Welcome to The Hollow Hills of Southern Indiana!

The Hollow Hills Shamanic Drumming Circle is open to anyone with prior training in shamanic journeying.  

What is shamanism?

The word 'Shaman,' is actually a Tungus (Siberian) word for a spiritual practice that is as old as mankind, and is still practiced by indigenous people, as well as modern practitioners worldwide. 

Shamanism is not rooted in any organized religious tradition, and is not itself a religion (modern practitioners include Christians, Buddhists, Jews and Pagans.)  It is a spiritual tool; a process for 'walking between the worlds' of physical activity and the spirit realm.

Shamanism can be described as a system of controlled visionary journeys into the spirit realms, and back, in order to contact spirit guides and gain their assistance for the purpose of divination and healing.  Instructor of Tibetan Shamanism, Dr. Larry Peters, describes a shaman as someone who: 

"lives in two simultaneous realities: the inner dream space in which spiritual encounters transform perception of the external world, and the external world which becomes the stage on which the shaman acts out his divine purpose as healer."

When one thinks of traditional shamans and shamanism, its easy to envision a Native (American or perhaps Aboriginal) medicine man or woman performing rituals that are deeply rooted in cultural tribal traditions. It is important to note that cultures all over the world have practiced shamanism.  Even the ancient Celts are believed to have practiced a form of shamanism; they have left many clues to their rituals and spiritual journeys in the stories of Taliesin, Fionn mac Cumhail, and Amergin.

The shaman's path in a modern world

In ancient times, the shaman's role was integral to the survival of his or her community.  Shaman's served as healers for their tribe or clan, performed divination journeys to locate game, petitioned nature spirits for rain, and performed tribal ceremonies.

In this age of climate instability and rapidly changing weather patterns, a modern shaman may find his or herself working closely with weather spirits and elementals, and in association with other nature spirits to bring back a state of balance.  A modern shamanic practitioner might find his or herself addressing the growing problem of ridding our environment of toxins (Sandra Ingerman has developed a method for transmuting toxins in water, called "Medicine for the Earth.")  The need for healing - on a human as well as global scale - has perhaps never been greater. 

Shamanism is currently experiencing a resurgence all over the world.  Many people seek to recover ancient wisdom that has been lost, and to reconnect with the natural world around them.