I always warn young people I mentor to avoid definition by negation, but I found this statement by Stephanie Tighe and Take Durda to hold particular relevance when discussing the idea of a shaman:
Shamans are not persons concerned with gaining personal power, but are persons who are willing to make sacrifices in order to bring healing to individuals, their communities, and the earth.Some dramatizations like to paint those in a shamanic role as "the power behind the crown" or some similar function, but entertainment value aside, the defining characteristic of a shaman comes not from the power they wield, but from the service they perform. The idea of placing one's self in between the known and unknown in order to protect, heal, and sustain one's people inspires me.
Over the past twenty years of my career, I have noticed how we have split the role of shaman in our culture and sent it out in four directions. Romantically, I like to think we did this to blunt the power of the shaman...and odd conspiracy of the everyday citizen and the leaders of the tribe to disperse power. Practically, I know that this happened because as we began to develop language and understanding by which we demystified some of nature, the span of knowledge with which the shaman must have facility grew exponentially. In our modern civilization, the shaman's role sits divided among the following:
1. The farmer: Constantly working in harmony with nature, the farmer marries steadfast planning based on lessons of history with spry ingenuity responding to the variety of threats that appear on a day-in and day-out basis. The farmer literally translates the energy of nature into the energy that sustains our lives.
2. The doctor/healer: Perhaps the most celebrated of the four, the doctor has flown closest to the sun in their command of the balance between spirit and nature. Tempted by the god-like power their training can unleash, the most successful humbly recognize the sheer magnitude of the consequences of their action and strive vigilantly to protect us and help us protect ourselves.
3. The teacher: A selfish shaman who attempts to hoard knowledge for their own benefit runs headlong into the great humbler of man...mortality. The true shaman understands that in order to sustain our people, knowledge must travel fully and freely between generations. Our teachers fulfill this role walking deftly between the doing and shepherding so as to ensure our survival.
4. The engineer
Since we celebrate engineer's week this week (in honor of our nation's first engineer, George Washington), we can afford a bit more on this lesser-known but equally important guide between the natural and the unknown.
For generations, engineers have taken a backseat to scientists in the public's imagination. Newton, Einstein, Hawking, and even Degrasse Tyson all weave marvelous tales about the wonders of our world and the possibilities held within it. And do not get me wrong, I share in that imagination and fascination along with the rest of the world. The reason why scientists in general do not hold the title of shaman comes down to the sacrifice of bringing the healing to individuals. Scientists push boundaries of thought and open our world to new possibilities, but until the engineers come along, no one knows how to apply that science to everyday life.
The engineer looks at Einstein's theory of relativity and sees the opportunity to capture solar energy to power our world. The engineer looks at a gas that liquifies at room temperature and sees the opportunity to refrigerate food to extend its value. The engineer looks at flashing lights and sees the opportunity to send large packets of data over great distances in the blink of an eye. The engineer looks at the moon and sees the way to get there and - even more miraculously - to get back. The engineer even looks at the words a screenwriter puts on a page and sees how to make those words come to reality through special effects.
These examples only scratch the surface of the ways in which engineers affect our daily lives. Did you wake up in a warm (or cool depending on your locale) bed this morning? Thank a mechanical engineer for creating the equipment that provided the heat, supervising its manufacture, choosing the right size of system for your situation, then ensuring that all the necessary parts and pieces got put in place to deliver that comfort to you. Did you turn on a light or microwave a meal or turn on a computer today? Thank an electrical engineer who made sure that the electrons that power our devices received the right excitation at a generating plant, moved safely across copper wires spread throughout the country, and brought just enough energy to the devices you needed today. Did your house/apartment/office not fall down while you lived in it today? Thank a structural engineer. Did you get clean water at your sink, and did the waste products you deposited in a toilet safely leave your building and flow somewhere other than your drinking water supply? Thank a civil engineer. Did interface with any one of a million different items across your day that came from raw materials scattered over the planet? Thank a chemical engineer who figured out how to combine those materials into useful tools of our existence.
This week offers us a chance to celebrate and honor those who have worked diligently to further our lives while at the same time protecting them. The engineer's code of ethics requires them first to protect the public health and safety of us all. They do this by walking a fine line between conservatively sticking to what works, and cautiously innovating to improve on the limitations of the present. With the exception of Da Vinci, Edison, Tesla, and George Washington, few engineers get the limelight unless something fails. (And let's face it, Washington get the title of engineer because of his contributions to surveying, but no one considers that his greatest contribution to history.)
I learned a centering technique years ago that asked us to take a look at the things in front of us and imagine all the people it took to bring that item to us. Over the course of the days and weeks ahead, I want to challenge you to think of the shamans it took to bring you to each point in your life. Imagine the ingenuity, passion, concern, and dedication it took for a farmer, doctor, teacher, or engineer to make that part of your life possible, then thank them for the sacrifice they made that helped make your life easier.
As shamans, they will not need the appreciation, but they will welcome it nonetheless.
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