Post by ADMIN on May 5, 2004 9:49:23 GMT -5
WHAT IS A SHAMAN
Shamans experience Deity and the Ways of Deity
A Shaman is a person who experiences the spiritual realities or spiritual truths directly. That direct experience is probably THE most important factor that distinguishes the Shaman from other spiritual personages. In this way, a shaman is a true priest - a representative of Deity among humankind.
The spiritual nature of humans needs attention and care
Every tribe, every group, needs its Shaman.
We humans are creatures of spirit and of energies. The care and feeding of this spirit and these energies, is crucial to our lives. The role of spiritual leadership is to help us both to understand and also to learn to perceive directly for ourselves, the invisible Life and the living Principles that make us whole.
St Germain
We live in a material Universe sustained by invisible spiritual Forces
A Shaman is a seer. One who sees. In our material world we are surrounded by Forces - a glorious living structure of invisible energies. We can not live or Be without them. These Forces travel through all of the Realms of Being, of which our world and universe is only one among the many. You could call these Forces the breath of God - breathed through All-That-Is. The Word. The Song. Or the wordless Wild Wisdom.
The Shaman has the ability to sense these Forces - sometimes the ability to call these Forces - sometimes the ability to Journey among them - becoming one with them - for a time. Like a dreamer who remembers a dream, the Shaman brings the treasures of the Journeys back to the Tribe.
The role of spiritual leaders
The source of all wholeness is Deity, the creator of the life which we embody. There is only one way to obtain wholeness, and that is through building and developing a relationship with Deity. The work of the Shaman or any holy person, is the development and maintenance of this relationship, and the sharing of its benefits with the Tribe, or congregation.
The role of individuals
Each of us must develop and maintain our own relationship with Deity, to seek through this relationship our own wholeness. In this spiritual adventure, the Shaman or Priest is our leader, our guide, and our model for how this is done.
Deity has placed gifts and talents in every one of us. As we develop our relationship with Deity, these gifts and talents are revealed and developed. In this way each member of the Tribe contributes to the welfare of others. Eventually everyone who journeys in such a manner becomes a Shaman for someone else.
Wherever there is spiritual need, or lack of wholeness, Deity calls beings to become Shamans
In every time and every culture - Shamans appear according to the needs of their Tribe. Called and dedicated people span the realms and part the veils between them. With Wild voices they call to the Wild Wisdom of The-Spirit-That-Moves-Through-All-Things for the guidance we need to find and interact with the living substance that uplifts and heals, not only our bodies, but also our lives and our nations.
Shamans in every realm - every Universe - in every form - turn to the Grand Designs and energies of The-Spirit-That-Moves-Through-All-Things - to help their Tribes partake of the nature of Deity and thus fulfill their every potential.
To become a Shaman you had to be 'called' to the service, often there were initiations and suffering. A ceremony which involved symbolic death and resurrection, endowed the new Shaman with a new existence, forever changing him. During the initiation the new Shaman would meet and converse with spirits, learn how to go into trance, astral travel and be taught which spirits he could call upon in the future. Those who did not attain the full range of Shaman powers became 'medicine men'. Regarding their work, these peoples believed illness was the result of evil spirits entering inside people. They performed an elaborate ceremony to call out the evil spirits. Only the Shaman have the power to communicate with the spirit domain, acting much like our mediums do, as an mediator and message giver. Shaman were major figures for a tribe, often taking on many roles; teachers, poets, healers, story tellers and other functions.
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Shamans experience Deity and the Ways of Deity
A Shaman is a person who experiences the spiritual realities or spiritual truths directly. That direct experience is probably THE most important factor that distinguishes the Shaman from other spiritual personages. In this way, a shaman is a true priest - a representative of Deity among humankind.
The spiritual nature of humans needs attention and care
Every tribe, every group, needs its Shaman.
We humans are creatures of spirit and of energies. The care and feeding of this spirit and these energies, is crucial to our lives. The role of spiritual leadership is to help us both to understand and also to learn to perceive directly for ourselves, the invisible Life and the living Principles that make us whole.
St Germain
We live in a material Universe sustained by invisible spiritual Forces
A Shaman is a seer. One who sees. In our material world we are surrounded by Forces - a glorious living structure of invisible energies. We can not live or Be without them. These Forces travel through all of the Realms of Being, of which our world and universe is only one among the many. You could call these Forces the breath of God - breathed through All-That-Is. The Word. The Song. Or the wordless Wild Wisdom.
The Shaman has the ability to sense these Forces - sometimes the ability to call these Forces - sometimes the ability to Journey among them - becoming one with them - for a time. Like a dreamer who remembers a dream, the Shaman brings the treasures of the Journeys back to the Tribe.
The role of spiritual leaders
The source of all wholeness is Deity, the creator of the life which we embody. There is only one way to obtain wholeness, and that is through building and developing a relationship with Deity. The work of the Shaman or any holy person, is the development and maintenance of this relationship, and the sharing of its benefits with the Tribe, or congregation.
The role of individuals
Each of us must develop and maintain our own relationship with Deity, to seek through this relationship our own wholeness. In this spiritual adventure, the Shaman or Priest is our leader, our guide, and our model for how this is done.
Deity has placed gifts and talents in every one of us. As we develop our relationship with Deity, these gifts and talents are revealed and developed. In this way each member of the Tribe contributes to the welfare of others. Eventually everyone who journeys in such a manner becomes a Shaman for someone else.
Wherever there is spiritual need, or lack of wholeness, Deity calls beings to become Shamans
In every time and every culture - Shamans appear according to the needs of their Tribe. Called and dedicated people span the realms and part the veils between them. With Wild voices they call to the Wild Wisdom of The-Spirit-That-Moves-Through-All-Things for the guidance we need to find and interact with the living substance that uplifts and heals, not only our bodies, but also our lives and our nations.
Shamans in every realm - every Universe - in every form - turn to the Grand Designs and energies of The-Spirit-That-Moves-Through-All-Things - to help their Tribes partake of the nature of Deity and thus fulfill their every potential.
To become a Shaman you had to be 'called' to the service, often there were initiations and suffering. A ceremony which involved symbolic death and resurrection, endowed the new Shaman with a new existence, forever changing him. During the initiation the new Shaman would meet and converse with spirits, learn how to go into trance, astral travel and be taught which spirits he could call upon in the future. Those who did not attain the full range of Shaman powers became 'medicine men'. Regarding their work, these peoples believed illness was the result of evil spirits entering inside people. They performed an elaborate ceremony to call out the evil spirits. Only the Shaman have the power to communicate with the spirit domain, acting much like our mediums do, as an mediator and message giver. Shaman were major figures for a tribe, often taking on many roles; teachers, poets, healers, story tellers and other functions.
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