The Mysterious World Of Dark Shamanism
There’s no doubt that Shamanic practice is growing in popularity all over the world. Society is waking up to the true value and healing potential of this ancient way of life. The level of popularity has tripled over the last decade which is partially due to the increase in demand for plant medicines such as Ayahuasca and San Pedro. Now, within the age of Aquarius, more and more people are feeling guided towards finding their medicine through Shamanic work or even to become Shamans themselves - and so they should! The healing power of this beautiful practice should be available to anyone who has the genuine intention to heal and find their true medicine.
However, the view of Shamanic practice in the West is very rose-tinted, particularly from the perspective of plant medicines and healing retreats. For example, many people have documented Ayahuasca experiences and Shamanic apprenticeships in places like Peru, to share how beautiful their experiences have been and how amazing and loving the Shamans are. All of this is great, however there is a side to Shamanism that doesn’t get talked about much and isn’t taken seriously enough.
In Western society, there is very little information about what Shamanism actually involves, let alone the darker side of it. This is because the practice is so vastly different for everybody because spirit is ultimately going to respond to the needs and intentions of the person, therefore, making it highly complicated to document. The only way for people to really understand the complexities of the Shaman’s world, is to experience the energies themselves to some extent. However, having an awareness of the different ways that Shamanism is practiced is certainly important for those wanting to explore it more.
What Is Dark Shamanism
Shamanism as a practice is very black and white. This is as simple as it is stated; there are both Shamans who serve the light and Shamans who serve the dark. This is the case with every culture. For Shamans of the light, their responsibility is to connect and consult with spirits of the light in order to bring healing. On the other hand, Shamans from the dark consult with evil spirits to attain the opposite result. However, sometimes distinguishing the two isn't so easy. It's not always as simple as "this is a bad Shaman and this is a good one".
It’s important to recognise that everybody has a shadow, whether they are open to owning it or not. What is important is how the shadow plays out as well as how it is projected. Because these shadows represent limiting aspects of ourselves that we aren't always consciously aware of, they can often play out completely unconsciously. For this reason, Shamanic practice is more of a spectrum from good to evil. Someone who is trained in advanced shamanic practices would have most-likely been required to undergo significant personal development, shadow work and a Shamanic death to be able to safely work with their healing tools. However, even when somebody is an experienced Shaman, their training is never fully complete. For this reason, many Shamans end up serving the dark in ways that don't always involve directly inflicting suffering upon others, but ways that are more subtle and harder to recognise, but still come from a place of ego as opposed to the light. These can include:
Controlling the outcome of future events.
For excessive material gain.
To over-indulge.
To manipulate people and the world around them.
On the other side of the spectrum however, you have the dark magicians; those who consciously engage with spirits of the dark to not only manipulate people and the world around them, but also to cause pain and suffering to others through black magic.
What Is Black Magic?
To put it simply, Black magic refers to a dark energy that has latched onto a person, animal or place, with an intention to cause harm to that life force. This harm can manifest in a range of different ways, from sudden, unexplained illnesses, to outright bizarre and uncontrollable events occurring. However, the specific details of how such an energy is planted is highly complicated. There are two main types of black magic, but the roots, strength and overall complexity of the energies are vastly different from case to case.
The most common form of black magic is that which is ancestral. Ancestral black magic exists within many of our roots and often manifests in the form of old, destructive programming that has been passed down for generations. This type of black magic is like energetic sludge that is imprinted into our bloodline and often empowers our shadows and past wounds in a way that we can’t consciously perceive due to how familiar these patterns are to us. Over time, this dark energy can become stronger and can severely impact our physical health and what we manifest into our physical reality. The root of this black magic varies greatly… Some have been produced through post-war belief systems and conditions whereas others stem back thousands of years, when these practices were more widely used in Western society.
The other form of black magic is what we call the “live magic” or “planted magic”. This is black magic that has been deliberately planted onto someone or something by another living person. In most Western countries, this form of dark energy is quite uncommon. It’s the places where Shamanism and other forms of energy work are the most prominent, such as: South America, Africa, Asia and Siberia, where these practices are the most common. These energies are placed into a person’s luminous body with the intention to cause harm. The symptoms and overall strength of this type of black magic can vary greatly but it’s common to experience the following:
Feelings of not being in control of your behaviour or the world around you
Unexplained, sudden illness
Unexplained or sudden accidents and other traumatic events manifesting in your reality
Consistent feelings of unexplained impending darkness
What makes this form of black magic so destructive is the fact that anyone with the title of “Shaman” is generally trusted based on natural instinct. Shamans are perceived as people who have extraordinary healing ability, therefore, it’s easy to put your trust into one. This fact is particularly noticeable with Ayahuasca ceremonies and other forms of plant medicine. In places like Peru, there are many recorded cases of people being taken advantage of during ceremonies, both physically and energetically, whilst in plant medicine ceremonies. Unfortunately, when someone is in that state of trusting and openness, it can leave them open to live black magic and other forms of manipulation.
Black magic can be removed or broken during a Shamanic healing session by identifying the source of the dark energy and destroying it. Doing so can be a lengthy process depending on the strength of the black magic and how far it goes back. Sometimes, the process can be as complicated as journeying back to the client’s ancestors in order to remove the energy from them individually. To find out more about Shamanic healings and black magic removal, click here.
Why Would Anyone Want To Inflict Black Magic?
Of course, it’s easy to ask why someone would feel the need to deliberately inflict suffering in this way without knowing what Shamanic practice involves. In Shamanism, there isn’t a clear good or bad label; Shamanism is just Shamanism and the ways in which it is practiced and intentions behind it will ultimately vary.
The biggest reason why Shamans would want to inflict this level of harm is the fact that Shamanism often involves offerings being made in exchange for something. For example, those who serve the light would create offerings to the energies such as the Earth, Nature Spirits, Animal Spirits etc, in exchange for healing, transformation and insight. Shamans of the dark would make offerings to the dark spirits in exchange for material gain. They make calculated deals with the spirits of the dark that involve placing someone or something under the influence of black magic for nothing more than personal material gain, and unfortunately, for many Shamans, this does end up coming to fruition.
Despite this, just because somebody is a Shaman, does not mean that karma doesn’t apply to them. Ultimately, serving the dark may come with short-term pleasures but in the end, the energy that is sent out is going to come back in. Performing deeds of this nature will fragment the soul and therefore distance the person from their heart and who they truly are - becoming less “whole” with every deed that is carried out. Serving the dark may bring temporary feelings of power but in the end, it will attain the opposite result. Certain debts will need to be paid, in the next life, if not in this one.
Despite all of this, Shamanism remains a beautiful, life-changing practice that can induce healing that some would consider miraculous. A vital part of our learning and development as multi-dimensional beings is to have the balance of the light and dark. Shamanic healing involves being able to look at the darker aspects of ourselves in order to be able bring light and a new perspective, to allow us to channel these aspects in ways that bring healing and transformation. The dark is a great teacher and without it, there can be no light. However, when exploring these practices, it’s essential to have an awareness of both sides of the spectrum and where the real intention to explore this world is coming from. This doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t have trust in their process; if anything, people should have more trust by understanding the process behind both the dark and the light. Having such an awareness will ensure that balance is maintained throughout a person’s healing journey.