The Shaman's Journal

Shamanic Education deals in a practical way with our “life force” – dealing with the “primary” level of our experience.

Because this is a level beneath the level of our thinking and processing, this kind of education is sometimes described as dealing with “energies” and/or “spirits.” This can be misleading if a literal mind is brought into the description.

Another way to describe this area, is to refer to what is “mysterious” — which is another way of pointing to that which is more basic or core to our lives, than our thinking or processing at the “secondary” level.

Other ways to refer to this area might be to say “The map is not the territory.” In this sense, our words, our language, and our thoughts can exist as “maps” or as “metaphors” pointing to the real territory.

In shamanic work, it is also possible to use words, sounds, movement, and many other modalities, in a direct and primary manner, rather than in a secondary way.

Thus, we can say that the valuable content of shamanic education is very real, accurate and useful. And, while we cannot define this content at the secondary level, in other than a “metaphorical” way, we know that our “life force” is very real. And what we do with this life force is very real indeed.

Another way to think of this area is as the area of our personal mythology: our deepest understanding of “who we are” and “what we have to offer to the world. At this level, what we find is “our uniqueness” in a very real and personal way.

Shamanic Tools enable us to fully explore our uniqueness. Shamanic Training shows us how we can access and utilize our hidden talents and natural abilities.