How to Tell if Your Shaman is the Real Deal
By Tina “Kat” Courtney
Plant medicines like Ayahuasca don’t reproduce, they recruit, and as such, there’s a massive influx of folks from all walks of life embarking on a plant medicine ceremony or two, and discovering they, too, want to be a shaman. Many of these folks (myself included, when it first dawned on me) don’t even know what the word means, or have an inkling of the awesome responsibility behind this desire. What they do know when this calling starts to stir is that plant medicine is pure magic, being of service absolutely lights up the soul, and this path is utterly fascinating and beautiful.
Which is all true, of course, but there’s some immense challenges in determining if the desire is mutual – that is, do the plants want us to work with them too? Not to mention the myriad of egoic temptations that exist along the path, and the resulting abuses of power that occur.
The bottom line is this: Plants like Ayahuasca and Iboga are indescribably powerful, and humans can mistake that power as belonging to us. And shamans are far from infallible at falling for the lies the ego can tell us. So how do participants know the shaman they are working with is the real deal? Can we guarantee safety and know a journey with the plants will be healing and not traumatizing?
These are big questions, so let’s explore.
Why There Should Never be Certified Shamans
Let’s start by giving credit where credit is due – the indigenous tribes from all over the world have been the guardians and sacred medicine carriers for centuries. They have been the wisdom keepers and the human partners to Spirit since the beginning of human time, and we must never forget that they are the reason we still have access to this incredible knowledge.
It’s absolutely maddening how the Western world is doing all it can to lay claim to the discoveries of plant medicine power. For example, Newsweek had an article on Magic Mushrooms in 2021 and the cover read A New Treatment for Depression. Newsflash white folk: This isn’t new at all. It’s centuries old wisdom. So let’s lay down our ignorance and entitlement and bow to the lineages who have protected these plants for generations.
Because the Western world has a penchant for claiming knowledge as its own, they also love to create systems that impart this knowledge, and therefore profit off of it. So there are scads of schools popping up that promise to teach folks how to be a shaman without A) any field usage of said sacred plants and B) any teacher that has an actual history working with the ancient lineages. And yet people are walking away with certifications thinking they are qualified – and this is deeply disturbing.
A shaman cannot be certified because plants don’t give certifications. Please never ever forget that the plants are in charge here, and if they don’t offer a sincere invitation to do this work with them, we cannot force it. Therefore no human being or educational institution can promise to make any of us qualified to partner with Plant Medicines. We CAN teach, impart wisdom, help people make educated and safe decisions, but we cannot “certify” anyone to sit behind an altar. Be wary of anyone who says otherwise; they either are not in integrity, or they don’t understand the power and presence of plant spirits.
What Makes a Shaman Safe and Reliable
While the Western world touts things like intelligence, certifications, and degrees as a sign of credibility, Shamanism leans more on integrity, humility, and experience with the plants themselves. A safe shaman is one who has spent hundreds of hours in sacred ceremony, learning the art of protection from their lineage, teachers, and from the plants. Spiritual safety cannot be taught in a handbook or course; it has to be experiential. We can learn the basic principles outside of ceremony, but we don’t know how to use these wisdoms until we are in a portal of altered consciousness, practicing our new skills and modalities.
In the lineages I have studied, Master Plant Diets with spirits that aid in creating spiritual safety are essential. These beings teach through the vibration, the inner knowingness, of how to create a shield of protection, and they tailor the teachings to match our personal superpowers and understanding. Plants like Sage, Mugwort, Palo Santo, Mapacho (Tobacco) and Remo Caspi are all aces at teaching the dieter to create their own force field of protection, to trust their capacity to handle intensity, and to anchor into the vibration of safety. We should never assume we have to go it alone on this path; the plants are always there waiting to assist us, we just have to do the work to let them in and guide/teach us.
So a safe shaman is an experienced one, and he/she has an altar full of partners and tools. The objects on a medicine man or woman’s altar are not for decoration, they are relationships—each and every one. Crystals, feathers, talismans, totems, plants, resins, smokes, essential oils, plant essences; all of these and more became partners in the ceremony ritual, and they are at the ready should anyone in the space need the support. However it’s essential that the practitioner spend ample time out of holding ceremony creating a profound connection with each and every partner and tool. Guides are only as strong as the tribe they work with, and like any relationship, they each take effort, commitment, and time.
The Single Most Important Trait to Ensure Your Shaman is Safe
We’ve grounded in the importance of a lineage, guidance, experience, partners, and tools. But all of these still don’t equate to safety if the person you are sitting with doesn’t possess integrity.
Honesty is the single most important trait of any shaman because anything less than transparency is shadowy and dangerous. A person of integrity is not holding secrets in their shadow, and this equates to empowerment, illumination, and trustworthiness. It isn’t important that your shaman is completely transparent about every detail with every soul they work with—however they must possess enough honesty to admit to their humanness and ignorance, and be completely transparent to someone.
Beware the Guru Syndrome. Beware any ceremonial spaces that feel like they’re more about the person leading them than the people attending—and most importantly, the plants that are featured. Beware folks that outright call themselves healers, that boast that it’s their abilities and magic that creates the space of transformation. That’s an ego talking, not the truth of transparency and humility.
A safe shaman is a humble one. The more humble, the more powerful they are. An ego that brags and attaches to identifying with the magic will inevitably have that slip through their fingers. There’s so many reasons the powerful plants we work with often bring us to our knees and have us begging for mercy. Humility is the space of safety, as it keeps our egos aligned with truth. And the truth is, people heal themselves with the help and assistance of people, plants, crystals, and spirit. But no human being can honestly call themselves a healer. We must be truthful about where that credit actually belongs.
Final Words of Wisdom to Consider Before Your Next Ceremony
Those that lead ceremonies are rarely accessible for phone calls and emails before or after a ceremonial adventure, but they should have staff that are readily available. You should feel completely safe and encouraged to ask any questions about the experience to the organizer and/or host/hostess, so if you feel any pushback to getting the information that helps you feel safe, know that’s a blazing red flag.
Safety is the single most important factor to any plant medicine ceremony, and each of us has a different definition of what that means. These days, there is a wide variety of plant medicine circles and retreats to choose from; everything from a Brooklyn warehouse to a Vegas living room, and all those amazing international retreats in rustic and luxurious locations. What you are seeking exists. But please don’t settle for the first ceremony that comes calling just because it’s available; trust your instincts completely. Be discerning. Ask questions. Weigh your options. It’s so much better to investigate the folks leading these experiences before you arrive with your yoga mat in tow. This is serious business, so please don’t trust your personal and spiritual safety to someone you know nothing about.
Now go forth and find an amazing ceremony tribe! Stay safe, and journey well.
