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What is a shaman?
Shamans are
walkers between worlds. They
journey, go out of their physical bodies into other worlds to gain
understanding, knowing, knowledge, the 'bigger picture'. From this they enable
the healing of other beings, creatures, people, plants, the land itself.
Journeying is an essential part of being a shaman - else they are not
walking between worlds. It can be difficult and dangerous. To be a shaman
requires total commitment.
The
word 'shaman' comes from a Siberian word of the Tungus tribe which speaks of
someone who is 'excited' - you will experience this excitement on Rainbow
Warriors. To excite means to stimulate, animate, motivate and even electrify,
these are all qualities you will find within yourself as you progress through
the course. Rainbow Warriors are able to converse with spirits, shapeshift,
far-see, and work within the dream-world. Sometimes this appears as an amazingly
simple, happening in the 'everyday world' - this is a part of magic, of
shamanism, being able to see the extra-ordinary within the ordinary, and it's
quite a skill. It works ... but only when you work for others and not for your
own self-aggrandisement. The shaman is a servant to his people, not an autocrat
or dictator.
Shaman Training
This
works through the
old stages of Apprentice to Journeyman and finally to Master and is based around
the three main tenets of spiritual practice
The
study work includes reading and
written assignments. The experience work includes journeying, ritual, ceremony, craft,
storytelling. The service work is
about work you do for others, people, animals, plants, the planet. You will need
to write all of these up and send them to us. I will discuss these with you,
help you find answers to your questions and support you through your
apprenticeship and journeyman-ship.
Timing is important on the course, as in all magical work. You will need to
organise your life to get your work to us on time. to help with this I suggest
you find a rhythm to your work. Rhythm
is one of the most important things in all shamanic practice. The training
revolves and focuses around the seasons and the eight festivals of the Celtic
year.
Reading.
You will need to read a lot of stories, listen to music and songs as well as
practise and write up your experiences. I give you a short reading list
which is not exclusive. I want also to hear about
books, music and songs which you have found useful. Story, song and poetry are the
major ways the lore is transmitted in the Celtic tradition. I also encourage you to make your own poetry.
Craftwork
is a major feature of the training. Shamans, like many magical
practitioners, try always to make their own "paraphernalia". Making your own
rattles, staff, mask, silver branch, Dreamweb, wand, drum, etc. invests the
instrument with your own energy and that of the guides, helpers and other beings
who were with you as you made it. This is very important to shamans.
Storytelling
is also a major feature of the training. The lore was passed on through story,
by the shaman or bard, and it is a beautiful art. The art of storytelling has cadence, rhythm, flow, loudness, softness, different
tones. All these touch different parts of our inner being and can transport
us across the worlds.
You
will participate in a final workshop. This takes place over 14 days
and is very experiential. You put into practice what you have learned over the
three years, walking between the worlds, showing me what you know.
I
ask you to tell us about yourself, your background and experience when you apply
for registration. The training is deep work and will change your life. Both I
and you need to know that you are ready for this before we proceed.
Study
Lore - you learn
will be about the spiritual structure of your own body and soul; how these work
together; their connection to the Web of the World and to the Cosmic Web. Each
lesson lasts six or seven weeks, corresponding to the rhythms of the eight
Celtic festivals. The period from a Lunar festival to a Solar festival (e.g.
Samhain to Winter Solstice) is seven weeks. The period from a Solar festival to
a Lunar festival (e.g. Winter Solstice to Imbolc) is six weeks. Over this time
you read, journey and so come to know a piece of grammarye (wisdom
teaching) so that you can tell it back to me in your own words.
Experience
Experience comes about through the journeys and craft work
and actually living your life. You'll find this changes as you grow through the course.
Journeying - This
is what you do as a Walker Between the Worlds. During the first year you learn how to journey
and journey on a particular theme; e.g. Meeting the World Tree,
Introducing yourself to the 3 worlds, Meeting Your Familiar. Even if you already have a Familiar it will be well
worthwhile re-making your relationship at the new level you will find yourself
at on the course.
Craft - Making of your own magical implements,
your paraphernalia, interacting with wood, stone, metal, plants, water, air,
fire, in order to craft your shaman's tools will give you a very deep knowing
and knowledge of how and why they work. This will stay with you far more than
learning it out of a book. You have two seasons to make each craft-piece as it
can (but doesn’t always) take time. You have to "envision" the instrument – the
first is a Rattle – which means befriending the spirit of your rattle to show itself to you. Not someone
else’s, yours. You find the materials and decorations, and make it
yourself. You then enliven it, asking the spirit to come live in the Rattle and
teach you how to use the instrument in ritual ceremony.
Storytelling -
This helps your skills as Bringer Home of Wisdom, Mediator and Walker Between
Worlds. To tell a story successfully
is to live it, have it alive within you as you tell. You are there, seeing out
of the characters' eyes, feeling with them, hearing and sensing. This way it
becomes real for your audience. Also, you will find that the story itself has
ideas of how it wishes to be - on this day. It will change itself as you form the words and
surprise you.
Service
Service ... do we
do all this work for our own delight? It is unlikely we get too much delight if
this is our aim. Funnily enough, sharing our loves and delights with others
makes them get bigger rather than smaller. We enjoy ourselves more. Perhaps that
is part of the "carrot" the gods offer to get us to do all this work! The form
your service takes will be your own.
There have been shamans who work as healers (of course) but also as financiers,
people managers, vets, farmers, psychologists, factory workers, people who serve
tea in cafes, writers, scientists, housewives and husbands, teachers, cooks,
gardeners, policemen ... the list goes on forever. One of shamanism's main
tenets is "inclusiveness".
Don't worry about how you may serve. It will come to you as you listen
and work with Otherworld, a bit at a time, as you are able to see it.
Shamanism is about being within and a part of the world, a knowing rather than
an unconscious part. Shamans work willingly within the world, knowing their deep
connections to it over the whole life of our soul - which is made up of many,
many personal lives. By service they help it to grow and realise its potential.
As it becomes real to them so they discover a most joyful reason for
being here.
The
Australian native peoples say that only so much of the world as we can dream at
any time is able to exist. We need to become greater Dreamers.
Intake
of students
I
take on new Apprentices at
Samhain
(31st October in the northern hemisphere, where I live) each year. If you would
like to apply please do so
by 1st August.
I close the books on applications on
29th September
each year and I need to discuss your application with you in great detail so
make sure you have your application form in to us
by August
in the year in which you wish to begin the course.
If you
would like to look at some other trainings with a Celtic perspective, try these
...
-
Hallowquest
-
Caitlin & John Matthews
are world-class scholars in the knowledge of Celtic customs and do a training
for those beginning the path.
-
Living Druidry | The Druid Network
-
Emma Restall Orr's course on druidry is excellent and has a shamanic touch
-
Faerie
Shamanism -
Tira Brandon's training for beginners is very good, Tira is very Earth-connected
-
I also like this training very much although it is based within the Nordic
rather than the Celtic tradition ... not too different J.
Centre for Shamanic
Studies -
Jonathan Horwitz and
Annette Høst
do excellent work
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