From Shamanism to Animism - the Story Behind the Transformation Pt2

I’ve known for many years not to call myself a shaman, and I’ve heard that we should run the other way from people who do!

I also know that many people are confused given that we have a wide array of people who do call themselves shamans including best-selling authors, Hollywood celebrities, social media influencers, conspiracy theorists, and costume-wearing activists.

So, I thought it might be helpful to share a bit of background behind the words shaman and shamanism, their origins, and why after 25 years, I’ve moved away from them.

The word šaman, originates from the Indigenous Tungusic people in Siberia and North East Asia. Further west near the Mongolian border, shamanism is a religion often called Tengerism, a term that means “the honouring of spirits.”

What’s important to know about the Indigenous peoples in these areas is that they’ve faced invasion and colonization resulting in cultural decimation and erosion, the extinction and near-extinction of many tribes, loss of languages, traditions, and identity. Indigenous Siberians have faced violent conflict with the Tibetan Buddhist religion for centuries, followed by decades of state repression under the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Soviet Union, however brought a religious revival and Tengerism has been experiencing a comeback. As one can imagine, preserving true Tengerism is extremely important to the Indigenous shamans.

To become a shaman, receiving a call from the spirits is imperative, and training with Elder shamans takes a lifetime. The Elder shamans decide when the apprentice will receive the term of honour (shaman) which is earned and bestowed upon them, and also when they are ready to carry the responsibility of service to their community.

Shamans are spiritual specialists who are called upon for particular situations of spiritual crisis, rites of passage, and healing. A shaman’s role usually involves embodying spirit with intention, consciously communing with the unseen world, and mediating between the people they serve and the spiritual beings and forces they either confront or make use of in service to the community.

The term "shamanism" was first applied by Western anthropologists who were outside observers of the ancient religion and over time, was taken out of Siberia and applied by Western anthropology to many Indigenous cultures throughout Asia, Africa, Oceania, and even completely unrelated areas of the Americas.

Although many of these cultures had similar spiritual traditions, and it may have appeared that different cultures all had “shamans” practising “shamanism” the dominant culture classified any culture’s (usually Indigenous) traditional spiritual practices as “shamanism” and their healers as “shamans” ignoring the fact that other cultures themselves don’t use these words because they have their own language.

Fast forward to today when Western dominant culture generalizes shamanism as a so-called “universal term” effectively homogenizing and whitewashing a uniquely Siberian and Mongolian spiritual heritage. At the same time, the original words used by other Indigenous people for similar roles are lost.

For example; Xhosa traditional healers are known as amaxwele or amagqirha. In the Flinders Ranges of South Australia, the Elder healers are called Yura urngi in the Adnyamathanha language, and Malay traditional healers are locally referred to as bomoh.

Some people might say, “What’s the big deal. It’s just words!” The harsh reality is that even though there’s some cultural resurgence and healing happening, many Indigenous languages have been impacted almost to the point of extinction by targeted attacks throughout colonial history.

Remember that the word, whether written or oral, is power. Language is full of multi-layered meaning and nuance, with specific information embedded in each word. It carries ancestral secrets, power and connection to medicine lineages, and cultural identity. The word is an agent of change, a thought provoker, something that describes, reflects, and creates reality.

Medicine stories, incantations, prayers, and songs are not only spiritual words, they are themselves spirit!

Today we are at a time in history where language is changing rapidly from day to day. Not only has shamanism become a so-called universal term, but also a commodity. Don’t get me wrong, the mainstream needs spirituality, however, the word “shamanism” is now used for everything from spirit hacking to skin care – literally! The disrespect through the commodification of rituals and practices inherent to the Indigenous Mongolian and Siberian people is rooted in a belief that Western culture is entitled to everything. And where has that got us really?

The bottom line is, that most of us diaspora have lost our Ancestral connections, not just to our blood lineages but to the Soul of our Ancestral lands. This disconnection has resulted in multi-generational trauma and soul loss, and often a deep underlying (usually unconscious) ravenous soul hunger. We are colonized and conditioned to reach for quick fixes to numb the hunger, without even knowing, and often not considering the source we are reaching for. We appropriate! I have certainly been guilty of this.

Through my own personal healing journey which has included multiple pilgrimages and reconnection with my Ancestral Lands, the place I’ve landed that resonates most deeply in my soul bones has been Animism - a spiritual way of living where at its heart is a deep understanding, connection, and intimacy with the universal lifeforce, breath, and soul that moves through everything and everyone.

The word comes from the Proto-Indo-European root of “ane” meaning to breathe. We see this same root in many cultures some of which include: Sanskrit “aniti,” Greek “anemos,” Latin "animus and anima," Old Irish “anal and animm,” Welsh “anadl,” Old English – “eðian,” and Old Norse “anda.” All of which translate similarly as breath, life, wind, soul.

Reverence for all living beings is at the heart of Animism. This means having reverence, respect, and connection with the spirits of plants, animals, ancestors, and land.

That connection may involve spirit communication and connection with the Otherworld, prayer, ritual, seasonal celebrations and other soul work. Animism is not a religion and has been practiced in many cultures around the world, so it’s worth looking into your Ancestral lineages.

The Animistic way of reverence and connection with the sacred rhythm, flow, and breath of Life has led me to deep healing, humility, and movement away from the illusion of separation. It’s been the driving passion behind the transformation from Westcoast Shamanic, my previous business of 22 years, to this new website and all my offerings of Sacred Life Animism. The practice of Animism has also shown me the importance of diversity, the balance required with interconnection, and that all life is Sacred - your life, my life, all living beings!

In heartfelt connection, LB