How to Become a Shaman

Hello Everyone,

This post is a little different to my others, but whilst flicking through my diary which I wrote during my travels, I found that I had written down the story which Delvine had told us about how to become a Shaman. It is a story which young training Shamans are told, about what to expect in the final stage, before they can become a real Shaman. I hope that you enjoy it!!

When and if you pass the trials, then you must learn all about the plants and animals of the Jungle. These are the most important things that you will learn in your training as, they will become your tools. After this, you must carry on to the final stage, where you will and must prove that you have what it takes to become a Shaman. You must get lost in the Jungle.

During this time, if you are ready and have what it takes you will come across a waterfall where a lady will be waiting for you. At the waterfall she will clean you and whisper words of love, and then take you through the waterfall to her father. On meeting her father she will say 'I love this man, and we are married' (You are married as you pass through the waterfall to meet her father) But, the father is not sure, and replies 'You may be married but, will you love him forever?' She will turn to you and say 'Yes'.

After the meeting with her father, and the declaration of the ladies love for you, you are allowed to spend two days, in this new world, that exists behind the waterfall. Here she will teach you new things which prepares you for life as a Shaman. But two days is a long time, and soon you become hungry. So she prepares you a meal to quench your hunger. She kills a small bird and adding vegetables she makes you a soup. But you must not eat the meal she has prepared, instead both you and the lady will feed off of the steam coming from the pot of food. When you are full and can 'eat' no more. She will remove the bird from the pot, which she killed  for the meal, and through touching the bird, its life returns and it flies off.

When the two days are over, the lady leaves you and returns through the waterfall, where she discovers that your family are looking for you, and believe you dead. On finding this out, she rushes back through to the new world, where you sit learning all these new and wonderful things, and announces that you must leave her and return to your world, where your family wait. However, when you leave, she forbids you from telling anyone about her, the waterfall or the new land. When you return, if you keep your promise of not telling anyone, then you will retain all the knowledge gained from her/the new world, and must start healing all of your people, because you are now a Shaman.

Maisie