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Shamanic Journey

The living practitioner's deliberate trance-journey into spirit, underworld, or upper realms — Lemminkainen's descent into Tuoni and Wainamoinen's entry into Wipunen's body in the Kalevala, the Siberian shaman's drum-mediated travel, Inuit angakkuq's submarine journey to Sedna, classical katabasis as ritual technique. The practitioner returns with knowledge, songs, lost-words, or a recovered soul. Distinct from psychopomp_journey (which guides the *dead* soul through afterlife realms) and from spiritual_ascent (which is the soul's *upward* return to source); shamanic_journey is the *living* practitioner crossing into ordinarily-inaccessible domains as a worked technique.

49 passages · 4 traditions
western_esoteric: 25 passageswestern_esoteric25native_american: 14 passagesnative_american14mesopotamian: 8 passagesmesopotamian8finnic: 2 passagesfinnic2
western_esoteric25
Psychic Self-Defence (Dion Fortune) | 1. Signs Of Psychic Attack-a
“IF we look at the universe around us we cannot fail to realise that there must be some overruling plan co-ordinating its infinite complexity. If we take into our hands and examine minutely any living thing, however simple, equally must we…”
Psychic Self-Defence (Dion Fortune) | 14. The Motives Of Psychic Attack. II-d
“Great power-tides are flowing on the Inner Planes, and these are very difficult to handle. If there is going to be astral trouble, it usually blows up for storm at this season. There are also certain meetings which take place on the Astra…”
Psychic Self-Defence (Dion Fortune) | 14. The Motives Of Psychic Attack. II-e
“Just as a child who has been thrown by his pony must immediately get up and remount if he is ever to ride again, so I knew that at all costs I must make that astral journey if I were to retain my powers. So I told my group to pull themselv…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies Which Have Influenced Modern Masonic Symbolism-u
“Briefly stated, the sacred drama which formed the basis of the Odinic Mysteries was as follows: The Supreme, invisible Creator of all things was called All-Father. His regent in Nature was Odin, the one-eyed god. Like Quetzalcoatl, Odin w…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies Which Have Influenced Modern Masonic Symbolism-v
“The Odinic Mysteries were given in underground crypts or caves, the chambers, nine in number, representing the Nine Worlds of the Mysteries. The candidate seeking admission was assigned the task of raising Balder from the dead. Although h…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | Atlantis and the Gods of Antiquity-k
“The Argonautic expedition, listening to the advice of Orpheus, stopped at the island of Samothrace for the purpose of having its members initiated into the Cabiric rites. Herodotus relates that when Cambyses entered the temple of the Cabir…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | Hermetic Pharmacology, Chemistry, and Therapeutics-h
“DILIGENCE, I at last obtained my desire; and, being warned by MR. HONESTY, a stranger in our days, to publish it to the world, I have done it." (From the Introduction to the 1835 Edition of The Complete Herbal.) Doctor Johnson said of Culp…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | The Cross and the Crucifixion-f
“The four major divisions of the human structure--bones, muscles, nerves, and arteries--are considered to have contributed to the symbolism of the cross. This is especially due to the fact that the spinal nerves cross at the base of the spi…”
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native_american14
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 1a
“HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE The earth is a great island floating in a sea of water, and suspended at each of the four cardinal points by a cord hanging down from the sky vault, which is of solid rock. When the world grows old and worn out, the…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 3f
“They went on and soon met Kana′tĭ, who seemed much surprised to see them, and said, “What! are you here again?” “O, yes, we never give up. We are great men!” “What did the cannibals do to you?” “We met them and they brought us to their to…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 6a
“HOW THEY BROUGHT BACK THE TOBACCO In the beginning of the world, when people and animals were all the same, there was only one tobacco plant, to which they all came for their tobacco until the Dagûlʻkû geese stole it and carried it far away…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 6b
“He climbed higher and higher, but every time he looked up the hole seemed to be farther than before, until at last he was tired and came down again. When he reached home he found his father very weak, but still alive, and one draw at the p…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 7
“THE JOURNEY TO THE SUNRISE A long time ago several young men made up their minds to find the place where the Sun lives and see what the Sun is like. They got ready their bows and arrows, their parched corn and extra moccasins, and started o…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 50b
“When it is consulted for this purpose the future is seen mirrored in the clear crystal as a tree is reflected in the quiet stream below, and the conjurer knows whether the sick man will recover, whether the warrior will return from battle,…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 69
“ATAGÂ′HĬ, THE ENCHANTED LAKE Westward from the headwaters of Oconaluftee river, in the wildest depths of the Great Smoky mountains, which form the line between North Carolina and Tennessee, is the enchanted lake of Atagâ′hĭ, “Gall place.” A…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 73
“THE UNDERGROUND PANTHERS A hunter was in the woods one day in winter when suddenly he saw a panther coming toward him and at once prepared to defend himself. The panther continued to approach, and the hunter was just about to shoot when the…”
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mesopotamian8
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet IX — Gilgamish in Terror of Death Seeks Eternal Life | Tablet IX, Section 1
“THE NINTH TABLET. GILGAMISH IN TERROR OF DEATH SEEKS ETERNAL LIFE. . Gilgamish bitterly wept for his comrade, (for) Enkidu, ranging Over the desert: "I, too—shall I not die like Enkidu also? 5. Sorrow hath enter’d my heart; I fear death as…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet X — How Gilgamish Reached Uta-Napishtim | Tablet X, Section 1a
“THE TENTH TABLET. HOW GILGAMISH REACHED UTA-NAPISHTIM. . Dwelt Siduri, the maker of wine . . . . Wine(?) was her trade, her trade was . . . . . . . . . Cover’d she was with a veil and . . . . . . . . . 5. Gilgamish…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet X — How Gilgamish Reached Uta-Napishtim | Tablet X, Section 1b
“(then) did I fear . . . . . Death did I dread, that I range o’er the desert]: the hap of my comrade [Lay on me heavy(?)—O ’tis a long road that I range o’er] the desert! Enkidu, (yea), [of my comrade the hap lay heavy (?) upon me]— 10…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet X — How Gilgamish Reached Uta-Napishtim | Tablet X, Section 1c
“Gilgamish, if perchance thou succeed in traversing the Ocean, What wilt thou do, when unto the Waters of Death thou arrivest? Gilgamish, there is Ur-Shanabi, boatman to Uta-Napishtim, He with whom sails (?) are, the urnu of which in the fo…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet X — How Gilgamish Reached Uta-Napishtim | Tablet X, Section 1d
“(Thus) did Ur-Shanabi [answer] him, [(yea), unto Gilgamish, (saying)]: "Gilgamish, take the . . . . away . . . . . . . . . . . Let not the Waters of Death touch thy hand . . . . . . Gilgamish, take thou a second, a thir…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet XI — The Flood | Tablet XI, Section 1e
“" (So straightway) she (did so), his flour Baked she (and) set at his head, but the time he was sleeping she noted 215. On the house-wall. (So), first was collected his flour, (then) secondly sifted, Thirdly , ’twas moisten’d, and fourthl…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet XI — The Flood | Tablet XI, Section 1f
“(So) into their vessel embarkéd Gilgamish, (aye), and Ur-Shanabi, launching (their) craft [on the billow], They themselves riding aboard (her). . To Uta-Napishtim, the Distant , Spake (then) his wife: "Came Gilgamish (hither) aweary with…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet XII — Gilgamish Enquires of the Dead | Tablet XII, Section 1a
“THE TWELFTH TABLET. GILGAMISH, IN DESPAIR, ENQUIRES OF THE DEAD. . (Then), what time that the seine had pass’d through the Architect 's dwelling, (Aye, and) the net [had taken its toll] . . . . [said he]: "Lord, what [is’t I may do]…”
finnic2
The Kalevala | Rune XIII-b
“In this rising generation, That can travel in these snow-shoes, That the right and left can manage." To his back he tied the quiver, Placed the bow upon his shoulder, With both hands he grasped his snow-cane, Speaking meanwhile words as fol…”
The Kalevala | Rune XVII-b
“Wise Wipunen, full of song-charms, Opens wide his mouth and swallows Wainamoinen and his magic, Shoes, and staff, and iron armor. Then outspeaks the wise Wipunen: "Many things before I've eaten, Dined on goat, and sheep, and reindeer, Bear…”