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Practitioners and students of core
shamanism,
send us suggestions and news about
shamanism
and the practice of shamanic healing for our
blog. If you
have a video to recommend or would like to
create one for us to consider for the
ShamanicStudies channel, please let us know.
We are especially interested in how core
shamanism is being used for healing, what it
has meant in people's lives, how you feel
that you have benefited from Foundation
training, and how you think the return of
shamanic knowledge is helping our communities
and our world. Email Susan at
Members of the Circle of the
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 Manchu Fishing RitualReport by Susan Grimaldi, FSS Field Associate (Audio-Visual Field Documentation) A renewed interest in shamanic ritual is continuing among the Manchu, in Jilin Province in China. These recent photos were taken at a Fishing Ritual. Every year before the season's first fishing, Manchu shamans and people come together to pray to the god of the Songhua River. 
As they pray to the Songhua River god in the Manchu language, they say, "Great god of the Songhua River, great god of heaven and great god of earth, please bless us so that we flourish in our fishing, please bless your descendants." 
Then the shamans propose a toast to the god and beat the drums. The shamans and Manchu people then go to the riverbank and place the sacrificial foods into the river and then the people go fishing. This is followed with a feast of delicious fish. Many journalists took photos and videos of the recent ritual, and these were shown on TV. Interest in the ancient mysteries of the shamanic culture has grown significantly over the past 14 years since the first expedition of the FSS team in 1995. See clips of the video, Drums of the Ancestors, by Susan Grimaldi. Photos provided courtesy of Changchun University Center for Shamanic Studies. Core Shamanism on Examiner.com An article on the FSS Basic Workshop, The Way of the Shaman, held recently in San Francisco with Michael Harner and Susan Mokelke, can be found online on examiner.com. Robert Siegel, a writer for examiner.com, who attended the workshop, provided a clear and accurate summary of some of the principles of core shamanism taught in the introductory weekend workshop. Read the article. Submitted by Timothy Flynn, Three-Year Program graduate, Royal Oaks, California. Russians to Elect "Supreme Shaman"
In an effort to unite traditionally marginalized tribes, mainly from Siberia, for the first time in history Russia is holding an election for the position of "supreme shaman." The election has provoked a great deal of controversy, with many asserting that the status of shaman, which is granted by spirit forces, cannot be determined by voting. A member of the Siberian Akh Khaskha tribe who initiated the election, says she feels that the election will show that tribal members and shamans are capable of their own democratic process in post-U.S.S.R. Russia. Read the article from Reuters online. Submitted by Elaine Egidio, Three-Year Program graduate, Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. SUBMIT NEWS: We invite you to submit
news about
shamanism for our readers. Please submit no more
than a few brief paragraphs, including
the source of the news item
to the Editor.
Sharon Van
Raalte, FSS Faculty Member, on Quantum
Radio
Listen to an interview with Sharon Van Raalte online on Quantum Radio, recorded November 11, 2008. Sharon talks about core shamanism, the workshops of the Foundation, and shamanic healing, from her many years of experience as a shamanic practitioner and teacher for the Foundation. Listen to the program on Quantum Radio. Note: Each issue we plan to post on
the website or provide a link to an
article or other media with useful
information about shamanism or shamanic
healing.
Check
the Articles section for several varied
perspectives on shamanism and shamanic
healing, many from past issues of
Shamanism/The Shamanism Annual, the
Foundation's scholarly journal -- one of the
exclusive
benefits of the Circle
of the Foundation.
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Goodbye, SisWhen I walked into the room it was evident that my sister was slipping into the Spirit world. I stood by the side of her bed, lightly touching her arm; it was cold and worn with many irregular blue patches. The thin skin of age seemed even more frail than usual. Her breath, aided by life support, was labored and unnatural. I was saddened and uncomfortable with the technology being used to keep her unresponsive body alive. My sister was very aware of the shamanic work I do and her expressed wishes to me were to help her in any way I thought necessary. She had been an EMT until heath issues became too serious for her to continue working. She had seen the effects of life support on individuals as well as family members. She did not wish to be kept from passing on and had a DNR in her file. 
I was also aware that the nurses, sympathetic and practiced, were doing their best to make her transition as easy as possible. Family members were hoping for a miracle that would bring her back to them, but in effect were saying goodbye, the actual words being too unimaginable to speak. In my love for her, I wanted the same miracle, yet I was also aware that I needed to help her move on. I sat in a chair next to her bed, closed my eyes and began a journey, interrupted only by the beep of one of the monitors. Soon the beeping stopped, though I'm not sure if it stopped on its own, or if I was just no longer aware of it. I had no preconceived ideas of where I would be taken, but I knew I had to bring some peace to her. I felt myself moving upward and realized I was going on an Upper-World journey. I broke through a barrier that had slowed my ascent and felt a coolness rush across my body. Then I was back in the room. I glanced at my body sitting in the chair alongside the bed, eyes closed, hands placed on my thighs, still. I picked up my sister from the bed, carrying her outside to a forested area familiar to me. It was inviting, peaceful and somehow aware. We flew toward a nearby tree, then through the tree's branches, leaves and main trunk, for an instant becoming the tree in its entirety. Next we flew through the air as we had flown through the tree, everything passing through us, our flight unobstructed by any physical forms. Finally, we flew through the Earth itself, exhilarating in the pulsing constant change, senses experiencing Spirit, free, without bindings. We continued our journey leaving behind the familiarity of Earth – then she was gone. I knew I had said goodbye to my sister. As if on cue someone in the room started talking, and once again I was sitting in the chair alongside her bed. I took a few moments to embrace the experience, reflect, and place it in perspective, feeling thankful for the gift of one more journey with my sister. I noticed her labored breath as I rose from the chair, but knew she would be passing on very soon. I went to the waiting room to talk to her husband and other relatives. A few minutes later we were told we should go to her room. Her heart had stopped and she was gone. – JJ, Shamanic Practitioner, Ohio NOTE: "Healing Words" contains helpful
practices, ideas and
suggestions from shamanic healers, answers to
questions of concern to those
practicing shamanism, and inspiring stories. FSS
presents them as a service to the shamanic
community
without endorsement; as always, each shamanic
healer
is responsible for using these ideas in a
responsible
and ethical manner. If you would like to
SUBMIT A HELPFUL TIP, email the Editor.
(A few succinct paragraphs, please.)
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