Ritual Use of the Shamanic Drum

The shamanic drum, namely the single-headed frame drum, originated in Siberia, together with shamanism itself thousands of years ago. Shamanic drumming is considered one of the oldest methods for healing and accessing inner wisdom. Practiced cross-culturally, this technique is strikingly similar the world over. Shamanic drumming uses a repetitive rhythm that begins slowly and then gradually builds in intensity to a tempo of three to seven beats per second. The ascending tempo will induce light to deep trance states. Shamans use intention and discipline to control the nature, depth and qualities of their trance experiences. They may progress through a range of ecstatic trance states until they reach the level that is necessary for healing to occur. 

The act of entering an ecstatic trance state is called the soul flight or shamanic journey. During shamanic flight, the sound of the drum serves as a guidance system, indicating where the shaman is at any moment or where they might need to go. The drumbeat also serves as an anchor, or lifeline, that the shaman follows to return to his or her body and/or exit the trance state when the trance work is complete. When ready to exit the trance state, the practitioner simply slows the tempo of drumming, drawing consciousness back to normal. 

The sound of the shamanic drum is very important. A shamanic ritual often begins with heating the drum head over a fire to bring it up to the desired pitch. It is the subtle variations in timbre and ever-changing overtones of the drum that allow the shaman to communicate with the spiritual realm. Part of the shaman's training involves learning to hear and interpret a larger range of frequencies than the normal person can. The shaman listens and finds the right tone, the right sound to which the spirits will respond. Through the many tones, pitches, and harmonics of the drum, the shaman communes with the subtle and normally unseen energies of the spirit world. 

Tuvan shamans believe that the spirits of nature create their own sound world, and it is possible for humans to communicate with them through the sound of the drum. According to Tuvan ethnographer and former shaman Mongush Kenin-Lopsan, "We understand the spirits answers mostly from the tangible results of the communication, in terms of benefit or harm. But some people actually hear the spirits singing." Tuvan shamans use the drum to convey to the spirits of a place their greetings, any requests, and thanks. It is a spiritual practice designed to help human beings relate to all of nature. Tuva (southern Siberia) is one of the few places in the world where the shamanic heritage has remained unbroken. 

Drumming opens the shaman's inner, spiritual ears and eyes and also calls the helping spirits. As Tuvan musicologist Valentina Suzukei explains, "By changing and listening to the frequencies and overtones of the drum, the shaman is able to send messages to, and receive them from, both the spirit world and the patient. For example, the shaman might use the overtones to send signals to the sky, where they provoke a voice from the cosmos; in turn, the cosmic signals are caught on the drum and reflected to the shaman through the creation of subsequent overtones." 

The shamanic drum is a time-tested vehicle for healing and self-expression. A shaman may use the drum to address any number of health issues including trauma, addiction, depression, and chronic pain. Additionally, the shamanic techniques of extraction, soul retrieval, and journeying, can all be performed with the drum. According to Mariko Namba Walter and Eva Jane Neumann Fridman, authors of Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture, "The drum is used in a variety of ways in shamanist rituals; it may serve as (1) a rhythm instrument, (2) a divination table, (3) a "speaker" for communicating with the spirits, (4) a spirit-catcher, (5) a spirit boat, (6) a purifying device, (7) the shaman's mount."

Saint Nick the Flying Shaman

Have you ever wondered about the origins of modern Christmas traditions? What is the origin of the Christmas tree, decorations about, and all the brightly wrapped presents beneath? This Christmas, as it's been done for generations, stories of Santa and his reindeer will be told around the world, including tales of how Saint Nick flies around on his sleigh in the middle of the night delivering presents to all the good children while they sleep snug in their beds. Where do these stories come from--and better yet--what are we actually celebrating on Christmas morning? 

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, many of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of nomadic reindeer herders in Siberia and the Arctic Circle. John Rush, Ph.D., author of Mushrooms in Christian Art and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA., suggests, "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world." He believes the story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions, where the practices of the Indigenous shamanism have uncanny resemblances to the traditions of Christmas. In particular, the red and white mushroom, Amanita muscaria, is a significant connection between the two. Indigenous shamans would visit locals on the Winter Solstice, an astronomical phenomenon strongly related to modern-day Christmas, with gifts of dried hallucinogenic mushrooms.
 

According to scholars who study Arctic cultures, Indigenous shamans would pick the Amanita in summer, hanging them to dry on the evergreen trees growing above them. The mushrooms may also be taken inside to dry by the fireplace, leading to comparisons with stockings and a Christmas tree surrounded by red and white parcels. The drying of the mushrooms was one way to remove the toxins found in Amanita muscaria, while increasing the potency of psychedelic compounds. Come late December, on the Winter Solstice, the shaman would gather up the dried Amanitas and make use of the mushroom's psychoactive effects to commune with the spirit world and bring gifts of healing to the families, as they set intentions for the new year. If the hut's doorways were covered in snow, the shaman would enter through an opening in the ceiling.
 

Upon comparison, the similarities in ancient and modern Christmas traditions are undeniable: a Winter Solstice celebration in the snowy North Pole region where reindeer are prominent, consisting of evergreen trees, fireplaces hung with colorful decorations, rooftop chimney entrances and communal gift-giving. Regardless of where the origin of Santa Claus comes from, Christmas is a time of year for rebirth, inward reflection, setting intentions, gifting to loved ones, communing with family...and perhaps, unknowingly, celebrating a psychedelic mushroom.

Mummified Shaman Discovered in Siberia

An almost perfectly preserved shaman burial site dating back to the 18th century has been discovered in remote Siberia. In only the second-ever archaeological study in the Yakutia area of Siberia, Russian researchers at the Institute for Humanitarian Research and North Indigenous Peoples Problems discovered the mummified remains of a fully-clothed man inside a sarcophagus.
 

Shamans are spiritual leaders among the Yakut, practicing as healers and diviners in their communities. Yakutia, the Yakut homeland, is hugely remote, situated in the far northeast of what is now Russia. When Russia occupied Yakutia in the 17th century, Orthodox Christianity began to influence the folk religion. However, during Soviet rule, shamans and their followers were persecuted. The religion didn't die out, though, and continued to be practiced in secret.
 

The burial lay at a depth of around 2.5 feet, and the sarcophagus was made of wide planks and covered with birch bark. The mummified body of a man was wearing a suit consisting of a caftan, a silk shirt, cuffs and legs. The shaman's legs were of particular interest, as they were covered with fabric that was embroidered with colored threads and a patchwork of leathers from hips to ankles. The shaman also wore a pair of leggings, a caftan, a belt, and was accompanied by a saddle, girth straps with iron buckles, stirrups, two bags and a funeral feast.
 

The shaman and its burial site are in remarkably good condition considering it has been buried for over 200 years. This is a truly unique find, because due to climate change, the preservation of items from archaeological excavations is getting worse every year, and the search for funerary monuments is gradually becoming more difficult due to dynamic changes in the landscape.

Santa the Flying Shaman

Have you ever wondered about the origins of modern Christmas traditions? What is the origin of the Christmas tree, with the star on top, decorations about, and all the brightly wrapped presents beneath? This Christmas, as it's been done for generations, stories of Santa and his reindeer will be told around the world, including tales of how Mr. Claus flies around on his sleigh in the middle of the night delivering presents to all the good children while they sleep snug in their beds. Where do these stories come from--and better yet--what are we actually celebrating on Christmas morning?
 

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, many of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of the tribal peoples of pre-Christian Northern Europe. The story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions. 

John Rush, Ph.D., author of Mushrooms in Christian Art and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA., suggests, "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world." He believes the Santa myth was born because local shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions would visit locals on the winter solstice, an astronomical phenomenon strongly related to modern-day Christmas, with gifts of dried hallucinogenic mushrooms.

The Shaman's Drum

The drum, sometimes called the shaman's horse, provides the shaman a relatively easy means of controlled transcendence. Researchers have found that if a drum beat frequency of around three to four beats per second is sustained for at least fifteen minutes, it will induce significant trance states in most people, even on their first attempt. During shamanic flight, the sound of the drum serves as a guidance system, indicating where the shaman is at any moment or where they might need to go. The drumbeat also serves as an anchor, or lifeline, that the shaman follows to return to his or her body and/or exit the trance state when the trance work is complete.
 

The sound of the shaman's drum is very important. A shamanic ritual often begins with heating the drum head over a fire to bring it up to the desired pitch. It is the subtle variations in timbre and ever-changing overtones of the drum that allow the shaman to communicate with the spiritual realm. Part of the shaman's training involves learning to hear and interpret a larger range of frequencies than the normal person can. The shaman listens and finds the right tone, the right sound to which the spirits will respond. Through the many tones, pitches, and harmonics of the drum, the shaman communes with the subtle and normally unseen energies of the spirit world. 

Tuvan shamans believe that the spirits of nature create their own sound world, and it is possible for humans to communicate with them through the sound of the drum. According to Tuvan ethnographer and former shaman Mongush Kenin-Lopsan, "We understand the spirits answers mostly from the tangible results of the communication, in terms of benefit or harm. But some people actually hear the spirits singing." Tuvan shamans use the drum to convey to the spirits of a place their greetings, any requests, and thanks. It is a spiritual practice designed to help human beings relate to all of nature. Tuva (southern Siberia) is one of the few places in the world where the shamanic heritage has remained unbroken.
 

Drumming opens the shaman's inner, spiritual ears and eyes and also calls the helping spirits. As Tuvan musicologist Valentina Suzukei explains, "By changing and listening to the frequencies and overtones of the drum, the shaman is able to send messages to, and receive them from, both the spirit world and the patient. For example, the shaman might use the overtones to send signals to the sky, where they provoke a voice from the cosmos; in turn, the cosmic signals are caught on the drum and reflected to the shaman through the creation of subsequent overtones."

Siberian Shaman Gives Up Anti-Putin Crusade

A Siberian shaman who made national headlines for attempting to trek to Moscow and "cast out" Putin from power won't restart his journey, he said after being discharged from the mental asylum he was forced into earlier this year.

In a statement carried by local media, Alexander Gabyshev said he wishes to focus on his health and personal life.

"In order to get my health in order, I have to live on my own now. I think you will understand my decision," he said. "I'll take care of my teeth, get my documents in order and think about working in the future."

Gabyshev first set out from his home in the republic of Sakha last year, planning to trek over 8,000 kilometers to Moscow before performing a ritual to "banish" Putin from the Kremlin.

He dragged a cart carrying his belongings along highways, gathering a small following and meeting supporters in cities he passed.

He and his supporters were detained several times, forcing the shaman to restart his journey from his home city of Yakutsk each time.

Authorities in Yakutsk placed him in a mental asylum in June after he announced a third attempt to trek to Moscow, a move condemned by rights groups as an attempt to silence a dissenter and compared to Soviet-era punitive psychiatry.

"To the many people who supported me mentally and supplied me with food and clothing ... I express my gratitude and sincere goodwill. And now, without losing heart, we need to live like human beings," he said in his statement.

"Shaman's Drum"

Shaman's Drum

Oh! My many-colored drum
Ye who standeth in the forward corner!
Oh! My merry and painted drum,
Ye who standeth here!
Let thy shoulder and neck be strong.

Hark, oh hark my horse--ye female maral deer!
Hark, oh hark my horse--ye bear!
Hark, oh hark ye!

Oh, painted drum who standeth in the forward corner!
My mounts--male and female maral deer.
Be silent sonorous drum,
Skin-covered drum,
Fulfill my wishes.

Like flitting clouds, carry me
Through the lands of dusk
And below the leaden sky,
Sweep along like wind
Over the mountain peaks!

--Tuvans of Siberia (1)

1. Vilmos Dioszegi, "Tuva Shamanism: Intraethic Differences and Interethic Analogies,"Acta Etnographica, 11: 162-163, 1962.

Shaman Walking to Moscow to Expel Putin Arrested

According to Amnesty International, a Siberian shaman walking across Russia to Moscow and promising to use his shamanic powers to "purge" President Vladimir Putin in 2021, was abducted by a squad of masked law enforcement officials and held in an undisclosed location. When citizens disagree with their government, there are many ways to voice opposition -- whether it's through protests or voting in an election. Alexander Gabyshev, a shaman from Russia's republic of Sakha in Siberia, was taking a different approach. The shaman left Yakutsk, capital of the vast Sakha Republic, on March 6 this year. The 51-year old ethnic Yakut shaman calls his quest divinely ordained, and insists that Putin is a manifestation of dark forces which must be banished to save Russia from ruin. God had one condition: Gabyshev had to reach Moscow on foot, which would allow him to muster the strength needed for the final showdown.

Gabyshev began his odyssey in March, promising to walk more than 8,000 kilometers (4,970 miles) from his native Yakutia region to the Russian capital. To meet his goal of reaching Moscow by August 2021, Gabyshev walked 20 kilometers each day. With him, he towed an aluminum cart holding all his possessions, including a portable yurt, a stove, clothes and provisions. He stopped in towns and cities along the way, giving sermons and meeting with local opposition activists with the goal of inspiring a nationwide democratic movement. Chronicles of his journey, which take the form of short video addresses from roadside campsites and short exchanges with passing drivers and long-distance truckers, have won Gabyshev a huge following in Russia. As the shaman has gained more sympathizers, he has become something of an opposition politician.

But police in Buryatia said on Thursday they had arrested Gabyshev on a highway in Siberia in connection with an unspecified crime in Yakutia and that they would fly him there. Gabyshev had walked nearly 3,000 kilometers by Thursday. When asked about Gabyshev's arrest, the Kremlin said it was impossible to keep track of all the criminal cases in Russia.

Amnesty International condemned the arrest in eastern Siberia. "The shaman's actions may be eccentric, but the Russian authorities' response is grotesque. Alexander Gabyshev should be free to express his political views and exercise his religion just like anyone else," Amnesty's Russia Director Natalia Zviagina said in a statement.

A Bridge to the Spirit World

In oral/aural cultures, sound is regarded as one of the most effective ways of establishing connections with the spirit realm since it travels through space, permeates visual and physical barriers, and conveys information from the unseen world that underlies our physical reality. Tuvan shamans of Siberia believe that the spirits of nature create their own sound world, and it is possible for humans to communicate with them through the sound of the drum. A ritual performance often begins with heating the drumhead over a fire to bring it up to the desired pitch. Shamans may strike certain parts of the drum to summon particular benevolent helping spirits who give them knowledge and assistance. It is the subtle variations in timbre and ever-changing overtones of the drum that allow the shaman to communicate with the spiritual realm. The shaman uses the drum to create a bridge to the spirit world while simultaneously opening the awareness of all the participants to that bridge.

All elements of drum music such as timbre, rhythm, volume and tempo play an important role in shamanic ritual. By using different parts of the drumstick to play on different parts of the drum, different timbres can be produced for transmitting different meanings. Different rhythms transmit different meanings and enable the shaman to contact different beings in different realms of the cosmos. Volume and tempo arouse feelings in the listener and communicate symbolic meanings directly as aural sense experience.

Things a Shaman Sees

Everything that is -- is alive
on a steep river bank
there's a voice that speaks
I've seen the master of that voice
he bowed to me
I spoke with him
he answers all my questions
Everything that is -- is alive
little gray bird
little blue breast
sings in a hollow bough
she calls her spirits dances
sings her shaman songs
woodpecker on a tree
that's his drum
he's got a drumming nose
and the tree shakes
cries out like a drum
when the axe bites its side
all these things answer my call
Everything that is -- is alive
the lantern walks around
the walls of this house have tongues
even this bowl has it own true home
the hides asleep in their bags
were up talking all night
antlers on the graves
rise and circle the mounds
while the dead themselves get up
and go visit the living ones

-- Chukchee of Siberia1

1. David Cloutier, Spirit, Spirit: Shaman Songs, Incantations  (Providence: Copper Beech Press, 1973), pp. 32-33.

Siberian Neoshaman Zarina Kopyrina

Zarina Kopyrina

Zarina Kopyrina is a Yakutian ethno singer from the Republic of Sakha, in northern Siberia. From her tiny village, she has traveled to several continents, absorbing new perspectives but ever guided by an unfailing passion for her ancestors' spiritual beliefs. Thus she has created a unique harmony between the old and the new, from the traditional deerskin tambourines and mouth harps to the latest in electronic drums. Drawing from her kaleidoscope of interactions, she blends those that speak to her to create a voice in the world that is truly her own.

Playing an instrument so closely tied to the powerful Shamans carries a daunting amount of responsibility. "At first I was scared to play," Zarina said. "It's really sacral. To be a shaman – it's not work; it's a way of living. It's a mission." A true shaman, in her view, is someone with a finger on the pulse of nature, living in the forest, possessing supernatural abilities such as hypnosis, healing and the ability to fall into trances. The title of shaman is not for her to claim, she said with assurance. Instead, she aligns herself with neoshamanism, a contemporary form of spirituality for people who live in cities, including musicians, painters, writers and more. These people don't have the full set of qualities of a shaman – yet they possess some of these aspects. "They get some signals from the universe, and they transfer information through themselves," she explained. Read more.

The Shaman's Horse

Lakota Painted Drum, ca. 1860s

My drum can connect me to the earth or carry me like a flying horse. Sometimes I send my spirits out, but other times I must go myself, alone or with the spirits.
--Tania Kobezhikova, Khakass shaman

The shaman's horse, namely the single-headed frame drum, originated in Siberia, together with shamanism itself thousands of years ago. Shamanic drumming is considered one of the oldest methods for healing and accessing inner wisdom. Practiced cross-culturally, this technique is strikingly similar the world over. Shamanic drumming uses a single, repetitive rhythm played at a tempo of three to four beats per second. Although sounding quite simple and redundant, the unique connection between the drum and the shaman gives this drumming great power, richness, and depth.

According to Tuvan musicologist Valentina Suzukei, "shamanic drumming is not monotonous at all. Constant changes in timbre and volume keep them interesting. The healing quality lies in this variation, which tracks and directs the patient's energies. If you don't listen for timbre, but only for pitch and rhythm the music is boring, monotonous. But the player's every smallest change of mood is reflected in timbre."

Through the many frequencies and overtones of the drum, the shaman communes with the normally unseen energies of the spirit world. By changing and listening to the tones, pitches, and harmonics of the drum, the shaman is able to send messages to--and receive them from--both the spirit world and the patient.

The shamanic drum is a time-tested vehicle for healing and self-expression. A shaman may use the drum to address any number of health issues including trauma, addiction, depression, and chronic pain. Additionally, the shamanic techniques of extraction, soul retrieval, and journeying, can all be performed with the drum. According to Mariko Namba Walter and Eva Jane Neumann Fridman, authors of Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture, "The drum is used in a variety of ways in shamanist rituals; it may serve as (1) a rhythm instrument, (2) a divination table, (3) a "speaker" for communicating with the spirits, (4) a spirit-catcher, (5) a spirit boat, (6) a purifying device, (7) the shaman's mount."

Traditional Musical Instruments of Siberia

Playing a Khomus or Jaw Harp

In Siberia, shamanism and music combined thousands of years ago. A Khakassian legend says that each of the indigenous peoples once received a gift from the spirits – a musical instrument, along with the talent to master it and preserve the traditional manner of performance through the ages. The Altaians got the jaw harp or khomus, the Yakutians got another kind of jaw harp called vargan, the Khakassians got the chatkhan (a stringed instrument), and other related peoples took the other instruments. Every musical instrument has a unique energy, spirit and sound. Sound is regarded as one of the most effective ways of establishing connections with the spirit realm, since it travels through space, permeates visual and physical barriers and conveys information from the unseen world. Hence, sound is, by definition, a means of "relationship" as well as a "transformation" of energy. Sound-producing instruments facilitate interaction and relationship among all parts of the living world. Read more.

Buryat Shamanic Prayer Poles

Photo by Simon Matzinger

The Republic of Buryatia is home of the Buryats, a people of Northern Mongols. The republic is located in the south-central region of Siberia along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing roughly 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water. For Buryat Shamanists and Buddhists, Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal is a sacred and holy place. Along Cape Burkhan on Olkhon Island there is a very important pilgrimage site -- Shamanka (shaman) Rock, one of the nine holy places of Asia. If you walk along Cape Burkhan, you will come across serges -- ritual poles swaddled in cloth and ribbons left by pilgrims. It is custom to tie a ribbon to a serge and make a prayer to promote peace, compassion, and wisdom. Pilgrims believe the prayers will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Different elements are associated with different colors -- a blue ribbon symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. According to Buddhist tradition, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements.

Santa the Shaman

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, many of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of the tribal peoples of pre-Christian Northern Europe. The story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions. John Rush, Ph.D., author of Mushrooms in Christian Art and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA., suggests, "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world." He believes the Santa myth was born because local shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions would visit locals on the winter solstice, an astronomical phenomenon strongly related to modern-day Christmas, with gifts of dried hallucinogenic mushrooms. Here are eight ways that hallucinogenic mushrooms explain the story of Santa and his reindeer.

Meet the Shamans of Siberia

Long suppressed by the government, Siberian shamanism has experienced an unprecedented revival following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the number of shamans continues to rise. In a bewildering urban landscape where long traditions of nomadic lifestyles are things of the past, the ancient beliefs of shamanism serve to fill a spiritual void. Siberian shamans can cure illnesses, play a horse's fiddle and control the weather. Some of them can travel over long distances and even levitate by hovering over the birch trees. Meet the Shamans of Siberia.

Female Shamanism in Tuva

Photo by Anastasia Ivanova

In the remote Siberian wilderness of Tuva, female shamanism is alive and well -- and visiting the local healer is as commonplace as a day out at the beach. Located in southern Siberia on the border with Mongolia, the Russian republic of Tuva is home to ancient shamanic traditions practiced by women as well as men. Being a shaman in Tuva is open to both men and women. Tuva is regarded as the birthplace of shamanism. It is one of the few places in the world where the shamanic heritage has remained unbroken. Through the millennia, shamans have been very important in Tuva. Rituals play an important role in people's everyday lives, and shamans are integral to life of the community. Tuva is a unique place where no-one questions if spirits actually exist. They exist; the question is how to communicate with them. Russian photographer Anastasia Ivanova has published a photographic essay exploring female shamanism in Tuva.

Riding Spirit Horse

My drum can connect me to the earth or carry me like a flying horse. Sometimes I send my spirits out, but other times I must go myself, alone or with the spirits.

―Tania Kobezhikova, Khakass shaman

As a spirit guide, Horse is a messenger to and from the spirit world and a psychopomp who leads departed souls into the afterlife. Horse represents personal power, stamina, endurance, freedom, independence, travel, adventure, and soul flight. Horse is a medicine or you could say a relationship with the spirit of Horse such that the Horse will let you (your spirit) ride him and will take you where you want to go. Do you need to get somewhere physical or spiritual? Horse will assist you and serve as your guardian spirit, giving safety in your physical and metaphysical journeys.

The shaman's horse, namely the single-headed frame drum, originated in Siberia, together with shamanism itself thousands of years ago. The repetitive, rhythmic cadence of shamanic drumming is evocative of a horse on a journey. Siberian shamans describe it as the buoyant, transcendent state that one mounts and rides from plane to plane. The wild, untamed spirit of Horse will teach you how to ride the drum into vast worlds of extraordinary richness and complexity. We can ride Spirit Horse on journeys through the inner realms of consciousness or call upon this power animal to be the courier of our prayers in remote or distant healing.

Shamanic Revival in Tuva

Tuvan Shamans

While traditional shamanism continues to decline around the world, it is currently undergoing a revival in Tuva (southern Siberia). Tuva is regarded as the birthplace of shamanism. It is one of the few places in the world where the shamanic heritage has remained unbroken. Through the millennia, shamans have been very important in the area of the modern-day Republic of Tuva. Tuva is a unique place where no-one questions if spirits actually exist. They exist; the question is how to communicate with them.

In everyday life the Tuvan shaman is not distinguishable from other people, but when he is engaged in communicating with spirits he has to make use of a special dress and special instruments. Of these the most important and the one in most general use is the shaman's drum. It may be said that all over Tuva, where there is a shaman there is also a drum. The drum has the power of transporting the shaman to the spirit world and of evoking spirits by its sounds. Among the Tuvans, all their philosophy of life is represented symbolically in the drum. Photographer Vera Salnitskaya has published a photographic essay exploring the shamanic resurgence.

The Shamanic Wand

Variety of Wands

Many modern shamanic and esoteric practices include the use of a ritual wand. The wand is an instrument of invocation of spirits and serves primarily to direct spiritual energy. Healing energy can be mentally transmitted through the wand and out into the environment or into a patient's body. Prayer and intention can be broadcast to the spirit world. It may serve as a divination tool, extraction aide, and purifying device.

The wand dates back to prehistoric times. Some of the first depictions of a wand come from Egypt, in the hands of the Pharaohs. The Greek god Hermes is depicted with a caduceus, a winged wand or staff with two snakes coiled around it. In Celtic mythology, the so-called "Triple" or "Triadic" Goddesses are often seen or depicted with wands. Scholars believe that the origin of the wand derives from the shaman's drumstick. And if this hypothesis is correct, why would the drum no longer have been used in conjunction with the wand (beater)?

The most likely answer may lie in the fact that throughout history in different cultures around the world the traditional practice of shamanism has often been outlawed and driven underground. In a recent post, blogger and author David Warner Mathisen presented the argument that the shamanic worldview is an integral part of the shared history of all humanity, but that this worldview has been deliberately stolen and suppressed. The shamanic worldview was perceived as an extremely potent threat -- to the point that possession of a shamanic drum has in almost every case been outlawed, and a policy of confiscation and destruction of drums implemented. Hence, the percussive use of the drum became impracticable in populated areas due to its distinctive sound.

Any authentic shaman would have always found a way to continue his or her practice of the shamanic arts. When Tuvan drums were being confiscated and destroyed during the times of Soviet repression, some shamans used only their rattle beater or orba for rituals. In Tuva (southern Siberia), the orba, with its spoon-shaped head covered with animal fur and metal rings attached for rattling, is in part for practicing divination, purifying sacred space for ritual, and drawing the attention of the spirits. Working in this way, shamans would have been able to covertly continue their practices.

In the shaman's world, all things have spirit and everything is alive. Like the shaman's drum, the drumstick or wand is imbued with spiritual purpose and becomes a living presence. Since the objects are then considered to be alive, they function as spirit helpers and guides to the shaman in their work. To guide you in making your own ritual wand and other sacred implements, I highly recommend the book, A Spirit Walker's Guide to Shamanic Tools by Evelyn C. Rysdyk.