Appropriation and Deep Practice in Shamanism

Education, respect for all life, and awareness of both history and who writes it allows us to use cultural appropriation as a guide for what not to do that can take us directly into deeper practice. Cultural appropriation almost always involves members of the dominant culture taking from cultures of minority groups. This includes taking intellectual and spiritual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts and the unauthorized use of another culture’s dance, dress, music, language and symbols, stories, cuisine, traditional medicine, rituals, and ceremonies. This week host and shaman, Christina Pratt, explores appropriation in contemporary shamanism, why it is not only harmful, but often leads to shallow practice. When we forego our desire for shortcuts, need for insurance, and avoidance of discomfort are left with the steps humans have always needed to take to create authentic working relationships with their helping spirits.