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Shamanism refers to a range of traditional beliefs and practices similar to Animism that claim the ability to diagnose and cure human suffering and, in some societies, the ability to cause suffering. This is believed to be accomplished by traversing the axis mundi and forming a special relationship with, or gaining control over, spirits. Shamans have been credited with the ability to control the weather, divination, the interpretation of dreams, astral projection, and traveling to upper and lower worlds. Shamanistic traditions have existed throughout the world since prehistoric times.

Some anthropologists and religion scholars define a shaman as an intermediary between the natural and spiritual world, who travels between worlds in a trance state. Once in the spirit world, the shaman would commune with the spirits for assistance in healing, hunting or weather management. Ripinsky-Naxon describes shamans as, “People who have a strong interest in their surrounding environment and the society of which they are a part.”

Other anthropologists critique the term shamanism, arguing that it is a culturally specific institution and that by expanding to fit any healer from traditional societies it produces a false unity between these cultures and creates an idea of an initial human religion predating all others.

Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits that affect the lives of the living. In contrast to animism and animatism, which any and usually all members of a society practice, shamanism requires specialized knowledge or abilities. It could be said that shamans are the experts employed by animists or animist communities. Shamans are not, however, often organized into full-time ritual or spiritual associations, as are priests

however, in the early days of human existance, it was needed to describe why there were earthquakes and volcanoes and such

I was doing a bit of research on Necromancy (Just to make sure the RPG's are lying to me) and I found that on a base level (goals of the practice and such) Shamanism is very similar, in that your goal is simply to commune with the dead, gain insight, knowledge, ...some otherworldly power etc. I do know however that shamanism is as you have said more closely related to nature, which I would think gives it closest ties to pagan (Wiccan etc.) practice.

There is also the added benefit of me not seeing the image of the walking dead when I think of a shaman, that always is nice.

Wikipedia knows all, half of the time. You have tried a striaght up google search right, that gives me a few sources for overviews etc.

Check out the book Animal Speak, it is most excellent.

Sorry but.. you can't find yourself outside yourself. And most shamanistic cultures I can think of do in fact worship nature. Native American culture for example includes rituals that call upon nature to help them.

I know a shaman, it's amazing