Shakti: Shaman

I am a conduit;

A bridge between Worlds:

Heaven and Earth

Spirit and Flesh

Time and Timelessness

My Consciousness shifts, opens

To the Wisdom of the Spirits

The Healing of the Plants

The Teachings of the Animals

The Portents of the Stars

The Whispers of the Cosmos

I am Protector

Advisor

Healer

Guide

Reading the Pulse

Of the Eternal Heartbeat

Leading my People to Dance

In Harmony with the Sacred Rhythm

...

In tribal cultures all over the world, since the dawn of human society, shamans have served as intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds.  Through many years of training and observation, they develop the wisdom to interpret omens and offer insight.  Through mystical, as well as practical means, they protect and guide their people.

Shamans commune with the Spirit Realm by altering their consciousness through ritual, dancing, chanting, meditating, and the use of sacred psychoactive plants.  In this altered state, they can access the dreamlike visions beyond the mundane world and communicate with beings that inhabit other planes of existence. This profound perspective offers them unique insight into the workings of the Universe, and allows them to guide their people to exist in harmony with the greater cosmos.

They are healers, teachers, counselors and ceremonial leaders, essential to the tribe’s wellbeing and communal identity.   

 This piece is a part of my Shakti Series.  It features a figure who is Human, Animal, Plant and Spirit.  She is marked with tattoos that grant her power and protection, and she cradles a Shaman’s Eye; a Native American symbol of wisdom and supernatural insight.

Prints of this image are available here.