What is a Shaman?
It seems these days everybody thinks they are a shaman if they can brew a herbal tea to soothe a sore throat.
Haha, just kidding, though shamanism seems to be going through a renaissance as more and more people are discovering the profound truths and wisdom that have been handed down from "primitive" societies all around the world.
A shaman traditionally was the connection between the physical, material world that we live in and the spiritual world that is unseen for many.
Shamans were the healers and protectors of the tribe. They could communicate with Spirit and thus receive profound guidance that would assist the tribe when faced with difficult choices.
At a young age I was initiated as a Tribal Medicine Woman by the Medicine Man of the Amazonian Kayapo tribe. This was a very rare honour, especially since I wasn't born into the tribe.
So why did the Medicine Man break with tradition?
Well, the short answer is that he believed me to be the reincarnation of my greatgrandmother, who had been a Tribal Medicine Woman of the Kayapo tribe. My greatgrandfather kidnapped my greatgrandmother, a tribal princess, from the Amazon jungle and took her as his wife.
The Medicine Man put me through many tests before initiating me, because he had to convince the tribe that I was who we knew me to be.
One of those tests involved being abandoned deep in the Amazon jungle, hundreds of kilometers from the Kayapo camp. The jungle is a scary place, especially at night, for a young city girl from Rio.
In hindsight I realize that many of the tests I was put through were already part of my initiation.
A couple of years later when the Medicine Man told me it was my destiny to take the shamanic wisdom out to the wider world, I didn't want to leave the jungle. This once scary place had become my home and I felt safe there.
I guess whenever we get too comfortable it is time for life to give us a nudge so that we continue growing.
Stay tuned for my next post
In Love and Gratitude,
Antonia Ruhl
Haha, just kidding, though shamanism seems to be going through a renaissance as more and more people are discovering the profound truths and wisdom that have been handed down from "primitive" societies all around the world.
A shaman traditionally was the connection between the physical, material world that we live in and the spiritual world that is unseen for many.
Shamans were the healers and protectors of the tribe. They could communicate with Spirit and thus receive profound guidance that would assist the tribe when faced with difficult choices.
At a young age I was initiated as a Tribal Medicine Woman by the Medicine Man of the Amazonian Kayapo tribe. This was a very rare honour, especially since I wasn't born into the tribe.
So why did the Medicine Man break with tradition?
Well, the short answer is that he believed me to be the reincarnation of my greatgrandmother, who had been a Tribal Medicine Woman of the Kayapo tribe. My greatgrandfather kidnapped my greatgrandmother, a tribal princess, from the Amazon jungle and took her as his wife.
The Medicine Man put me through many tests before initiating me, because he had to convince the tribe that I was who we knew me to be.
One of those tests involved being abandoned deep in the Amazon jungle, hundreds of kilometers from the Kayapo camp. The jungle is a scary place, especially at night, for a young city girl from Rio.
In hindsight I realize that many of the tests I was put through were already part of my initiation.
A couple of years later when the Medicine Man told me it was my destiny to take the shamanic wisdom out to the wider world, I didn't want to leave the jungle. This once scary place had become my home and I felt safe there.
I guess whenever we get too comfortable it is time for life to give us a nudge so that we continue growing.
Stay tuned for my next post
In Love and Gratitude,
Antonia Ruhl
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