British shamanism..

Thank you for the recommendation. The approach in the book looks fascinating and there is a very reasonably priced kindle version so I downloaded it and am looking forward to an interesting read. Thanks for sharing.
Malcolm.

Hello,

I've actually just finished reading this book! I have to agree that it's an interesting book - not your average book about Shamanism but yes, it does give a different viewpoint. It spoke to me, I have to say. I feel it was sent to me at the right time and I'm thrilled to have been told about Elen of the Ways and am looking forward to connecting with her.

It's very short but well worth a read. Nice to see a book based in the land we know and connect with regularly.

Hello, Malcom - Long time, no see! 🙂

Yes, Mouse, thank you for the recommendation. I shall read the book.

However, there are people teaching the shamanism of this land. I do and I can't be the only one. Not Celtic, not Norse. The shamanism that comes from the spirits of here.

Okay, I've read it now. Not impressed.

Okay, I've read it now. Not impressed.

Care to elucidate?

Sorry about the delay in replying – you may have gathered that we are moving house and I am living in a sea of boxes!
I found no shamanism in the book – and a couple of good books on bushcraft and foraging would teach you more of what the book is about.
She mentions Core Shamanism. I suspect she has completely believed Harner’s definition. This has very little to do with how people here actually practice. Core shamanism is not an end in itself, it is a door into the spirit world. She is very dismissive of the shamanic journey.
You said:

Shamanism often seems to be associated with other countries (I'm thinking Peru/North and South America) but you don't hear so much about it being part of history here, unless it is labelled as 'Celtic'.

This book might not be labelled ‘Celtic’, but Gwyn ap Nudd and awenydd (poet in Welsh) are celtic. In the part about the Wild Hunt she mentions Gwyn ap Nudd and his equivalents in other belief systems while ignoring one of the most often encountered spirits of the Hunt in this part of the world – Woden or Odin.

I have to wonder why she wants you to meet her spirit helpers. Would it not be far better to meet your own? It seems to me that she is doing what Caroline Hillier does with Brother Horse and Sister Heron – she is turning shamanism into a religion.

Ah, moving house, now there's an adventure! Hope it works out well.

Yes, I see what you mean. I think you might have hit the nail on the head with "– she is turning shamanism into a religion."

How would you describe how people practice here however? (maybe it is too diverse to describe?). Is there anything characteristic? Please bear with me if this is a silly question, I know you know a great deal more about this 🙂

I think I was fascinated by the idea of people practicing within a tradition coming from this land (as this is what draws me to shamanism personally). I love to read about shamanism to learn and understand more but too often the books are based elsewhere.

What about the figure of the Green Man, I wonder if you could say he is a spirit from here..

Ah, moving house, now there's an adventure! Hope it works out well.

Thanks. We are finally moved and are back on line.

How would you describe how people practice here however? (maybe it is too diverse to describe?). Is there anything characteristic? Please bear with me if this is a silly question, I know you know a great deal more about this.

It’s not a silly question. I’d say there are roughly four ways that people practice here. One is to use the practices of another place (Native American, Peruvian etc.), another is to just use the shamanic techniques and not root it in any culture (this is what Harner means by ‘Core Shamanism’ and what many people, including I think the author of this book, assume that all of us do). A third way is to blend core shamanic techniques with mythology – which is pretty much what ‘Celtic Shamanism’ is.

Or you could do what many of us actually do – which is use the core methods/techniques to contact first our own power animal(s) and Teachers and then, with their help, the spirits of the land where you are living, touching the ground and being supported by the earth every day. These spirits are often the same as, or in direct lineage from, the spirits who communicated with our prehistoric ancestors. They remember. They remember the original contract with humans and they remember our original soul-loss. The teachings they give us – those who are willing to interact with us – tend to be mainly (as you would expect) about respect for the land, but there is also a structure built around the solstices, equinoxes and moon phases that most pagans would recognise.

What about the figure of the Green Man, I wonder if you could say he is a spirit from here..

Several of the spirits from here take the appearance of a Green Man. It is an image that has great resonance in the mythos of these islands. However, if you journeyed “to meet the Green Man” (which I don’t advise), and I did the same, the chances of us both meeting the same spirit are slight.

Or you could do what many of us actually do – which is use the core methods/techniques to contact first our own power animal(s) and Teachers and then, with their help, the spirits of the land where you are living, touching the ground and being supported by the earth every day. These spirits are often the same as, or in direct lineage from, the spirits who communicated with our prehistoric ancestors. They remember. They remember the original contract with humans and they remember our original soul-loss. The teachings they give us – those who are willing to interact with us – tend to be mainly (as you would expect) about respect for the land, but there is also a structure built around the solstices, equinoxes and moon phases that most pagans would recognise.
Several of the spirits from here take the appearance of a Green Man. It is an image that has great resonance in the mythos of these islands. However, if you journeyed “to meet the Green Man” (which I don’t advise), and I did the same, the chances of us both meeting the same spirit are slight.

That is the way I would prefer to work if I ever get that far. I have to say thanks to you for suggesting something at the right time - you may not remember the specific thread but you advised me to contact Jonathan H., and I did. I am now having shamanic healing, and I am hoping it will help me to find myself and move on from all the problems I seem to be mired in. Also hoping that shamanism will prove to be my spiritual path. There must be a reason I keep coming back to it.

I am curious as to why you wouldn't advise journeying to meet the Green Man?

Thanks for the very interesting reply, Crowan. As someone who has journeyed only half a dozen times so far and is reading and learning as much as I can it was really useful.

As for journeying to meet the Green Man, having walked a Pagan path for nearly 20 years I think I can imagine the reasons why you advise against it but will wait to see what you say. 🙂

I am curious as to why you wouldn't advise journeying to meet the Green Man?

One reason is that the Green Man has no mythological back-story and therefore no way for the person journeying to specify an aspect to visit. If, for example, you wanted to journey to the Christian god, you could specify in your journey intention the loving one, as opposed to the hell-fire and damnation one. If you wanted to visit the green man there are no such parameters within which you could operate.
Another reason is that he is generally considered to be a vegetative spirit of the wildwood. There is hardly any wildwood left in the UK. You could, therefore, encounter a distressed and/or angry spirit which you do not yet have the experience to deal with.
Thirdly, there is no one image of the green man. In fact we generally refer to ‘a’ green man.
Many nature spirits take this form. I know one or two people who have a green man as a spirit helper. They went with the intention of meeting “a spirit who will help me with …” or something similar. The intention forms part of the boundary, and therefore the spirit they meet is one that will help them. Going with the intention of “meeting the green man” has no boundaries that will keep you safe. It is not uncommon for people to go, with weak boundaries, to meet nature spirits and come back with intrusions or soul loss. This isn’t worth the risk.
Which isn’t to say don’t meet nature spirits. Just make sure you know what you are doing – and leave the green man alone – at least until you have a great deal more experience.
Maybe Sharri can think of other reasons to add.
I'm running a course on nature spirits next year. I'll PM you details if you are interested (and won't be offended if you are not :)).

OK, yes I see, thanks (I wasn't intending to do that journey, was just curious). I would be interested in the details of the course.