Shamanism
What is Shamanism?
Shamanism is attractive because you can personalize it. You can be interactive with Shamanism.
Shamanism is about loving the Earth and the Sky, and all its Life. Shamanism is about honouring that
animal/plan that gave its life for our food. Shamanism is NOT about sacrificing animals to gain power,
nor about hunting and killing, nor about raping the Earth and her resources.
7 Ancestor Teachings
The seven teachings are wisdom (nbwaakaawin), love (zaagidwin), respect (mnaadendmowin), bravery
(aakdehewin), honesty (gwekwaadsiwin), humility (dbaadendizin) and truth (debwewin).

Wisdom - Nbaakaawin - Use the wisdom for the people.

Love - Zaagidwin - Love your brother and sister and share with them.

Respect - Mnaadendmowin - Respect everyone, all humans and all things created. Regard each with
esteem and consideration.

Bravery - Aakdehewin - Do things even in the most difficult times. Be ready to defend what you
believe and what is right.

Honesty - Gwekwaadziwin - Be honest in every action and provide good feelings in the heart. Do not
be deceitful or use self-deception.

Humility - Dbaadendizin - Know that you are equal to everyone else. Take pride in what you do, but
the pride that you take is in the sharing of the accomplishment with others.

Truth - Debwewin - Be true in everything that you do. Be true to yourself and true to your fellow man.
Always speak the truth.
Animal Shamanism and the Doorways
Depending on the view you take, animals may change the direction in which they sit. Where do they
live? What kind of weather do they like? What kind of temperament do they have? Do they like hot
climates? Do they like the heat? If they are in the water/in the shade/up in a tree, perhaps they like a
combination of energy. Think of the animal’s Habitat. Where do they give birth? Using this kind of
perspective lets us interpret their energy without a book.
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NORTH
Northern Doorway
Colour: White
Sacred Herb: Sweetgrass
Animal: Wolf
Element: Air
Spirit Pathways: Cleansing, Renewal, Purity
Season: Winter (December, January, February)
Mental: place to use knowledge to create peace and harmony out of chaos
I Think
Masculine, Consumer, Planning
Stones
Aquamarine, calcite, salt, clear quartz, agates, amber, amethyst, aventurine, azurite, bloodstone,
carnelian, coral garnet, stones with holes, jasper, jade, sugelite, sulphur, sunstone, turquoise
Plants & Herbs
Anise, bay, benzoin, cedar, chamomile, fennel, iris, lavendar, lemon, parsley, peppermint, pepper,
rosemary, thyme, tobacco, valerian, vervain, sweetgrass
Animals in the Northern Doorway
Element: Air
Associated qualities: air
Animals that prefer high altitudes. Birds that fly. Animals that are between the western doorway and the
northern doorway: mountain goats. Eagles and hawks. All air birds. Creatures with hollow bones.
Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles. Giraffe – gives birth by popping out young in the air.
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EAST
Eastern Doorway
Colour: Yellow
Sacred Herb: Tobacco
Animal: Eagle
Element: Fire
Spirit Pathways: Clarity, Wisdom, Illumination
Season: Spring (March, April, May)
Spiritual: place of connection to All That Is on a conscious level
I Believe
Feminine, Planter, Implementing
Stones
Aventurine, emerald, fluorite, chrysocolla, coral, jade, sodalite, sugelite, amber, calcite, clear quartz,
labradorite, malachite, sapphire, moonstone, pearl, petrified wood, turquoise, apatite, azurite, beryl,
hematite, pyrite. Crystals: milky, smoky, merlin, dolphin, clear, right-handed crystals.
Plants & Herbs
Iris, peach, sage, sunflower, angelica, coltsfoot, crocus, damiana, kava kava, pine (peace & harmony for
wisdom), willow (white willow bark), camphor, cherry, dandelion, fig, goldenrod, ground ivy, hibiscus,
orange, orris, caraway, eyebright, horehound, lily of the valley, mace, mustard, rosemary, rue, savory,
spearmint, walnut, periwinkle.
Animals in the Eastern Doorway
Element: Fire
Associated qualities: fire, heat, light
Animals that like hot places. Cold-blooded animals. Hot-tempered animals. Snakes, lizard, bugs, fireflies,
desert animals, camels, lions, crocodile, alligators, tarantulas, elephants, boverines, badgers, serpent,
African birds and animals, cheetah, hippos and rhinos.
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SOUTH
Southern Doorway
Colour: Red
Sacred Herb: Cedar
Animal: Porcupine
Element: Water
Spirit Pathways: Growth, Love, Trust
Season: Summer (June, July, August)
Emotional: place to truly experience, own, and honor those feelings
I Feel
Feminine, Nurturer, Evaluating
Stones
Rose quartz, malachite, opal, desert rose, rhodochrosite, garnet, ruby, selenite, amber, jade, agate,
amethyst, green watermelon/pink tourmaline. Soulmate quartz crystal, beryl, calcite, chrysocolla, lapis,
lepidolite, moonstone, pearl, topaz, turquoise, apatite, coral, diamond, emerald, peridot (olivine)
Plants & Herbs
Rose, rosehips, lavendar, daisy, tulips, sweetgrass, buttercups, jasmine, patchouli, lotus, ylang ylang,
strawberry, sweetpea
To attract love: apple, avocado, lemon balm, basil, catnip, chamomile, cherry, chestnut, cinnamon, cloves,
clover, black cohosh, coltsfoot, copal, daffodil, damiana, dragonsblood, gardenia, geranium, ginger,
ginseng, hemp, high john, hyacinth, indian paintbrush, joe-pye wee, juniper, lemon, licorice, lie, lobelia,
mallow, maple, marjoram, primrose, raspberry, rosemary, skullcap, strawberry, thyme, trillium, valerian,
vanilla, vervain, mango, violet, willow, wormwood
Animals in the Southern Doorway
Element: Water
Associated qualities: water
Fish, whale, shark, otter, sea lion, dolphin, sea turtles, rhinos & hippos, alligators, platypus, beavers, sea
serpents, lobsters, crayfish, shellfish, clams, oysters, sand dollars, coral & sponges, octopus & squid,
shrimps, scallops, mussels, frogs & amphibians, toads & tadpoles.
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WEST
Western Doorway
Colour: Black
Sacred Herb: Sage
Animal: Bear
Element: Earth
Spirit Pathways: Experience, Introspection, Strength
Season: Autumn (September, October, November)
Physical: place to acknowledge the body, it's function and sacredness
I Know
Masculine, Harvester, Revising
Stones
Carnelian, gypsum, labradorite, lapis, obsidian, aquamarine, flint, kunzite, pyrite, ruby, tigerseye,
sunstone, tourmaline, agates, ambers, bloodstone, diamond, beryl, calcite, garnet. Quartz crystals:
abundance, artemis, clear, merlin, quantum, smoky, wand, 8-facted, rutilated
Plants & Herbs
Bamboo, beech, dandelion, dogwood, ginseng, sage, sandalwood, sunflower, violet, walnut, copal,
dragonsblood, benzoin, nag champa, almond, roots.
Animals in the West: Western Doorway
Element: Earth
Associated qualities: heat
Moles, mouse, groundhog, all rodents and burrowing animals, rabbits, wolf, fox, bear, den animals,
snakes, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunk, bats (fly northwest), porcupine, skunk. Turtles – give birth in the
earth and then leave them. Dens, trees, earth-bound energy. Gorillas, orangutans, apes. Land birds –
turkey, ostrich, emu, chickens, partridge, quail, grouse, pheasant, kiwi. Ants – burrowing/hive energy.
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Animal Symbology
An old tradition practiced in all cultures. This is not New Age, this is Old Age. Our understanding of it is
new because we are now digging the information up. Every culture recognizes that animals are the
divine source. Animals are habitual and their habits help us to understand the animal. Go for a walk and
let Mother Earth speak to you. Animals provide a way to listen and to speak to us.
Earth Astrology
Native peoples call it Earth Medicine Astrology. The Moon was the Old Earth. Months are broken into
moons: e.g., Earth Renewal Moon (January), Rest and Cleansing Moon (February), etc.
Snow Goose/ Capricorn
Plants/Herbs: birch (skin conditions, arthritis, kidney, bladder, digestive)
Stones: clear quartz, milky quartz, apace tear, hematite, onyx
Otter/ Aquarius
Plants/Herbs: quaking aspen (form of poplar) – good for asthma, bronchitis, hayfever, preventing
congestion & toxicity, cleansing liver and digestive system, liver, skin, cataracts.
Stones: amethyst, silver, aquamarine, fossils, jet
Cougar/ Pisces
Plants/Herbs: plantain – bladder, kidney, inflammations, sores, stings, ulcers, pains, poisons, blood
cleanser, intestinals
Stones: turquoise, amethyst, sugelite
Red-tailed Hawk/ Aries
Plants/Herbs: dandelion – eliminative organs and blood, liver cleansing, sodiums, bloodstream purity,
calcium, irons, vitamins A, Bs, C
Stones: fire opal, garnet, ruby, bloodstone(jasper)
Beaver/ Taurus
Blue /Herbs: blue camus, apple – blood sugar levels, purgative, need movement, boundaries
Stones: chrysocolla, lapis, sodalite, emerald, jade
Deer/ Gemini
Plants/Herbs: yarrow – tonic, cleanser, lungs, eases menstrual cramps, disinfectant, glandular, toothache
Stones: moss agate, agates, aventurines, quartz
Flicker/ Cancer
Plants/Herbs: wild rose, rosehip – sore throats, colds/flu, blood, eye lotion, opens heart chakra
Stones: sapphire, beryl, carnelian, rose quartz, peach moonstone
Salmon or Sturgeon/ Leo
Plants/Herbs: raspberry (teaches us to find sweetness in life) – cleansing, helps expel gallstones and
kidneystones, antibiotic, sore throats, sore wounds, cankers, helps decrease blood flow, diuretic, helps
diarrhea
Stones: amber, carnelian, diamond, topaz, garnet, iron
Brown Bear/ Virgo
Plants/Herbs: violet – mucous membrane healing, blood and lymphatic system, sore throats, breathing,
stomach and bowels, ear, headache, high temperatures, toothaches
Stones: amethyst, purple fluorite, agate, purple aventurine
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Raven/ Libra
Plants/Herbs: mullein – mucous membranes, lung, heart, bladder, kidney, liver, nervous conditions,
hemorrhoids, ulcers, tumours and swelling of the throat, muscles tenderness, bruises and sprains, ears,
warts, chapped skin, eczema (comphrey, calendula, mullein, plantain, vitamin E, aloe vera)
Stones: jaspers, chrysophase, lapis lazuli, turquoise
Snake/ Scorpio
Plants/Herbs: thistle – digestive system, fever, expels worms, increases milk in nursing moms,
strengthens internal organs
Stones: onyx, kunzite, malachite, copper, tourmalated quartz
Elk and Owl/ Sagittarius
Plants/Herbs: black spruce – need vitamin C, antiseptics, throat/chest congestion, cleans cuts and
wounds, tree gum can be used for setting bones
Stones: amethyst, sugelite, apache tear, turquoise, snowflake obsidian
Families of Animals
Can tell if animal is aggressive by its markings. Nails are aggressive, large palms show calmness.
Quick/speedy animals have small droppings. Large/slower animals have large droppings. Think about
the qualities of the animal in its direct in which it sits on the medicine wheel. Where is it coming from?
Where is it moving to? Where is it facing? When you see an animal, what where you thinking right
BEFORE you saw the animal?
Family
Amphibians
Birds & nesters
Bluebird
Bluejay
Boar
Buffalo
Canines
Cardinal
Cats
Crane
Crow
Deer
Description & Qualities
moist body, some breathe through skin, mucous-forming, lay eggs. Goes through a
metamorphosis, born in water, cold-blooded, most are six inches, or smaller, in size.
have feathers and wings, feet are usually three-toed with talons in the front/back. Birds
that don’t fly: emu, ostrich, turkey. Fastest bird: falcon (aggressive, smaller than the
hawk). Deepest diving bird: loon. Usually have a vertebra, hollow bones, no teeth, have
beaks, usually more than one eyelid.
modesty, change of season, unassuming confidence and happiness.
know a little about a lot of things, no fear, don’t allow power to be used against you.
Proper use of power, manage yourself properly in conflict/struggle. Communicating
your truth in a way that empowers you without actin g improperly. Scattered energies,
psychic and metaphysical.
stubborn, resourceful, focus, adaptable, provide sacrifice, assertive, aggressive, playful,
earthy, “down ‘n dirty”, follow plenty and preparation, magickal,
food/feast/abundance. Loose some weight and visualize what you want and what to
take pride in.
abundance, year-round abundance, manifesting abundance through proper conduct and
prayer.
fox, wolf, coyote, dog.
recognize self importance, pay attention to self, nurture self
bobcat, lynx, mountain lion, ocelot, jaguar, tigers, lions, leopard, panther.
heron energy, responsibility, taking responsibility, being alone, recognizing one’s
ability, longevity, creativity through focus.
sacred law, learn to pace yourself, slow down a little; communicating, justice and karma,
fair game and play, spiritual truths, dress up to match the act, take responsibility for
your actions. The Phantom Queen.
gentleness, love, grace, unconditional love, balance, compassion, rebirth, angelic
companions, lady of nature; balances out the masculine, balances the universe, balances
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Family
Dog
Dragon
Elephant
Fish
Fox
Goose
Groundhog
Hawk
Heron
Hooved animals
Horse
Lion
Mammals
Possum
Rats
Raven
Reptiles
Rodent family
Seals
Serpent
Skunk
Weasel family
Description & Qualities
between physical and spiritual, live and let live, allow others to be as they are and be
grateful for these gives, act with grace to allow God’s will
loyalty, protection, dependent, male energy, friendship, guardianship, loving,
intellectual, forgiving; playful puppy energy, loyalty, friendship, and guardianship.
Runt of the litter shows how nature takes its course.
Celtic. Balance of light and dark. Polarity of power. Something you can’t free yourself
from. Inner pain and release.
telephone call, announcement, message, matriarch, family, integrate stray into family,
memory, doesn’t forgive nor forget, royalty, money issues, ancient wisdom and
knowing, one of the longest-living mammals.
cold-blooded, vertebra, lay many eggs, have scales, are slimy, have gills. Fish scales have
rings like a tree.
mix of canine and feline energy, family, camouflage (something isn’t yet clear).
community energy, never alone, if alone – out-of-sorts. Call to quest – if there’s
something you are supposed to do, you will see goose.
time of depression, burrowing in, organized, housecleaning, compartmentalizing, close
to earth, loners.
Full moon and what to do. The Seer; detach and observe. The Messenger; speak your
truth and allow yourself to listen to it; go after what is yours. Hawks mate for life. Don’t
let the shadows and secrets overcome you. Celtic Hawk: utter Hawk’s name to conjure
up powerful energies; to call in dreams and visions; a harbinger; movement, shifting
and change; offering information for a job well done, or an act of kindness; druid, healer.
being alone, individual, accountability, non-conformist, walking one’s own path,
aggressive self-determination and self-reliance. Don’t put your neck out too far, ability
to speak.
deer, elk, moose, caribou, pig, antelope, sheep, buffalo, goat, cattle, boar.
movement and freedom, power, psychic, clairvoyant, empathetic, good judge of
character.
deep subconscious
birthed alive, warm-blooded, lung breathers, have a vertebrae, at some point in time had
body hair, they nurse (lactate). They nurture, teach and protect offspring.
diversion, likes to be upside-down
community energy
magick, transformation, rebirth, creation, shapeshifting. Celtic view is of awakening,
five senses, connection to spirit realm. Look beyond the normal dance of life.
cold-blooded, dry scaly skin, have a vertebrae, lung breathers, birth in eggs.
woodchucks, marmits, prairie-dogs, squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, rats, mouse, beaver,
muskrat, porcupine, possum.
seals, sea lions, sea otter.
sensuality, change, slithering, sheds old skin. Sits in the East; new beginnings,
protective, shapeshifter, healing & health. Let go of old patterns that no longer work for
you. Spring into new body.
respect, boundaries, sexuality, reputation, reactive and protective, sensuality, respect
and self-esteem.
weasels, ermines, ferret, mink, martin, fisher, wolverine, otters, skunks, and badger.
Weasel energy is hyper, hard to time, quick to act. “Shoot first, ask questions later.”
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STONES & HERBS
Gender
Male stones
Clear quartz, doing, light, gold, white, yellow, straight, with lines, projective
Female stones
Smoky quartz, being, dark, silver, round, with holes, receptive
Male Stones & Herbs
Stones
Agates, apache tear, aventurine,
bloodstone, carnelian, catseyes, citrine,
clear quartz, herkimer diamonds,
rutilated and tourmalated quartz,
diamonds, flint, fluorite, garnet,
hematite, jasper and bloodstone, mica,
obsidian, onyx, opal, pipestone, pumic,
rhodochrosite, rhodonite, rubies,
serpentine, sunstone, tigerseye, topaz,
red tourmaline, watermelon
tourmaline
Plants & Herbs
Allspice, almond, angelica, anise, arbutus, ashe, aspen, bamboo,
basil, bay, benzoin, bergamot, black cohosh, borage, caraway
seeds, carnation, cattail, cedar, chamomile, chestnut, chicory,
chile, chrysanthemums, cinnamon, chinkfoil, cloves, clover,
copal, coriander, cumin, curry, dilldock, dandelion,
dragonsblood, elencampanen, eyebright, fennel, fern, flax,
frankincense, galangal, garlic, ginger, goldenseal, hawthorne,
hazel, heliotrope, high john, holly, honeysuckle, horehound,
jumiper, lavendar, lemongrass, lime, lemon verbena, lily of the
valley, lime, mace, mandrake, maple, mangold, marjoram,
mayapple, mint, mistletoe, mustard, nettle, nutmeg, oak, olive,
orange, parsley, pennyroyal, peony, pepper, peppermints, pine,
red sandalwood, rosemary, rowan, rue, sage, st. john’s wort,
savory, snapdragon, sunflower, all thistles – milk thistle, holly
thistle, toadflax, tobacco, witch hazel, wormwood, yucca.
Female Stones & Herbs
Stones
Agates (blue lace, moss, flowing),
amethyst, aquamarine, azurite, beryl,
calcite, celestite, chalcedony,
chrysocolla, chrysophase, coal, jet,
coral, blue/ green/ rose/ smoky
quartz crystals, emerald, fossils and
geodes, stones with holes, jades, brown
and green jaspers, jet, kunzite, lapis
lazuli, malachite, marble, moonstone,
mother of pearl, some opals, pearl,
peridot, petrified wood, selenite,
sodalite, sugelite, black/ green/ blue/
pink tourmalines, turquoise.
Plants & Herbs
African violet, amaranth, apple, aster, avocado, lemon balm,
belladona, birch, blackberry, bluefag, boneset, burdock,
chalamys, sweetflag, camphor, catnip, chickweed, coltsfoot,
comphrey, corn, cypress, daffodil, daisy, detera, elder,
eucalyptus, gardenia, geranium, fleabane, foxglove, hemp,
goldenrod, hemlock, hibiscus, horsetail, hyacinth, indian
paintbrush, iris, irish moss, ivy, jasmine, lady’s mantle, lady’s
slipper, lemon, lime, lilac, lily, lobelia, purple loosestrife, lotus,
magnolia, mallow, morning glory, mugwort, muellein, myrrh,
orris, pansy, periwinkle, plantain, poplar, poppy, primrose,
raspberry, rhubarb, rose, skullcap, slippery elm, spearmint,
solomon’s seal, sorrel, strawberry, sweetpea, thyme, trilliam,
tulip, valerian, vanilla, vervain, violet, willow, wintergreen,
yarrow, yerba santa.
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