Hello there, I'm quite interested in learning about the Shamanic practice deeply, so that one day I could facilitate my own ceremonies. I'm thinking of traveling to Peru and seeing if I can discover a Shaman who's willing to teach the art of Shamanism. I've done Ayahuasca in Australia, and I may try to learn from the man who facilitated the experience here who's been doing it for 22 years, however, if that isn't available, I'd like to go to Peru.

Has anyone any knowledge/awareness of discovering a teacher? Is it a complex process trying to find a teacher? I'm sure there are many Westerners wanting to learn so I'm wondering if because of these demands it would be difficult to find a teacher open to sharing his wisdom?

Just any information you believe to be helpful would be wonderful if shared,

Blessings ~~ MC ~~

IMO the best teachers in the new age are the westerners.

combo of supply options, communications systems, education,
flat out make the " westerners" the most sophisticated teachers in the new age.

ancient cultures are interesting,
but a new age shaman, needs more than ancient song and dance.

modern needs, modern shaman , modern usefull integration of experience.


that said , native shaman arent a bad introduction............

Hey Caz,
It would be worthwhile for sure learning about aboriginal bush medicine. Get yourself some nicotiana excelsior seeds and start growing also. Drinking and eating the native vegetation, from the same patch of dirt under the same sky as you were born and listen to them. You may not even need a "teacher" (not a human one anyway )
Start singing, get a didge then carve a didge. Get a djembe. Find a tribe of space cadets, you will find everything you need there.

Very true!

Best teachers for me were not necessarily the westerners... Only westerners I know who are very good teachers at all were trained down in South America anyways, and dont have nearly as much experience as people you find in South America. I would agree though that the best teachers are the ones used to teaching westerners. It can be hard to learn from someone who doesnt speak your language or understand your culture a bit.

For example... I often sit with an Ayahuasquero in Peru who has been serving medicine for 45+ years. Try finding a westerner who even knew about Ayahuasca for that long - I guarantee you cannot. Experience counts for a lot. This guy also happens to be the best musician I have ever heard and happens to speak great English so he is real easy to talk to and understand.

One of my main teachers is a gringa lady who lives in Peru... And while she is a great teacher, there are some areas she cannot take me as deeply into as some of the older more experienced shamans who grew up in a shamanic culture. I love her though - she is certainly the foundation of my learning.

I know a number of great teachers in Peru. Before apprenticing though I think you need to go sit with someone a few times and also give yourself time to think about it. It is a very serious commitment and a lot of westerners dont understand all that goes into it.

It sounds like you are specifically interested in Ayahuasca.... Apprenticeship for Ayahuasca is a minimum of 1 year straight dieta and 2 is better. Some teachers may require 2 years. I have never hear of less then 1 year straight. Usually you have plenty of dieting experience before that to make sure it is the right path for you. So if you have done a few diets and at least one of them was 3+ months long you may be ready to start an apprenticeship with the right teacher.

During your apprenticeship even if you have tons of experience with Ayahuasca..... Expect Ayahuasca to go deeper and be much harder for a while. Also expect to do more dieting then drinking Ayahuasca depending on who you apprentice too - some people have you drink Ayahuasca during the apprenticeship, but most people have you focus on dieting with just a few Ayahuasca ceremonies here and there. You will also probably get attacked at some point - so far this has happened to every single person I have talked to who apprenticed to Ayahuasca. As you start to gain more power a lot of your natural defenses from the medicine actually disappear and you have to learn to defend yourself. At this time you also become more attractive to brujos and other spirits that want to use your power - and they can come after you. This has happened even to people I knew who didnt believe in this sort of thing before starting the apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship can be hard. A year in isolation away from friends and family is a big sacrifice. Also usually expensive to be out of work for so long and usually you pay your teacher in some way as well since they have to house and feed and train you. It is really important to find a teacher you can commit to if you go this route - as you will be putting a lot of trust in their hands. Good luck!

I can guarantee you there are plenty of nice folks in South America that will be moar than haapi to take you on as an apprentice (for the right price).

I'm 100% with Sphorange on this one, with a pinch of Annie's perspective mixed in.

Learning to sing songs in Quechua and the traditional uses of plants in the Amazon jungle is neat and all, but it's a not particularly useful in Oz. The medicine and traditions of your land and your culture are probably going to be moar appropriate for you than the medicine and traditions of a land and culture half a world away.

Having thousands of gringos jetting down and buying their metaphorical or literal "shaman certificates" dilutes what little remains of authentic tradition and perpetuates the growing market of selling indigenous spirituality to the highest bidder. Imagine if you took all that money investment and put it toward building yourself a nice garden of local plant medicines right in your own backyard. Imagine if you took those years of time investment and dedicated yourself to learning how to work with the plants in your expensive new garden.

Q: How do you think the first shaman learned to do the work?
A: A three thousand dollar weekend retreat.

Weekend retreat in Peru is about $200, not $3000. Also - they dont give anyone certificates for anything. Seems like you are projecting a bias here because your description sounds more like what you find in Western type classes rather then what you find in South America.

Staying in Oz to study is good if you want to practice local traditions - they are very rich. If the poster specifically is interested in Ayahuasca... Then maybe they should learn from someone in that tradition. I dont agree that focusing on local traditions is the best way for everyone - if I did that, then I would be selling horrible pharma drugs or passing around the churches collection plate instead of offering spiritual healing. I think following your heart makes much more sense then limiting yourself to what is local. If something local draws you - then do that. If something else calls you then do that. Follow your heart.

personally, I would rather stick around in Australia and learn about local acacias and customs, and then maybe hop on over to south east asia here and there to hang around local pans and psilos at all the temples. That would be part of my dream life.

But hey, I am not from Australia! so it seems exotic and interesting from my perspective.

I think the amazon jungle is somewhere I might end up visiting in another decade or so.