The Origins of Shamanism

Shamanism is often described as the oldest spiritual practice in the world. The faith is not rooted in a particular entity or God, but rather on animism, or the belief that everything on earth is living and has a spirit. Shamanism has dealt with oppression from governmental entities who belief the tradition is primal in nature. However, the continued practice, often in secret, has resulted in failed efforts from those looking to abolish the spiritual tradition. 

At the core, Shamanism connects our plane of existence with higher planes of existence. Shamans unify our world with the spirit world to heal, contact dead relatives, predict and change the weather, and elevate one's consciousness. 

Depending on the geographic location of the shaman, their duties can vary. Most Shamans deal with the overall health of the community, along with all plants and animals, and the entire surrounding environment. For this post, I want to explore the specific culture of the South American shamans.

South American shamans are located primarily in the Amazon, and resemble "chief-life figures." They are closely connected with jaguars and are thought to have the ability to transform into a jaguar when they please. These shaman believe that jaguars are not actually animals, but rather a shaman that has simply transformed into their animal form or the soul of a deceased shaman roaming around in the physical world. 

To enter the ecstatic state, South American shamans drink a tea known as yagé. This tea is made from the Banisteriopsis caapi plant, which contains a psychoactive compound known as DMT. This chemical substance produces an intense psychedelic experience that allows these shaman to connect to the spirit world. 

Similarly, to active the ecstatic state, shamans will beat on drums or shake rattles to evoke this psychological experience. The rattle is symbolic to South American shamans as it resembles a connection between the physical world and the spiritual world through an altered state of consciousness. 

When drawing a comparison with witches and shaman, both engage in a somewhat similar lifestyle. Through the interaction with the spirit world, the transformation into animals, and the relation to illness and death, shaman and witches share an abundance of similarities. However, it is worth noting that the characteristics associated with healing and leadership embodied in shaman are not represented in witches. 

Icaros read and sung by a shaman.