Shamanistic Wicca

Shamanic Multicultural Witchcraft derives from the interweaving of Wicca with the Shamanic belief structures as set forth within books by Mircea Eliade and Michael Harner.

The biggest differences between Shamanic Wicca and other Wiccan traditions are a belief in the "Plant and Animal Nations", the belief in The Old Ones, the belief in The World Tree, the use of the Solar cross instead of the Magic circle (though some may use The Medicine wheel, and the practice of the Vision quest to obtain knowledge.

Beliefs

Shamanistic Wiccans believe the earth is a temple, and its plants and creatures are partners and teachers. Practitioners of Shamanistic Wicca worship a deity that is both male and female at the same time, a mother who is their father, the Lady who is their Lord, who together created all that is, was, or will be. They respect all life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation.

Practices

The Rite of Vigil (Spirit Quest) is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. Similarly, Shamanistic Wiccans believe in the importance of a personal Vision Quest. The New Age Spirit Quest usually involves the aid of rhythmic drumming and chanting, through which the Shaman enters an ecstatic trance. This trance frees the Shaman's consciousness from his/her body, allowing it to fly into the realms of the spirits, and to experience these realms with all the senses of his/her corporeal body.

The New Age Spirit Quest borrows heavily from the mythology and symbolism] of native North America. For example, Ted Andrews, one of the Seminal figures and writers within the modern Nature Speak movement, has borrowed heavily from the central myths and folktales of the Native Americans, in the creation of his 3 books (Animal Speak, Animal Wise and Nature Speak). Those three books have become a teaching aid for the New Ager, the Neo-Pagan, and the Neo-Shamanists. Such borrowings and adaptations have become increasingly controversial; even the use of the term “spirit quest” is being challenged as a form of cultural mis-appropriation. Many Native Americans perceive the use of indigenous forms by non-natives as being intrusive, rude, and disrespectful of their spiritual heritage.

Followers believe shamanic journeying is more than the mystical encounters with spirits; Shamans undergo the trance-journeys for self healing, the healing of others and the gathering of information. Like the pastors and priests in Western society, shamans are not self-appointed, but called to their tasks by the spirits themselves,and then must be trained and recognized by the Elders of the Community.

Shamanism and Native Americans

Unfortunately, the term Shamanism has been misused in popular culture for many years. The entertainment industry has used medicine man and shaman interchangeably (and usually inaccurately) to describe The Holy Men and Women of Native America. The public began to assume that Shaman was a Native American word, and that Shamanism was a universal Indian Religion -- yet in reality, there is no universal Indian Religion. There are hundreds of Indian Nations in North America, each with its own culture, language, and spiritual belief system. Many of these Nations are very different from one another in their religious traditions, and none of them describe their beliefs as Shamanism. Even from a scholarly standpoint, few Native systems can be accurately described as Shamanism - the ecstatic trance journey is simply not a major part of most North American Indian Cultures.

This confusion was reinforced by the commercialization of the pseudo-Indian groups that sprang up in the late 1970's. These New Agers focus mainly on alternative healing methods and environmental awareness, and misrepresent themselves as genuine teachers of Indian Traditions, exploiting the stereotype of Native Americans as ecological warriors and spiritual healers. This practice is particularly offensive to traditional Native Americans. The teachings of these movements are neither traditional nor typical of Indian Beliefs, nor are they shamanic, as they rarely if ever stress the ecstatic trance-journey as a central practice. Yet the movement continues to misrepresent itself as both Indian and Shamanism.

As a result, many Native Americans see the use of the word "Shamanism" as the height of an offensive stereotype and commercial exploitation of their people's beliefs. Many "neo-shamanists" and scholars are sensitive to this issue, and strive to educate the public about exploitation of indigenous cultures, as well as correcting common misconceptions about the words "shaman" and "Shamanism".

See also

• Core Shamanism
• Esbat
• Indigenous peoples of the Americas
• Native Americans in the United States
• Native American mythology
• Neopaganism
• Neoshamanism
• New Age
• Plastic shaman
• Shamanism
• Solar cross
• Vision quest

External links

• The Medicine Wheel - Circle of Life
• Native American Religions - The Internet Sacred Text Archive
• Native American Culture - Internet Archive
• Shamanism Foundation for Shamanic Studies - Home Page
• Shamanism Working With Animal Spirits
• Tribal Beliefs
• Turtle Island's Native Cultures
• The Case Against Shamans In North American Cultures
• Shamanic Wicca and Pagan Philosophy