Jose ATID LENA STEVENS 11self-selected; they are selected to be trained by older sha-
mans, sometimes after having survived a life-threatening ac-
cident or disease; they inherit the role of shaman from their
father or mother. Whatever the method of selection, sha-
mans have traditionally undergone a long training period and
often have had to pass a rigorous and sometimes brutal test
before becoming a shaman in their own right. We are not
proposing in this book that you become a shaman or that to
be successful using shamanic techniques you need years of
training or brutal initiation; many have found that the sha-
manic techniques translate successfully for use by the ordi-
nary person and can definitely aid in the enrichment and
success of life.
Actively using your shamanic abilities, however, is not a
panacea for all problems. Shamanism will not eliminate the
obstacles in your life. Shamanism can make solving those
problems less of a chore—and it'll probably make you more
successful at solving them, too—but you still have to take
action to get the results you want. Tribal shamans, for exam-
ple, may use their powers to help hunters locate the herd.
But knowing where the herd is doesn't eliminate the chal-
lenge of the hunt or the job of skinning the animal and pre-
paring the meal. You can use your own shamanic powers in
much the same way, by being able to place yourself in the
right place at the right time. Once there, you'll have to de-
pend on your own abilities to succeed, but the edge you've
given yourself will make your job that much easier.
What makes a shaman different from other members of
his or her community? What are the ingredients that make
up a powerful shaman? What do shamans know that makes
them special or gives them that added talent for healing and
coping with life? Let's take a moment to preview some of
those qualities and beliefs. In subsequent chapters we will go
into greater detail and give you pointers on how you can
begin to develop these qualities in yourself.
What Shamans Know
There is much that shamans know and many qualities that
they possess. Below are listed a few of these characteristics:
- Shamans know about energy and how it works both in the
environment and in the human body. They recognize the
inherent power in all of nature and sense their own con-
nection with it. They know about the spirit body and how
to communicate with it for health and extra stamina.