CHAPTER8

Finding Your Place

in the Shaman's World:

Naps and Trails

For shamans, knowing their place in the order of the
world is of utmost importance. When you know your place,
you can make order out of chaos and thus be in a position to
exercise your power. When you have a map of the territory,
you can then know in what direction to proceed. Without a
map you are lost, proceeding aimlessly and without a known
destination. In shamanism, those who have no organizing
principle to their world are inherently powerless and as a
result unsuccessful.
Shamans have several organizing principles that tell them
exactly where they are at any moment. These organizing
motifs, nature-based and perhaps quite simple at first sight,
are actually rather sophisticated upon more reflection. Natu-
ral maps tell shamans where they are in relation to the center
of the universe and help shamans orient themselves as they
travel from place to place in their constant search for knowl-
edge and power.
The first of these organizing themes, the "Tree of Life," is
the supreme organizing principle of the cosmos. Massive in
size, this tree has its roots in the core of the earth: the un-
derworld or world of the dead. This is the land that shamans
journey to when they want to retrieve lost knowledge or
communicate with dead ancestors. It is also the place where
shamans find much survival information and knowledge re-
lating to the cure of diseases and infirmities. This land of the
underworld is known as the storehouse of all instincts and
knowledge related to survival in a physical body. Travel to
the land of the dead without a guardian or an ally, however,
is not a good idea because of the dangers that lurk there.
The trunk of the Tree of Life is located in the Middle
World or the land that is magically equivalent to ordinary
reality. In this land lie the answers to ordinary everyday

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