The path of the Shaman is an ancient calling to heal and work in service to the spirits and the universe: First and foremost, the Shaman is a healer, but s/he can also serve in the community as priest, mystic, artist and poet. Women, men and transgender individuals can all be Shamanic Practitioners; their roles reflect the cultures and landscapes that they are born to, and can include: medicine person; ritualist; ceremonialist; weather forecaster; magician, but they are always a bridge between the worlds. Usually there is a calling from the spirits to become a practitioner, and some believe that Shamans are born to their role, that we come from the branch of a different tree.
In more traditional societies, the journey towards initiation can take many years, and is sometimes seen as an inherited responsibility from our foremothers and fathers. We no longer have that tradition in the UK. This doesn’t mean that we cannot undertake our own journey of initiation, of learning how to live, heal and to tread more carefully on our lands. Some of us are seeking answers to the greatest threats to our survival that our planet has ever seen. Some of us are looking for rebellion, a new dream that nurtures our spirit and the spirits of those with whom we share our home. Whatever we seek, we must first attend to the shadows within our own souls, to admit our faults and our fears and the extent to which they drive us, to grapple our demons and find the balance between our own dark and light. At The Shaman’s Art, we shall help you to find your place as rebel or reformer, as initiate and practitioner; as fellow dreamer and truth-seeker. We invite you to start your Shamanic journey with us.
