Last updated 29 April, 2008

What is therioshamanism?
Is therioshamanism based on core shamanism?
Is therioshamanism a neopagan tradition?
Is therioshamanism a therian religion? Is it a fancy word for spiritual therianthropy?
Is therioshamanism a type of Native American shamanism or Native American spirituality?
Is therioshamanism the same as animal totemism?
What are your sources and influences?
So if you don’t have a teacher, how can you learn to be a shaman?
Can I be a therioshaman? Can my coven/group/etc. practice therioshamanism?
Can you teach me therioshamanism?
What resources can I use, then, to teach myself?
What community do you serve as a shaman?
What about hunting traditions?
Are you a healer?
What sorts of trance do you use?
Do you believe in God?
How do you balance being a shaman with, say, having a job? Aren’t shamans supposed to be totally dedicated to their practices, living solitary in the woods without the distraction of families or society in general?
So who the heck are you, anyway?

What is therioshamanism?

Therioshamanism is the term I came up with for the shamanic path I’m in the process of developing. I have been a neopagan for over a decade, and animal magic has been at the center of my spirituality and magical practice. I have used various shamanic techniques, though in no organized fashion. This is my attempt to formalize and organize the most useful aspects of what I have learned and practiced over the years.

Therioshamanism means “animal shamanism”. I chose therioshamanism over animal shamanism as the latter term has been used by animal communicators, which is not what I’m doing. While I love my pets, and I’m all for animal rights, my path does not center on intuitive communication with domestic animals. The closest I’ve gotten to that is the work I did with my now-deceased familiar, Tatzelwurm, an ocellated skink that I shared my home with from 2005 to 2007.

However, I have more recently expanded my attentions to the natural world beyond animals, though they are still an important focus. Especially in my activism, I realize that a multi-pronged approach to helping the animals is necessary. Protecting animals requires protecting habitat, which requires better awareness and treatment of the environment, which requires changing how people approach said environment, which requires that peoples’ situations be improved so that they can concentrate on such things–poachers who kill rare species in many places are doing so because it’s one of the few ways they can survive. Don’t you think that if their economy was better and they had better jobs they wouldn’t resort to dangerous, black market endeavors? Nobody grows up saying “I want to be a criminal”. So while I still work with the Animal Father and his children, I am also beginning to make connections with the Green Mother, and others.

Basically, you get to see my progress as I walk my path. You’ll get to see how my mind works, how I boil things down, and hell, probably some mistakes as well. This is how we learn. I don’t believe that changing one’s mind means one is inexperienced or fluffy or insincere. It’s a matter of being human, and part of the process of learning. Stagnation = death—keep moving!

Is therioshamanism based on core shamanism?

No, primarily because I find core shamanism, which originated with Michael Harner (particularly his book The Way of the Shaman) to be an incredibly incomplete view of shamanism. Harner basically picks and chooses the “nice” techniques that he thinks “Westerners” want, while ignoring the rest. So there’s some healing and work with spirits, but there’s absolutely nothing dedicated to, say, hunting traditions or defense against other shamans or other practitioners. These may seem like archaic elements of shamanism that have no room in modern practice; however, we have our own versions today. Instead of asking the totems of wild species to release a few animals to my tribe for food, I work with food totems, the totems of (usually domestic) species of animals that most people in America think of only in terms of food. And while other countries may not be using shamans to attack our enormous village, there are still plenty of nasty people who seek to cause destruction and harm.

Additionally, Harner’s work seems to gloss over the very real dangers that may be involved in shamanism. He states in The Way of the Shaman that the Shamanic State of Consciousness is actually safer than ordinary consciousness–which I disagree with, especially when dealing with self-taught shamanic practitioners who may not have backup.

What I am doing (on the book end of things, anyway) is taking my own research into shamanism and drawing from it. One of my primary texts is The Shaman by Piers Vitebsky, an anthropological look at shamanism around the world that shows a much more diverse set of examples than Harner’s work. While I don’t intend to work with every technique mentioned therein, it does allow me to have a much broader view of what shamanism is in different cultures. I am not an anthropologist, or a member of an indigenous tribe; in many ways, I am a mere layperson. However, I don’t believe that means I should leave the research and experiences to the professionals, especially when it comes to my own interactions with the Universe. Therefore, while I acknowledge core shamanism, I prefer to start from scratch.

Is therioshamanism a neopagan tradition?

Not really. It’s mainly something I create for myself, and “shamanism” isn’t a tradition in the same way that, say, Wicca is. Right now therioshamanism is definitely a work in progress. My path has been about exploration and learning; I’ve never been a part of a particular tradition. Rather, I’ve grazed in various pastures, trying different ideas and techniques out, as well as figuring out the raw basis of my personal beliefs. I’ve essentially been a solitary the whole time, though I trade notes with other folks on a regular basis.

I figure if something worth sharing with others in any organized fashion comes about after a while, so be it. Right now, I’m using this blog as a way of recording my progress for myself and for those interested. If you find something here that you think is cool, by all means feel free to integrate it into your path. A little credit would be nice if you’re telling other folks about it, but I’m all for helping people develop their paths.

I don’t intend to start anything like a “therioshamanic coven” or circle or anything of that nature. Shamanism is an exceptionally individualistic experience for the most part; it’s not Wicca. However, it should also be kept in mind that while the shaman may practice alone, s/he is a part of a community–not just the pagan community, but the community one lives in overall. Those who only practice in shamans’ circles and never venture beyond that are, IMO, missing the point.

And yes, I know for some people coming up with a name for something that isn’t complete yet is sort of like putting the cart before the horse. For me, though, a name allows me to have a grasp of a concept. What I am developing is a concept that has been rather nebulous for several years, and which I’ve caught glimpses of, but which is finally beginning to coalesce. Having a name for it gives it some form and direction, and captures its essence—its spirit, if you will. Naming the tradition birthed the tradition’s egregore, and this is the process of nurturing, feeding and growing it, regardless of what it ultimately becomes.

Is therioshamanism a therian religion? Is it a fancy word for spiritual therianthropy?

Nope. The only connections between therioshamanism and therianthropy are the root word therios, and the fact that I happen to be a therianthrope. I am NOT starting a therian religion, this is NOT therian magic, and this is something I’m creating for myself and my service to the Land and my community (though the concepts may be used by anyone, therian or otherwise). That being said, some therians may find it of interest because of the connection to animals, but the same could be said of totemists, animists and shamanists.

For those who are confused, therianthropes (in modern terminology) are people who identify in some (generally nonphysical) manner as nonhuman animals. It differs from clinical lycanthropy in that the person does not actually believe s/he is physically turning into an animal. Rather, on a psychological, spiritual, soul and/or energetic level, the person feels s/he is more a certain animal than the human animal. For me, that animal is wolf (gee, how’d you guess? Was it the name? The tattoos? The necklace? The Green Wolf? I’ve known there was something lupine about me since I was very young, and the concept of therianthropy is the closest I’ve come to a good explanation.

Now, my therianthropy does tie into my spirituality, and I intend to explore that connection in more depth as I progress. That doesn’t mean that therianthropy IS shamanism or any other spiritual practice, or a religion, in and of itself. There are therianthropes who see therianthropy as a psychological condition and who either keep it wholly separate from their spirituality, or who are completely atheist/materialist.

Here are some links on therianthropy for further research:

http://www.werelist.com
http://liesk.feralscribes.org
http://www.absurdism.org
http://www.dreamofhorn.com/therian/
http://www.otherkin.net (includes some essays about therianthropy)

Is therioshamanism a type of Native American shamanism or Native American spirituality?

Nope. And, for the record, there’s no such thing as Native American shamanism or Native American spirituality. Each tribe is an individual culture with its own traditions. What the Inuit believe is very different from what the Lakhota believe which differs widely from what the Yanomamo believe. And if you find a book on “Native American spirituality”, chances are good it’s plastic shamanism.

I am not trained in any indigenous or other tradition. I’ve learned a lot from books, but that doesn’t make me a member of a tribe. It doesn’t even make me a shaman. In fact, a better term for me might be “shaman in training” (I’ll get more into that in a bit).

Therioshamanism is neoshamanism (but not core shamanism). It isn’t based in any particular culture’s tradition. I am creating it as a shamanic system for the modern American culture I am a part of. Like so many modern Americans I’ve often tended towards being an individualist; I don’t live in the same village as my extended family, and I’m primarily socialized towards independence. I will say that one thing I’ve already been learning is about interdependence, not only with other people, but with other beings, and with the community around me. To me, spirituality is my way of negotiating my relationships to all other forms of consciousness in the Universe. It centers on me, but it involves connections with others. This is where that connection to community, and my service to the Land, come in.

That being said, if you’re already trained in a particular style of shamanism (or neoshamanism) and you have no objections to hybridization, there’s nothing stopping you from integrating something from therioshamanism if it interests you. Just be sure to differentiate between what’s traditional and what isn’t to avoid confusion. This goes for magic and spirituality in general; therioshamanism is not closed off from respectful appropriation. I just ask that you give credit where it’s due.

Finally, for the record, I’m not Native American. I am a genuine, 100% European mutt. What you’re seeing here is genuine 100% European mutt neopagan neoshamanism designed for a population of one.

Is therioshamanism the same as animal totemism?

Yes and no. A lot depends on what you consider totemism to be. I’ve outlined in this essay what the basic differences between traditional and neopagan totemism are, but in brief, traditional totemism is a group-based system. Totems are involved in community values, as well as exogamy (determining who can marry whom) to avoid incest, something that’s more of a risk in a smaller group of people.

Modern neopagan totemism (which is what you’ll find in most spiritual books dealing with the topic) is a mixture of traditional totemism, the concept of the individual spirit guide, and the shaman’s power animal. I am a neopagan totemist. My view of totems is that they’re archetypal beings that embody all the qualities associated with a particular animal, including natural history and human lore. All animals, including domestic ones, have totems, and my practice has dealt largely with them. So therioshamanism can be seen as incorporating neopagan totemism, though it isn’t limited to it.

What are your sources and influences?

I’ve worked with a variety of paths and techniques over the years. Click on the links to find out more detail about those that have particularly influenced therioshamanism:

(Neo)shamanism
Neopagan totemism and animal magic
Chaos magic
Experimental magic
Environmentalism

So if you don’t have a teacher, how can you learn to be a shaman?

Once again, let me remind you that I am not a traditional shaman. Since I have been solitary for the bulk of my practice, I have had to rely on my own judgment in self-education. This means that I have read a LOT of books, and drawn what’s useful from them, and dont a TON of practice. It also means that while I haven’t had formal teachers, I have learned quite a bit from talking shop with other magical practitioners.

However, experience has been my primary teacher. This is a broad category, including not only the rituals and practices I have developed, but also my interaction with the various deities, spirits and other entities over the years. Trial and error are powerful instructors, and recording my work has been essential to being able to review what I’ve done.

In March of 2008 I did go to Sedona, AZ, to participate in the first and second ecoshamanic initiations offered by James Endredy. Over a period of four days I had a number of experiences, both during the initiations and on my own, which really opened up my perceptions on what shamanism is, and what my personal path as a shaman entails. While James isn’t “my teacher” in the sense of full time studenthood, I did learn a lot from his workshops and writings.

Can I be a therioshaman? Can my coven/group/etc. practice therioshamanism?

As I said above, this is something that I am developing for my personal use and relationship to the rest of the Universe. If you see something here that rings true to you, feel free to incorporate it into your path, but please do give credit where it’s due.

As to use of the actual term “therioshaman”, I can’t really control the use of a word—other than, perhaps, through trademark, but that’s if I’m selling a product of some sort. I figure eventually someone will gank it and apply their own meaning to it, but for the time being, use it to refer to what I’m doing here. This is the first occurrence of the term (that I know of—Googlemancy didn’t turn up anything) and I’m hoping that it will primarily be associated with this site. However, language being the greedy bastard that it is, I’m not going to waste my time trying to keep people from using a single word. I would ask that if you absolutely must call yourself a therioshaman, base its use on what inspires you here—shamanism for the animals, based on what I’ve been developing for my personal path. I’d really prefer you didn’t use the term, though, at least not that this point. There’s a possibility in the future that I may tweak it to be available to more people, but for the moment, please respect that this is my path.

Can you teach me therioshamanism?

Once again (you know the drill!) this is a PERSONAL path I’m developing. I teach primarily through writing. I have written several books on animal magic and other topics. I also teach through workshops at pagan and occult events and bookstores. And, quite frankly, I have neither the time nor the desire to take on individual students. I’m happy to answer emails and talk shop, and continue with books and workshops, but trying to take on private students would be more than I can handle (or want to handle) at this point.

As to the possibility of taking on students in the future, the spirits have been nudging me in that direction, but it’s baby steps for now. I’m nowhere near that point. So I teach a little here, a little there, and mostly just keep learning and practicing.

What resources can I use, then, to teach myself?

You can click this link to see the sources I’ve utilized over the years. Also, the “links of interest” on the left sidebar has a few websites. Don’t feel you have to be limited to what I’ve done, though–as I said, this is a personal path, not a tradition, and so it’s tailored towards my needs and beliefs.

What community do you serve as a shaman?

One of the things that some neoshamans (particularly plastic shamans) forget is that shamanism isn’t just about the power animals and spirit guides, playing with crystals and smudge wands, or getting to shake beaded rattles. It’s about service to community, and it’s crucial to know who your community is.

For me, the animals are one of the communities I seek to serve. In the human world, they have no voice for themselves, so someone needs to speak up for them. In a time when wildlife habitat is being chewed up at a devastating pace, and domestic animals are routinely tortured in factory farms and illegal dogfighting rings, it amazes me to no end that most people turn a blind eye to suffering. This includes people who talk about how awesome their totem animals are.

So one of my goals is to act as an intermediary between totems, who are the archetypal protectors of their respective species, and humanity. I also want to increase awareness of what it is we do to animals on a regular basis that most definitely needs improvement. In this manner I also serve humanity in general through education on the actions we take that are harmful to all living things. A large part of this is teaching through example; you can’t force someone to see things your way, and proselytization is NOT a part of what I do. While I do like to pass on information, I expect that it will be accepted best by those who are ready and willing to hear it, even if they don’t realize it. For those who don’t, I won’t push the issue; that’s not my place. Something about horses and water…

As mentioned above, I have more recently been expanding into relationships with other denizens of Nature. I have also been settling more into my community of Portland, and have begun to make some connections there as well. My focus has shifted a lot since I began this path, and while animals are still an important community, my sense of community has expanded quite a bit.

What about hunting traditions?

Another thing that neoshamans often forget is that shamanism sprang out of hunting societies, and that many of the rites and practices in many cultures centered around the correct methods of killing animals (as well as placating the spirits in charge of those animals so the hunt would be successful).

Today most of us, me included, still prey on other animals to eat. However, almost none of us hunt our food; instead we go to the grocery store where we’re saved from seeing the slaughter. Needless to say, such totems as Cow, Chicken, Crab and other “food totems” are not pleased. I’ve been working with them for a while, and I’m still at the “let’s try and heal this relationship” phase, let alone having them impart any amazing wisdom on me. The honor given to hunted animals in shamanic cultures can be translated to the domesticated and wild animals that we purchase at the grocery store or market today.

And for those few who do still hunt, shamanism can inspire spiritual rites. James Endredy, in his excellent work Ecoshamanism, includes a superb ritual for hunting a deer that starts a year before the hunt itself. And while I’ve never been hunting, it’s on my list of things to learn. I figure it’s going to be a good long while before Americans are ready to have enough large predators around (other than humans) to keep the whitetail deer population in check; better a bullet than starvation or disease.

Are you a healer?

Define “healing”. That’s a pretty broad topic. At this point, I’m unsure how much healing (at least of other people) will factor into my path. I do know that environmental healing is a major part of what I currently work with, though how much branching out I’ll be doing beyond that remains to be seen. A lot depends on what’s asked of me by those I work with.

What sorts of trance do you use?

Right now, primarily meditation and dance, though I’ve had recent experience with trance possession which looks like it may be a very significant part of my practice as it develops. I don’t currently use entheogens, though I have experimented a bit with legal drugs such as caffeine and alcohol in some totemic work. That being said, I have no problem with chemognosis in others; my current preference tends to be trances that aren’t reliant on outside substances.

Most of my trancework up until now has been primarily lighter trance via self-guided meditations and other such journeys. However, I do know that my path is leading me towards deeper altered states of consciousness, which I have had some experience with. I’ll probably try experimenting with various techniques, such as drumming, to see what works for me.

Do you believe in God?

My belief in the Divine is a bit complex. I don’t believe that God is only limited to the views of one religion or another; I see the Divine as infinite, permeating all things throughout and beyond space and time. I am a pantheist in that I believe that the Divine is within all things, and an animist in that I see those pieces of the Divine as the spirit in everything that exists, organic or not. Additionally, I am a polytheist, in which I believe their are individual deities from various pantheons and cultures, but none of which encompasses all of the Divine.

How do you balance being a shaman with, say, having a job? Aren’t shamans supposed to be totally dedicated to their practices, living solitary in the woods without the distraction of families or society in general?

Okay, I’ll admit that right now, a day job takes a lot of time out of my life. But if I were to go out into the middle of the woods to try to practice my path in utter solitude, it would be missing part of the equation, that of working to foster communication with humans as well as other animals. (I’d also probably end up starving to death, quite honestly.)

In most cultures, shamans were/are traditionally a part of the community. The ostracism of magical and mystical specialists is generally a more recent phenomenon, as more agrarian-based religions superseded the hunter-gatherer aesthetic of the shamanic system. Granted, it’s tough to make a living as a shaman in this day and age, unless you charge for weekend seminars or have a clientele that’s fond of giving you food and other necessities. So for the time being, I have a job.

So who the heck are you, anyway?

I am a late twenties, biologically-female but spiritually androgynous, resident of Portland, OR. I share my home with my mate, Taylor, our cats Sun Ce and Ember, and entirely too many books and art supplies. I also identify as a lupine therianthrope, a kinky person, an environmentalist, and a bibliophile.

I am the author of two books so far, both published through Immanion Press. Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone: A Primal Guide to Animal Magic came out in May 2006, and is an exploration of some of my experiments with animal magic. A Field Guide to Otherkin was released in April 2007 and is the first book solely about the Otherkin community/subculture. Taylor and I cowrote Kink Magic: Sex Magic Beyond Vanilla, a practical work on BDSM and fetish-flavored sex magic. (Yes, I said S-E-X. Sex happens, magic happens, and it’s not all about depravity. Get over it.) I’m currently working on DIY Totemism: Your personal Guide to Animal Totems, essentially a text on how to create your own relationships with totems and write your own dictionary instead of relying on those written by others. I also have another book on Otherkin in the works, which will deal with issues within the community.

Currently I can be found at the following sites:

http://www.thegreenwolf.com - my main website that I share with Taylor
http://www.kinkmagic.com - part promotion site for our book on non-vanilla sex magic, and part resource site for those interested in the subject matter in general
http://lupabitch.livejournal.com - my primary blog on Livejournal
http://lupabitch.wordpress.com - my pagan/occult book review blog