Shaman Calling?

So i recently had a friend email me a link to a site that teaches "the ways of the shaman". im all for this but there were a few things about this idea of "teaching the secret ways" (after paying $135)

Im not very schooled on this subject but it would seem that this kind of information is somewhat sacred and might actually need to be learned through time and trials within the shamanic ways rather than paying the one lump sum and having everything at your fingertips?

There is a "list" on the site that lets you know the signs that your shamanic roots are calling and here is the list....

Signs You are Being Called to Your Shamanic Roots

1. Body aches and pains, especially in the neck, shoulder and back
2. Feeling of deep inner sadness for no apparent reason.
3. Crying for no apparent reason.
4. Bouts of nervous energy.
5. Sudden change in job or career.
6. Withdrawal from family relationships.
7. Heart palpitations or anomalies for which doctors can find no cause.
8. Unusual sleep patterns.
9. Intense dreams.
10. Physical disorientation. Increased "self talk."
11. Feelings of loneliness, even when in the company of others.
12. Loss of passion.
13. A deep longing to go Home.
14. Feeling rushed or finding yourself rushing through each day.

So after reading this i felt a bit uneasy as i have everyone of these "signs"
my question to you good folk here at ATS is...How much of this should i believe and how much is just nonsense? and i would also like to hear if any of you have had any personal experience with this subject and could give some views and/or advice.


Sorry if this post is in the wrong catagory...i really didnt see any other place it fit into.

>> So after reading this i felt a bit uneasy as i have everyone of these "signs"

Most people do. Sorry, but I doubt there is a list of signs that tell you if you have shamanic roots or not.

If those are signs of a shamanic calling, then me and about 60% of my friends are being called. I think the above signs are merely the result of being suspicious of the direction the world is turning. While some ask why you might cry for no reason, I ask, with all the horrendous acts being committed throughout the planet, why isn't more of the population breaking down into depression, regret, and disgust every second of everyday. I think the signs above just reflect a need to understand the world better, something that the general populace seems avoid.

Hope you haven't spent any money, you can do about the same thing and be a Indigo Child for free.
Generally, those signs match the signs of depression as well, but yo can take that as you will.

From what I understood from research and personal view is:

You one day find yourself very exhausted for no reason. You can't sleep at night yet you have energy but if you don't use this energy in a way that benefits you...the exhaustion only increases. Sometimes you have to stay up and research or read until this exhaustion moves away from you.

You'll start feeling more sensitive to the world around you. Topics and interests that you normally would not feel interested in suddenly come to light of you being interested.

Animals, birds...and the such visiting you on the road. Flying near you and birds chirping at night.

Static world - Seeing tiny particles resonate in the air as if you are looking at a fuzzy screen over the world.

Not wanting to harm anything and find yourself talking to this "inner voice" which we also call prayer.

You find things more intense. The light from the sun, the moon, and the stars are brighter. You are outside more often then usually looking up at the stars wondering "why" and trying to figure out the biggest of big questions.

One day you find yourself doing things you never thought you could do. Perhaps playing the piano, writing good, or some other trait that suddenly comes "awakened" within you.

The friends you once had no longer seem like friends. Instead you find yourself looking for a mirror version of what you represent "now" as a human being.

There are more signs but those are my own personal ideas of "awakening" who you really are and were supposed to become.

Again...always question people and use your inner heart. This is the only way to truth and freedom.

From some of your symptoms it sounds like someone has a bout of depression. I remember my sis going through the same phases.

Hey clg - I have every single thing that you described there - even the static.. I know it might sound weird, but how you described it was perfect.
It doesnt bother me, but if I look - I see the static

Im just curious as to what you thought these signs ment? My inner shaman calling? Or just becoming spiritually awake?

reply to post by trig_grl



Hello there...

How are you doing now? I really have empathy for you...a lot of what's on the list is in my history too, and I don't suffer from depression. Advice here is not really my thing, but maybe I can give you some ideas of possible paths. Of course you're entirely correct in saying that shamanic ability cannot be bought or learned on a course...it's something you're born with as part of your soul, and your soul will tell you somehow if it's the correct path for you this time round. Trust your instincts, let Spirit be the only teacher you need and avoid the plastic shamans like the plague. Read as much as you can, even if you think it's not useful. There may be only one sentence in a book that you need to read.

clg79 is saying some really useful things here...too often this type of experience is attributed to depression...like almost eveyone has to have it at some point, but medicating yourself away from how you feel might lose you the chance to explore it. Again trust your instincts and you will know if you truly are depressed and needing the correct treatment, or if this is a spiritual dark night...if the latter, you will sail out theother side with no worries...although it might take a while.

On a personal note, I've always been wary of people who call themselves shamans and say that they can teach you. Usually, it's about the cash.Traditionally, in the roots of the Shamanic history in northern Russia, children were recognised as having shamanic ability at a very young age and trained for it till they were old enough to decide whether or not they wanted to follow that path, as shaman and healer...not an easy one. It's not a trendy weekend hobby spirituality at all.

U2U me if you need to ask more off the boards



Cait

I doon't believe in depression. I believe that if you DO have chronic depression, you've become addicted to the brain chemicals and the external attention seeking behavior, and while mixing in chemicals can disrupt the physical reaction, you're still mentally addicted to the comfort of being sad. So all Chemicals do is create more problems later in life.

As for the feelings you describe, they are often classified as depression, yet one can't help wonder how one wouldn't feel this way towards society and reality these days. I have all those "symptoms", too. I often feel extremely lonely, because nobody listens... and it often seems like the more realizations you come to understand, the MORE people pull away and the MORE people ignore you completely.... but I've come to live with it. I think we ARE shamans, wayshowers... lost in a world where people are led astray. I don't truly blame people, as it is hard to break free, although sometimes I get frustrated almost to the point of rage... because all the cold shoulders I've recieved in the past two years... it can make you feel like you are worthless and something is wrong with you... but nothing is wrong with you.

Don't try to curb the thoughts and feelings you have to fit some conformist ideal. Like the person before me said... try to explore it. Take this time, while people are too busy being egotistical and apathetic to listen, to educate yourself about the things normal people ignore or laugh at, because those will eventually turn out to be the revolutionary ideas that change the world again.

We're ALL shamans. Most just don't care right now, though. They don't care because society told them not to. Society says jump, 99% of the population as "How high?"

spiritlibrary.com...

We are being updated to the new evolution of man. Like the Aztecs predict in 2012, a new race of man.

The Spirit Library page is worth a read...it kinda makes it clearer. Spiritual ascension is never easy, uncomplicated or linear, no matter which path you take. The issues you're facing at the moment are literally growing pains...they will stop and change and disappear to a large degree but you have to go through them. When things leave our lives, it's not always easy to see why with our earthy three dimensional selves...when things are really messed up it's difficult to see how it could possible fit into anything spiritual, but it does. It's not the end point we find challenging as humans, but the process of transition, the change process. Be really kind to yourself...eat and sleep as you need....*need*...and do not feel selfish. Take real time out and connect with whatever your inner levels are telling you you need to be doing...for me it's always music, incense and tidying up!...but whatever blows your skirt up is fine....and then see how you feel.

Cait

[edit on 26-7-2008 by caitlinfae]

Just another shining example of exploitation and culture theft. Depression is very real. It is also true that it is fairly common. This website is run by a heartless soul trying to make a buck off your misery. "Shamanism" is not some mystical, fundamental calling for all mankind, like many New Age sites and others will try to claim. The word itself comes from eastern Siberia. Even so, it is now used to describe any sort of "witch doctor" or "healer", despite the many obvious differences that may exist between cultures. "Shamans"...if we really have to call them that...typically get a calling -- NOT from a website -- but from delirium, dreams, visions quests, and so on. What and how they practice is culturally dependent, but some common things: they often do not accept payment for their service, especially during training, and most of that training is under a "master" healer. It can involve depriving yourself of sleep and food, using hallucinogens, and so on. Money may provide you with some instructions, but it likely will not provide you with a solid and trustworthy teacher to personally guide you through every step, help you interpret what you see, help you through the agony of "clearing your mind" and paving the way for imagery from the spirit world, and so on. Certainly not one that will give you all the support you would need.

Yes, the opportunity to give your misery meaning through creating this complex new identity surely seems heart-achingly tempting. I experience reoccuring depression myself. I don't do the medicine they dole out to everyone nowadays...for personal reasons...but I would be severely uncomfortable handing over cash to someone that may or may not screw up my life even more for the next few years. Please take caution when dealing with this kind of thing... Depression makes us very focused on ourselves, on our misery. It can be easy to grasp onto the idea that this nightmare we're living through is actually a sign that we are meant for more, something "bigger" than everyone else. I can't force you to not click that "pay" button, but I am trying to give you a warning. This may not be at all what they want you to believe it to be. This may not be the answer you are looking for at all. Exercise very strong caution.