Last updated 5 February, 2009

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 is the term I came up with for the shamanic path I’m in the ongoing process of developing through study and practice. 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.

However, animals are primarily a starting point for working with ecosystems in general. 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 making connections with the Green Mother, and others.

Therioshamanism is also a reminder to us that we are human animals. We cannot escape our biological realities, and attempts to do so have created artificial segregations with devastating results for us and the rest of the world’s inhabitants. Therioshamanism is partly intended to bring us back into conscious interconnection with the rest of the world, instead of continuing our futile attempts at isolation.

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.

Additionally, therioshamanism’s biggest priority is relationships and connections with the spirits. Yes, there are techniques of healing, and journeying, and other tasks, and there are the tools such as the drum and other sacred items. But these all spring forth out of the relationships with the spirits. 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. With therioshamanism, the relationships to multiple spirits come first; all else is a result of those relationships.

Is therioshamanism a neopagan tradition?

Not in the same way that Wiccan traditions or neopagan traditions that structure themselves loosely like Wicca are. It started as 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.

When I first started developing therioshamanism, my intent was to create a path for myself. However, over time it’s come to take on a life of its own, and the time is right to start sharing it with others in a more concentrated manner. To that end, I have started taking on a limited number of in-person students in the Portland area.

I should make it very clear that I do not do the whole “shaman circle” thing, where a bunch of shamanic practitioners get together and shamanize as a group, or work on each other. Instead, the way I have things structured at this point is that both I and my students practice on an individual basis, but meet up monthly to discuss our progress, trade notes, troubleshoot, and ask for support with specific tasks. So while we may meet up as a group, we do not practice as a group.

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 service to the Land and community. 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. (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 learned some from anthropological texts, but that doesn’t make me a member of a tribe. It doesn’t even make me a shaman. What I believe makes me a shaman (or shamanic practitioner, if you want to argue for that) is my active relationship with the spirits, and my mediation between them and this world.

Therioshamanism is neoshamanism (but not core shamanism). I am creating it as a shamanic system for 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 continuing education in ecopsychology and other forms of therapy is also a 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.

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?

I’ve worked with a variety of paths and techniques over the years. While most of what I work with today is based on personal experience, there are various influences I’ve had. 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 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 Vilturj, a hybridized shamanism based on one of many Russian animistic traditions that were nearly destroyed by the Communists. Ravenari, who practices and educates people about Vilturj through her website, 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 developing therioshamanism since September of 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?

Right now I am only teaching in-person students on a limited basis in the Portland area. I am, however, going to start developing some more instructable posts that I’ll be putting up periodically.

Can you teach me therioshamanism?

See above.

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

While there’s currently no way to train in therioshamanism outside of working with me here in Portland, 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–I’ve inspired a few people to forge their own paths.

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?

Right now, primarily journeying through drumming and dancing. 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. 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.

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?

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.

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 thirty year old, 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, 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. 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 recently released 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. 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.

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://paganbookreviews.com – my pagan/occult book review blog

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, blogging takes a good bit of my time, and as I am currently in graduate school I am not working–so therefore, no income. If you would like to support my blogging efforts (and education,and ability to eat, etc.) financially, here are a few ideas:

Buy some books that I and other good folks from Immanion/Megalithica have written. Any books that either I or Taylor have written that you buy direct from us will come signed.

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.