Siberian Shamanism
Siberian folklore is something I’ve been recently researching (in relation to my research on chaga and Amanita muscaria mushrooms), and it’s quite clear how intertwined animistic mythology is with shamanic practices from the region. The harsh realities of the forces of nature, combined with being wholly dependent on them, meant that tribes in Siberia could not separate themselves from nature, and their fear caused them to attribute supernatural powers to otherwise natural phenomena. As in the story of Kotura, Lord of the Winds, strong blizzards prevented people from getting food, and the storm could blow them out into the tundra or out to sea. Various charms, chants, sacrifices, and folk tales were used to counter the forces of nature; however, the main defence was the shaman, who could commune with the spirit world and mediate between these forces.
The Koryak people of the Kamchatka peninsula have used the fly agaric or Amanita muscaria mushroom for shamanic purposes, such as divination or the maintenance of collective myths. Their belief is that this mushroom was given to them by Big Raven (also known as ‘Kutkh’), a spirit and shaman who was a key figure in creation, as well as being a popular subject of stories from the Chuchki people. This story of being given the amanita mushroom by a raven spirit certainly points towards a relationship between psychedelics and spirits or animal guides, which would suggest a deep connection with the natural world.
Amazonian Traditions
Many cultures within the Amazon could be considered to be animist by the way in which they engage with their natural environment. There is the concept of humans and animals being kin, and the iconography, myths, and art of this region suggest a deep appreciation of the interconnectedness of all life as a central part of the beliefs of different cultures in this region. When people first settled the lower Amazon basin in Brazil around 13,000 years ago, they entered an environment that had long been inhabited by other animals. The activity of these animals left clues to where there might be viable resources or navigable paths, and some rock art from the region seems to suggest a symbolic appreciation for these animals.
Shamanic practices from the Amazonian cultures, such as the Shipibo, which utilise different plants, have certainly gained a lot of attention in the past few years, with ayahuasca in particular being spoken about as a way to create a more powerful, meaningful, and respectful relationship with nature.
Anecdotal reporting from people who’ve had an experience with ayahuasca seems to suggest a radical shift in the perception of our connection to nature, as one Redditor, NoPangolin5557 said when engaging in a conversation about nature connection:
The jungle behind me pulsed like a living organism. The stars above didn’t just shine — they breathed. I was thousands of miles away from everything I knew, but I’d never felt more at home, more alive, more free. I was rolling hard and more lucid than I’d ever been, completely submerged in the present and somehow outside of time. In that darkness, I found something that still lives in me: wildness, clarity, and a connection to the earth I haven’t touched since.
There has also been some limited research looking at the concept of nature-connectedness in participants who attended an indigenous-led ayahuasca retreat, showing a positive effect on the relationship the individual has with nature and how they engage with it.
Andean Animism
In the Altiplano, a high-altitude plateau region within the Andes Mountains, extending from central Peru to central Argentina, there is an animist way of engaging with the world in relation to mountains (Apus), Mother Earth (Pachamama), the home, and the ancestors, as well as a variety of saints. These entities have an influence on the different aspects of life, such as Pachamama being vital for the maintenance of crops; the mountains controlling herds of animals, such as alpacas, as well as mining activity; or the saints teaching people skills and providing protection for travel.
My travels around the Andes in 2018 really gave me a sense of this animistic engagement with the natural world, especially being so aware of the altitude and enormous mountains that seemed to always surround me. Having grown up in the Southeast of the UK, mountains have never been something I’ve been around much, and the size of some of the mountains in this region was truly breathtaking! When you’re there it’s impossible not to be gripped by the size of some of them, as well as strangely being drawn into what I can only describe as “mountain consciousness” (I’m reminded of my friend from the USA who grew up going skiing and once said “mountains are my favourite spirit landscape”).
During this time, I had the opportunity to take part in a San Pedro ceremony on top of a mountain in Cusco, Peru. This cactus seemed to grow everywhere I went, and there’s evidence to suggest it’s been used in healing ceremonies for a few thousand years by different cultures in the region. It was such a gentle but powerful experience, and I felt connected to the mountain energy in a way which felt homely (perhaps because the altitude and weather reminded me of parts of the UK), and I engaged with the natural environment in what felt was a very peaceful way. I was able to work on parts of myself related to feelings of cynicism and feel more of an open heart to everyone and everything, without a sense of judgement or expectation.
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