From:	Cukoo <cukoo@*****.NET>
Subject:	Re: Invisible Pink Unicorns
Date:	Fri, 15 Sep 1995 16:32:05 -0700

>On Fri, 15 Sep 1995, Kelly Martin wrote:
>> shamanism is an art as much as a belief. without the art, he's not a
>> shaman. if he casts magic in a hermetic way, he's a hermetic, even if
>> he does happen to worship a totem.
>>
>> recall that Sam believed in the christian god, yet was a Dog shaman.
>> religious belief seems to be somewhat independent of shamanistic
>> identification.
>>
>> k.
>> --
>> kelly martin
<kelly@*******.bloomington.in.us>
>
>I agree. I have a friend here at college who's dad is a shaman for the
>Grand Rhonde nation. Being a shadowrun G.M. I grilled her with tons of
>questions to try and get a better grasp on what shamanism is.
>
> Now this is in today's terms so I don't know how ell it will
>relate to the world of Shadowrun, but here I go. She said that Shamanism
>can be a religion, a form of animism, but more often than not it is used
>as a way to keep traditions, and a way to better deal with, and understand
>life. Her father makes some of his money by teaching others rituals of
>concentration, and celebration, and by holding sweat lodges to get in
>better contact with one's self. That sounds sort of eastern I know but
>that's what she told me. She also siad that the most common (meaning
>refered to) totems are Bear, Raven, Coyote, and Wolf. People can follow
>the former three, but it takes a great, and wonderful person to be
>honored by Wolf.
>
Being of first hand experience, perhaps you would be interested in writing
up a more detailed account of shamanism, there are many out there (myself
included) who have a difficult time getting a grasp on it. More detail on
the Native American rituals and customs would be nice too.