The Call to Shamanize

[Lugus]

(This post is fairly long but there is a lot of good stuff here. The link that is given below has even more information about shamanism.)

We sometimes hear people say that they have been “called” to the work that they do and we may have even said it ourselves. When we use “called” in this sense, it usually means something like the person has a great interest in his or her chosen vocation. This may be due to the training in a particular area of study. Or, it might be a very strong interest a particular subject, field of study, lifestyle etc.

However, in shamanism, the calling is different. For the shaman, being called is not always an enjoyable experience. The shaman will something resist this calling. But, this resistance is futile. It is almost as if the shaman is pushed into shamanism.

OK – So how do you know if you have been called to be a shaman? There are a fair number of sites listing various signs with some overlapping of information from site to site. The one that I used here is probably as good as any.

In addition to the passage below, I also remember reading somewhere (?) that the called shaman may spend some time in the real life lower realms of our society. This may include being in jail or prison.

The following is from http://www.shadowdance.org/toteg/wannabe.html . I have underlined some parts for added emphasis.

The initial stages of the call to shamanic work can seem as if the Gods have truly abandoned one. It is the real-life equivalent of the "ordeal" that is a feature in Initiations to many traditional paths of Witchcraft or other forms of the Old Religion. It is usually accompanied by a traumatic, life-threatening, life-changing experience, one that at first makes the recipient despair of survival, if they are even conscious during the ordeal. If conscious, it is usually a feature of the experience that the potential shaman survives largely through his or her own efforts, against all odds and to the astonishment of those standing around the bedside or other crisis venue. If the shaman appears to lose consciousness or even appears to die, what usually is said to happen is that survival is achieved by the direct intervention of the spirits. This experience may consist of one or more of the following possibilities.

* being struck by lightning and surviving
* surviving a "fatal" traffic accident
* suffering a severe physical illness and recovering.
* suffering severe emotional or mental illness and recovering
* recovering from an "irreversible" coma
* suffering from severe drug addiction or alcoholism and recovering
* surviving serious suicide attempts without outside intervention
* having a near death experience such as those on an operating table
* surviving an attempt at being murdered
* and so forth.

Having such a near-death experience is not an indicator by itself. Either preceding or following this event (but often preceding it even from childhood) there are further signs that are usually unmistakable indicators of the call to shamanism. These signs often include such things as

* being subject to falling into trances, either light and day-dreamy, or deep and profound, and in those trances communicating with their own ancestor spirits, and other spirits, who may torment them until they follow the call
* having dreams or visions in which their own ancestors or other spirits tell them they are chosen to be a shaman
* having lucid dreams or visions in which spirits kill them, remove their flesh, internal organs, and so forth, sometimes devour them, and then replace those things with divine or magical flesh, innards, and so forth and bring them back to life
* having dreams or visions in which they are visited by a "spirit husband or wife" who has intimate relations with them, teaches them, gives them helping spirits of certain kinds, and so forth. Often this "spirit husband or wife" will threaten to kill the potential shaman unless he or her [sic] accepts both them and the call to shamanize.
* "waking dreams" in which the person loses consciousness for moments, as in petit mal epilepsy, and when returning to consciousness speaks in other languages unknown to the person. In these instances, the shaman-to-be may appear to be babbling gibberish, but is not talking nonsense but actually saying things that make sense if the language is translated.

However the call manifests itself, the experiences seem to escalate over time until the person may appear to him or her self [sic], as well as to others, to be actually losing their [sic] mind if the call is ignored. Only if a direct acceptance of the "kick" to become a shaman is conveyed to the spirits will the manifestations be likely to cease or come under the shaman's control. If, on the other hand, the person so afflicted continues to resist the push, the worst can and does ensue in time. A person usually cannot refuse the call to the shaman's vocation without becoming seriously physically or mentally ill, or even dying.

The above is probably not a complete list of signs of being called, but does include some of the most common indicators. If you have had similar experiences, there is a good chance that you have been called to shamanize.

[Firebird]

Wow thanks, this is some real good information, and the idea of the Shaman being on the outer edge of the community due to these "qualifications" isn't something everyone wants to be I don't suppose,
but I can check about 6 of those on the list.
Another thing I remember hearing about the Shaman is having one messed up eye (like Odin) this allows the Shaman to see into the other world with one eye, as well as keeping an eye here on this plane. (I was born with one messed up eye, and went through extensive therapy when I was a child to correct it, but it still occasionally goes off!) No surprise I have been on the path of the Shaman for many years now.
I like the link, ...haven't been able to read it all yet, so I am bookmarking this thread, looks to be an excellent reference.
many thanks, Firebird

[AnnaKaterina]

Indeed a very good read dear...like firebird here I can check on the most signs of being so - called "called", except for two points/signs lol ...Thanks for sharing this dear...

[Mashiigwe]

Be careful what you wish for.... Sometimes I envy people who are content with Nascar and Bud Light

[azriel]

Very interesting! No matter how much I research there is always more to learn.

I have always found it interesting that there does seem to be a difference in how people are "called" to shamanism vs other paths. It appears to me that a shaman almost has no choice in the matter, it is a duty that they must uphold and take part in. I am not saying that there is no free will but it does seem that someone who is meant for this path will not have a smooth, slow transition to remain in their comfort zone. One day you believe that you are on the path meant for you, and the next thing you know, a spirit is telling you that you have an ability that can help them and a door seems to open onto an overgrown path that you would have never noticed before.

But I guess that in itself is part of the journey.

There are so many things that I still need to learn!

Azriel
^-^~

[Iset]

WOW. So reading this sent chills up my spine. I used to have grand mal and petite mal seizures, many times I would have lucid hallucinations. This is pointing me in a direction I never thought to take! Thanks!

[Witchcraft-Fairy]

Though this post is some months old, still I'd like to say thanks for sharing this.
The following test is also interesting, many points are similar to those you mentioned, yet there are also other ones, too.
http://www.shamanism.ws/calling.html