Shamanism and magic are often misunderstood, and can have very specific or contrasting definitions. Understanding what they are and what they really offer can be quite a challenge.
I would like to clarify how I see and practice both.
Magic, in its basic sense, is the exercise of the human mind, as well as our inner power - which are two different sources. This essentially means everyone around the world practises ‘magic’ as every one uses their mind on a daily basis. We all have the capacity for benevolent and maleficent thoughts and feelings. Nobody is immune from having ‘bad thoughts’ or ‘dark tendencies’, just as much as they are able to ‘think good thoughts’.
To be a real ‘magician’ means to understand the greatest illusion of all - the mind and self - and how these are used against us as a form of control. A magician sees beyond the illusion and knows how to control the mind/self rather than have it control them. They are able to recognise the origin of their thoughts, feelings and reactions, and how to use other aspects of their being so they can move beyond duality and exercise true essential inner power.
Intuitive magic moves beyond the material ‘world’ limited by our five senses, and enters a realm which cannot be manipulated or altered by individual whim, fancy, or emotion.
Shamanism is both a lifestyle and set of tools that enables us to interact with the Essence, prana or qi of life. It is an umbrella term, which includes magic, as well as the other abilities that exist beyond the material world.
You could say that we exist in parallel worlds, one that is rational and one that is chaotic - or rather deemed chaotic because it cannot be controlled (or rather dominated) by a rational mind. A shaman can choose to have a foot in all of the worlds that exist.
Why Northern European?
A shaman is not bound to one place. Nature is the shaman’s domain, and therefore wherever nature is, the shaman is at home. Certain nature sites and places act as portals or gateways to other parts of nature. This means space and time don’t exist, as there is only here and now, so the moment you stand at one point on one side of the planet, you are transported (in spirit) to another point on the other side of the planet.
This phenomenon can be explained in greater depth on a quantum or metaphysical level, but for the sake of keeping things ‘simple’, it means there is only ‘here and now’ with everything existing everywhere at once. It is our material mind that keeps us in tune with the space/time continuum. On an intuitive level, this continuum fades away.
My upbringing and training as a shaman came from Northern European traditions and teachers. I feel closely aligned to Northern Europe, as much as I do to Australia. The nature that we find around the world may appear different, but beneath the surface it is the one and the same, expressing itself in an unlimited number of ways.