than anything it is born from a sense of place. The Shamanic perspective understands that all life is sacred that everything has a spirit or energy and these Spirits these Energies are interacting and communicating all the time. The Shaman forms a kinship with spirits and is a mediator between the human and natural spiritual worlds. The Shaman knows how to travel and engage in the spiritual and energetic realms communicating on behalf of themselves their family, community and world.
Shamans are initiated through spiritual contact through forces of nature and through direct transmission from Spirit and from Shaman to Shaman.
Shamans approach the cosmos scientifically as they seek to map out and understand the codes and signs found within the terrain of the Cosmic landscape. They also help spirits and become the conduits for communication between the spirit worlds and this one for the purposes of divination, healing and transformation. There are consistencies and commonalities in all Shamanic cultures globally and throughout time.
Shamanism was without a connection to “religion” until Genghis Khan during one of his conquests was exposed to Hinduism which was describe to him as a religion. Khan was always intrigued by different spiritual beliefs and encouraged spiritual diversity; during his exploration he suggested that his Shamanic tribal beliefs could be a religion which would become known as Tengerism.
The contemporary view of Shamanism in pseudo-religious terms has grown to include any spiritual belief belonging to an indigenous tribe anywhere in the world; it also includes a Western stylized interpretation of anyone self-proclaiming themselves as embracing an Earth-based belief either adopting an indigenous set of beliefs or embracing a creative hybrid belief.
The emergence of Shamanism in western society began to gain in popularity during the counterculture movements of the 1960’s and 70’s. In 1969 Peter Farb wrote “Man’s Rise to Civilization” where he examined various indigenous cultures in the America’s, in the book he explored the growing interest in Shamanism,“The revival of shamanism in the United States is probably symptomatic of the weakening of orthodox religion’s ability to regulate social behavior and to maintain social values – and of the lack of any stirring new philosophy or ethic to replace the vacuum left by traditional religions.”
In recent years the popularity of Shamanism has continued to grow in popularity first as a “New Age” belief, and then as a vehicle to explore “Plant Spirit Medicine” and primarily Cannabis and Auyahausca. Shamanism has also grown with the interest of alternative medicine and wellness and specifically herbalism and wildcrafting.
At the Wildcraft Forest School we have been delivering a Shamanic Coaching Program for over a decade. This contemporary form of Shamanism focuses on a pan-spiritual approach to life linked to ancient wisdom and wild mysticism. The school has been constructed upon the Shamanic teachings held by a very old Mystery School.
Some of the key points when exploring the roots of Shamanism within this program:
A means to feel and then articulate the unknown and mysteries.
To explore the hidden-self.
To connect with a kinship with nature and the cosmos.
To remain connected to ancestors.
To develop and maintain supernatural guides which can help us navigate and become courageous.
Recognizing wonder.
Nurture elements of love, forgiveness and community,
A responsibility to the Great Mother and future generations.
Heaven on Earth
This program teaches participants how to deliver a 12 Session Shamanic Coaching Program to individuals, groups and into the public and private sectors. This training is available through an in-person 5-Day Camp with additional online lessons; or it can be completed through a one year semester program that includes a mentorship process. Training provides topics and methodologies for each session as well as nature-based exercises and meditations.
Mystery schools have long held and protected the ancient wisdom of the world. A schools primary duty is to serve the light and keep the ancient knowledge alive. There was a time when humans used to live by these teachings and to think and act according to certain ways of mystery. However, this way of life was “lost” to the masses in the Middle Ages and the Mystery Schools were forced to go underground in order to preserve and keep safe these sacred and ancient teachings.
Mystery schools exist because life itself produces so many mysteries, such as the cycle of life and death, love, birth, who and what is GOD and SPIRIT and the workings of the universe. As humans we have always been on a quest to discover more about the deeper workings of this existence. One of the deepest mysteries is the mystery of the Self; therefore the ancient decree of these esoteric schools has always been ‘Know Thyself’.
This program delivers deep teachings which help us answer questions such as:
Who am I?
What am I?
Where do I come from?
Where am I going?
What is my purpose?
These Shamanic teachings offer certain commonalities that can be found within many indigenous cultures. The program focuses on these commonalities such as the understanding of the Biofield and the Guardian Spirit Complex.
The “Guardian Spirit Complex” is an ancient phenomenon of considerable cultural, social and psychological significance for the great majority of indigenous societies throughout the ages. The Guardians take on many forms, they can be people, ancestors, spirits, plants and animals, even energies. The basic premise is that all things or “beings” are alive and have varying degrees of sentiency whether they be a stone or a person. All of these Guardians exist surrounded by an energy field that contains extraordinary abilities. This program travels participants into these various fields of energy and examines aspects of the Guardian Spirit Complex and then links these teachings to a practical Shamanic Coaching practice.
Contemporary Shamanic Coaching: Shamanic Coaches are guides not therapists.
It remains important that we place these Mystery School teachings and their form of Shamanism into a modern context that includes life-coaching. We are not presenting a religion; we are helping the individual to discover a series of doorways that will help them to nurture a sense of spiritual philosophy within themselves and linked to the natural world and cosmic energies.
Each doorway includes a set of Shamanic teachings that will allow the individual to proceed into a fresh set of experiences that they themselves interpret and engage with.
These elements of individual experiences represent the Shamanic therapy. The Shamanic Coach simply makes apparent each doorway; offers a set of tools in order to help the individual navigate and then serves as a source that will help the individual as they ponder their journey.
Key points that the coach offers or seeks to achieve:
Helping clients spend more time in nature by growing dwell times by 20 minute increments in nature and the mysteries;
This program includes a Support Kit called “The Science You Need to Know” which will help guide coaches as they explain the logical connections between their clients and the natural world.
Helping people rediscover their mystical connection to nature and the cosmos.
Addressing questions such as: Is there a soul; where does it reside; how does it work; where does it go?
Reasons for Engaging with a Shamanic Coach
The following represents a few points that often emerge as reasons why people take a Shamanic Coaching program:
A calling to spend more time in nature and to explore the mysteries that reside within it.
To satisfy a need for kinship and mindfulness.
To calm a restless spirit.
To feed information into a curiosoity about ancient forms of spirituality.
To inquire about sensitivities including clairvoyance.
To fill a spiritual void.
To expand the wonder of Spirit, God or the Great Mother.
To explore ideas of faith, the soul and existence after death.
To address physical and mental health issues.
To explore meaning and purpose as well as deeper meaning.
To make meaningful connections.
To become or expand oneself as a healer.
Training includes exercise and meditation training. At present there are 30 physical activities presented within the 12 Session Program.
This training can assist them in both career and self-employment endeavors especially suited for counseling, alternative healthcare, the spiritual and visual arts, theology, energy work, education, food, nutrition and outdoor recreation.
Learn more about the Shamanic Coaching Program at the Wildcraft Forest School: http://www.wildcraftforest.com/School/Camps/7-BiofieldTherapyCertification.html
Humans are not getting into nature enough; we are enveloped by technological stimuli. Most healers understand that we are dealing with Nature Deficit Disorder. It might be wise for our medical professionals and our healers to add some nature and some shamanism to their bedside manner and even their treatments,
Even the so-called highly scientific suggestion therapy employs the wares of the medicine-man and the exorcising shaman. And why not? The public is not much more advanced either and continues to expect miraculous cures from the doctor. And indeed, we must rate those doctors wise worldly-wise in every sense—who know how to surround themselves with the aura of a medicine-man.
They have not only the biggest practices but also get the best results. This is because, apart from the neuroses, countless physical illnesses are tainted and complicated with psychic material to an unsuspected degree. The medical exorcist betrays by his whole demeanour his full appreciation of that psychic component when he gives the patient the opportunity of fixing his faith firmly on the mysterious personality of the doctor.
In this way he wins the sick man’s mind, which from then on helps him to restore his body to health. The cure works best when the doctor himself believes in his own formulae, otherwise he may be overcome by scientific doubt and so lose the proper convincing tone.
- Carl Jung, CW 4, Para 578
Join us: www.wildcraftforest.com