The Shamanic Journey
.Shamanism is not a religion; it is a way of being. It is the direct experience of spiritual knowledge and the shamanic experience can be found in every religious faith. The Shamanic Journey is an investiture, a pilgrimage that one must undertake on the way to becoming a shaman. It is a transformation of spirit and becoming a shaman starts from within. One must strive to be be free of illusions and to see without the burden of preconceptions or biases. Being a Shaman is not a "hobby". One must fully commit to “The Journey”.
The word "shaman" originated in Siberia and it describes a specialized type of holy person who practices not only with prayer, ritual and offerings, but through direct contact with the spirits themselves. In traditional shamanic practice the Shaman was "the vision seeker".
The label of "shaman" eventually came to be applied, incorrectly, to any medicine man or medicine woman of the indigenous cultures whose calling involves the spiritual quest. *But, the practice of shamanism cannot be so easily defined.
A Shaman does not follow the laws of man; the Shaman follows the laws of Nature and of Spirit. The Shaman must be able to live astride two worlds; the world of perceived reality and the world of intuitive reality. The Shaman actualizes this duality of existence by venturing into what is called the "shamanic state of consciousness" or the "shamanic ecstasy" and it is during these cosmic journeys that the shaman will travel to other spiritual realms, encountering the people, animals, and spirits who inhabit the mystical universe.
Though it is a personal and individual experience, shamanism is tribal in its nature and needs to be experienced within the cultural elements of the differing tribal lands. The Shaman must be attuned to the parochial, as well as the universal mythos of each tribal region in order to understand the Spirit of the Native Land. Though the essence of the shamanic practice does not change and its elemental ritual experience remains immutable, shamanic rituals and experience will acclimate to different times and different cultures.
Ultimately what it takes to become a Shaman is to be chosen by a specific spirit, totem or deity to be that Spirit's emissary in interacting with the material world. You are not a "Shaman" until you have been called to and accepted a relationship with a spiritual patron. Once that has happened, this Spirit will work with you and through you to accomplish what needs to accomplished.
taken from Spirit Walk Ministries