Therioshamanism FAQ

Last updated 25 October, 2011

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?
How can I support your blogging efforts?

What is therioshamanism?

Therioshamanism (the blog, anyway) started out as my attempt to formalize the shamanic elements of the neopagan path I’ve been walking since the 1990s. With each incarnation of therioshamanism, my spirituality becomes more and more integrated into, and affected by, other areas of my life. I’ve always been of the opinion that spirituality is no good if it’s sequestered away from the rest of one’s life. However, a lot of what would qualify as “spirituality” for me looks suspiciously like other things–artwork, cooking, outdoor activities, even my professional life. However, there’s still plenty of room for work with the spirits, the Land as an entity (or series of entities, if you will), journeying, and other such practices. A lot of that lately has been more personal and private, so I haven’t been writing about it so much, but it’s been there.

If you read through this blog, you can basically see my evolution over the past few years. The beginning is pretty naive and awkward, the later bits only slightly less so. But it’s a good record of where I’ve been, and also a good reminder that even those of us who have been serious practitioners for years still sometimes end up at square one again (albeit with maybe more tools in our kit to rebuild with)–and there’s nothing wrong with that.

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 incomplete view of shamanism, practically speaking. Some of my reasons, which I detail in this essay, deal with cultural issues–specifically Harner’s attempt to make core shamanism culturally neutral, and I also talk some about the narrow technical focus of core shamanism on healing.

Core shamanism places the techniques first in most cases that I’ve seen, and the spirit relationships are auxiliary to this, a means to an end. Harner sends you out, after reading The Way of the Shaman, with a single power animal. A good deal of the rest of the book is dedicated to an assortment of healing techniques which the shaman mainly facilitates hirself. Some core shamans have expanded beyond that since that first book, but it’s still a strong influence.

I tend to focus more on relationships, and being an intemediary. Techniques are important, but there’s only so much you can really do with bare-bones techniques. They need to lead somewhere, after all. Therefore, I see them as a means to the end of strengthening not only self-understanding, but connections to the world around me, spirits and otherwise.

Additionally, I do not hold with the idea that there can even be a culturally neutral shamanism as core shamanism claims to be. Core shamanism is indelibly marked by its practitioners, who are largely white, middle class, often college-education, and usually from primarily English-speaking countries. These tendencies are reflected in the more individualized (as opposed to communal) focus of core shamanism, the emphasis on “nice” things like healing (as opposed to spiritual attacks on enemies), and the very idea of “culturally neutral”, which I place in the same category of “Ostrich Heads” as the concept of “racial colorblindness”.

Is therioshamanism a neopagan tradition?

Not in the same way that Wiccan traditions or neopagan traditions that structure themselves loosely like Wicca are. When I first started developing therioshamanism, my intent was to create a path for myself. I did try the whole taking on students thing, and while the three students I had were awesome, I found that that model just didn’t really work well for me.

I am opening up to potential mentoring and guidance, and probably some workshops, in the Portland area, but I am not intending to take on full time students. If you find things in my writings that are inspiring and useful, awesome. Go for it. Run with them, and see what happns. Credit for my work is appreciated as a mention, and feel free to ask me any questions if I can be of help.

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. 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?

Now, my therianthropy does tie into my spirituality–but that goes for everything in my life to one degree or another. 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://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 (and, for that matter, the term “shaman” isn’t even from this continent–it’s Siberian). 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. (For that matter, “shaman” isn’t used traditionally by any Native American cultures–it’s a Siberian term.)

I am not trained in any indigenous or other tradition. I’ve read some anthropological texts, but that doesn’t make me a member of a tribe. It doesn’t even make me a shaman.

Therioshamanism is neoshamanism (but not core shamanism). I am creating it with conscious awareness of my social location in the 21st century American culture I am a part of. Like so many modern nonindigenous 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.

My education and still-forming practice in ecopsychology and other forms of therapy are also part of my shamanic practice. It is a way to work within my community in a context that more people will be able to interface with. Most Americans don’t feel the need to visit a shaman–but a good number want to see a therapist. While psychological work isn’t the only task of a shaman, the role of (future) therapist meshes well with the (continually evolving) role of (neo)shaman.

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 by way of 21st century Pacific Northwest urban living (previously of the Midwest).

Is therioshamanism the same as animal totemism?

It integrates totemism, but isn’t one and the same. 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?

If you look through the Influences category on the left sidebar, you can see some early influences on my path. However, these days I’m much less about such overtly spiritual sources, and more about hands-on experience, as well as not-specifically-spiritual areas of concern such as psychology and ecology. There’a also a recommended reading list up above, too.

I am entirely self-taught. I have formed this path from a combination of ongoing experience, trading notes with other shamanic practitioners, work with the spirits themselves, and research in a variety of disciplines ranging from psychology to art to social justice issues.

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 balanced out theory from books with countless hours/days/etc. 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.

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.

I also am quite inspired by Ravenari, who practices a hybridized shamanism based on one of many Russian animistic traditions that were nearly destroyed by the Communists. Ravenari is one of those nifty people that I would never have known existed had the internet not been a part of my life–she literally lives halfway around the world! No, she’s not my “teacher”. She’s an awesome friend, though, and a good person to trade notes with.

Finally, please keep in mind that while I’ve only been actively practicing (neo)shamanism since 2007, I have been working with animal totems and other elements I’ve incorporated into therioshamanism since the mid-1990s. So the newest part of this whole thing is mainly the structure; much of it involves things I’ve been working with for years.

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

I found out through experience that this model doesn’t work particularly well for me. Writing is much more effective. Again, if you feel inspired by anything I describe here, feel free to adapt it to your own practice.

Can you teach me therioshamanism?

See above.

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

You can click this link to see a few of 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.

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.

And, as mentioned, my current training in ecopsychology and counseling are my way of working towards more service in the human community. Considering humans cause most of the environmental damage today, helping people come from a healthier, more mindful awareness of the world can help greatly. And there’s a great need for a shamanic sort of figure within postindustrial cultures, particularly the United states. Therefore I practice within the community and culture I am a part of, taking on a role that is about the closest analogue to shaman/medicine person/etc. in this culture.

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 book Ecoshamanism, includes a 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 most 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.

Granted, one can see my training in psychology as “healing”, so I suppose that is a part of what I do. But unlike many core shamans, I don’t consider myself primarily a “healer”.

What sorts of trance do you use?

Primarily journeying through drumming and dancing; my preference tends to be trances that aren’t reliant on outside substances. I’ve also done journeying while getting extensive tattoo work done, which is appropriate since all of my tattoos have deep spiritual and personal significance to 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. Finally, as an animist, I see the spirit in each being as the spark of the Divine.

Of course, I also keep in mind the possibility that this is all in my head, that the brain that I inherited because it’s what humans evolved to have is capable of creating all sorts of amazing imaginative structures. Either way, if it works, then it’s all good.

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?

Self-employment 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.

However, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times, my work towards becoming a licensed psychological counselor is a way for me to both pay the bills doing something I would enjoy, and fulfilling some necessities and requests associated with my shamanic work.

So who the heck are you, anyway?

I am a thirtysomething resident of Portland, OR. I also identify as a lupine therianthrope, a polyamorous person, pansexual, an environmentalist, and a bibliophile.

I am the author/co-author/editor of several books 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. DIY Totemism: Your Personal Guide to Animal Totems is 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. SKin Spirits: The Magical and Ritual Uses of Animal Parts goes into great detail about work with animal remains in spirituality and art. And the first anthology I’ve edited, Talking About the Elephant: An Anthology of Neopagan Perspectives on Cultural Appropriation, is also now available. There are several other projects in the works, too, though not a book on therioshamanism. My next book, Neopagan Totemism, will be published by Llewellyn Publications; I recently turned in the manuscript for review.

I also am an artist; I created totemic dance and other costumery, ritual tools, sacred jewelry and other art from hides, bones, antler, beads, and other such things. A large part of my practice involves the spiritual work with and purification of artwork made with animal parts; I feel a strong need to reclaim remains that have been treated poorly, and turned them into focuses of reverence. Much of what I work with is secondhand or otherwise reclaimed. I have made many ritual tools and other items for others as well as myself, and more information is available at my website.

Currently I can be found at the following sites:

http://www.thegreenwolf.com – my main website
Antler Runes – a site specifically for the antler runes that I make, to include custom options that aren’t available from other artisans
My Etsy store – you know you want to fave it!
http://lupabitch.livejournal.com – my blog on Livejournal
http://paganbookreviews.com – my pagan/occult book review blog
My Twitter account – I’m lupabitch over there, too!

How can I support your blogging efforts?

First, feel free to link to any of the posts you like. However, please do NOT cut and paste more than a few sentences without my express written permission! I do want this information disseminated; however, I want it done so in its original context so it makes more sense and people know where they can go to get more information if need be.

I don’t want ads on this blog. However, writing here and elsewhere takes a good bit of my time, and I am entirely self-employed. If you would like to support my efforts (and ability to eat, pay terrifying amounts of student loans, etc.) financially, here are a few ideas:

Buy my books!

Buy ritual tools, jewelry, or other artwork I’ve created!

Buy a totem card reading from me (more details at the link–this isn’t the usual Tell Me What My Totems Are!!!! reading!)

Check out my book reviews. While I’m not a huge fan of Amazon, they do have the best affiliate program available. If you click on any of the “Want to buy this book?” links, it sets a note in the URL that tells Amazon you were referred by my blog, and if you then make a purchase, I get a (very small) referral bonus.

Finally, please feel free to spread the word about any of my efforts to anyone who may wish to support them. Word of mouth makes the world go ’round, and I always appreciate positive promotion!