Who is the Shaman?
The shaman is the exceptional individual in primordial cultures that represent the mystery of life, death, birth, and all that transpires in between. Sometimes the Shaman is a healer, or “medicine man/woman,” sometimes the shaman can be the political leadership arm of a tribe or village. The Shaman represents several key qualities: Power, Rebirth, (Transformation), and Knowledge. Many 20th century readers first became aware of the Shamans journey through the works of Carlos Castaneda, whose “Don Juan” books reached their peak in the late 1960s and 70s. As indigenous cultures gained their own voice among the modern, urbanized cultures of the late 20th century, the fable of the shaman came to be recognized by many individuals as a viable, human, journey, which transcends both time and cultures. Anthropologists and archeologists, long acquainted with the elements of shamanism, began to publish their findings for a general audience, interested in shamanism as a way to connect with their an
