Moonmoons

The closing circle of a historic weekend, led here by Elder Liudmila, following the enactment of a specific holy ritual only realised twice in the history of Tuvan shamanism dedicated to the Great Bear, the Big Dipper.

Shamanism is not a performance. At its heart, across lineages, it is about ecology, relationship, and service. Tuvan shamanism is no different.

The drum is a sacred instrument. Among those gathered here are shamans who have only recently been initiated and are still, as I like to say, in their baby phase. Some do not yet carry a drum. It is something that must be earned. The drum is not an accessory, but a portal and a tool: a means of connecting with and calling upon forces greater than ourselves in support of healing, ceremony, unity, and balance.

There is something important, too, about lineage. Elder Liudmila comes from Tuva, while many of the shamans gathered here were born elsewhere. What is happening here is not appropriation of a tradition, but its living transmission through relationship, initiation, responsibility, and the guidance of elders within the lineage.

The call itself is only part of it. There must also be a choice to answer it, and to take on, with integrity and strong spiritual ethics, the enormous responsibility of becoming a shaman: to serve as healer, custodian of ecology, and translator between worlds.

It is our deep honor to share this small window into an extraordinarily potent weekend. There were moments of seriousness and immense focus, working as one unified group, but also celebration. And, as with any wisdom, plenty of silliness and humor.

For peace, harmony, and the well-being of all beings on Earth.

More from this weekend soon. #shaman