What is Shamanism?

As an engineer and businessman, I previously held a deeply skeptical view of shamanism. Before 2003, I exclusively associated it with Native Americans, teepees, eagle feathers, and mysterious figures living in isolation in the forest. It all seemed like pure superstition and something I absolutely did not want to be associated with. But life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it. My significant transformation came after experiencing severe burnout in 2003, a condition that became so critical that doctors eventually gave up hope of getting me well. Instead, they began discussing the possibility of permanent disability benefits.

This came as a tremendous shock to me – could I, a former elite athlete accustomed to managing countless projects simultaneously, really end up on permanent disability? This unexpected turn became a powerful driving force that motivated me to find solutions for my extensive health problems. After a lengthy journey across multiple continents, where I sought out the most renowned doctors, specialists, and healers who might be able to help me, I began exploring the world of shamanism. This would prove to be a life-transforming journey that surpassed all my previous conceptions.

This article provides a brief and general introduction to shamanism. In more recent articles, I delve deeper into both shamanism and primordial shamanism. For those who wish to explore these topics further, I recommend the podcast “Journey to Self-Realization”, where Amina and I thoroughly explore these areas.

What is Shamanism?

Shamanism has existed on all continents since the beginning of humanity, with the oldest archaeological findings of shamanic practices dating back 70,000 years (ref. 1). In my Nordic cultural heritage, shamanism played a crucial role before the advent of Christianity. In Norse culture, völvas and seiðmen practiced shamanic rituals for several centuries.

The term shaman originates from the Tungus people of Siberia, where the word “šaman” means “one who knows.” Since 1980, the WHO (World Health Organization) has recognized shamanism on par with Western conventional medicine for treating psychosomatic disorders.

A shaman serves as a guide who helps people understand and respect both external and internal nature, while assisting them in living harmoniously with their soul’s vision and needs. The shaman draws power and insight from Mother Earth and metaphysical dimensions through connections with various energy fields, power animals, and other spiritual beings. In the shaman’s worldview, everything that exists – from stones and trees to rivers and oceans – is ensouled (animism), and the divine creative force permeates all that is (pantheism).

Through altering consciousness, the shaman can perform tasks across different astral dimensions or dream worlds (such as the lower and upper worlds). This includes soul hunting, vision quests, rituals, magical practices, and healing work.

A shaman functions as a holistic healer on multiple levels – social, psychological, medical, and spiritual. In ancient times, before modern medicine and hospitals existed, the shaman fulfilled all these healing functions for the tribe. When seeking answers and guidance, the shaman turns to nature, finding wisdom through careful observation of nature’s own great book of knowledge.

Shamanism is Not a Religion

Shamanism differs from religions in that it has no fixed dogmas, laws, or moral belief systems that must be followed. In traditional religions, one often experiences the divine through a priest or other authority figure – creating a dogmatic system.

As a shaman, you have a direct and personal experience of the creative force in all its forms, without being bound by strict rules or authoritarian structures.

In shamanism, anyone can experience the divine anytime and anywhere, without intermediaries. This is religio. At Yggdrasil Shamanic School, we follow the path of the heart – an ethical foundation built on respect, humanity, love, empathy, integrity, honesty, forgiveness, gratitude, and tolerance.

Absolutely ANYONE Can Learn to Become a Shaman

Based on my experience, every single person has the potential to develop into a shaman. Over the years, my students have demonstrated that you don’t need to be born into specific ethnic groups or possess special innate abilities to become a shaman. Everyone can learn to help themselves and others create profound positive changes in life through shamanic wisdom, insight, and power.

Nature is the Key

Nearly all shamans maintain a deep and meaningful connection with nature and Mother Earth in their practice. Nature is our greatest source of wisdom and healing – it existed billions of years before humanity and will hopefully endure long after we’re gone. Mother Earth forms the foundation for all life. When shamans need guidance, insight, and solutions, they turn to nature. There, they observe nature’s interactions with deep attention and meditate on questions arising from their heart and inner core.

Nature is also our greatest healer – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Without nature, life could not exist on this planet. Modern humans have gradually lost touch with nature’s wisdom. This has resulted in a world where people destroy nature to maintain a lifestyle based on “more, bigger, and faster,” as well as destructive behavior towards themselves and others through intolerance and bullying. It’s disturbing to see how this is increasingly accepted as “normal.”

But this is far from normal. Humans lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years before the industrial revolution began a few centuries ago. In just a few decades, we have managed to destroy much of the foundation for our own existence through exploitation, pollution, and environmental destruction.

I believe it’s high time we create a new and healthier “normal.” For this transformation to occur, more people need to rediscover and relearn what is natural, both internally and externally. Mother Earth and shamanism have incredibly valuable lessons to teach us in this regard!

Our Most Important Teacher and Healer

In my experience, modern humans need to rediscover nature’s healing power and wisdom to create a balanced and meaningful life. I observe how more and more people are drawn to urban living, surrounded by concrete and asphalt instead of life-giving nature.

Statistics show that 80% of Norwegians now live in urban areas. UN projections indicate that by 2050, 68% of the world’s population will be city dwellers. In our busy daily lives, I notice that very few take time to seek out nature for peace and recreation. Never before has humanity been so disconnected from nature’s healthy rhythms and healing power.

This has led to a dramatic increase in health problems related to stress, depression, anxiety, and aggression – conditions that form the foundation for many of today’s serious and chronic diseases.

The Shaman’s Tasks

Shamanism represents humanity’s oldest form of spiritual practice and healing. A shaman functions as a bridge builder, helping people understand and respect both outer and inner nature. Our main task is to create harmony between humans, nature’s healthy rhythms, and spiritual forces (angels, power animals, divine beings) by mediating between the physical and spiritual worlds. In my practice, I teach people to live in accordance with their spiritual essence. For a shaman, everything is alive – from stones to trees, from rivers to oceans.

Yggdrasil Shamanic School

Yggdrasil Shamanic School offers a modern approach to shamanism specifically tailored for today’s busy individuals. Here, you’ll learn powerful and practical shamanic techniques and ancient wisdom that can be seamlessly integrated into daily life – whether you’re at home, in the office, or out in nature. We place strong emphasis on achieving concrete, measurable results quickly. From the very first course, you’ll master a form of spontaneous healing that delivers objective and visible results without physical contact with the person you’re treating!

At Yggdrasil Shamanic School, we firmly distance ourselves from the use of drugs or hallucinogens in our practice. Instead, our tradition teaches you effective techniques to naturally and safely alter consciousness in a short time. We practice an earth-centered form of shamanism focused on living in harmony with nature and finding answers through this connection.

As a student at Yggdrasil Shamanic School, you’ll receive energetic initiations into fundamental magical tools and methods from experienced shamanic teachers and light beings connected to our tradition. This forms the foundation for developing your unique form of magic. All our shamans develop their personal practice based on individual talents, grounded in the school’s core methods and philosophy built upon The 9 Pillars for Finding the Path of the Heart.

What makes Yggdrasil Shamanic School unique is our systematic approach to shamanism. We emphasize that students achieve rapid, measurable results with the techniques they learn – regardless of their location.

At Yggdrasil Shamanic School, we offer a personally tailored journey into the world of primordial shamanism, where you determine the pace and depth of your spiritual exploration. Whether you wish to take your first steps through an introductory course or are ready for a deeper transformative journey towards authentic spiritual awakening – the path is yours to choose. Our tradition sets no boundaries but instead opens doors to unlimited personal development and growth. Learn more about Yggdrasil Shamanic School here.

How a Shaman Works

A shaman’s work is deeply rooted in creating concrete, transformative results. Through vision quests, the shaman helps individuals who have lost their direction or seek deeper meaning to rediscover and embrace their authentic spiritual life path.

In soul hunting, the shaman embarks on a profound inner journey to find fragmented parts of the personality. These parts may have been suppressed through traumatic experiences such as accidents or abuse, or they may have been rejected due to social norms or religious beliefs.

With support from power animals and light beings, the shaman navigates through the shamanic dreamworld to locate these lost soul parts. These are then gently guided back and integrated into the client’s energy field. The shaman works closely with the client to ensure that the reunited parts are respected and nourished in everyday life while developing practical strategies to prevent future fragmentation. See this podcast episode for more information about Soul hunting.

With deep insight and experience, the shaman employs powerful rituals to activate healing energies and communicate with light beings. These rituals can address both physical ailments and emotional challenges such as anxiety and addiction. Through this magical practice, fundamental changes can be created in the human physical, mental, energetic and spiritual dimensions. For a deeper understanding of rituals and shamanic magic, I recommend listening to the podcast episode “Shamanic Magic – The Gateway Between the Visible and Invisible”.

The Shaman’s Tools

In my experience as a shaman, I have discovered the power of diverse tools and methods that can help humans, animals, plants, and landscapes regain their natural balance and vitality. In my daily work, I utilize powerful instruments such as drums, rattles, crystals, feathers, and sacred incense. I also integrate singing, poetry, meditation, and rituals, along with journeys to the shamanic dream world, as well as other astral dimensions.

When we activate these shamanic tools, we enter dreamtime – the metaphysical dimension that Australian aborigines have preserved access to through the use of their didgeridoo. In this state, we can communicate directly with light beings and power animals.

Here is a brief and general description of some important shamanic tools:

Drums are portals to trance states that enable journeys to the shamanic dream world, and serve as bridges for ritual energy work and communication with light beings such as angels and power animals.

Rattles are another powerful tool to harmonize both brain hemispheres and promote healing and energetic cleansing. In my practice, I often combine rattles and drums, as these create archetypal sounds that transport us back to our time in the womb where we were still in close connection with our soul and spiritual heritage. The drum’s rhythm mirrors the mother’s heartbeat, while the rattling reminds us of her voice’s resonance. When we shamans work in groups, we unite drums and rattles with mantra and power singing, adding a deeper spiritual dimension and merging individual healers into one healing entity.

Feathers serve as tools for cleansing auras and chakras, as well as in purification rituals for both homes and landscapes. In my work, I use ritual feathers to generate and direct energy during ceremonies, and to convey messages and healing to humans, animals, light beings, and specific locations.

Magical wands come in many variations and expressions. These can represent the healing power from spiritual beings, power places, plants, or stones. Some wands carry the shaman’s special powers and are tailored for specific healing purposes. Others are used for telepathic communication, psychic surgery, meditation, and astral journeys. There are also personal wands directly linked to the shaman, manifesting all wisdom, magical powers, and spiritual light beings that collaborate with him or her.

The Chalice symbolizes the spiritual water element. It is used to bless water that transforms into a powerful healing medium. The chalice also helps channel fresh life energy (ki or prana) where needed.

Cauldrons are powerful vessels for creating magical and healing potions, as well as for rituals requiring a strong presence of the spiritual fire element. The cauldron symbolizes the purest form of magic and the Holy Grail. It can also serve as a window for astral vision – by filling it with clear water, one can observe events from a distance, both past and future, without being physically present. The cauldron symbolizes the source of life – the mother’s womb where new life is created, and thus Mother Earth herself.

Incense is deeply connected to both air and fire elements. In my practice, I use incense to invoke light beings or as a spiritual offering. It is also indispensable for energetic cleansing of people, spaces, and landscapes, as well as during rituals to enhance or attract specific energetic qualities.

Knives such as the Boline (the white magical knife) and Athame (the black magical knife) have multiple uses. The Boline knife can be used for herb harvesting and light inscriptions. The Athame knife can be used to cut magical circles, focus energy, carve runes or other power objects, and to block unwanted energetic influences through protection circles.

Rope is a tool that can be effectively used for knot magic, where energies can be bound and released as needed. It can also be used to create magical circles or establish connections with spiritual beings, plants, minerals, humans, and animals.

Crystals, particularly quartz crystal, have become an essential part of my work. I use them regularly during astral travels and for spiritual communication. They also add extra power during healing and rituals, and I have witnessed how they can energize magical potions in a unique way.

Bells represent a direct connection to Mother Earth. I ring them to invite her presence into my rituals. During healing sessions, I’ve experienced how their sound can be a powerful catalyst for dissolving blockages.

Tallow candles are perfect for focusing spiritual energies toward specific healing purposes or for positively transforming life structures. During meditation, they can facilitate remote viewing and astral journeys.

Runes serve as both an oracle and a source of wisdom, as well as a powerful magical tool for performing comprehensive structural magic. They have proven to be invaluable tools for healing and personal development.

The Pentagram can be used to cleanse negative energies or attract positive ones. It can also function as a portal to other dimensions.

Power songs can be utilized to increase spiritual energy and communicate with spiritual beings. They can also be employed to positively influence life structures.

The Book of Shadows is my personal magical diary where I document all experiences with magic, rituals, and communication with light beings.

There are many more tools associated with various traditions and cultures. It’s important to remember that these instruments should only be used for energy work to preserve their power. Their effectiveness depends entirely on the shaman’s experience and training – in untrained hands, they possess no magical properties.

In the next article, I invite you on a fascinating journey behind magic’s mysterious veil!

Here you can explore all my published articles about shamanism

References

Ref. 1: World’s oldest ritual discovered. Worshipped the python 70,000 years ago. Apollon, University of Oslo https://www.apollon.uio.no/english/articles/2006/python-english.html.