About Shamanism
Learn more about therapeutic shamanism and animism.
Resources for learning shamanism
What is Shamanism?
Interview session with Paul Francis: What is shamanism, and how can we make it relevant for the present time
Shamanic Realms
Shamanic Journeying
From our Blog:
- The Shamanic Journey – a journey to the three shamanic realms
- Working with Human Guides in shamanic journeys
- Hollow bone – master hollowing out for true, Spirit-led journeys
Interview session with Paul Francis: Shamanic journeying – entering the shamanic realms
or download and listen on the go:
Shamanic Guides
From our Blog:
Discover links to interesting podcasts, videos, articles and websites that will help you learn shamanism. Also below are links to recommended shamanic practitioners, free shamanic drumming MP3 downloads, and more.
(Please note that some of these links will open in a new window and take you to an external website)
Free e-books
Interview Sessions
or download and listen on the go:
or download and listen on the go:
Articles
How Neolithic Farming Sowed the Seeds of Modern Inequality 10,000 Years Ago
Early Men and Women Were Equal, Say Scientists
The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race
Seeing Wetiko: On Capitalism, Mind Viruses, and Antidotes for a World in Transition
The Greatest Epidemic Sickness Known to Humanity
Before the Fall: Evidence of a Golden Age
After the Fall: The Roots of Psychic Pathology and Alienation from Nature
Hunter-Gatherers and the Origin of Religion
Humans Were Not Centre Stage: How Ancient Cave Art Puts Us in Our Place
Why ‘Bushman Banter’ Was Crucial to Hunter-Gatherers’ Evolutionary Success
Best Practices for Raising Kids? Look to Hunter-Gatherers
The Play Theory of Hunter-Gatherer Egalitarianism
Why Our Ancestors Were More Gender Equal Than Us
How Hunter-Gatherers Maintained Their Egalitarian Ways
We Are Animals. We Need to Connect to the Millions of Non-human Lives We Use
Inequality: Why Egalitarian Societies Died Out
Personality Theories: Carl Rogers
Personality Theories: Carl Jung
Links to numerous articles on the “Foundation For Shamanic Studies” website
Podcasts
Podcasts with Paul Francis:
- Our own Three Ravens Therapeutic Shamanism podcast. Available from the usual outlets including Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Index, Apple, and more: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2044187
- A Shrink Rap Radio interview with Isabella Clarke.
- A Hive Podcast interview with Nathalie Nahai: Shamanism, Service and Power.
- Shamans Stories podcast with Jeremy Chenvert.
Recommended podcasts from other people:
- Ecopsychology, Meaning & the Journey of Transformation – Mary Jayne Rust
- Storytelling & the Mythic Imagination – Dr Sharon Blackie
- Culture, Indigenous Wisdom & the Power of Community – Bruce Parry
- On Reclaiming Soul, Beauty and Our Sense of Purpose – Gill Coombs
Embodiment Matters Podcasts with Erin and Carl Rabke:
- Embodiment and the Journey of Soul Initiation with Bill Plotkin
- Embodiment Matters Featuring Sharon Blackie
- Grounded Spirituality with Jeff Brown
- Animal Body, Deep Time, and the Thing We All Long For – Josh Schrei
- On Mycelium, Compost, and Animate Sensibilities – Sophie Strand
- Stretched Between Gratitude and Grief – Francis Weller
- A Response To Our Times – Francis Weller
- Remembering our Animal Senses and Sensuous Relationship with the Living World – David Abram
- Giftedness, Energy and Energy: A conversation with Eric Windhorst and Dianne A Allen.
- Various Podcast links – Iain McGilchrist (The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning)
- Working with Human Guides in shamanic journeys
- Earth Speak – Microbiologist Siv Watkins on Microbes + Animism = Microanimism
- Rune Soup – Talking Microanimism with Siv Watkins
Glossary
We have created a Glossary of Shamanic Terms, so you can learn shamanism and shamanic terms through the website.
Jump to the Glossary.
Jump to the Glossary Index.
Videos
Free Shamanic Drumming MP3 Downloads
A free, downloadable 10-minute shamanic drumming MP3 with call-back (16″ Remo Buffalo Drum, played by Paul Francis)
A free, downloadable 15-minute shamanic drumming MP3 with call-back (16″ Remo Buffalo Drum, played by Paul Francis)
Shamanism Books
Best Books About Shamanism
In terms of recommended shaShamanism Booksmanism books, perhaps not surprisingly (!) the main books we recommend are the Therapeutic Shamanism series. The first book is an introduction and a practical guide:
The Shamanic Journey: A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Shamanism
The next volumes in the series can be read in any order, just bear in mind that they do assume some prior knowledge and experience in shamanic journeying. The first two books form an in-depth exploration of the shamanic Lower-World:
Rewilding Yourself: Discovering Your Soul’s Deep Roots Through Shamanic Practices
Finding Your Deep Soul: Guidance For Authentic Living Through Shamanic Practices
The fourth book in the series (due out some time later in 2022) will be an in-depth exploration of shamanic spirituality and the Upper-World:
Soul Roots, Spirit Branches: Animist and Shamanic Spirituality, Mindfulness and Meditation Practices
Other Shamanic Books
In terms of wider reading around shamanism, some of the better books include:
Bran, Zoe. Where Shamans Go: Journeys into Extra-ordinary Reality.
Crockett, Tom. Stone Age Wisdom: The Healing Principles of Shamanism.
Day, Kenn. Post-Tribal Shamanism: A New Look at the Old Ways.
Deatsman, Colleen. The Hollow Bone: A Field Guide to Shamanism.
Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy.
Harner, Michael. Cave and Cosmos. And The Way of the Shaman.
Harrell, S. Kelley. Gift of the Dreamtime: Awakening to the Divinity of Trauma.
Ingerman, Sandra. Awakening to the Spirit World: The Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation. And: Mending the Fragmented Self. Also: Soul Retrieval.
Kahili King, Serge. Urban Shaman.
Matthews, Caitlin. Singing the Soul Back Home.
Pratt, Christina. An Encyclopaedia of Shamanism, Volumes One and Two.
Stevens, Jose and Stevens, Lena S. Secrets of Shamanism: Tapping the Spirit Power Within You.
Villoldo, Alberto. Shaman, Healer, Sage. Also: Mending the Past and Healing the Future.
Walter, Mariko Namba, and Fridman, Eva Jane Neumann. Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture, Volumes One and Two.
Related Topics
In terms of wider reading around shamanism, including animism, anthropological and historical context, the links with psychotherapy and so on, here are some good books:
Abram, David. The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World. And: Becoming Animal.
Andrews, Ted. Animal-speak. And: Animal-wise.
Bloom, William. Psychic Protection.
Boehm, Christopher. Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior.
Brown, Jeff. Grounded Spirituality.
Caplan, Mariana. Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path.
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years. Also: The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?
Diamond, Julie, and Jones, Lee Spark. A Path Made by Walking: Process Work in Practice.
Earley, Jay. Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS, a New, Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy. Volumes 1-3.
Forbes, Jack D. Columbus and Other Cannibals: The Wetiko Disease of Exploitation, Imperialism, and Terrorism.
Griffiths, Jay. Why Rebel. And: Wild.
Halifax, Joan. The Fruitful Darkness: A Journey Through Buddhist Practice and Tribal Wisdom.
Hanh, Thich Nhat. Love Letter to the Earth.
Harari, Yuval Noah. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. And: Sapiens A Graphic History – Volume 1: The Birth of Humankind; Volume 2: The Pillars of Civilization.
Harding, Stephan. Animate Earth: Science, Intuition and Gaia.
Harvey, Graham. Animism: Respecting the Living World.
Heying, Heather, and Weinstein, Bret. A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life.
Hollis, James. Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times. Also: Through the Dark Wood: Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life.
Jensen, Derrick. The Myth of Human Supremacy.
Jordan, Martin. Ecotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.
Levine, Peter. In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.
Levy, Paul. Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil.
Macy, Joanna, and Johnstone, Chris. Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy.
Macy, Joanna and Young Brown, Molly. Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World.
Masters, Robert Augustus. Spiritual Bypassing: When Spirituality Disconnects Us from What Really Matters.
Nelson, Melissa K. (editor). Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future.
Plotkin, Bill. Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche. And: The Journey of Soul Initiation: A Field Guide for Visionaries, Evolutionaries, and Revolutionaries.
Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. And: Providence. Also: The Story of B.
Roberts, Llyn. Shamanic Reiki.
Rogers, Carl. A Way of Being. And: Client-centred Therapy. Also: On Becoming a Person. And: On Personal Power: Inner Strength and Its Revolutionary Impact.
Rothschild, Babette. The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma & Trauma Treatment.
Roszak ,Theodore. Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth/Healing the Mind.
Ryan, Christopher. Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress.
Salzgeber, Jonas. The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness.
Schwartz, Richard C. Internal Family Systems Therapy. And: No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model.
Scott, James C. Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States.
Seed, John, Macy, Joanna, and Fleming, Pat. Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings.
Stone, Hal. Embracing Our Selves: Voice Dialogue Manual.
Taylor, Steve. The Fall: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era.
Tolan, Janet and Cameron, Rose. Skills in Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy.
Turner, Toko-pa. Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home.
Waal, Frans de. Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
Walker, Peter. Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma.
Weiss, Bonnie. Self-Therapy Workbook: An Exercise Book for the IFS Process.
Weller, Francis. The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief.
Wohlleben, Peter. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate. And: The Secret Network of Nature: The Delicate Balance of All Living Things.
Wolynn Mark. It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle.
Fiction Books
And for some light relief, if you are into fantasy/sci-fi, some books that have some shamanic/animist themes:
The Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel.
The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver.
Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide by Orson Scott Card.
Pennterra by Judith Moffett.
The His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman.
Knitty Bear by Jane Allighan
Practitioners
For information on what to expect and what to look for in a shamanic practitioner, see our Practitioner Competencies.
The following recommendations are restricted to practitioners whose shamanic work we have witnessed personally and can vouch for.
- Cat Anderson Also IFS (internal Family Systems therapy), and trauma-release work including IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy – similar to EMDR).
- Kaja Gulič Shamanic healing & parts-of-self work.
- Sarah Knight Sarah no longer offers shamanic healing, but is a psychotherapist and Internal Family Systems Therapist with a deep background in Therapeutic Shamanism.
You will find more links in the “Friends” section below…
Friends
The websites of some of our students:
- Lotus in the MudA long-established blog run by Sujatin. A treasure trove exploring the links between Buddhism (mainly Pureland Buddhism), animism and shamanism.
- Tina Shaw Shamanic healing, reiki training courses, coaching, cognitive hypnotherapy, and Power Animal retrieval.
- Eric Windhost Registered psychotherapist, counsellor, coach, educator, mentor, (re)searcher, and writer. Resources on Giftedness and on being a HSP (a Highly Sensitive Person).
- Laura Bruton Psychotherapy, counselling, and supervision. Integrative Psychotherapy tailored to individual needs.
- Michelle Harpas Certified Empowerment and Soul Purpose Coach, ceremonial circle facilitator, and shamanic practitioner.
- The Healing Forest Therapies Charlotte Knaggs, qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Usui Reiki Master and Teacher, Shamanic Practitioner and Advanced EFT therapist.
- Nina Pyykkönen Jungian coaching – a growth-oriented process which combines conscious and intellectual work with deep emotional experience and contact with the unconscious. Based on the Depth Psychological approach and theory of Carl Jung. In the coaching process, creative methods, especially active imagination, are used as bridges to the unconscious.
- Wylder Clout Shamanic Reiki Master Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, and Chakra Healing Master. Sessions in-person, via Zoom and in absentee sessions, with clients from all walks of life and from across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Each healing session is unique and can facilitate the release of blockages, address past or present trauma, transform recurring patterns, and contribute to the re-weaving of your soul and life journey.
- Bettina Hemmingsen I’m a licensed Psychotherapist and my approach is experiential, emotion-focused, trans-personal, holistic, multiplicity and mindfulness – based. My work is trauma-informed targeted towards adolescents, adults, families, and couples who are facing or going through a transition.
- Nurturing Wellness – Hanna Casement Yoga, Ayurvedic facial rejuvenation massage, Thai massage, HeartMath coaching, Circle holding facilitator.
- Amy Arnold, MD Your True Story Coaching. Specializing in helping women “shift from midlife crisis to full-life freedom” via individual and group coaching, workshops, and education. Her website blog focuses on topics related to deep connection and personal growth.
- The Shaman Stories Podcast with Jeremy Chenvert. Run by one of our students. Interviews with practitioners, what brought them to the shamanic path, and the challenges they faced, and how the work shapes their lives.
