Question by Agent Double EL: If I consider myself a Celtic Shaman, but I also believe in God, does that make me some sort of hybrid?
It’s hard for me to categorize myself in any religion, but that’s as close as it gets. I believe in God, but I also believe in the power of nature. How many other people are in similar situations?
Best answer:
Answer by PaulCyp
Sure there is power in nature. Just look at a hurricane or Niagara Falls. But you honestly think that inanimate objects have spiritual power over your life???
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
It depends on your definition of god. You can believe in a god, and it doesn’t have to be that version or idea of god that Christians dictate to us that god is. I believe no man can name god, describe god, the essence of Taoism. But because it’s rare to find anyone who understands Taoism here, I just fall in with the Atheists. Atheism is closer to Taoism than any western idea of god that I’ve seen thusfar. Save pantheism.
I am a pastor and have a druid character on WOW.
I have an Orc Shaman on Doomhammer.
Maybe we can get together and compare specs.
Well if for you nature came out of God, that makes perfect sense. It wouldn’t be disimilar to a Jewish concept of God (as long as it’s not the Xtian one where God has a human image as a “father”.)
What is the Celtic Shaman image of God or universal power? If you are you are clear & respectful of those beliefs for others it should be okay.
A couple additions below me sound good. Shamanism is something to understand, not just adopt. I was assuming you’d already done that.
You need to stop assuming that Christianity is the one and only “right” religion. Your question presumes that the Celtic Religion didn’t have any “God” — which of course is UNtrue.
And please undestand that you do NOT get to just claim the title of “Shaman”; it requires you to be “apprenticed” to an authentic Shaman, to train for YEARS if not DECADES; and to make some very serious sacrifices.
If you are interested in Shamanism, please do some (real, legitimate) study in it — but please study something other than “NewAge” crap.
One good place to start, so you begin to understand the many errors and misunderstandings that are out there, is
“For all those Who Were Indian In A Former Life ”
http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/congress/9134/former.html
Also, do some study (Google) the topic, “PLastic Shamans”.
Blessings —
~Gaia
I get just a little tetchy about people using the term “Shaman” as it’s usually used as a form of “cultural appropriation” (I doubt very you’ve been initiated into shamanic culture)– “Animist” may be more appropriate, but I’ll leave you to look it up and see what you make it’s ideas, and if you feel it applies to you. (Shaman’s could be said to be a subgroup of Animists, just like Wiccans can be said to be a sub-grouping of Pagan)
Presume when referring to God you’re referring to something akin to the Christian God, rather than the polytheistic Celtic Pantheon.
If so you do seem to have a hybrid faith.
Only potential area of difficulty I can see if how you handle the concept of animals/plants/other things having souls. But that’s by no means insurmountable. Indeed there’s a good deal of evidence that St Columba, and much of early Celtic Christianity, followed a similar path.
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No real need to label yourself- but it is of use when wanting to find others of similar faiths to yourself, and when talking/bounce ideas around. We need labels to organise our world-views/parcel ideas up. Without the ability to fashion an abstraction of “reality” (man-kinds GREATEST tool, far more important than the wheel, knife, or even language!), we become disorientated within realities complexity and apparent chaos.
I’m an Animist (and feel that EVERY nameable thing can be ascribed a “soul”/behavour/anima that’s intrisically linked to a “body” which is the object itself).I also believe that are large/abstract/composite souls through which can be accessed the power of nature, things like rivers, hills, countries,even the Earth itself. I do however think there is a limit to how far souls can be abstracted together. I don’t feel that there could be a single all encompassing monotheistic Deity. My reasoning- it would have nothing OUTSIDE itself to interact with.If something doesn’t/cannot interact with something outside of itself, then it can be argued that it pointless even arguing over weither it could exist (and is also logically inconstant, by Russels paradox, often invoked to disprove existence of “god”)
But in common with most “pagan” religions I’ve no problem with you having a different model, so long as I’m allowed mine! Indeed because you’re seeing things from a different point of view from me, and have had a different life path than me you’ve probably noticed things I haven’t
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You might find this site to be of some interest, (remember it’s about a specific type of shamanic practice)
http://www.tengerism.org/
Keep in mind that many pagans do in fact believe in the christian god.
We believe in many gods, some we choose to work with, and some (like the christian god & satan) we choose not to work with.
As someone who identifies as a Celtic Shaman, you may want to look into both Druidry, and the Celtic church.
Revivalist Druid organizations (such as the O.B.O.D. & A.O.D.A have a small percentage of christian members), and the Celtic church is a catholic branch off that has more of a focus on nature and walking in rhythm with the earth than most forms of christianity.
Walk in peace
Edit: please take note of some of the comments above, as they have truth to them.
Calling yourself a Shaman, is not something you do because you have read a book, and like what it said. It takes training and guidance.
basically when you say your a Celtic shaman, you are saying your a Druid, but that title takes years to earn, it’s not something you actually adopt for yourself, and it takes more than “liking animals” or “hugging tree’s”.