Shamanism and personal power

Something about the use of the word ‘power’ can cause a deep reaction in those who hear it. Contemporary Westerners often regard the word with discomfort, perhaps associating it with misuse, with the power to do harm, the restriction of freedom, or with racism, sexism, ageism. Even the types of energy needed to make life easier, electricity from fossil fuels or nuclear, are now seen by many of us as double-edged as we strive to discard them in the increasingly desperate search for “power.” clean”, that is, energy without consequences. . Mention ‘personal power’ and the awkwardness mounts; I have observed that students physically react to these words by shaking their heads or making dismissive hand gestures, as if to say, ‘That has nothing to do with me, I don’t want anything to do with power.’ The other side of this is those who hear the words ‘personal power’ and immediately recognize themselves as powerless, who know they have lost something and would give anything to get it back but don’t know how. So, in the context of the resistant relationship that many of us seem to have these days with power, where does the shaman, that conduit of power, fit in?

When I teach, it often amazes me how many of the questions students ask are questions about power, about the relationship to power, the uses of power, and the nature of spiritual power. Student questions offer invaluable insight into the nature of shamanic power and some are shared here.

One misconception about contemporary shamanism is that it is something a person may simply decide to call their own practice, or mention as a supplement to other healing or divinatory work. Many New Age practices are based on the power of the individual practitioner and poor health and “burnout” are often found in practitioners who work in this way. Rather, shamanism has a very precise methodology developed over millennia that protects both the shaman and his client: the shaman works by shifting consciousness and sending part of his own spirit to interact with spirit helpers in an alternate reality and ask to share their power for specific and stated purposes. Shamanism has to do with power, the shaman works filling himself with power, filling himself with power. So how is this power of spirits different from the kind of power that makes people uncomfortable? The answer is no. Power is power. As with most things that matter, the difference lies in the intent: what is the power for, how will it be used, and for whose benefit?

At the beginning of my study of shamanism with the Scandinavian Center for Shamanic Studies in 1998, I learned two words that clearly and simply defined all of these topics. Magt or ‘might’ is the kind of power that makes people who consider themselves balanced and liberal squirm in their seats. The other type, kraft, expresses the neutral aspect of power that all things require for agency. Too often these distinctions are lost and the concept of kraft is lost in the rejection of magt.

One of the topics frequently raised by students touches on the difference between shamanism and sorcery, a useful illustration of the practical differences between power to do, shamanism, and power over sorcery. A sorcerer seeks to gain personal power by harnessing the energy of spirits, and is prepared to use that power to control or harm others. A shaman asks his spirit helpers for power to become a bridge between the worlds and provide help and healing to those who need and request it. The shaman uses the power for the things for which he has asked for help, whether for another person or for himself.

So what are the possible consequences of receiving power? Ultimately, it is not about becoming something or someone else, it is simply about becoming more and more yourself and being prepared to live with the consequences of that. Many students can be anxious about encountering experiences that they cannot handle and I tell you what I have taught myself, that we are never presented with situations that we are not prepared to deal with. However, what the spirits know a person can handle and what the person himself believes he can handle are not necessarily the same. Accepting the power of the spirits also means accepting one’s own power, both the dark and the light. It is only by recognizing the magnetic potential within myself that I can contain it and use it in a positive way, or feel when the opposite might be the case.

Some students of shamanism, particularly those new to the practice, move to an extreme position, turning over their own power, and therefore their own responsibility, to the spirits, sometimes becoming incapable of making even trivial decisions about toilet paper or buying food without consulting anyone. -ordinary reality. In my own work, I view my spirit helpers as partners or, as one client recently described it, my colleagues. I am, without a doubt, the junior partner, but it has always been understood that my spirits want and expect me to carry out their wishes and suggestions and, at the same time, use my own judgment. A good practitioner trusts her spirit but recognizes that she is also responsible and does not give away her power. Anyone engaged in shamanism has to decide their own relationship to power.

We all, in different ways, give away power throughout our lives and are not always directly responsible for the loss of that power. There can be soul loss in childhood, power can be taken from us against our will as adults. We easily hand over power to self-help books, dream encyclopedias, tarot cards, doctors, practitioners of all kinds, and of course, our family and friends. Lost power leaves a void, a space that needs to be filled, and just as Nature abhors a vacuum, so does Spirit. An empty space fills up, and it can be filled with anything from the spirit of a disease to a disembodied spirit looking for a new home. From a shamanic perspective, the quickest way to disempower yourself is fear, giving in to fear. As soon as we open up to fear, we open up to disempowerment.

The problem of power loss raised the question of protection; some students were concerned with protecting themselves against evil influences that might be floating around waiting for their chance; others were concerned with protecting themselves when working as healers. The first rule of shamanic healing is “never use your personal power”, doing so automatically creates a drain leaving the healer open to loss of power and possible intrusion. When working with the spirits, a healer’s own power remains intact and complete, preventing such problems. Some students describe being protected by light or an energy bubble that repels negative influences. On the surface this sounds like a good idea, but in the end it creates an attack/defend situation and becomes a barrier against life. It is a better and more ’empowering’ situation to keep yourself filled with your own energy and that of your spirits so that protection is redundant.

Virtually everyone I work with is experiencing some sort of loss of power, whether it be from ill health, soul loss, relationship issues, family issues, or bereavement of some kind. One of the first journeys a student will take, once he is able to do a shamanic journey himself, might be: “Show me how I give my power to family/partner/work/children…”. Such trips are often very clear and frequently on the move. Seeing, experiencing, the actions that produce the loss of power is in itself a powerful first step in regaining power. However, asking for and receiving help from the spirits while experiencing their unconditional compassion is the most empowering thing I’ve ever experienced.