Part 11 of the Interview with Rev. Anthony Farmer, a Shaman

1. How did you become become involved in shamanism and become a shaman?

 Somewhere on my journey, I was told,  “you do not call yourself a shaman, your community calls you a shaman.”  I became involved in shamanism, or as I understand it, began walking the path of a shaman years ago after an experience of deep meditation and seeing myself as an eagle flying out and over the land. That meditation was followed by a dream, and I later realized I had undergone the first part of shamanic  initiation.  A whole new world opened up to me or opened within me, after I learned of the shamanic journey.  Since then, I have learned much from several teachers, in the physical world and spiritual world; have experienced several more initiations; and have learned through teaching others about themselves through shamanism, shamanic technology and ritual.

The pathway to becoming a shaman varies from culture to culture, and sometimes within a culture.  One shaman recounts that to become a shaman in his culture requires a transmission that comes from lightening, from a master shaman who determines you are ready or from a feeling deep within that calls one to the path.  This shaman tells that all three paths are strange and difficult.  I can say my journey on the path of a shaman continues to be strange, joyful and challenging.

2. Can you briefly tell the reader about any unusual occurrence you have had?

There have many, many so many.  The one that comes to mind other than the eagle meditation is an experience I had almost two years ago.  I was in the hospital, and it was not pleasant.  At one point a friend who was visiting me thought I was dying and ran down the hall to get help. That's how serious it was. Then one day, I had a conversation with Spirit about leaving my body and being ready to go…home.  Either that night or about two in the morning, I woke up and felt as if something was about to happen.  I opened my eyes and saw this ball of fire coming out of the universe.  It went right into my abdomen.  I remember saying “oh-o, something just happened.”  I went back to sleep.  A few days later I was getting out of the hospital.

3. What hidden worlds do shamans journey to?

 Again, it depends on their culture or the tradition they have been initiated into.  My guidance takes me into the three types of Otherworlds: upper world, the lower world and the middle world.  The upper world journey is like crossing into the Otherworld through a portal into the sky.  An example of such is like the movie The Wizard of Oz.  The lower world journey is traveling through a portal into the earth.  And example of such is like the story of Alice in Wonderland.  The middle world journey is a journey to the spiritual realm of the ordinary physical world we live in.  In each of the journey types, my power animal or another spiritual friend usually escorts me.  We never do anything alone. 

4. Are medicine men and women considered Shamans?

 The simple answer is yes.  However, you would need to understand the techniques, tools and technologies of the culture or tradition of that medicine men or medicine women.  It may be that in their tradition, they were the shamans.  Or they also have shamans in their community whose duties are separate from the medicine woman or medicine man.  Sometimes in our attempts to understand another’s culture, we over simplify it.

5. What is Soul healing and retrieval?

Soul retrieval is a technology a shaman, or shaman practitioner, uses to support a client in healing his or her soul, or restoring the split soul.  We all have life experiences that result in feeling “not all together” “mentally, physically or emotionally out of balance or out of sorts.” Like its impossible to move forward after a breakup or you feel numb, apathetic or deadened.  A person may experience soul loss where part of her vital essence separates in order to survive the experience.  It is like a part of us escapes to avoid the pain of the experience.  As we grow older, we realize that it is time to feel, connect and realize our wholeness.  The soul healing and soul retrieval are sacred rituals that support the client to this consciousness of wholeness.

Visit Rev. Anthony Farmer's  website at www.visionsoftheheart.org, or he can be contacted via revanthony@visionsoftheheart.org

Reverend Anthony Farmer Walks the Path of a Shaman

Reverend Anthony Farmer, OUnI, is an ordained Interfaith Minister (The New Seminary, New York) and an ordained Interfaith Cleric and Wisdom Keeper (The Order of Universal Interfaith, Washington, DC).  He walks the path of a shaman.  Reverend Farmer~BlackEagle is a spiritual teacher and guide, published author. “My spiritual journey began, consciously, in a deep meditation where my spirit shape-shifted into an eagle and soared out the window into the air.  Life has been an eventful ride on the rapids ever since.”  His website is www.visionsoftheheart.org and he can be contacted via revanthony@visionsoftheheart.org

1. What is a shaman?

There are so many definitions to this one word.  Shaman, from a word of the Tungus people of Asia, is one who enters into an ecstatic trance or shamanic journey to the spirit world to receive knowledge, ritual, or guidance to use in the healing of a patient.  The shaman is a bridge or intermediary between the physical world and the spirit world.  The shaman is one “who knows.”

2. What does a shaman do?

 The shaman is the one who holds a body of ancient techniques and knowledge that are used to restore and maintain “balance” through the healing of themselves, others and the community.  The shaman works with Spirit and spirit allies to achieve this energetic balance.  The shaman does nothing alone.  The word shaman has come to apply to those who may be understood as medicine men and women, witch doctors, herbalists, seers and visionaries, mystics, healers and numerous other people of spiritual depth, depending on the tradition and culture.

3. What are the principles of shamanism?

 The principles of shamanism are based on the tradition and culture.  The shaman is subject to the principles and understandings of his people.  The shaman also operates within the guidelines as dictated by her teachers through her training.  In my various readings and experiences, one thing is very true--shamans understand on a deep, intimate level the relationship of all things in the universe, in the physical and spiritual worlds and beyond.  Everything is connected.

4. Is shamanism a religion or what is it?

Shamanism is not a religion.  Shamans are not only  keepers of knowledge and techniques used in service to others, they are also the embodiment of this knowledge and power.  Some people will embrace the path of shamanism, using the various tools and techniques, without becoming a shaman.  To some people, shamanism is more than a philosophy or a way of being; it is who they are.  Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. states in Shaman, Healer, Sage that, “a shaman is a self-realized person who discovers the way of Spirit through her inner awakening.

5. Do Shamans believe everything has a spirit?

 My understanding is everything has a spirit.  Everything is from the Great Spirit, or Mother/Father God.  And everything is connected, and that connection is spirit.  I understand that and I am still learning it.

Find out in the next blog how Rev. Tony became a shaman. His website is www.visionsoftheheart.org and he can be contacted via revanthony@visionsoftheheart.org