Tools of the Shaman

[Meisopomenos]

I was just wondering as I am still learning...


What are some of the tools of the Shaman?
What is included in the medicine bag?
What tools other than self are required?
What tools do you use in your journey?
What is your favorite tool that you use?

I am looking forward to seeing your replies.

[Shanti]

What are some of the tools of the Shaman?Many! I dont know what others all use. Some use animal bones, rattles, rocks...gosh the list is probably huge if not infinite!
What is included in the medicine bag?Depends on the maker and the bags purpose, again possibilities are endless.
What tools other than self are required?I dont 'require' any.
What tools do you use in your journey?Many different things. Fire, music, incense, knife, bones, rocks, the list goes on. It all depends on what I feel at the time.
What is your favorite tool that you use?Music!

[Meisopomenos]

Thanks, Shanti.

I believe that the tools of the Shaman all depend upon the situation, since it is an ecstatic spirituality. I haven't begun to find my tools yet since I am preparing myself by reading, and just wanted to get more information from you all.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

What are some of the tools of the Shaman?


For me I use bones, rocks, feathers, pinecones, acorns, etc. It's some what hard to say exactly for it varies from time to time as to what I use. Some things are a constant such as fire, water, wind. Not just in an elemental facet but also as mirrors or scribing surfaces.



What is included in the medicine bag?


I associate a medicine bag with Native American culture. In that light it may contain a fragment of bone, a power rock or stone, maybe some type of plant.

Yet like Shanti said it also varies from person to person so is rather difficult to give a this covers it all answer.



What tools other than self are required?


Depends upon the need at the time for me.



What tools do you use in your journey?


I am assuming you mean in the physical, so it is from that facet I shall approach this.

Most often I do not take any tools with me as I venture forth. Usually I ask spirit to guide me and provide me those things I will need at the time. Of course some things I bring such as matches. Yet everything else is found as I need it. When done much of it is returned to spirit but some things I may bring back and place upon the shelves and such that surround me.


What is your favorite tool that you use?

That one is easy, my mind. Spirit provides yet I still must use my mind to see and understand. To put the pieces together as I think they are ment to be and then evaluate what my conclusions were.

[Forest Child]

The tools I use are those which are brought to me by spirit either as they are or for me to use and create something else with.

They change from time and place. Some tools and their spirits stay with me, so far, for ever, others are made to go with clients and I may never see them again.

My favourite - has to be my first rattle which has evolved over time. We have a long and fun history. ;)

I'm not NA or follow that cultural path but I do have what might be called a medicine bag, an accumulation of precious and power filled objects. Its impossible to say what 'should' be in such a bundle because it is specific to the reason for making one, the spirits who bring the artifacts and objects and how many people are involved in the making. Certainly in the UK archeologists have recently uncovered a swan-skin with eggs inside next to a quartz lined well. If that isn't a slightly different sort of medicine bag, I don't know what is!

If you are starting out on this path, ask your spirits what do YOU need and let them show you.

[BearDancing]

I was just wondering as I am still learning...


What are some of the tools of the Shaman?
What is included in the medicine bag?
What tools other than self are required?
What tools do you use in your journey?
What is your favorite tool that you use?

I am looking forward to seeing your replies.


..........also to add, these are all tools and are not just specific to a Shamanic path................they are really for *all* to learn and grow with

[Wandering Bear]

What are some of the tools of the Shaman?

This varies from individual to individual, as the others have said. I tend to use incense, stones, crystals, bones, feathers, furs, rattles, a staff, a drum, dancing, meditation, singing, and a medicine bag.


What is included in the medicine bag?

The medicine bag holds small items that are very important to you. Mine contains a blue jay feather, two stones, and a sea shell. I also carry medicinal herbs in it from time to time.


What tools other than self are required?

The only thing you really need is yourself, that's how I started out. I collected all of my tools as time went on.


What tools do you use in your journey?

The same as mentioned in your first question.

What is your favorite tool that you use?
This is a difficult question, as I like all of my tools, hahaha. However, I have the most fun when dancing.

[KenazFilan]

One note: not every Shaman will possess the same tools. Depending on their lineage, they may or may not have medicine bags. The type of drum or percussion instrument they use will vary (Vodou uses a cha-cha or, for clergy, a beaded rattle called the asson). Some traditions use plant allies, while others do not. (Ayahuasaca is widely used in some Peruvian shaman traditions, for example, while there's no sacred use of intoxicants in Vodou or any other African Diaspora tradition I know of). And medicine bags, so far as I know, are part of some Native American practices: I'm not sure if they are found elsewhere.

"Shaman" has become a blanket term that describes a wide variety of practices across various eras and cultures. (It originally meant the specific practices of one group of Siberian holy men, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish). So you can expect that every Shaman will possess different tools and engage in different practices, although we will see some similarities in their approach to the spirit world.

Raven Kaldera has written some excellent stuff on various shamanic techniques which he classifies as "The Eightfold Path (http://www.northernshamanism.org/eightfold.html)."

[Lupabitch]

How did I miss this?

Kenaz has it right--shamanism is not a universal thing, never mind what Harner and his ilk say. There are a few things that are common, like drums, but there aren't a whole bunch of things every shaman in every culture uses. (%^%#)(* core shamans, oversimplifying everything!)

I can only answer for myself; I am a solitary neoshaman, of no indigenous lineage, and entirely spirit/self-taught. I work specifically within my cultural context (liberal, middle class, college education white neopagan from the Midwest) and don't pretend that that doesn't have an effect on my shamanism (there's no such thing as shamanism that transcends culture--a person's biases always colo what they do). So here are my answers for me:

What are some of the tools of the Shaman?

I have a skin drum, horsehide over yellow cedar with a deer leg and elk hide beater. I'll be adding brass bells to it soon, antique ones that have been in my family a few decades. I also work a lot with animal skins, and have several that I dance with or otherwise work with in my work. I have some other things, but those are private.

What is included in the medicine bag?

I don't have a "medicine bag". I have a couple of receptacles for specific tools, but again those are private.

What tools other than self are required?

Nothing more than what I need to do my job. But since the spirits of the skins and bones (among others) want to help me (for a variety of reasons, not all of which are altruistic) and the more helper spirits I can get to keep me from getting eaten in the spirit realm the better, I work with a variety of tools with spirits in them (as an animist would).

What tools do you use in your journey?

Drum and beater, costumery (sometimes), rattle (sometimes), other things specific to each journey and its purpose.

What is your favorite tool that you use?

I don't have a favorite. That would be like saying I have a favorite friend, or a favorite coworker. Each relationship is its own thing.