How To Find Your Shaman Master (xib fwb)

A shaman master is someone who is a teacher or mentor to a new shaman beginning their journey. They are someone who can hold the spiritual bridge for their student and successfully raise an altar for that person. The task of being a master is not an easy task as you are responsible for the well being and direction of your student. In most cases a master is someone who has mastered their shamanism, someone who is beyond their years of advancement. They are typically an elder who has been a practicing shaman for many decades, although there are exceptions to this. In some cases, a person's shaman spirits may select a master who has only been practicing for a few years. It is believed master and student are linked together by fate. A master just doesn't become someone's mentor by chance, they are considered "meant to be." For some, they go through many shaman mentors before finding their official master. If they are unable to chant or develop a spiritual connection after receiving guidance from a shaman mentor, then that is indication that the shaman spirits of that individual chooses someone else. Also, if an individual does not become well or better after having confirmed they have shaman spirits, then the shaman mentor who initially confirmed this is not their master.

So how do you know who your master is and when do you know you have found the right master? Finding a master isn't an easy task. First, listen to the gong and finger bells of that shaman. You should feel a sense of belonging, togetherness, and even sadness. Then, listen to their chants. Do you somehow resonate with their style of chanting? Does it make you feel sad or have a feeling of longing? Also, it's important to know what type of shamanism this shaman has. Their lineage should be similar to yours, although there are exceptions to this as well. Two different shamans from different lineages can be master and student, but most of the time they have the same lineage. Lastly, you should feel an overall good feeling with this shaman. You should get feelings of trust, respect, and honesty. You want to make sure that in order for a shaman to be your master that you can trust them to mentor you, guide you, and walk this path with you for the rest of your life. When you become their "student" you enter into their "school." Your chants will be similar, your guides will be similar, and your styles as well. In some cases a shaman that you want to serve as your master may not be the master your shaman spirits like at all. So even after a ritual you may still be unwell, you may not develop your spiritual abilities, or you may not be able to chant. This is indication that your shaman spirits want someone else, so don't force it to happen.

The role of a master isn't to teach you how to be a shaman. As stated, becoming a shaman can't be taught. Their goal is to mentor you, serve as a reader and help interpret some of your experiences. Their role is to make sure you walk in the right path, but everything else that happens in between is yours to experience. They will, however, teach you what kinds of materials is needed for specific rituals. This is to ensure that you don't make any mistakes that will further harm you or your clients. They will give you tips on what to say in certain situations and advise you on what to do in challenging rituals that may come up, but the choice is yours. They serve as a dictionary for you and it's up to you to put the sentences together. The views of your shaman master must align with what you believe in. It's difficult to have a healthy relationship when the both of you see things in different ways, so before officially making a shaman your master make sure you know the beliefs of the shaman. Some shamans, for example, may not perform rituals for women who are divorced. Some may not perform rituals for Christian families. Some shamans may be against LGBTQ identities. So it's important to make sure your moral beliefs align. The great thing about this is that when you become your own shaman you get to create your own philosophy, regardless of what anyone thinks or believes. There are a lot of new and upcoming shamans today who don't believe they need a shaman master to become a shaman. It's not my place to judge anyone on how they want to experience their shaman journey and I can only speak from my experience. I have a wonderful and caring master. One of the things a master will do for you in the beginning is filtering out your shaman spirits for you. The good from the bad, the light from the dark, and the ill intended from the pure. It becomes a very dangerous situation when you begin to worship shaman spirits without first filtering them out. It can drive a person crazy or insane and the inability to separate reality from imagination. Also, when we have a master we can call to them in a ritual and we also call their master, and that master's master, and so on and so forth, creating this powerful energy leading back to generations. I wouldn't want for any shaman to begin their journey without an official master.

In today's age and generation, shamanism is changing so fast, as it should when we have first generations in any place. The role of a master, however, stays the same. To guide us and mentor us into a positive, healthy, honest, and truthful path.