A Shaman's Apprentice, Part 1

Someone has asked a question that is getting asked more and more these days so I will make a brief public reply.


Comment with question:

I have followed you, Mr. Shapiro, through more than 10 years of The Sedona Journal and am delighted to have just recently found this site. The Grandfather videos are a treasure, thank you so very much for posting them on the Internet.

I've received advice that I would benefit from working with a Shaman as an apprentice. Can Grandfather comment on this, please?

Again, many, many thanks.


There are people now that are attracted to working with a Shaman or a Mystical Man or a Mystical Woman (or a Medicine Man or Medicine Woman). This is a natural progression considering the interests of the day and the more awareness that people have about life around them.

So I would say the following to this particular questioner who really with this question represents many people which is why I can answer it.

First - regardless of what you've been told about it being good for you to do this or that ask yourself, "Is this something I want to do? Would this be a way I'd like to commit to something that I would learn from and that there would be a great many responsibilities for."

When you learn from a Shaman or Mystical Person or other the art and craft of what's involved you also change as a person. It involves a lot of self-examination and introspection in order to be certain of your purpose and your ideals. This happens along the way all the time and never really stops.

It's not questioning yourself, that's not the case, it is more however checking that your natural human reactions to life around you aren't influencing your actions as a person of wisdom. You must then remain to a degree separated from those motivations.

This might create a degree of separation on your part from some aspects of society. It doesn't mean you have to live in a cave or be aloof - that's not it - though some people might think you're aloof but it isn't that. It's that in order to do your work objectively, in order to create and help to create benevolent outcomes for people, places, things, everything - you cannot be biased one way or another.

This means that even if someone has caused grief, if you are going to be able to help the person who was injured - the injured party eh - you must not act against anyone, and I mean anyone, in order for the most benevolent outcome to take place - whatever form of shamanic practice or mystical practice or even medicine practice - it cannot be against, it must be for. In this way all parties agree at the soul level and more likely the outcome will be benevolent for all beings.

This will be difficult because many times you might even feel a personal bias or you might feel that someone has been wronged but it's very important to engage with that. It will be a discipline all your life as a Shaman, as a Mystical Person, as a Medicine Person or other.

I will speak more about these things as time goes on but I feel it's important because it addresses not only the idea of being an Apprentice and the commitment to do the same but it literally addresses the values, the morals, the purposes and the intents of being that particular occupation which is more than a job. It is a way of life that takes place in every waking moment and I believe even in sleep.

So...ponder on that for a time and I will speak again on this topic here. Goodlife.