CORE SHAMANISM

Tom Cowan (1996). Shamanism: A Spiritual Practice for Daily Life.

I first met Tom Brown in his book The Way of the Saints which includes practices based on the life of each saint--immensely practical. Similarly, Cowan's book Shamanism is immensely practical, providing an introduction to "core shamanism" (taking cross cultural/universal shamanic practices and adapting them to modern times because we cannot uproot the traditional shamanic practice from its time and culture, we need a translation for our own particular time and culture, and Cowan provides this translation with appropriate cautions). Cowan advocates that anyone can be a practitioner of shamanism, but few can become a shaman. An authentic shaman is called by their community, at a particular time, place, and culture. 

Within a practitioner of shamanism context, Cowan describes how to develop relationships with helping spirits by consciously shifting from ordinary reality to nonordinary reality (e.g., journeying to the spirit world) to bring back wisdom/help for self and others. Shamanic practitioners walk between the worlds of ordinary and nonordinary consciousness, integrating shamanic practices into their everyday life, including journeying, art and body work, and learning/teaching.

One of the practices of core shamanism is drumming and/or rattling (sometimes accompanied by dancing and  chanting) to alter one's state of consciousness and travel to spirit worlds to bring back wisdom for whatever intent one (or the group if a group journey) has set forth at the beginning of the journey. The practice is described in detail in the book for those that are interested in learning this practice. There are also journey's to meet one's spirit animal, journeys with plants, ancestors, and journeys for shapeshifting and healing.