Shamanism as a Worldview
No, this is not about endless economic growth, about doing more and more business, gaining more and more followers or forcing people into an ideology. No.
An animistic worldview begins above all with having enough, being enough.
It is the certainty of being integrated into the bigger picture and not the idea of being above nature.
It is a togetherness, a community-oriented worldview, a community that does not end at the limits of humanity, but also includes nature.
Because in an animistic worldview, nature has a soul.
Every mountain, every lake, every tree, every plant and every animal, no matter how small, has its own spirit, its own soul. We are spiritually and spiritually connected to these beings in the web of life. We are in constant communication with them. In this way we do not experience ourselves as separate from the world, but as part of the larger whole.
Through this direct connection to animated nature, we are at the same time connected to the sources of natural power, to the vital life force that flows through and within us.
If this flow comes to a halt, we too become unbalanced. Illness can arise.
So, happiness isn't simply a matter of chance.
Although it can certainly be understood as a coincidence: something that befalls us. Befall us through the Spirits, the Spirit, God, or the Great Spirit. The terminology is ultimately secondary. What's crucial is the realization that we don't exist in isolation, but are embedded in a larger, living whole.
Think for yourself, decide for yourself, act for yourself
Shamanism as a worldview brings us back to our own capacity for decision-making, to the ability to think for ourselves, to create for ourselves, and to act for ourselves, without constantly being dependent on other so-called authorities.
Today, this is perhaps more true than ever. Because alongside political, religious, or societal authorities, artificial intelligence is increasingly emerging. It can provide support in certain areas, but it must never replace our own thinking.
We shouldn't forget that we ourselves are creative beings.
Think for yourself. Decide for yourself. Experience for yourself. Act for yourself.
This is essential if we want to preserve our humanity.
An Ancient Worldview
Shamanism is among the oldest forms of human worldview to have survived to this day. Elements of it can be found in the myths, customs, and traditions of countless cultures around the world, including the ancient traditions of the Alps. Even today, vibrant shamanic cultures and societies still exist.
Not everyone can become a shaman. Yet the animistic and shamanic worldview touches upon something that is deeply inherent in us as human beings and is deeply rooted in the human soul.
One only needs to consider how long humankind has lived in direct relationship with nature. For hundreds of thousands of years. For countless generations, people lived with nature, from nature, and through nature. They were in direct contact with their environment and mediated between the visible and the invisible world.
The fact that industrial society in its current form has only existed for a few centuries does not change the fact that
every human being is still part of nature. Yes, we are nature itself.
We can mentally separate ourselves from it. We can try to control it or place ourselves above it. But we remain dependent on it. It gives us food, water, air, and life. It sustains and nourishes us to this day.
The idea of nature as the Great Mother is therefore far more than a romantic image from bygone times. It can remind us where we come from and what we are still connected to. The memory of this is very important today, probably also in relation to the setbacks caused by the great mother to people and societies that have completely lost respect for her.
Shamanism in the Alps
On the Hoagascht website, we will regularly explore shamanism, including and especially its Alpine manifestations.
We want to examine the surviving fragments of shamanic and animistic beliefs in the Alps—myths, customs, stories, and traditions in which traces of this ancient worldview have been preserved.
It is about disentangling and processing the material, and about making things accessible again. It is about looking more closely, recognizing connections, and understanding the old traditions within their historical and cultural context.