Reconnect with Tobacco's Sacred Roots
By Mayumi Beckers
In the modern world, tobacco has a ‘bad rap,’ largely associated with addiction, disease, and death. Yet, within Indigenous communities, tobacco is honored as a powerful medicine. Like all sacred plants, its healing potential depends on how it is approached; with clear intention, proper preparation, appropriate dosage, and in the right setting. When removed from its sacred context and misused, its energy can turn toxic. However, when used with respect and guided by experienced healers, tobacco can facilitate profound healing.
I recently completed a dieta, a traditional healing retreat focused on deep communion with master plants. With each dieta, connection with a plant continues to deepen, and its energetic presence in a practitioner’s healing work becomes ever more refined, grounded, and alive. As you get to know me, you will notice that I am a deep diver. I tend to immerse myself fully in researching the things I am passionate about. One of these is the world of sacred medicinal plants. Among these plant teachers is tobacco.
This article is dedicated to honoring this sacred plant medicine ally, whose wisdom continues to guide and inform my healing practice. I hope you will come across a few insights that resonate with you.
Tobacco’s origins and sacred roots
The species Nicotina rustica L., also known as Mapacho in the Peruvian Amazon, is a revered master plant teacher widely used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The oldest archaeological evidence of human tobacco use dates back over 12,000 years. It is often referred to as the “royal plant,” “father of all plants,” or the “director of all medicinal plants.” In the Amazon, skilled tabaqueros are honored traditional healers who specialize in working with tobacco, using it as their primary medicine for healing physical, psychological, and spiritual ailments and dis-eases.
In Amazonian traditions, tobacco holds a unique and foundational place. In several Indigenous languages, the word for ‘healer’ translates to “one who eats tobacco”, or “one intoxicated by tobacco.” Before giving any plant remedy, a healer will first blow tobacco smoke over it, awakening and empowering its healing spirit. Tobacco is also commonly paired with other master plant teachers, such as ayahuasca.
Tobacco serves many sacred roles. It is a powerful protector in ceremony, a purifier of the energy field, and a cleanser for releasing toxins on all levels. It offers clarity to the mind, grounds the body, and opens a connection to Spirit. It is recognized for its consciousness and frequency-raising effects used for divination, blessing, and transformation. As a master plant, tobacco teaches those on the plant medicine path to walk with clarity, humility, and wisdom, supporting both healing and awakening through its potent, ancient wisdom.
In many North American Indigenous traditions, tobacco is offered with prayers to Spirit. It holds a central role in sweat lodge and pipe ceremonies, and is traditionally presented as a sacred gift.
When someone seeks guidance, healing, or support from an Elder, healer, or wisdom keeper, the act of offering tobacco acknowledges the significance of the request. Once accepted, the tobacco seals this agreement, forming a bond rooted in mutual respect, reciprocity, and spiritual responsibility.
From sacred medicine to global commodity
Tobacco has a long and complex history, from ancient ceremonial and medicinal use to a globally traded commodity with significant cultural and health impacts. It was introduced to Europe during colonization in the late 15th century, later spreading to Africa and Asia, and quickly became a popular recreational and medicinal substance. Even though it was once valued for its healing properties, the tobacco industry grew, and the plant became recognized as a global product, used mainly for hedonic purposes. This shift led to adverse health effects that are well known in our modern world. Today, over a billion people smoke tobacco, most unaware of its sacred roots.
As the ancient medicinal knowledge about how to use tobacco safely and spiritually was lost, it went from being a sacred medicine to a substance widely accepted as recreational, and often misunderstood and abused around the world. This stands in stark contrast to the plant’s native origins in traditional healing, how tobacco was originally used, full of medicinal properties, and profound spiritual significance.
Reawakening in the psychedelic renaissance
Today, in the midst of what is referred to as a ‘psychedelic renaissance,’ many once-feared substances are being reconsidered for their healing potential. This resurgence has sparked a global wave of plant medicine tourism, bringing both opportunities and challenges. While it has helped raise awareness, it has also impacted the availability of sacred medicines and, in some cases, strained the well-being of the Indigenous communities that have safeguarded these traditions for thousands of years. Within this context, much attention has focused on ayahuasca, a powerful Amazonian brew made from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis. Ayahuasca has long been used within the same healing system in which tobacco plays a vital, though less widely recognized, role.
While ayahuasca is now being studied for treating trauma, depression, anxiety, and addiction, Amazonian tobacco-based therapies remain underexplored. Research shows that nicotine, one of tobacco’s active compounds, has cognitive-enhancing effects, and nicotine is not the only alkaloid or active constituent of the tobacco plant. Tobacco also contains β-carbolines like harman and norharman, which act as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and have antidepressant effects, just like the compounds in ayahuasca. These interactions suggest a deeper synergy between these sacred plants (‘plant communication’ is another fascinating world to be explored, which I won’t go into here).
Healing properties of tobacco
While tobacco is used for a wide range of physical and psychological disturbances, it is regarded as one of the most important plants for addressing spiritual and energetic imbalances, often the root of physical illness in shamanic worldviews. In this ancient understanding, illness originates not in the physical body, but first in the spirit body, then in the energy body, before manifesting in physical form. Tobacco can intervene at these deeper fundamental levels, clearing energetic blocks, allowing vital life force to circulate more freely throughout the system.
Tobacco also awakens the spiritual body, which may be dormant or unwell. Every person has a spirit body, although many are unaware of it because it is asleep or sick. When awakened, and often through dreams, the spirit body begins to do its work. This awakening supports deeper compassion, connection, and awareness, leading to more conscious and heart-centred living.
Aside from the spiritual-energetic levels, tobacco is also recognized as a sacred medicine that works on physical and psychological levels. It supports the respiratory system, helping with conditions such as sinusitis and lung issues, as well as parasitic illnesses affecting the intestines, skin, and even gout.
Traditionally, it is also used to address “problems of the mind.” By cleansing the body of parasites and negative energies, tobacco can greatly enhance psychological well-being. This is closely linked to the connection between gut health and brain function. When excess mucus and phlegm are released, oxygen flow improves, helping to clear the mind and increase mental clarity.
Tobacco helps to center and strengthen the mind and assists in easing symptoms of depression and anxiety. It promotes better attention, cognitive functioning, and a more constructive and serene state of mind, counteracting patterns of forgetfulness, low self-esteem, fear, and self-sabotage.
In Amazonian healing, tobacco has a wide range of applications, topical, oral, or nasal, administered in the form of liquid, solid, or smoke. Expert tabaqueros hold deep knowledge of the safe and proper use. Treatments may be given as standalone remedies or as part of intensive retreats known as dietas, involving dietary restrictions, isolation, and tobacco ingestion.
When smoked but not inhaled, tobacco serves energetic purposes in ceremonial practice. Practitioners blow the smoke (soplar) or sing healing chants (icarar) to direct the medicine and guide the therapeutic process. When a tabaquero blows smoke onto and around a person, it creates a protective shield around the energetic body.
Sacred commitment and mastery
Today, many people are inspired to call themselves shamans after attending ayahuasca ceremonies or dietas, but true tabaqueros or ayahuasqueros undergo years of disciplined training and many dietas. They are said to have “trees in their bodies,” meaning they have formed a deep spiritual alliance with the plants and can carry and channel their medicine with precision and care.
Like all powerful plant medicines, tobacco has both medicinal and toxic properties. It can heal or potentially harm, depending on how it is used. Only those who have studied the plant know how to work with it safely across body, mind, and spirit.
Working with such master plants requires deep respect, spiritual preparation, and guidance from experienced practitioners who have undergone rigorous training. Their work is guided by humility, reverence, and a deep relationship with the spirit of the plants.
Article written by Joan Parisi Wilcox
QentiWasi.com
“Good luck is science not yet classified; just as the supernatural is the natural not yet understood.” — Elbert (Green) Hubbard, Writer, Artist, Philosopher
When we talk about the mystical (paña, or right-side of the Andean sacred path) and the magical (lloq’e, or left-side of the Andean sacred path), we are talking about perception and experience (paña) and action in the world (lloq’e). But the description of the left side as “magical” prompts many people to wonder about how the supernatural fits into the ecology of our energy environment. How common is it to experience supernatural events when we are in ayni (reciprocity) with the living universe? Should we expect to have them? How should we relate to them when they do occur? Here I offer up for consideration some of the ways I answer these questions.
The word “supernatural” comes from roots meaning “above” or “beyond” nature. Something supernatural is inexplicable because it defies known natural laws, and thus some scientists would say that belief in the supernatural is inexcusable—it is “magical thinking.” Yet, I prefer to think of what is called the “supernatural” not as inexplicable but as anomalous. Something that is an anomaly deviates from the normal, known, or expected. Science itself progresses because of anomalies, which hover on the border of the known and unknown. They not only draw attention but often beg for explanation. Discoveries frequently are made because during an experiment some parameter deviates from the likely or expected result or range, and then the scientists engage their curiosity and keep probing. Sometimes that probing leads to a eureka moment—something that was formerly unknown becomes known. Over time, it may become accepted and even incorporated into the mainstream. What was once above or beyond nature reveals itself to be an aspect of nature.
The crown jewel of such a situation is the double-slit experiment in physics. To this day there is no universally accepted explanation for why a subatomic (and now atomic) entity appears to be a wave or a particle only because of how it is “observed,” which is to say how some device or human being decides to measure it. Perhaps right up there with wave-particle duality in the anomalous stratosphere (and some might say teetering on the border of the seemingly supernatural) are entanglement and non-locality. Two particles that share a connection (a quantum state) remain connected no matter how far apart they are—two inches, two hundred miles, two light-years. Although no known type of signal passes between them, when the state of one particle of the pair is changed, the other particle instantaneously changes in a commensurate way. The quantum weirdness of deep-down nature has prompted many scientists to both marvel and frown. As Neils Bohr, a pioneer of quantum mechanics, so famously said: “Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.” Richard Feynman, another physics pioneer, especially in quantum electrodynamics, went further and said, “It is safe to say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” Einstein rejected the idea of nonlocality, calling it “spooky action at a distance.” Perhaps it is not too much to say he found it supernatural, and so he was convinced there was an explanation that did not defy the known laws of physics. He never found it. And, after trying for many decades, scientists still have offered no adequate explanation for non-locality, although its existence is proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
I offer that discussion to rally you toward thinking about the supernatural as simply something that is (right now) anomalous—unexpected and thus open to inquiry, but beyond the grasp of current consensus knowledge and the physics of the academy. I mean . . . if quantum can rule the subatomic (and increasingly the atomic) landscape, then it is not so big a leap to think that strange, wonderful, and even shocking “supernatural” events might be evidence of some kind of other deep-down nonlocal dynamic.
Of course, anomalous events are neither unusual nor unexpected within the domain of the mystical and shamanic. As part of our Andean energy practices, especially ayni (making conscious interchanges with the living universe), we expect feedback from the living universe, and we often experience that feedback in a way that defies rational explanation and violates the norms of consensus reality. The supernatural/anomalous takes us beyond known natural laws. That is no surprise, as “meta” in the word “metaphysics” literally means “above,” “beyond,” or “after” physics. Metaphysics operates not in defiance of physics as much as in ways that extend and expand it.
In fact, I cannot even call what mystics and shamans experience occasionally as “anomalous,” for the ways of the liminal realms—those “in-between” realms in which we most often work— may be mysterious but they are played out in what is our normal operating theater. Their liminal nature intersects with our more mundane world, so the separation between “there” and “here” eventually blurs. What appears to be a “magical” event to those who don’t know how to work or live in shamanic or mystical ways is considered more or less normal for those of who do.
Andean paqos, especially those of the last generation, work “magically” in the most mundane and practical ways. They do not consider their mystical abilities to be anything special. My primary teacher, don Juan Nuñez del Prado, has shared several experiences of witnessing what was possible for the old paqos. And every one of these stories recounts events that were more or less just normal operating behavior for them. For example, don Juan describes what happened when he asked don Benito Qoriwaman if they were living in the time of the harmonic convergence. That was reputedly an auspicious time in the 1980s during which a particular alignment of celestial bodies would energetically impact Earth and we humans in beneficial ways. What was don Benito’s response to that question? He said, “Let’s go and see.” He walked outside and stood looking toward Cusco. Then he shook his head and said, “No.” When don Juan asked how he knew, don Benito said that the energy bubble around Cusco had not fully risen to cover the city. Only when it had done that would the time be auspicious for such energetic shifts to occur. He asked if Juan could see that himself, and when don Juan said “No,” don Benito told him to sit next to him and take hold of his leg. When he did and then looked toward the city, don Juan too could “see” (qaway, mystical vision) the energy bubble of Cusco. What this event tells us is that “supernatural” abilities were simply the norm for fully developed paqos. They were no big deal. They were useful. And they were only utilized when there was a specific purpose.
Don Juan tells of other, even more “supernatural” events he experienced while with his paqo teachers. Every one of those events occurred in the normal course of living, as part of a mundane unfolding of life. We can develop the same skills. These abilities are not unusual, the province of the few. They are a kind of metasense that we can develop. After we get over the startling acknowledgment of our own mystical abilities—after we get past our amazement and delight—we, too, mature into understanding them as simply another type of sensory awareness. They become another set of tools we can use in our lives and another cluster of abilities with which we may engage life more fully.
I believe there is an important lesson for us in understanding the way the paqos used their personal power and the types of things they could do with that power. For most of us, when we first begin a shamanic, mystical, or similar type of training, we are unfamiliar with and unsure about the “supernatural,” but also curious. We might eagerly try to trigger such experiences. Having a supernatural experience can be helpful in that it can rock our worldview, propelling us beyond the constraints of consensus reality. Transcendent or unusual events can open us to accepting that there is more to the living universe and ourselves than we have been told or taught about. Having such an experience can motivate us to study and practice. But afterwards, when we are trained and living in ayni in a metaphysical universe, these “magical” events and metaphysical abilities become normal aspects of our lives. We use our abilities in the way that best fits the moment—in other words, in useful ways. We also use these abilities sparingly, when they are appropriate or necessary. That is how it was for don Benito and the other paqos with whom don Juan trained and worked, and that is how it becomes for us.
Sometimes, it is not we who are “driving the kawsay”—influencing or perceiving the world energetically (mystically) in a particular way—but the living universe that reaches out to us. And we may have no idea why. After enough of these experiences, however, we come to trust them rather than to question them. As an example of the universe “reaching out,” consider this example. I was talking the other day with a friend, recounting an experience of this sort that I had not thought about in decades. Back in the early 1990s, I was gathered with a small group of friends in a shamanic drumming circle. We each drummed and undertook a shamanic journey. During mine, at one point, apropos of nothing, I heard the “message” that I needed to acquire the feather of a sandhill crane. What? I wondered if there was such a creature and, if there was, why I needed one its feathers. After the circle, we gathered to share a meal, and during conversation I mentioned that I had received this “message.” The man whose house we were at listened, got up and left the room, and a few minutes later came back with a tawny-colored feather about ten inches long. It was a sandhill crane feather, and without a word he handed it to me as a gift.
Why did I need that feather? I had no idea. I just accepted that it would be useful in some way. Years later, I and two others were invited to the ancestral home of our full-blood Diné (Navajo) friend. During our visit, he pulled me aside and asked me join him for a walk. I had that feather with me on that trip, and I tucked it into my backpack. He took me to his father’s grave (which is unusual because the Diné usually don’t linger around graves) and told me about his father. During his sharing, he mentioned that somehow (I no longer remember how) his father was connected to the sandhill crane totem. Ah! Now I knew. I silently opened my backpack, removed the feather from the red cloth in which I had wrapped it, and laid it on the grave. And that was that.
Did having the sandhill crane feather to offer as an honoring of my friend’s father really matter? Probably not. The private talk was what mattered. However, the feather certainly was a nice touch. And maybe it was important to the universal consciousness or the spirit of his father in some way. To this day, I don’t know. It just was what it was.
We all have similar experiences. And lest you think, in my practicality, that I am dismissing them as unimportant or ho-hum, no. That is not why I present these kinds of experiences in the way that I am. The factuality of my presentation is meant to show us how deep our connections of ayni can go and how natural the energy dynamics of interconnection can become. From these types of anomalous events, we can gain not just knowledge of the energy dynamics of the living universe but experience of an interconnected universe. These experiential events bestow gifts upon us. What gifts? Let me call out five: attention, focus, awareness, curiosity, and engagement.
Anomalous experiences get our attention. Through that attention we can begin to enlarge our focus from the material, physical world to the liminal (in-between, metaphysical) realms to which we had previously been inattentive, dismissive, or even blind. Focus may lead to the development of awareness. Awareness is the gateway to everything! Especially to our restrictions. When we become aware of the liminal realms, we also are provided an opportunity to consider how we have been restricting our engagement with world. We then might begin to loosen those restrictions. We previously may have attached to the belief that such experiences are random events from which we, in our illogic and scientific naiveté, are assigning a superstitious meaning. From our family, religion, science, education, society, and culture, we absorbed the idea that rationality and logic are among the highest of human qualities. They told us (and many continue to tell us) that belief in the liminal is magical thinking. However, when we expand our awareness and begin to experience the liminal, we soften the hold of such restrictive beliefs. We make room for curiosity. We could retreat almost immediately into denial of our experiences, but most of us become intensely curious.
I use the word “curiosity” as a catch-all term for a host of endeavors: releasing presuppositions about what we think we know, expanding our tolerance for the novel, widening the scope of the possible, and opening ourselves to the anomalous. These are qualities shared by almost all explorers and adventurers—and even by scientists. They also are qualities common to shamans and mystics. Curiosity becomes the springboard to experience, and experience is the springboard to engagement. Ultimately, we begin to understand our experiences not through the belief lens of magical thinking but through the first-hand experiential reality of our mystical engagement. We bring our whole self into reciprocal engagement with the whole of nature and the whole of the living universe. We move from dualistic thinking (either-or: real world vs imaginal world, physics vs superstition) to a dialectical one (both-and: physical world and metaphysical world, sensory awareness and supersensory awareness). We truly begin to live in ayni, for when we open ourselves to more of “reality,” more of “reality” opens itself to us.
October 19, 2024 blog post, QentiWasi.com
© 2024 Joan Parisi Wilcox. All rights reserved.
Article written by Dr. Stephen Farmer
“If there is one word that can be the guide for your life, it is the word reciprocity.
—Pearl S. Buck, author of The Good Earth
“...I think we are called to go beyond cultures of gratitude,
to once again become cultures of reciprocity.”
—Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass
Breathe in slowly. Breathe out slowly. While doing so, be aware of the natural exchange between yourself and the plants and trees. You readily receive oxygen that nourishes your cells, and you give back carbon dioxide, which nourishes the cells of plants and trees. What a simple and miraculous demonstration of reciprocity, one where there is a mutual gifting that is rarely acknowledged consciously, yet continues in these cycles of giving and receiving for as long as you’re alive. You embody reciprocity.
Unfortunately, this principle of reciprocity is one that is often ignored, neglected, or simply forgotten. It’s a mindset that gets lost in preoccupation with what we get rather than with what we can give back, especially in exchange for what we receive. Greed, competition, consumerism, and our narcissistic tendencies can all interfere and disrupt honoring this principle of reciprocity. It’s a long-standing cultural mindset that what the earth has to offer is ours for the taking.
Fortunately, we are gradually awakening to the importance of giving back generously to the natural world as well as receiving with gratitude what Earth Mother provides for us freely, continuously, and in so many ways. We’re coming to appreciate the flow of Life’s choreography more deeply and how we are immersed in this energetic field of reciprocities.
There are many other examples of reciprocity, such as an exchange of love between two people, tending a garden, the care we give to our pets who in turn give back their love, or donating time, energy, or money to an organization you believe in. Even when buying goods, we exchange money for those goods.
This principle is not only active in the material world but also in spiritual realities. Expressing your gratitude in thought and through action for the sources of spiritual guidance readily available to you is critically important during these challenging times. These ordinarily non-visible beings provide guidance, protection, and reassurance. In exchange, we return our appreciation through prayers of thanks and acts of kindness, love, and compassion—to all beings.
Some of the most accessible spiritual allies are spirit animals, since they have counterparts in the physical world. When an animal shows up to you in either the physical realm or symbolically in an unusual way and/or repeatedly, that animal is serving to bring you a message. All beings are physical manifestations of Great Spirit and animals can be one of the most accessible expressions of messages from the Divine.
You dream of an Eagle and realize it’s a message to keep perspective on a situation you’re dealing with. A rabbit runs right across your path, and you receive the message that it’s time to be vigilant and make the move you’ve been contemplating. You’re at the beach and you see dolphins frolicking just outside the breaking waves and you’re reminded that it’s time for you to play more.
How about reciprocity with spirit animals? When you receive a message, the first thing to do is offer a prayer of thanks. Thank you, Hummingbird Spirit, for your message to be more flexible and to enjoy the sweetness of life. Thank you, Tortoise Spirit, for reminding me to move a little slower and pull in as needed. Thank you, Fox Spirit, for showing up in my dreams to remind me to beware of deceit in my life.
As you find yourself paying closer attention to these messages from spirit animals, in addition to your prayers of gratitude, you can demonstrate the principle of reciprocity through actions with their physical counterparts. Here are some examples:
- Volunteer with your local Humane Society
- Join in any protests to outlaw cruelty to animals
- Serve as a foster parent to abandoned pets
- Adopt a dog, cat, or other animal that has been rescued
- Donate regularly to a reputable animal rights organization such as the Humane Society
- Become vegetarian as a demonstration of reciprocity
- Simply be kind to any animals you encounter
These are some ways you can actively embrace the principle of reciprocity with animals in the physical realm that simultaneously honors the spirit animals that have come to you offering their guidance. Most indigenous peoples treat this as a given, as did our long-ago ancestors, when humans lived with the land and not on it.
Reciprocity was not just a philosophy, but a way of life.
Learn more about Dr Steven Farmer
Article written by Itzhak Beery
So, you've done the training. You've sat in ceremonies, drunk the sacred brews, inhaled the jungle's smoke, danced under the stars, wept by firelight, and journeyed with power animal spirits. Maybe you traveled to the Amazon or the Andes-or maybe you were initiated by a native medicine person and now wear a feather crown. Or perhaps you found the doorway to Spirit in a small urban studio or online course. You've collected tools, received initiations, and maybe even started offering your own healing sessions, circles, or ceremonial work.
That's beautiful. Truly.
But now comes the real question-the one that lingers after the drumming stops: Now that you've stepped onto the shamanic path... what will you do with it? Not just for yourself-but for your family, your community, and this world we all share.
This isn't meant to shame or challenge your authenticity. Quite the opposite-it's a loving invitation. A reminder that shamanism is not a hobby, a trend, a style, or a brand. At its core, it is a profound transformation and a sacred responsibility. A spiritual agreement between you and the Spirit world-and equally, between you and the people you are called to serve.
You see, the word shaman, from the Tungus language in Siberia, means "the Keeper of the Fire." It refers to the one who carries the flame of ancient memory-not just in rituals, but in daily, lived action. The one who tends to the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the whole community. The one who keeps the sacred fire strong and thriving. The one others turn to in personal and collective crisis.
And here's the key: there is no community without a shaman, and no shaman without a community to serve. It is a sacred, dual relationship-intimate, reciprocal, and deeply human.
So, if you've heard the call and accepted it-first of all, thank you. Truly. Now here are 12 heartfelt, essential actions that can help you embody that role with wisdom, grace, and integrity.
1. Heal yourself-gently and honestly
Before guiding others, continue tending to your own wounds. Be brave enough to sit with your pain, and patient enough to transform it. The more you heal and take responsibility for your story, the clearer your channel for Spirit becomes. This is not selfish-it is service in disguise.
2. Practice humility every step of the way
You are not the source of the healing. You are a vessel. A bridge. Pachamama does the healing, with the help of Spirit. Let that power move through you. Give credit to your teachers. Bow to the unknown. Humility doesn't make you small-it makes you immense and trustworthy.
3. Honor the lineages that came before you
This path wasn't born yesterday. Indigenous peoples carried these traditions through centuries of colonization, persecution, and silence. Acknowledge them. Support them. Never claim this as your invention. When you honor the roots, your work gains authenticity and depth.
4. Serve your community-not just your clients
You don't have to live in the jungle or wear ceremonial robes to be of service. Just look around you. Who is grieving? Who feels lost? Who needs someone to truly listen? That's where the medicine belongs-in your home, your street, your village, your city.
5. Speak up for justice and the Earth
Shamanism is love in action. It doesn't shy away from difficult truths. Don't say, "That's just politics, it's not my place." It is your place. Speak out against injustice-toward people, toward the land, toward the waters and animals. Protect what is sacred. Let your voice be a drumbeat for change.
6. Commit to supporting Indigenous causes
If Indigenous wisdom has shaped your journey, give back to the communities that carry it. Donate directly to Indigenous-led organizations and tribal causes. Support grassroots initiatives. Help preserve forests, languages, and lifeways. Share their messages with respect. Be an ally not just in words-but in action.
7. Shop consciously
Every dollar you spend carries energy. Buy directly from Indigenous makers and medicine carriers when possible. Avoid mass-produced imitations of sacred items. Let your choices reflect the respect you hold for this path. Whether online or in a department store, your shopping can either uplift-or exploit.
8. Create rituals that truly heal
Ritual is not performance-it's medicine. Create ceremonies that help people navigate grief, heartbreak, illness, transformation. Hold space with love and reverence. Let your rituals connect people back to the soul of life. That's the ancient way.
9. Tell the truth-with kindness
Don't bypass the hard stuff. Don't sugarcoat pain. Be willing to name what's real-in yourself, in your clients, and in your circles. Honesty, when spoken with love, becomes a sacred offering. Truth has a frequency that heals.
10. Walk lightly on the Earth
Shamanism teaches that everything is alive. Let your life reflect that knowing. Plant trees. Listen to the wind. Offer tobacco to the rivers. Pick up trash. Reduce your harm. Walk with reverence. Live like the Earth is your mother-because she is.
11. Be of use-not just inspired
Having visions is only the beginning. What will you do with them? Inspiration is the spark. But action-that's the fire. Be someone who leaves behind healing, not harm. Connection, not confusion. That is the true legacy of a shaman.
12. Don't compete-collaborate
Do not try to outshine other practitioners, to hoard knowledge, or rise by putting others down. Instead, bless their paths. Share your teachings. Taita Inti-Father Sun-shines equally on all trees in the forest. There is room for many types of trees, each offering something unique. Let's grow a rich, diverse, collaborative forest that thrives together.
This world doesn't need more spiritual titles.
It needs more fire keepers-grounded, humble, heart-led healers who show up again and again with love in their hands and a prayer on their lips.
So if you've heard the call-thank you. We need you.
And now — what will you do?
Learn more about Itzhak
https://shamansdirectory.com/directory/itzhak-beery
Blog and Course Excerpts by Ahamkara
Introduction to His Year-Long Shaman-Healer Training
“There are too many sleeping healers in the world. It is time to wake them up.” — Ahamkara
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Shaman-Healer Year-Long Training
Shamanism and Intuition
The foundation of shamanism is based on the belief that every person has innate wisdom and the ability to communicate with spiritual forces and the natural world. A fundamental aspect of this path is cultivating a deep connection with oneself. Through this process, we gather insight into our true needs and purpose while strengthening our intuitive awareness. Each individual has powerful intuitive abilities, and learning to listen to and trust our inner guidance is essential.
Beyond rituals and meditative practices that facilitate trance states, aspiring shamans explore various techniques for working with energy. By understanding the flow of energy within themselves and their surroundings, they learn to regulate their state of being and shape their reality. Over time this translates into the ability to work with others. Many shamans also work with plants and herbs, which serve as allies in expanding consciousness and accessing profound spiritual wisdom.
Shamanism is a deeply personal journey. Each practitioner chooses the methods and practices that resonate most with their unique nature and aspirations. Yet, at the heart of all shamanic practices remains the core intentions — to foster a connection with oneself, cultivate intuitive abilities, connect with the world of Spirit, and be of service.
Shamanic Healing and Illness
Illnesses caused by the attack of harmful forces often manifest themselves in symptoms such as localized pain, frequently accompanied by an increase in body temperature. This physical response is closely tied to the energy of the attacking forces. The concept of "attack by dark forces" corresponds with the modern understanding of infection. Both in its conventional medical sense and its more esoteric interpretation, healing is required to address these issues through appropriate methods.
Removing the harmful forces that have attacked an individual is a complex matter, requiring the shaman to extract these forces not only physically, but also on an emotional and mental level. During this healing process, the shaman navigates two realms of reality. In the shamanic state of consciousness, the attacking force may appear in an unsettling form. By extracting this force, the shaman uses tools to capture the harmful energy and transform it in both the shamanic and ordinary states of consciousness.
Healing through Reflection
We become sick for various reasons. Firstly, through a lack of something meaningful or essential in our lives. Secondly, the situation is the opposite, an overabundance of something, whether it be physical, emotional, or mental. Each tradition has its own spirit-protectors that help coping with dis-eases.
To address this on our own, it is important not to focus too much on the disease itself, as doing so can emotionally nourish and prolong it as you are “feeding” the dis-ease. Instead, shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life, both past and potential future experiences. It may be helpful to reflect on what might be needed to restore vitality to your life, or what could be introduced anew.
Illness often serves as a signal to reconsider and reevaluate your current path. In many cases, self-reflection and adjustment can be enough to bring healing. However, if the situation is more complex or persistent, it may be time to seek the guidance of a shaman who is skilled in helping to address deeper, spiritual causes of illness.
If this wisdom and practice calls to you, Ahamkara invites you to learn shamanic healing practices with him through his upcoming year-long training, “How to Become a Shaman-Healer.”
In this course, you will learn:
- Perform rituals, enter trance states, and connect with spirits
- Harness the power and energy of the spirit world
- Heal yourself and others from suffering, illness, and addiction
- Receive guidance, visions, and insights from the spirit realm
- Travel beyond time and space through the subtle body of dreams
- Purify internal organs using dream body techniques
- Discover and work with sacred places of power
- Create protective fields and craft amulets
- Enhance the energy of your home
- Strengthen family bonds through ancestral healing
- Manifest your goals and desires
- Cleanse personal and ancestral karma
- Determine life purpose through shamanic astrology
As a result, you will:
- Understand the root causes of challenges and how to overcome them
- Heal both the physical and energetic body
- Receive wisdom, answers, and guidance from the spirits
- Uncover your true purpose and unlock your full potential
- Tap into an infinite source of energy and inspiration
- Cultivate inner harmony, joy, and confidence
Through this online training, you can learn from anywhere at your own pace. The entire course is professionally filmed and edited into video lessons.
What’s included in the online course package:
- 7 Modules completed over 12 months
- 102 video lessons (15-20 minutes each) with summaries
- Homework assignments with expert review and feedback
- Support chat for questions and motivation
- Masterclass on throat singing
- 24 interactive group webinars
- Your own shamanic name
Register here:
Shaman-Healer Year-Long Training
Blog and Course Excerpts by Ahamkara
Introduction to His Upcoming Course
Shamanic Approach to Balance and Healing
At the heart of shamanism lies the profound care and maintenance of health through the balance and harmony between the soul, body, and nature. Shamans, as mediators between the human world and the spiritual realm, dedicate themselves to restoring this equilibrium, recognizing that true health encompasses physical, emotional, spiritual, and energetic well-being.
Shamanic healing focuses on connecting with spirits and drawing upon their power to address imbalances. Through techniques like meditation, chanting, dancing, the use of herbs, and sacred rituals, shamans strive to realign the body and soul with the natural world. Illness, from a shamanic perspective, is not merely a physical issue but often stems from emotional traumas, spiritual disturbances, accidents, or negative influences.
A shamanic healing process typically involves several key stages:
This holistic approach not only restores physical health but also nurtures emotional balance and spiritual growth, offering a path to deeper connection with oneself and the natural world. Shamanism invites individuals to see health as a state of harmony, attainable through respect for the interconnectedness of all life.
The Foundation of Shamanism
Shamanism is an individual path. Each shaman can choose his own methods and practices that best align with his personality and goals. However, at the center of all these practices is always the desire to establish a connection with oneself and develop intuitive abilities.
Shamanic practice is based on the idea that every person possesses inner wisdom and the ability to communicate with spiritual forces and the natural world. One of the important aspects of shamanism is fostering a deep connection with oneself — a practice that helps us understand our true needs and goals, as well as develop our inner insight. Each person holds powerful intuitive abilities, making it essential to listen to our inner self and trust our intuitive feelings.
Beyond rituals and meditative trance practices, shamanism also involves mastering energy work. Aspiring shamans (energy practitioners) learn to sense and understand the flow of energy within their bodies and the environment, enabling them to better manage their states of being and influence their realities. Many also explore working with plants and herbs, which can open pathways to expanded consciousness and profound spiritual understanding.
The Secret of the “Old Believers”
With limited influence from modern civilization, the “Old Believers” are people who live in Siberia, who adhere to the faith that they have had for hundreds of years. Living in relative isolation, they have developed methods to maintain their health and vitality, enabling them to live exceptionally long lives, often exceeding 100 years. One of their remarkable secrets to longevity lies in a simple yet powerful practice: regular belly self-massage. This ancient technique helps them sustain their energy and extend their ability to work and remain active well into old age.
The origins of the “Old Believers” date back to centuries ago when people in Siberia sought refuge from the rules of the European world order. Siberia, with its vast landscapes and abundant natural resources, provided an ideal sanctuary. These communities established self-sufficient villages where they thrived by foraging, hunting, and growing food. Today, many of these “Old Believer” villages remain, showcasing a lifestyle of vitality and resilience. In their later years, they enjoy an active life, often engaging in physically demanding tasks like hunting and daily labor with ease, thanks to their enduring energy and health.
The Healing Power of Abdominal Massage
Chronic illnesses often require constant care, medication, and create limitations that can disrupt daily life. Conditions like asthma are not just about breathing difficulties—they are accompanied by the constant fear of an attack. Similarly, gastritis or cholecystitis bring persistent pain, dietary restrictions, and discomfort, reducing the joy in everyday life. Many people find themselves limited in activities and pleasures due to these ongoing health challenges.
However, ancient wisdom from our ancestors provides a powerful tool for prevention and healing: visceral belly massage. This technique, rooted in centuries-old traditions, effectively supports organ function, relieves pain, and addresses symptoms of chronic illnesses. By restoring balance and alleviating discomfort, belly massage offers a natural and empowering approach to health and well-being.
It is no surprise that proper work with the belly can address a wide range of health issues. For example, gallbladder dysfunction can manifest as headaches, typically in the temples, or as joint issues like a crunching sound in the knees. Prolonged bile stagnation can even lead to joint stiffness and reduced mobility. Abdominal massage not only restores the health of the abdominal organs but also alleviates conditions like migraines, arthritis, hypertension, and more.
This technique is particularly effective in treating gynaecological issues, relieving intestinal blockages, easing colon spasms, and managing chronic constipation. These health improvements contribute to enhanced skin condition and appearance. During the process that involves pressure tapping, and displacement, blood and lymph circulation are restored, metabolic processes normalized, and physiological imbalances corrected.
Abdominal massage provides a natural, holistic approach to healing, addressing not just the symptoms but the underlying connections between different parts of the body for a more balanced and vibrant state of health.
Ahamkara is excited to announce the upcoming start of his 3-month online training, "Diagnostic and Self-Massage of Internal Organs." In this course, you will learn how to diagnose and heal through belly massage, equipping you with the tools to improve your own health and support your loved ones. Together, you will explore the profound benefits of this ancient practice and its ability to transform chronic illness into a path of empowerment and vitality.
Learn more about his upcoming course:
Internal Organ Massage Course
Beluga Whales, Shamanic Art, and More
With Imelda Almqvist
Shamans Directory Ambassador Imelda Almqvist is an international teacher of Sacred Art and Seiðr/Old Norse Traditions, an author, and a painter. This month we warmly invite you to check out her training and course offerings for 2024-2025, as well as her Substack page where she posts beautiful essays on a variety of shamanic subjects twice a week. These include Old Norse Traditions, Sacred Art, and shamanic perspectives on the contemporary issues that we are all facing.
One of her recent articles called “Beluga Wale” talks about animal communication and the teachings that she receives in her dreams. She divides her dreams into three categories: composting dreams (processing everyday experiences), dreams of personal significance (pointers for inner work), and dreams of larger or collective significance (which she often turns into paintings, essays and classes).
One such dream of global significance, was about tuning into a dream of a Beluga Whale that was swimming in solitude in the coastal waters of the Shetland Islands. In the dream she grew a whale tail herself, swimming along with the animal, and communicating images telepathically. The message she received from the Beluga Whale was that there is currently so much upheaval, grief and pain in the world of human beings, that this is distorting the energetic field which we share with animals and all non-human beings. These imbalances in the human realm are affecting the song lines (or ancient dreaming tracks) followed by the animals. It pulls them off the track of their natural movements and migration pathways and disturbs their peace of mind. It also pulls them closer because of their concern for us as human beings.
Imelda’s work is always an invitation to connect more intimately with the natural world around us. She has a special connection to both Beluga Whales and the Arctic and will be teaching a sacred art course in Greenland later this year. Read more about her articles and upcoming courses here.
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