Exploding Shamans and other paths

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: winged one

Let me preface this by explaining shaman as I understand it. We can argue what that entails but for now just as a generalization the shaman does some or all of the following, journeying, working with power animals, entering altered states, soul retrieval (or something similar in a different form), perhaps working with rattles, drums, etc,...you get the idea. And all of this usually with some form of indigenous flavor. A person may perhaps do all of these things and more..but for now lets define the shaman as someone who is not just walking a shamanic path or using shamanic techniques but rather is a shaman in their whole being, world, and profession.

I have heard that many shamans believe that if you're called to be a shaman and you ignore the path it can kill you. (This is what my shaman believes, though she is only one person so you can certainly take it or leave it.) I have theories on this as I know a couple of shamans...both non-practicing and fully accepting and practicing. I think it's because people who are called to be shamans carry a certain kind of power and a lot of it and if it's not directed toward their life path it can either explode or implode. I have heard telling of people who are dying (either literally or just going stock crazy) and then a shaman finds them and says..."hey, you're supposed to be a shaman and that's why this is happening."

My question to you all is have you ever experienced this, ...or know someone who has?

And most importantly. Are there other paths...or callings similar to shamans where the same sort of thing happens? I mean I know according to some belief that we all have a specific purpose etc..blah blah blah... I'm wondering if there are things like Shamans where people are called to be a specific thing..and if they aren't figuring out what that is their power can turn on them.



Oh and if this would be better in another place I'll trust the mods to move it.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Scarlett_156

My question to you all is have you ever experienced this, ...or know someone who has?

And most importantly. Are there other paths...or callings similar to shamans where the same sort of thing happens?

This is pretty much always the case, no matter what "path" one feels called to. People go nuts and even die if they reject the calling/compulsion to occult life. This is a necessary part of human culture as is the farmer, soldier, etc. The occultist/shaman is an important component of any human community.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: 1000ShadesofGrey

I have heard that many shamans believe that if you're called to be a shaman and you ignore the path it can kill you.
My question to you all is have you ever experienced this, ...or know someone who has?

In Candomblé there is a ceremony called the opening of the head... if that ceremony is done over a pregnant women, her unborn child will have to serve the Orixá/Orishah (God or Goddess). Failing to do so, the child will die before he/she completes her/his 21st birthday, unless someone offers it's own life to save the life of the "child". However later the Orixá/Orishah will return and force the person to serve it.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: winged one

In Candomblé there is a ceremony called the opening of the head... if that ceremony is done over a pregnant women, her unborn child will have to serve the Orixá/Orishah (God or Goddess). Failing to do so, the child will die before he/she completes her/his 21st birthday, unless someone offers it's own life to save the life of the "child". However later the Orixá/Orishah will return and force the person to serve it.

Golly that would suck. I guess maybe I don't have a problem with the idea of limited predestination as long as it's done by something smarter and more highly evolved than my tribe or culture. On the other hand how is that any different from having to accept one's shamanism. Interesting.

I guess I believe that we hall have a dharma or divine purpose...but I think only certain things like shaman are superspecific and involve a person's occupation. Does that make sense? I'm wondering what other superspecific divine purpose occupations there are out there.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: hitman777

Let me preface this by explaining shaman as I understand it. We can argue what that entails but for now just as a generalization the shaman does some or all of the following, journeying, working with power animals, entering altered states, soul retrieval (or something similar in a different form), perhaps working with rattles, drums, etc,...you get the idea. And all of this usually with some form of indigenous flavor. A person may perhaps do all of these things and more..but for now lets define the shaman as someone who is not just walking a shamanic path or using shamanic techniques but rather is a shaman in their whole being, world, and profession.

I have heard that many shamans believe that if you're called to be a shaman and you ignore the path it can kill you. (This is what my shaman believes, though she is only one person so you can certainly take it or leave it.) I have theories on this as I know a couple of shamans...both non-practicing and fully accepting and practicing. I think it's because people who are called to be shamans carry a certain kind of power and a lot of it and if it's not directed toward their life path it can either explode or implode. I have heard telling of people who are dying (either literally or just going stock crazy) and then a shaman finds them and says..."hey, you're supposed to be a shaman and that's why this is happening."

My question to you all is have you ever experienced this, ...or know someone who has?

And most importantly. Are there other paths...or callings similar to shamans where the same sort of thing happens? I mean I know according to some belief that we all have a specific purpose etc..blah blah blah... I'm wondering if there are things like Shamans where people are called to be a specific thing..and if they aren't figuring out what that is their power can turn on them.



Oh and if this would be better in another place I'll trust the mods to move it.

Awesome thread.
I'm not a shaman, but I do think that if I hadn't gotten into magick I'd be in the loony bin by now.
Although, magic has at times brought me pretty damned close to the loony bin.
I think that it is the same thing though. If you're called to a certain spritual path, and you turn it down, you're right, all that energy that's destined for that path has nowhere to go, and you're kind of fucked.

hitman

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Centrix

The occultist/shaman is an important component of any human community.

It is important to note that in authentic Shamanic traditions, the Shaman is chosen directly through a devastating event or close death experience and not taught or even having a "feeling" that he should persue that chosen path.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: doh

[QUOTE=Centrix;289561]It is important to note that in authentic Shamanic traditions, the Shaman is chosen directly through a devastating event or close death experience and not taught or even having a "feeling" that he should persue that chosen path.[/QUOTE]And what knowledge do you base this on? The devestated vs. life calling aspect, anyhoo.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Solerus Silver

yes i agree with the OP some people are just born to be magicians and pursue the occult, some even find out the occult from their own memories and set to persue it, and as for me i even found that after i heeded such calls and feelings that i had much power going in the right channels for such a path, and also the person who is naturally suited to a path and follow it never leaves it again no matter how hard people try with him of even if he himself try.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: The Cove

Greetings -

Well, I would fall under the dying Shaman category.

At the moment. Hah! At the fucking moment...

It is terrible.

Of course, it is all terrible. Go or no.

As Ovid stated - or an approximation:

'One should not war with a God lover,
it is not war, it is despair.'

- yet I war on, a bad example to the rest
of the Occult community - indeed.

There is a reason (Beyond the obvious fear of madness
and death - which is alluded to in other posts on this thread
- and will happen anyways.) for my holding back on the
reigns of massive inner change.

I will not delineate - but rather state some things are worth
more than the true - spiritual path of ones soul. Yes, another
metaphysical blasphemy for you.

I am a Fool.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Amur

For some reason I was tripping and had a nice experience where I saw through time and space in a 4D setting. There were some guardian beings there that told me directly that I am a prophet. Didn't believe them at the time. Then I read an article on shamanism where they called the shaman a prophet. So I thought that it would fit me better to be a shaman since I obviously were not of prophet rank. So after a few months I did a small initiation in the forest to become a shaman (didn't really know what it was about back then lol). 3 weeks later had an amazing synchronicity where I basically came to know the whole structure of the universe and information came pouring in and I became enlightened, or so I thought. Were in an incredible amazingly creative state where I basically were so creative that I knew the answer to every question I thought about. At the same time I had a weird effect of repulsing other humans with my pure being, it started small but the more I tried to proove my point the more opposition I had on my neck and I ended getting locked up in a mental hospital with an asshole doctor force-prescribing me alot of drugs.

Anyway, before that I made a ritual that lasted about a month and incredible things happened. It was all purely intuitional and done on a need to know basis. Made a world-wide shout with an earthquake and after that I started getting all kinds of weird spirit/egregore encounters trying to lure me to their side. They even took away my power that I used to do the worldwide shout and have been quite powerless ever since. The funny thing is that while being in a powerless state I have been ambushed by all kinds and layers of spiritual dead spirits who abuse me in all kinds of nasty ways, basically making my life hell, and certainly making me crazy

Alot of weird events have happened that have no physical kind of explanation whatsoever. Mostly it seems at this stage in life to be about fighting for one's own survival. Even had God egregores attacking me with their all-so-mighty 'holy' texts all the while a deep part of myself has gone against them lol. And my consciousness has been terrified to death from the whole process. Nowadays I feel like the retarded God-boy who causes a mess in the various layers of existence by his mere being. Not my fault that I was born

3 words that describe the process quite well is "What the fuck?!?" I wouldn't call myself a shaman since I don't work yet with so many spirits of power but more like a plumb cleaner of the underworld sewers. It's a shitty job, but someones got to do it... At the same time I feel like somekind of a cosmic fool. Btw, I like the term Exploding Shaman, it fits my description of myself destroying the entire existence (or as far as I reach it anyways)

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: winged one

And what knowledge do you base this on? The devestated vs. life calling aspect, anyhoo.

There are actually a lot of people who believe this. That shaman's are made or innitiated by the devasting event or near death experience. Helps them walk between the worlds. Although I guess there can be an argument made for them being called from the beginning of their life (as in that near death experience was destined to happen) or that their call to shamanism is a random event. I wonder if all called shamans have this experience.

Back to my original question. I was actually just listening to a talk by Clarissa Pinkola estes (the woman who wrote Women Who Run With Wolves) and she was saying that the difference between being called to a path and choosing a path is that when you're called if you don't do it you would die. Metaphorically or literally. I don't think a shaman who is called is superior to one who chooses that path. I just think the one who is called may have a more dangerous time of it if they don't know or heed their calling. It's interesting that many here have posted about being called to the occult. Or like Hitman said..that without it they would have gone crazy. I def agree on the part about it sometimes making me more crazy. Can be dangerous getting into new power and energy if your body can't handle it yet. The whole called to the Occult thing makes a pretty strong argument for it spiritually. I've heard some "light" type people say that it's dangerous and people who participate are playing in something negative without any redeeming value. For me I never felt called to the occult so much as drawn to it. I think my calling is elsewhere and the occult is part of my learning process. Even now i don't really do a lot of what could be considered true occult stuff. I think I'm starting to figure out what's calling me. One wonders if it doesn't have something to do with death. (not dying myself, at least not literally) I always like the idea that shamans could see the dead and guide them on or heal them if they were stuck here.

I've also heard people that say they would die if they didn't do dance as they were called to. I think there's a difference between this and say a calling like shamanism because as I stated before shamans have all that power that I think can explode or implode. Maybe dancers have it to but I'm more apt to think if they were called to dancing and didn't do it they'd die because their spirit wasn't fed properlly, not die because they couldn't direct the energy they'd been given.

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Original post: Blackbird

it turned inside out...and exploded.

::insert picture from galaxy quest i can't find here::