Shaman
The word shaman comes from the language of the Tungus reindeer herders of the Lake Baikal region of Russia. In Tungus languages this term refers to persons of both sexes who have mastered spirits, who at their will can introduce these spirits into themselves and use their power over the spirits in their own interests, particularly helping other people who suffer from the spirits.
The meaning of shaman is sometimes quoted as 'to heat up, to burn, to work with heat and fire' and sometimes as 'Wise One' or 'One who Knows', or 'One Who Sees'. In the words of Mercia Eliade, as shaman is a 'Master of Ecstasy' - a master of exstasis (from the Greek), meaning outside the normal stasis of consciousness. They are masters of altered states of conciousness in which the normal rules of Newtonian three dimensional Existence are no longer valid, and in which travel to other worlds, precognition, distant seeing and healing, communication with the dead, are all possible and natural.
Shaminism is not a belief system. It is a path to knowledge which is gained through experience of many facets of life, through rituals, ceremonies, prayer and meditation, trails and test.
Shaminism can be defined as a family of traditions whose practitioners focus on voluntarily entering altered states of consciousness in which they experience themselves or their spirits travelling to other realms at will, and interacting with other entities in order to serve their community.
The way that shamanic cultures saw creation
The creator creates the Creation continuously out of Him/Her/itself, and All-That-Is, the external world, is the Creator-Made-Manifest. As parts of timeless eternity, of the Creation, we existed 'before' human birth and we continue to exist 'after' death, as do all things, although not in the same form or with the same degree of individuality. When we are born in the manifest world we 'die' to the spirit world; when we die to the manifest world we are reborn into the spirit world. From Bhagavad-Gita:
There was never a time when I did not exist, nor you. Nor is there any future in which we shall cease to be.
We are each individual consciousness on a journey of learning through life. We are not superior or inferior to the animals, plants, mineral, or the planet itself. Our existence is dependent on the planet, the plants, insects, fish, birds, animals - all that came into being before us- and we are part of planet earth and of the sun. (page 26)
New Mythos
We humans of the so-callled developed world desperately need a new dream. We need to re-mythologize ourselves and our world, We need to cooperate as sucessfully as we compete. We need to balance the great powers of feminine and masculine. We need to cooperate as successfully as we compete. We need to become aware of the finiteness of the earth's resources and to care take and replenish as we use. We need to share the earth's resources instead of having a winner take-all attitude. We need to value ourselves and each other and the kingdoms upon which our life totally depends. Without the plants, the insects, the animals, we have no existence. Without a new dream, we will exterminate ourselves and do great damage to other kingdoms. Waking up now is essential.
The colour of the west is black, and the polarity is feminine, receptive, creative. 'All Is Born Of Woman' is the first Great Scared Law and it means many things. We go into our feminine place, our dark, solitary place to begin to create. Only when we have given birth to the new idea, the embryo, and then let it ferment into a concept, can we bring it our into the east, into the light of day. If an idea is brought out too soon before it is well composted into the darkness it frequently dies.
Most of the principles and teachings are based on this wheel and the four points. I could consider using the circle image with four points in my work.
Above information sourced from: Rutherford, Leo. Shamanism. London: Thorsons, 1997. Print.
A dictionary definition of a totem is that it is a natural object used by American Indians as an emblem for a family or clan. Actually, totems are much more significant than that and much more relevant to life. Totems can help us to understand ourselves. They are both connectors to our own inner dynamics and reflectors of the 'substances' of which the personality of our temporal human self is composed. In other words, totems can help us understand why we are as we are and point us to our strengths and weaknesses of our own characters, revealing to us what we lack as well as what we inherently have. Totems can alert us to our own inner potentials so that we can awaken and express them, both for our own pleasure and self-fulfilment and also for the benefit of others. Some totems are presented in animal form because human qualities and attributes indicated by the totem are demonstrated by the characteristics and habits of that particular animal.
-native ancestors close with nature
Some totems are established from birth depending the time of year ones birth. However, others are 'collected' along life's journey as we develop.
Totems are like 'psychic' sensors which connect us to and reflect aspects of ourselves.
Focus on Kingdoms.
Minerals/crystals
According to Amerindian mythology the animal kingdom is the second child of the marriage of Sun and Earth. It includes two-legged and four-legged creatures, those that crawl, swim or fly, and also mythological animals. Animals have a clear awareness of their mission and place within the Whole, and act with instinctive clarity, unhampered by either intellect or conscience in the fulfilment of that purpose. Animals, therefore, can teach mankind to become whole-y again - that is to regain an awareness of our purpose within the Whole.
Power animals are encountered on shamanic journeys and are sources of spirit-power with which shamanic work may be performed. A power animal serves also as a guardian, looking after one's interests and security, and as a mediator too.
Power animal has the appearance of a physical and mythical animal, its has no existence in the physical world. It exists in non-ordinary reality through its effects can be experience in everyday life. So although a power animal may be considered 'imaginary' it is 'real' all at the same, and is a source of beneficial power.
energy
A power animal's primary power source equates with the essential qualities of the physical animal appearance it bears. For instance, a lion's main attribute might be 'strength'; an eagle's 'fair-sightedness'; a fox's 'stealth'; a beaver's 'constructiveness'; a turtle or tortoise 'persistence'; a snake's 'transformation' and so on.
In myths, legends and folk tales, animals and sometimes trees and plants are humanized and distinguished by personality characteristics. All life forms converse together as a community within Nature. That is exactly how it is in the non-ordinary reality of the shaman.
Above information sourced from: Meadows, Kenneth. Shamanic Experience. Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element, 1991. Print.
How this relates to my project
There is no doubt shamanism is a large part in humanity reflecting on the earth and our connections with different species and natural forms. Without our interaction with other living forms, it breaks the cycle of life. To some extent I can see how because of technology we have distanced, and almost forgotten about looking after the planet. Recently though I have noticed more awareness for the planet, there are more artists coming together to make an impact within their artworks, more organisations, online profiles encouraging this, as well as a growing popularity in vegetarianism and veganism. I want my project to have connections to bio-technology and using other species on a technical level in the future. However I feel it is important to connect my project to the relationship we have with species, and its importance recognized by shamanist views. These ideas and discussions inspire me to what to get involved in projects in the future to do with sustainability or ecosystems after university. I feel like this is the beginning of a bigger on going project.
My hybrid illustrations will almost be a subconscious totem by me combining close friends with an animal they have a connection with. It is interesting to see how these animals reflects the individuals personalities, or experiences.
http://www.shamansdrumfoundation.org/Mission.html
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