Crocodiles and Plant Medicine: Lessons of the Modern Shaman
Crocodile came to me recently in ceremony. At first I was startled by his appearance, feeling I have already embraced every shadow aspect of myself he represents. Since his visit, however, I have spent time welcoming him and examining the teachings he now brings.
Crocodile/Snake holds our basal self, our deepest fears and lesser-evolved leanings which are held in the reptilian brain. In sacred ceremony and spiritual initiations, it is snake or crocodile who confronts you to face and embrace that which you fear most. His personal challenge to me: “You’re not a true shaman. You don’t work in the rain forest, you don’t ingest plant medicines, and you’re falsely holding your craft, thereby misleading those you serve.”
On more than one occasion I have been questioned and warned against calling myself a shaman. I haven’t studied in the jungle, I don’t have any hint of bronzed pigment in my Irish skin, and I don’t have a Maestro or don teaching me the ways. My path is unique in devoted past-life reclamation, shamanic journey, and an early proclamation at five-years-old that I would be a shaman. I was born ready and haven’t looked back. However, the thorny challenges still arise.
Enter the internal struggle of spirit and shadow. It’s brought me to a place of deep self-inquiry and an eventual and potent reclamation. It’s also offered me a new perspective on the path of the modern shaman.
What is a Shaman?
When asked, “What is a shaman?” my easiest answer is “someone who works in the invisible spaces to bring peace and healing to those whom they are in service.”
“Shamans are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds. Shamans are said to treat ailments/illness by mending the soul. Alleviating traumas affecting the soul/spirit restores the physical body of the individual to balance and wholeness. The shaman also enters supernatural realms or dimensions to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the community. Shamans may visit other worlds/dimensions to bring guidance to misguided souls and to ameliorate illnesses of the human soul caused by foreign elements. The shaman operates primarily within the spiritual world, which in turn affects the human world. The restoration of balance results in the elimination of the ailment.”
Tryptamine Palace
In Cave and Cosmos, Michael Harner suggests it is simply “one who knows.”
Core and Indigenous Shamanism
The big divide in the shamanic communities lies between those who work in the rain forest with the lineage of indigenous wisdom in their blood; and so-called Plastic Shamans who have no connection to the cultures and traditions they represent.
As shamanism has gained prevalence in the modern era, “core shamanism” has become the accepted term for those who use the methods of the shaman but have not been raised in the traditional cultures. The Foundation for Shamanic Studies has reintroduced the shamanic journey for self-healing, while the Psychonauts have lead a revolution through chemically assisted self-inquiry. Both are valid paths that differ greatly from a jungle education. While the efficacy of the practice is all that should matter, there still lies a division.
Plant Medicine
Another crucial distinction for indigenous shamans is their relationships with the plants. Dietas are ceremonial ingestions of plant medicines that teach the shaman how to walk between and within the astral worlds. Any number of teacher plants are used, from tobacco to ayahuasca. These ceremonies are performed with great reverence and honor and remain within sacred guidelines as sincere spiritual endeavors to deepen the path of the seeker. The illusion of this world fades away and great insights are gained, revealing the true nature of one’s own soul.
Freakin’ awesome when done in this sacred space, right?
I, however, am a different kind of shaman. I traverse the dimensions without the use of hallucinogens. Drums, deep meditation, and the psychic connection with spirits and plant allies, for me, have been enough. And Croc challenged me on this also: “Is your plant abstinence genuinely enough to gain such an alliance with the spirit realms?”
In the modern world, our relationship to the plants is vastly different than that of the indigenous shaman. We don’t commune with them personally, nor do we seek to hone their wisdom. As a result, contemporary seekers often misuse the medicines. In my younger days, I experimented with mushrooms recreationally. I found them an expansive and uplifting dalliance that only affirmed my path as a seer and healer. Yet I took them with no noble intent.
Recently, I found myself called to work more closely with the plants in ceremonial space and felt conflicted. My ego holds my hallucinogenic refrain as a badge of honor — a way of ensuring the purity of the messages received. And yet I found myself deeply appreciating the plant spirits again, in great awe and gratitude for the teachings they shared.
And what they shared was this: I’ve connected more than sufficiently with the plant spirits. I learn and walk beside them every day to offer blessings to my community. I need not ingest them, for they have been my allies all along!
In a recent Aubrey Marcus podcast, Astral Snakes and Binaural Beats (episode 59), Cory Allen shared his most recent devotion is not in using the plant medicines, but rather simply being in the astral plane without any enhancements. Under the influence of the medicine, “The consciousness of the plant is with you in that space and colors your vision of that space. If you get there without it, you are completely you and you are on your own.” Boom, validation! And Croc began to smile.
What I realized was, it all comes back to me not having any allies, any perceptions, any filters on my experience in these worlds. The mark of the shaman is not who they are when they’re on the medicines or how they handle these energies inside of them. It is who they are in the absence of any aids at all!
About the Author
How Do You Become a Shaman? A Beginner Practitioner’s Guide
Shamanism is one of the world’s oldest spiritual practices, with origins dating back thousands of years to Siberia, Central Asia, and Indigenous cultures across the Americas, Africa, and Australia. Its roots run deep with the natural and spirit worlds, shamanism has long served as a means of healing, guidance, and communion with unseen realms.
Today, many seekers feel called to explore this path not as a profession but as a profound journey of spiritual awakening and service. Whether inspired by ancient traditions or drawn by a modern sense of spiritual purpose, the path to becoming a shaman begins with an inner calling and a willingness to walk between worlds.
What is a Shaman?
A shaman is a spiritual practitioner and healer who bridges the physical and spiritual worlds to help others. In many Indigenous cultures, shamans are known for their ability to enter altered states of consciousness—often through trance, meditation, rhythmic drumming, or plant medicine—to communicate with spirits, receive guidance, and perform healing practices. They tap into the seen and unseen realms, using ancient techniques to restore harmony and well-being within individuals and communities.
Though shamanism varies across different cultures, the core principles remain consistent: shamans journey to the spirit world, retrieve lost knowledge or parts of the soul, and return with wisdom that promotes healing, clarity, and spiritual growth.
What Does a Shaman Do?
Shamans serve their communities in many vital roles, drawing upon their connection with the spirit world to offer healing, insight, and guidance. Their duties often include:
- Healing the Sick: Shamans believe illness may stem from spiritual imbalances, soul loss, or negative energies. Through rituals, energy healing, and soul retrieval, they work to restore health and wholeness.
- Spiritual Guidance: Shamans offer counsel, helping individuals navigate emotional challenges, life transitions, or spiritual crises by receiving messages from spirits or power animals.
- Conducting Rituals and Ceremonies: These may include blessings, purification, protection, or rites of passage to support individuals and communities.
- Divination: Using tools such as stones, bones, or direct spirit communication, shamans interpret signs to provide insight into present or future concerns.
- Psychopomp Work: Some shamans guide the souls of the deceased to the afterlife, ensuring a peaceful transition between worlds.
- Maintaining Harmony with Nature: Shamans often act as stewards of the Earth, communicating with natural forces and emphasizing balance with the natural world.
Whether in Indigenous cultures or modern spiritual communities, the role of the shaman is one of deep responsibility—offering healing and preserving sacred knowledge.
Hearing the Call: Can Anyone Be a Shaman?
Traditionally, becoming a shaman is not considered a personal choice but a spiritual calling. Many shamanic cultures believe individuals are chosen by the spirits, often through a “shaman illness,” near-death experience, or vivid dreams that signify an awakening to their path. This transformative event initiates the potential shaman into a journey of self-discovery and service.
While some modern seekers pursue shamanism as a spiritual practice or personal development path, the traditional view holds that ignoring the call can lead to emotional or physical turmoil. Acceptance of this calling often marks the beginning of shamanic training.
The Journey to Becoming a Shaman
The shamanic path to becoming a practitioner is both inward and outward—marked by spiritual awakening, mentorship, and disciplined practice. While each path is unique, there are common steps that many follow to cultivate the skills and wisdom needed for this sacred role.
Seek a Teacher or Mentor
True shamanic training often begins with mentorship. In Indigenous cultures, aspiring shamans undergo long apprenticeships under experienced elders. Today, some may train in person or through a reputable program, such as those offered by The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, founded by anthropologist Michael Harner. These training programs teach core shamanism and fundamental techniques like shamanic journeying, soul retrieval, and divination.
Mentorship is essential not just for safety in navigating the unseen world, but for transmitting sacred knowledge with integrity. A teacher with real experience can guide the student through deep personal transformation and spiritual initiation.
Training and Initiation
Shamanic training may involve years of disciplined practice, including:
- Learning to connect with spirit guides and power animals
- Practicing soul retrieval and energy healing
- Participating in sacred ceremonies and rituals
- Engaging in deep personal healing and shadow work
- Studying the natural world and spirit realms
This path may also include working with plant medicine such as ayahuasca, under proper guidance, to access spirit realms and accelerate healing. However, this is not required by all traditions.
Tools and Techniques of a Shaman
Modern and traditional shamans alike use tools that assist in entering trance states and performing healing work:
- Drums and Rattles: Induce altered states and guide shamanic journeys
- Feathers: Used in energy clearing and as symbols of connection to bird spirits
- Crystals: Amplify energy healing and spiritual insight
- Plant Allies: Include sacred herbs like sage or ceremonial plant medicine like ayahuasca
- Sacred Songs and Chants (Icaros): Invoked to call on spirits and enhance healing
- Gongs and Singing Bowls: Create vibrational frequencies that open energy channels
Shamanic Practices and Responsibilities
The practice of shamanism includes a wide range of spiritual and healing techniques:
- Shamanic Journeying: Traveling to the spirit world to receive guidance or retrieve knowledge
- Soul Retrieval: Reintegrating fragmented parts of the soul to restore wholeness
- Divination: Gaining insight through spiritual tools or spirit communication
- Spiritual Healing: Using energy healing, ceremony, or guidance from spirit allies to promote well-being
A shaman is also a guardian of their community, often tasked with preserving shamanic traditions, facilitating rites of passage, and maintaining harmony with the natural world.
A Way of Life, Not a Title
Being a shamanic practitioner is a lifelong spiritual path, not a profession or weekend pursuit. It requires humility, personal integrity, and a sincere devotion to the healing of others and the Earth. The shaman must undergo continual personal growth, learn to navigate the unseen world safely, and remain grounded in service.
In the Western world, those who practice shamanism may also integrate complementary healing modalities such as Reiki or energy work. The path of a shamanic healer is one of ongoing spiritual development, often requiring the courage to stand apart from societal norms in order to serve a greater spiritual truth.
If you feel the call, know that the path may be challenging—but also deeply rewarding. Through commitment, proper guidance, and an open heart, anyone drawn to this path can begin the journey into shamanic practice and explore the mysteries of the spirit world.
