Who, or what is a Shaman?  This has to be one of the 21st century's most enigmatic questions, because there are so many possible answers, but in reality, only one. However, in my opinion, it's a query well worth the asking. So let's put myth to fact. the word 'Shaman' gains its origin from the Siberian, or to be factual from the 'Buryat' people of Siberia. And a Shaman does many things, from healing, to the offering of advise, as well as spiritual guidance. But the main thing that any real Shaman does, is to communicate with the spirit worlds. And I say 'worlds' because there are a few and on many different layers, or levels. They are real and exists beyond the normal realm of most peoples reality and it is part of the Shaman's work to traverse these worlds to seek out and communicate with the entities that inhabit them.

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Some of these spirits are helpful and benevolent, others, are not. They often hold the keys to many of the issues faced by the 'normal' or mundane world. Such as; sickness, mental illness, depression, anxiety/fear, possession, abusive actions (Sexual, mental, physical) addictions and so on. And by finding and communicating with the spirits involved, the Shaman can find the possible cure or solution to any given situation. There are times when the Shaman will make offerings to the spirits on a persons behalf for resolution to an issue and at other times purely as a means of creating a respectful alliance with the spirit world. This concept can be hard one for the secular world to understand and relate to, because in that world we have not been taught of such things and in fact, have been programmed against them. I feel that this is a great shame and has caused much suffering for many people, needlessly.

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Most people do not understand the benefits of Shamanism, even as a spiritual practice, and have created fear around what and who, a Shaman really is, a powerful ally. Part of the disempowerment, or misconceptions around Shamanism has come from the more 'new Age' type of what I call 'dabbler people' who really know very little about the real practice of Shamanism. Waving a beautiful feather around some delightfully smelling incense does not make you a Shaman. It may be a very pleasant experience, but it does not make you a Shaman. Becoming a Shaman takes a great deal of time, practice and personal suffering, and I kid you not when I say, that it can be a potentially dangerous path for the person who unwittingly offends the spirit world and crosses unseen boundaries that are in place to keep the 'dabbler' away, and safe in the first place. A weekend retreat also doesn't make you a Shaman, it may set you on the path of becoming one, but that is a very different story, and a very long road.

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Part of a Shaman's life is about what I call 'feeding the spirits' whereby the Shaman creates  ceremony to interact with spirits and to make specific offerings to them. These can vary greatly depending on what is needed, the favourites can include; Chocolate, honey, flowers, meat, alcohol, shells, corn and corn flower, there are many more but these examples give you a glimpse into the work of making offerings and can be done in different ways. Through fire, water, earth and air, and the Shaman can travel spiritually with these gifts, in a trance state, and make the offerings, or leave the offerings in a ceremonial place here in the mundane reality so that the spirits can see and feel our connection to them. As an example, I work with my spirits and others, through the Medicine Wheel practices. I find that the use of the wheels is a respectful and powerful way to go about ceremony and it also acts as a portal for me into the Shamanic realms.

 

Can anybody become s Shaman? I don't think so, it takes a certain kind of person to be come an effective one and the life of a Shaman is certainly not for everybody. However, it is possible to practice Shamanism as a personal practice that is about your expression of connection to the world of nature and in respect of the spirit worlds around you, without the need to become a Shaman. And one of the things that I love about Shamanism, is that it does not discriminate in any way. Women and men can become Shaman, I know of many and they all carry their own powerful medicine and ways of being that Shamanic person. The individualism of each Shaman offers a slightly different gift to any situation. For instance, I work very closely with fire, sacred fire. In other words, I will create a sacred fire to assist me in my workings. I embrace the fire as an ally that takes me into the spirit world and also brings spirits through and into our world, that then help me, to help others. It has taken me many, many, years of making offerings and sitting with the fires to now work as I do with them. I have great respect for the sacred fires and the spirits that come through them. 

 

All of the pictures on this site are of the fires I work with and have not ben edited, or retouched in anyway. The one at the top of the page was taken of me 'feeding' the fire spirits, prior to carrying out my work and if you look closely, you will see that the fire spirit actually bends toward my offering to take it, rather like how we offer good to other beings. Other images on the site are also of the fire spirits that I work with, I ask them to materialize so that they can be photographed. Many have come through and I feel privileged to know them.  

 

It is my hope that from this brief description of a Shaman's practice that you can find a greater understanding and appreciation for what, and who, a Shaman is. If you have any questions on the subject, or require support in any way, please email me via the contact page and tell what you need.

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"It feels as though Chris is able to look directly into your soul and in an instance knows all that you're hiding beneath the surface, which, on a level, he does, and it's part of what makes him such an incredible shaman to work with.            

                                                                                          Emilia - Vancouver - Canada

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           "Nurture nature and nature will nurture you, when we lose our connection to nature,

                                                                      imbalance is sure to follow"

                                                                                        Chris Bear 

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