Resources-Shamanism

Here are links to some of the resources and books that we find useful:

Shamanism

“What is Shamanism? And what is Shamanic Healing?” – A great introduction to these topics can be found in this interview with Michael Harner titled “Shamanic Healing: We are not alone“.

The Foundation for Shamanic Studies
Founded by Dr Michael Harner, author of The Way of the Shaman and Cave and Cosmos. Harner is a key figure in the revival of shamanic practice in the West. He started out as an academic anthropologist, studying indigenous tribes in South America, and then became trained as a shaman in two of those tribes. Faced with the challenge of passing on what he had learned to a Western audience who did not live in a shamanic culture he developed “Core Shamanism”.

The Foundation for Shamanic Studies – Asia
The more local (to Australia) branch of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. Links to courses in the Asia Pacific region (including Australia).

The Way of the Shaman: The Work of Michael and Sandra Harner from Foundation for Shamanic Studies on Vimeo.

Shamanic Drumming downloads

A good place to start is Michael Harner’s Shamanic Journey, Solo and Double Drumming, on the Sounds True website. There are also downloads from Sandra Ingerman such as Soul Journeys which include rattles, as well as many others.

Books on Shamanism:

The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner: – the seminal book on shamanic practice and one of the best places to start.

Cave and Cosmos by Michael Harner: – published 20 years after The Way of the Shaman, this draws on the experiences of the thousands of students who have explored the cosmos while in a shamanic state of consciousness and is a good guide to the territory

Shamanism and Spirituality in Therapeutic Practice by Christa McKinnon: – another excellent introduction to Shamanism written by a trained psychologist and academic and practicing therapist. Probably the best work that we’ve come across for integrating shamanic practice into a holistic psychotherapeutic approach.

Shamanism: Awaken and Develop the Shamanic Force Within, by Christa McKinnon is her more recent book, following on from the success of Shamanism and Spirituality in Therapeutic Practice. This is another excellent book written more for the lay reader in the Hay House Basics series.

Coyote Medicine and other books by Lewis Mehl-Madronna. Mehl-Madronna practices integrative medicine drawing on his Lakota and Cherokee traditions as well as western psychiatry. Coyote Medicine is a great introduction to his approach as it is a semi-autobiographical account of his journey through medical school, seeing all too clearly the limitations of Western Allopathic medicine while beginning to explore his Native American heritage. He comes regularly to Australia to conduct various training workshops. Let us know if you wish to be informed of future trainings.

Aboriginal Men of High Degree by A.P. Elkin. Sadly there are few written resources for those wishing to explore the Australian indigenous shamanic traditions. This book is both a product of its time (it was first published in 1945) but also not of its time in that the author, an anthrologist, had a genuine respect and awe for the seemingly irrational and miraculous experiences of the Aboriginal shamans he writes about.

Articles on Shamanism

The Shamanic View of the World by Christa McKinnon

An Indigenous Approach to Healing Trauma by Jonathan Davis