Shamanism?

[Edith Puthie]

Well. A while back I read a book on Shamanism, and it seemed to really suit my path.
Except, I don't want to read ONE book then decide that is what I want to do, so I have been trying to find other readings. Books, websites, non-fluffy stuff to determine if the book I read was right. xD
I've been looking around here hoping I could find some links, and I haven't found any. Would any one happen to have any?  

[TeaDidikai]

Paranormal Zombiiie

Well. A while back I read a book on Shamanism, and it seemed to really suit my path.

Cool! You're traveling to join a group of peoples amongst the Turko-Mongol cultures of Siberia?

Sweet.

Just as a point of reference, you'll find a lot of people refer to folks who practice such traditions referenced by what they practice as the title within their tradition, or you'll see folks talk about Otherworld Traditions- since Shaman is a specific title for a specific group of people.

Turko-Mongol term was Shaman.
The Norse had their Seidr.
And so on...

Quote:

Except, I don't want to read ONE book then decide that is what I want to do, so I have been trying to find other readings. Books, websites, non-fluffy stuff to determine if the book I read was right. xD

Good attitude to have.

Quote:

I've been looking around here hoping I could find some links, and I haven't found any. Would any one happen to have any?

My recommendation is for a book.

My current favorite is The World of Shamanism: New Views of an Ancient Tradition by Walsh.
He even has a section that addresses the cultural misappropriation of the word Shaman.  

[ShadowCatSoul]

I had no idea that Shamanism was Mongol.  

[Collowrath]

ShadowCatSoul

I had no idea that Shamanism was Mongol.

Specifically, it's Turkic, which encompasses numerous groups of people speaking related languages everywhere from Turkey to Mongolia and all through Siberia. "Shamanism" as a practice I think is more common among Siberian tribes than the nations in the south (Central Asia).  

[patch99329]

I've geard good things from spirit workers I respect, about Raven Kaldera's books.  

[Edith Puthie]

Thank you Tea and Collowrath. That's exactly why I asked, instead of reading one book and calling myself a shaman. Haha.

I'll look up that book.  

[AniMajor]

I once had someone try to tell me that all magic work was shamanism, because all magic worked with spirits, regardless of whether you believed in them or not.  

[ShadowCatSoul]

AniMajor

I once had someone try to tell me that all magic work was shamanism, because all magic worked with spirits, regardless of whether you believed in them or not.

That's definately not true. There are many types of magic work, not just shamanism.  

[AniMajor]

ShadowCatSoul

AniMajor

I once had someone try to tell me that all magic work was shamanism, because all magic worked with spirits, regardless of whether you believed in them or not.

That's definately not true. There are many types of magic work, not just shamanism.

Well, first she thought it was hilarious that someone could be so stupid to ask the question "what does shamanism have to do with magic?", because all magic comes from working with spirits. When I informed her that there are plenty of types that don't work with spirits, her response was along the lines of "spirits, gods, whatever. People think they're not working with spirits, but the spirits are there, laughing because people don't know that's where their power is coming from."

I didn't continue the conversation after that because I wasn't sure I could still be civil.  

[aoijea23487]

Merriam-Webster says that not only is "shaman" in specific reference to a specific tradition, it can also be applied to similar traditions.

Merriam-Webster

Main Entry: sha·man
Pronunciation: ˈshä-mən, ˈshā- also shə-ˈmän
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural shamans
Etymology: ultimately from Evenki (Tungusic language of Siberia) šamān
Date: 1698
1 : a priest or priestess who uses magic for the purpose of curing the sick, divining the hidden, and controlling events
2 : one who resembles a shaman; especially : high priest 3
— sha·man·ic shə-ˈma-nik, -ˈmä- adjective

Merriam-Webster

Main Entry: sha·man·ism
Pronunciation: -ˌni-zəm
Function: noun
Date: 1780
: a religion practiced by indigenous peoples of far northern Europe and Siberia that is characterized by belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits responsive only to the shamans; also : any similar religion
— sha·man·ist -nist noun
— sha·man·is·tic ˌshä-mə-ˈnis-tik, ˌshā-mə- adjective

Thoughts?  

[whiporwill-o]

Celeblin Galadeneryn

Illiezeulette

Merriam-Webster says that not only is "shaman" in specific reference to a specific tradition, it can also be applied to similar traditions.

Merriam-Webster

Main Entry: sha·man
Pronunciation: ˈshä-mən, ˈshā- also shə-ˈmän
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural shamans
Etymology: ultimately from Evenki (Tungusic language of Siberia) šamān
Date: 1698
1 : a priest or priestess who uses magic for the purpose of curing the sick, divining the hidden, and controlling events
2 : one who resembles a shaman; especially : high priest 3
— sha·man·ic shə-ˈma-nik, -ˈmä- adjective

Merriam-Webster

Main Entry: sha·man·ism
Pronunciation: -ˌni-zəm
Function: noun
Date: 1780
: a religion practiced by indigenous peoples of far northern Europe and Siberia that is characterized by belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits responsive only to the shamans; also : any similar religion
— sha·man·ist -nist noun
— sha·man·is·tic ˌshä-mə-ˈnis-tik, ˌshā-mə- adjective

Thoughts?

Look up the Merriam Webster definition for G~. You're not going to find it saying it's offensive once on there. Then again, most people don't realise it is.

Now, onto the reason why I use the OED:

Quote:

A. n. A priest or priest-doctor among various northern peoples of Asia. Hence applied by extension to similar personages in other parts, esp. a medicine-man of some of the north-western American Indians. Occas. in wider sense: an adherent of shamanism. Also more recently, with recognition of the widespread similarity of primitive beliefs, the term denotes esp. a man or woman who is regarded as having direct access to, and influence in, the spirit world which is usu. manifested during a trance and empowers them to guide souls, cure illnesses, etc. Also fig.

Because while the OED's purpose is to give definitions of words in the current usage, it tells us why it's applied to others: simply by extension. That's really not a good enough reason to excuse using it in other cases. But then, most people don't know it's applied only by extension.

what is the world coming to when you can't rely on Merriam-Webster! gonk  

[TeaDidikai]

For what it is worth, people who listen to a detailed description of my tradition and reduce it down to "Oh, you're a shaman" make my teeth itch.  

[FlySammyJ]

So there's no term that we can use to refer to a cross-cultural occurrence of similar spiritual practices by similar people in their respective cultures that may or may not be related practices?

Maybe a better question would be, are the practices of the Shamans, the Seidr, etc etc related? Can we speak about them as one group of people? When they journey do they go to similar places or are the otherworlds culturally contained?

Does anyone know if these traditions developed independently of each other? That one's probably lost to history, but is there any traceable cultural diffusion at work in the details?