The Practical Power of Shamanism

by Sulana Stone

EVERYTHING IS ENERGY

The basis of shamanistic creation, healing and transformation has always been the knowledge that the essential nature of everything is energy. Modern science, specifically quantum physics, has only recently concluded that every living thing is made of energy. The reason that walls and rocks appear solid is because they vibrate at a low, dense rate. We know that pictures travel invisibly through the air and arrive on our TV screens. Is it such a stretch to open to the possibility that everything has an invisible energy within it? And that communication can be transmitted through this energy? Shamans utilize the knowledge that everything is energy to create in their world by using their conscious attention to direct the flow of energy within all forms of life. Energy flows where attention goes. Indeed, scientists are now reporting that the beliefs and thoughts of the person conducting the experiments significantly affect the outcome of their experiments. Since we come to this planet to evolve our soul within the paradox of this world of polarity (light and dark, inside and outside, body and spirit), we must develop the skill to play consciously and creatively with duality. If we are truly perceptive, we can see how the energies of each opposing polarity are serving us. If we see how we are at effect of all these dualistic energies, then we can make a choice of what to keep and what to eliminate. This is an act of magic. True shamans are those who can influence energy, whether it is inside them or in the world outside them. If we have learned how energy moves and behaves, we have opened ourselves up to our true selves. This is what the paradoxes of our world teach us. Shamans know that humans are determiners of spirit, and the choices, decisions and priorities that we set fashion the reality of the world in which we live.

SEEING

When shamans use their ability to "see" the underlying energy dynamics of situations and relationships, they are able to "see" cause and effect connections and forces that are not visible when viewing the circumstances superficially, i.e., looking only at the outer form. Perceiving the energy dynamics of life events reveals new alternatives and possibilities not previously apparent. "The art of the (shaman) is to be able to guide, to be able to illuminate the path in such a way that the person hooks on to a greater experience—that of freedom," Eagle Feather shares. This allows people the freedom to move beyond limits of past perceptions into the realm of options, fresh creativity and natural magic. A shaman would "see," for example, that the anger of a supermarket clerk resulted from the clerk’s inability to express their feelings. The shaman could "see" how these emotions were adversely affecting not only the clerk, but also the people in line. Consequently, a shaman may choose to engage the angry clerk in a friendly, relaxing conversation in order to shift the situation into flow and harmony. Shamans also "see" the cause and effect between what they allow into their energy systems and make practical choices to manage their energy levels. The shaman takes in everything to gain energy and maximize personal power—from sunlight and sound to conversations and food. By consciously selecting everything she ingests, the shaman maximizes health, creativity, enjoyment and life span. The shaman’s intake strategy is to get as much energy as possible from every life encounter with the least amount of energy expended. A person should always have more, not less, energy after every life interaction. The shaman applies this approach to all forms of nourishment from the external environment—mental conversations, social relationships, emotional interactions, spiritual meditations and physical food. This simple play on the word ENERGY expresses how the shaman receives optimum energy from food.