They began to talk a lot about shamans, show and write a lot. Shamans even became participants in various TV shows, not only on educational channels, but also on entertainment ones. And it’s a strange thing, despite such popularity, shamans remain a mystery to ordinary people, some kind of elusive and attractive secret. Some consider them sorcerers and spellcasters, others consider them wild and unbridled actors performing primitive dances around the fire. Supporters of some religions call them demoniac and possessed, and speak about them with caution, and often with disgust. But many people, having overcome their ignorance and fear, still turn to shamans, and this is not a task...! It is from shamans that they find answers to their deepest questions, solutions to the most insoluble problems, peace of mind and balance.

So who is he, a shaman?! I will try to answer this question as best as possible. If you meet a shaman in everyday life, without knowing that he is a shaman, then you are unlikely to see anything unusual in him. This will be the same person as hundreds of others, neither appearance, neither his habits nor his facial features will betray him as a shaman. The Shaman is a Master of disguise, and his ability to disappear into a crowd if he needs it is impeccable! But still…! If you are attentive and observant, then the shaman can be distinguished among the gray crowd of ordinary people. And its main difference from ordinary people– this is the atmosphere..., the atmosphere that he creates around himself. Wherever he is, no matter what group he ends up in by “accident,” the people next to him feel an inner uplift, some subtle feeling of joy and lightness. Those who a minute ago were frowning and irritated, when the shaman appears, suddenly lose touch with the objects of their irritation and are filled with warmth and peace, and a bewildered smile spreads across their faces. The shaman easily and playfully joins any company, unnoticed by others, and becomes its soul and center. It flows in not like a tsunami wave, but rather like a babbling mountain stream, which gradually carries you along, dissolving all petty and selfish problems, carrying your interlocutors into a distant, long-forgotten fairy tale! And it’s not at all necessary that he tell you some legends or epics, not at all! The shaman can talk to you about any topic that is interesting to you, be it fishing or football, butterfly hunting or collecting postage stamps! After all, the point is not only that the shaman can speak well; most likely, the point is that he can listen incredibly carefully. But the one who knows how to listen is the most pleasant and irreplaceable interlocutor! Next to the shaman, people feel confident and at ease, as if they found themselves in distant childhood on the lap of a loving father! This is what distinguishes a shaman from an ordinary person or a charlatan!

Doctor or actor? In the art of acting, shamans probably have no equal! They are the greatest directors of life performances, unsurpassed performers of roles of any complexity and any genre. And the strength of their skill is hidden in the fact that they sincerely believe in any production that they act out, they completely get used to the role that they chose to play at one time or another. With all this, they do not forget for a moment that all this is just a game, that the scenery and masks can dissolve at any moment and take on a completely opposite appearance and plot. The strength of their skill lies in the fact that they do all this not with the goal of fooling others, not with the goal of hiding any of their intentions, but only with the goal of helping those for whom they are performing their next production. It is very difficult to understand this with a logical mind, but, nevertheless, it is exactly so. The rituals of the shamans are full of great theatrical performances, their dances are mesmerizing, their throat singing and animal roars put you into a reverent trance, the sounds of their attributes fill the space with healing vibrations. Those who were lucky enough to attend such rituals were probably able to plunge into this magical mystery. But, despite his skill as a theatergoer, the shaman always treats those who turn to him with full responsibility, starting another “game” with the patient, directing all his strength and capabilities to healing the person who has trusted him.

Is a shaman a healer? More likely not a doctor, but a healer. He acts as a healer not only for people, he is also a healer for animals, and for those places of Mother Earth where he conducts his rituals. With his ritual actions, the shaman equalizes the energy of the place where he turns to his spirit helpers, harmonizes the relationship between people and nature. He heals the Ancestral Trees of those people who attend his festive rituals, so to speak, he evens out the Ancestral karma. Perhaps the shaman will not be able to heal cancerous tumor or spinal injury. But it can heal the souls and bring to Balance those people who just yesterday were ready to jump from the roof of a high-rise building. Perhaps the shaman cannot persuade the spirits to enrich this or that needy person. But he can turn to the spirits with a request to help the person find ways and opportunities for earning money, and the spirits will hear the shaman. Most likely, the shaman will not be able to resurrect the deceased. But he can find and return the lost or stolen souls of living people, thereby saving them mental health. The shaman may not be able to protect you from disaster or fire. But he will be able to make an amulet for you that will prevent you from buying a ticket for a plane that will crash as soon as it takes off from the Earth. A shaman is unlikely to predict your fate like a fortune teller. But he can clearly and clearly discern your paths and show you ways out of dead ends into which you were careless to wander. Can warn you against your hidden enemies, both external and internal. So is a shaman a healer? Judge for yourself!

Warrior hero or agile Hunter? It is unlikely that any shaman will call himself a Warrior or a hero, the reason for this is his modesty. But in fact, every shaman is a Warrior, and he is such both in the world of the living and in the world of spirits. In everyday reality, he is always in a state of war, war with his internal enemies, such as pride, arrogance, greed, fear, etc. And, of course, a war with such enemies is the most difficult war in the life of any person, and not everyone is ready not only to fight these vices, but even to admit them within themselves. Therefore, the internal battle of a shaman is nothing more than heroism, because he, like no one else, has a great many temptations and temptations to use his power. Anyone who has at least once tried to fight with their internal enemies understands what we're talking about. In the world of spirits, the shaman often has to act as a Warrior, because in the worlds that he has to visit, not all the inhabitants are peaceful and friendly towards the shaman. And there are also creatures there, meeting which in itself requires incredible heroism. Whether the shaman considers himself a warrior hero or not, it does not matter, his life is full of heroism and great adventures, the price for which is often his life!

Is he a hunter? Well, why not a Hunter, because hunting is his second nature! The shaman usually hunts for power, in in a good way of this understanding, hunts for mood, for knowledge, for luck. He needs all this to replenish his arsenal of capabilities in order to hone his skills. The ultimate goal of his lifelong hunt is known only to him, but, as a rule, it is very noble (we are not talking here about those shamans who strayed from the White Road). Subtle and harmless humor and the ability to see beauty in everything are his irreplaceable hunting attributes. In the world of spirits, his hunt often requires special dexterity and cunning, because the shaman knows that it is much better to outwit an evil and powerful spirit than to engage in open battle with him. In some shamanic traditions, a person who is preparing to become a shaman lives for many years among experienced hunters, studying this art, absorbing all its subtleties and techniques. Therefore, the life of a shaman is nothing more than an endless, fascinating, and sometimes life-threatening Hunt!

So who is he – a shaman? Was I able to answer this question for you? It is unlikely…! Can anyone answer this question? It is unlikely! The shamans themselves could answer, but their modesty, their habit of shrouding themselves in secrecy will lead to evasive answers or significant silence. Therefore, you need to do it simpler, you just need to let the shamans remain a mystery and a mystery, treat them with respect and understanding. Their path is not easy, their intentions are good, they are kind, wise and cheerful people, and there is nothing to add to this!

Farther along the highway I swallow the axial markings, spit them out as white steam through the exhaust... Farther, past the hotel parking lot where the car is left, past the log chalet, where multi-colored sweaters of tourists are huddled around a glass fire, where there is hot coffee and double vacuum glass behind which it is cozy the snow is blowing. I move further and further with a twelve-charge Sauer flask of alcohol and a disabled Link. My ski track winds further and further among the crooked pines. The North is calling me further and further.
There, at the edge of Day and Night, there are silhouettes of plagues that look like clocks, in which the time-sand has dried up. Camp. The soul hunters never made it here, far, far away. The skulls of the messiahs, broken by a bear's paw, carefully gnawed by arctic foxes, turn white between the hummocks strewn with yellow cloudberries, sweet as honey. People of the North live here, harsh reindeer herders, hunters, fishermen. They do not need someone else's god, they believe only in their own strength.

A little further away the tent rises as a separate tooth. At the entrance sits a man dressed in a fawn parka, trimmed with many muleks, amulets carved from bone. The man is smiling, tenaciously bow-legged, and ascetically wiry. The face, tanned by wind and frost, is covered with a mask of melted fat. Asia's impenetrable eyes darken under her varnished black bangs, cut into a circle. This is the local shaman Tolik.
If you scraped the seal makeup off his cheeks and dressed him in a Brooks suit for a few bucks, you'd hardly distinguish him from a stock trader. Both keep in shape, with the difference that the latter runs in the morning in Central Park NY and keeps up everywhere, while the former smokes a pipe and is in no hurry. Unlike the Fifth Avenue voodooist who extracts gold from the void to drive a Corvette latest model, our caster washes it on the pebble rifts to buy tobacco and gunpowder at the trading post. But about this: Shh! Silence! Tolik does not serve Mammon and does not declare income. He serves no one at all and declares nothing. A hardened prospector is hiding from execution orders, like an SS veteran is hiding from Mossad executors. In the summer, he roams around the Tundra, hunts, and collects herbs. He is familiar with the basics of pharmacology and herbal medicine. He wanders menacingly all the way to Bačka-Okiyan, rocking the ice shafts; on its stone beaches, Tolya shoots seals listed in the Red Book. The shaman cannot read, but he understands psychedelics and hallucinogens. In winter, listening to Cobain from an old MP3, he flies away in a mushroom trance. The White Owl overtakes the "seven hundred and forty seven" on the Tokyo-Paris flight. He looks into the portholes, makes an eagle hoot and laughs. Scaring passengers with its shaggy head, it generates Internet sensations.
But if someone gets sick or, say, the arctic fox is not caught, the camp residents go to Anatoly so that he can contact the spirits using his selector and ask for help. The shaman accepts the offerings and nods his head importantly to the patient: Don’t piss! Everything will be OK. Jumping easily onto his trained legs, he raises his finger to enhance the climax and suddenly hits the tambourine: Showtime!!
It begins to quietly circle around the fire and its own axis.
--E-heya-ya..e-heya – na-nara-na-na..
The tambourine is jingling with bells and groaning dully. The shamanic soul fills it, vibrates the stretched skin of the bear's bladder and accelerates the pace. Everything spins like a carousel around the fire. The walls of the igloo merge and disappear. All around is the night sky with plumes magnetic storms. The shaman, having received a kick from centrifugal force, runs up and flies over the tundra. He calls the souls of ancestors. Those, having abandoned their afterlife affairs, gather over their native camp. And Tolik, collapsing on moss, falls into a trance. From the whirling and mushrooms, voices are heard in the shaman’s ears. They are vying with each other to try to say something. Maybe some stocks will go down soon, and which ones will jump? Maybe they are ordering the whale hunt to resume? But most likely they advise you to stop doing bullshit and bothering them needlessly. Tolik doesn’t know what exactly sounds in his head and pushes out the primitive, inarticulate with his tongue. The audience is horrified by this spectacle and the resonance of low frequencies.
Sometimes the directed psi-field helps the patient and Anatoly is held in high esteem, respected, satiatedly burps up the offerings, and sometimes stays on the beans. The neighbors scold him last words and they can beat you. In the north, the people are straightforward, unspoiled by manners.
===
In the morning I get up and get dressed. I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. After washing, I put on the chain with the amulet. I perform a self-quest and ask something from a third party. Having made a gesture, I look in the mirror and ask myself a question. The only question and it is always the same: How do I differ from a primitive savage? A diploma, a bunch of other people’s thoughts read into my head from books? And I get an answer. The only one and he is always the same.

Who is a shaman? This is a person who has true knowledge. Try to ask a question to a pseudo-shaman, and he will not be able to answer logically. Optional complex issue, maybe simple. For example, why shouldn’t a brownie be treated to alcohol, meat or any unnatural products? Ask the person pretending to be a shaman if you can give the brownie a Mars bar or chips. Most likely, he will not be found with the answer.

A real shaman will confidently answer such a question that the brownie can be treated only to natural products. Because a true shaman knows that a living spirit does not feed on dead, “synthetic” products. Dyes, stabilizers, flavor enhancers - all of this is prohibited. The shaman's answer will be simple, convincing and logical. And, of course, he knows everything about amulets and talismans.

The second sign of a shaman is complex knowledge

Today there are many types of shamanism, and figuring out who a shaman is is becoming even more difficult. Healing shamanism is widespread somewhere. Massage, baths - all this heals only the body, but not the soul. There are pseudo-shaman theorists. They have a huge amount of knowledge, but do not know how to apply it in practice. Such a person will not be able to become your guide in the subtle world.

"The knowledge that a true shaman gives is practical."

It can and should be applied in reality to solve all the questions and problems with which a person turned to a shaman. Helping people is the main purpose of a shaman. What is the mission of shamans on earth, read in our article.

Our student Andrei S. told the following story:

“Two years ago I was on a business trip to the USA. One morning I woke up - left hand paralyzed. Naturally, panic is a mini-stroke. I am still at such a dangerous age - 57 years old. Let's go to the hospital. They did all the tests, checked everything - nothing. No stroke! We kept you in the ward for half a day, put in IVs, and, goodbye - you’re healthy, you can go. I returned to the hotel, I think I’ll get some sleep and everything will work out. And in the morning the hand does not move again... One of the partners suggested that I turn to a well-known shaman in those parts. I told him: “Who is a shaman? How can he help me?” And the partner says, they say, the shaman does this kind of massage - wheelchair users begin to walk. I agreed, although without much enthusiasm, but I had to do something, it was scary. In general, this shaman cast a spell on me, and my hand seemed to come to life. But not for long. I returned home, also visited all the doctors, and still nothing. Then my sister’s husband called me to the place of Power. He said they would definitely help. And indeed. A real shaman worked with me completely differently, no massage. He and I went to subtle world and there they found the cause of my illness. Of course, this was not a disease at all, but a very bad mental situation that the shaman was able to correct. I don’t trust foreign “specialists” anymore.”

The third sign of a shaman is that spirits react to him

Shamans often conduct rituals in nature, and nature sometimes gives surprises. Then suddenly, in the middle of the July heat, such downpours begin that you can’t stick your nose outside. Then, on the contrary, forests and peat bogs begin to burn around the place of Power; it is dangerous to be there.

What will a pseudo-shaman do in such a situation? He will simply cancel all planned events and wait for good weather. What does a real shaman do? Negotiates with the spirits of nature.

After all, who is a shaman? The one whom the spirits obey. Of course, he does not order or threaten them, but asks. Very often in case bad weather the shaman asks the whole group to turn to the spirits of nature, ask them for rain or sun.

"The shaman knows how to ask the spirits, and they grant his request."

It even happens that in the entire region, for example, it’s pouring like buckets, but in the place of the Force the sun is shining, and not a cloud in the sky. This means that the shaman came to an agreement with the spirits. Of course, they won’t listen to an ordinary charlatan.

Don't trust charlatans! They can cause you great harm. Contact real Siberian shamans for help.

Shamans of Altai and other regions of Siberia are people who inherit an ancient tradition that carries centuries-old knowledge and wisdom. What their life looks like, what their thinking is like - these are the questions many people ask. And we will lift the veil of secrecy over one of ancient traditions existing on the territory of Russia.

In the article:

Shamans of Altai - who are they

Shamanism is the oldest tradition in the world. It appeared much earlier than many spiritual teachings or magical practices. This is because its basis is what people saw directly next to them. Often tradition of shamanism was based on visible manifestations of nature, thunderstorms, rains and the like. The man saw this and thought that such power could only be released through the mediation of some great forces. Many identified such forces with gods, as well as spirits. But if so, if this is a force that, at its own will, can direct such monstrous weather phenomena, then it means you can communicate with it. Because the will speaks of self-awareness, which can guide it. It was in this way that humanity came to the practice of shamanism.

Shamans were not just people who knew and were able to do a lot. They were the chosen ones of these very spirits. Such a rapprochement could also mean that they are, in some way, relatives of the spirits. And they perform all their actions with their help and mediation.

But Altai is a special region. If in other parts of the world humanity has forgotten shamanism or it has changed so much that it is no longer recognizable, then shamanism in Altai has remained in its, so to speak, primordial form. Altaians hold tightly to ancient traditions, not allowing long-standing beliefs to change. It is worth clarifying that shamanism is not a religion. This is a way of communicating with higher entities or beings from another plane of existence. With spirits, souls of the dead and other representatives. And the shamans of the Altai Mountains are very, very experienced in such matters. They never lost touch with those mystical forces that live in our world. And even in ourselves.

What does a modern Altai shaman look like? IN Everyday life- as you wish. They can be found in both traditional suits and jeans. It is very rarely possible to distinguish them from an ordinary Altai. Perhaps by the respect that others show the shaman. Because this is a well-known person who is often visited for treatment or advice. But during rituals, they all wear ritual costumes in order to appear as close as possible to the original image.

Although, of course, now the image itself means little. Not culturally, but sacredly. Because, after all, communication with spirits is a more personal, internal matter than external. Only the old representatives of this teaching retain the full ambience of a real shaman. They still live in traditional homes and always wear national costumes. But modern followers are beginning to move away from this lifestyle. Because modernity dictates its own laws, no matter where people live.

Shamanism in Buryatia and the ritual of transformation

Shamanism in Buryatia is worth special mention for one very impressive ritual. Yes, there are differences in the shamanism of the peoples of Siberia and Far East there are many. Some of them are small, others are striking. But in Buryatia there is an ancient ritual that distinguishes it so much from other shamanic cultures that it is impossible not to mention it. The meaning of this ritual is to show the process that a person goes through when becoming a shaman. A ritual showing spiritual transformation.

In Buryatia, only a descendant of a shamanic family can become a shaman.

According to the tradition of the Buryat people, only those who have utha can become a shaman. If translated into Russian - hereditary roots, shamanic ancestors. It is also worth adding that in the Buryat tradition the shaman has always been perceived both as a chosen one and as a martyr. A person was born with such a seal and lived with it all his life. Only a few stories are known when a descendant of a shamanic family renounced his inheritance.

On the path of his formation, the future shaman had to go through a very a long way. Both spiritual and physical. He had to undergo as many as nine initiations, at the end of which he received the title of whole or quality. The translation is quite rough, but at the same time very close. Shaman initiation ritual shanar, was as follows. An alley of 27 birches was built, but most of the attention was paid to the mother tree and the father tree.

A nest was placed on top of the first one, into which nine eggs were laid. At the base of the tree was a symbol of the Moon. The image of the Sun was installed at the top of the father tree. Also, much attention was paid to the interior furnishings, ablution platforms and similar things. The initiate himself must dress in traditional clothing, including armor.

Shaman's ritual

The initiation began with a ritual. Calling upon ancestral spirits to determine the worthiness or unworthiness of the applicant. Then all the ritual equipment, except for the tambourine, was handed over to the future shaman. And the convert must show all his skill. He must dance around the building, climb birch trees, jump from one to another. To do everything that he had been taught for many years. In order to impress all those watching - both dead and living. Such dedication should last several days, optimally nine. All this time, the young shaman is forbidden to leave the ritual room. They bring him food and water. Only after this did he become a real shaman. Unless, of course, the spirits of his ancestors said that he was truly worthy of such an honor.

Although, given the belief that the shaman is more of a martyr, one cannot say that his life will be so happy. But, nevertheless, it will be used for a good cause, serving society and people. The goal is definitely noble. After all, a shaman is a connecting link between the world of spirits and the material world. It helps people heal, provides spiritual relief and much more. But these powers come at a price, just like any other. In the case of a shaman, his life no longer belongs to him. He's up to last straw blood given for service.

Shamans of Yakutia

The shamans of Yakutia are followers of shamanism, which are also worth dwelling on in more detail. There are, of course, many other representatives from different nations about whom the general reader should be told. These are Tuvan shamans, and the traditions of shamanism in Khakassia, and the Evenks, whose shamanism is known far beyond the borders of Altai. But we will try to talk only about the most interesting aspects of the shamanic tradition. The most striking difference between Yakut shamans and their colleagues from other nations is the burial traditions, as well as the spirit-beast. This is not just a totem animal, but almost a material companion that accompanies the shaman throughout his life. And continues to accompany after death.

IN different interpretations You can find different references to who this spirit-beast is. Some say that this is a purely speculative concept, intended to show the inner essence of the shaman. His character. Like a beast - a reflection of his soul. This is partially true. Another interpretation says that the spirit-beast is a patron given to the shaman for protection. After all, he is the chosen one of the spiritual world, and the spiritual world always takes care of such people. This is also partially true. And the truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

Both interpretations are correct and the real purpose of the spirit-beast lies in both. He is both a reflection of the shaman’s inner essence, which is projected onto the real world, and a mystical guardian angel. It’s as if the spirit world is a bright lamp, the shaman is a complex picture on paper, and the beast is the image that will appear on the table if you point one at the other. Also, this spirit gives the shaman protection from magical attacks from other shamans or evil otherworldly creatures. magical creatures. The beast plays the role of a source of strength, which at the right moment helps to overcome any danger. So its importance is difficult to overestimate.

Evenki shamanism

What about burials? Attention should be paid to both the ancient traditions of shamanic burials and those that appeared relatively recently. In ancient times, shamans were buried in special structures called arangas. These are wooden structures that were attached to tree trunks, high above the ground. The place was chosen in the thicket of the forest, as far as possible from roads and human habitation. All of his ritual attributes were placed in the coffin of the dead man. Except for the tambourine. The tambourine was broken and hung over the grave so that a stranger would not get it.