{"id":5730,"date":"2021-03-31T21:12:54","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T21:12:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.secret-retreats.com\/blog\/?p=5730"},"modified":"2022-10-17T22:45:36","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T22:45:36","slug":"magic-witch-doctors-and-shamanic-rituals-around-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secret-retreats.com\/blog\/general-info\/magic-witch-doctors-and-shamanic-rituals-around-asia.html","title":{"rendered":"Magic, Witch Doctors and Shamanic Rituals Around Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Destination Spiritual Wellness – Shamanism for Power and Healing <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Shamanism has been practiced in societies and cultures all\nover the world in myriad forms for thousands of years. At its core, Shamanism\nis about seeking wisdom and knowledge, and interpreting the voices of the\nnatural world for the benefit and general good of the community. Often it\ninvolves achieving altered states of consciousness to perceive and connect with\nalternate realities and to enable interaction with the energies and spirits\nthat exist in different planes from the physical world we live our everyday\nlives within. Shamans typically believe that everything has a spirit or soul,\nperception, and intelligence; this belief is central to their practice and is the\nsource of higher knowledge that guides their work in interpreting the signs and\nsymbols shared with us from the heavens above and the natural world, to the\ndreams of our sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this edition, let us take you into the mystical world of the\nsupernatural, the world of the shaman in Asia. An important and integral part\nof many cultures still today, the shamanism detailed below is alive and well\nand practiced in Asia. Bring an open mind and explore the world of shamanism\nwith us…but best finish your breakfast before reading!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LAOS<\/strong>
Hmong\u2019s Txiv Neeb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shamanism is still widely practiced in all tribes of the Hmong.\nClosely connected to animist beliefs, the ritual practices of the village\nShaman are conducted for the purposes of healing, divination, and control over\nnatural events. The Hmong believe in a variety of spirits (neeb) that they live\nalongside, with these spirits associated with the home, the village, the land,\nsome with nature, and some with ancestors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shamanism for the Hmong isn\u2019t a skill one can practice to\nbecome a shaman, or a skill to be handed down. All Hmong shaman are chosen by\nthe spirit world. A Hmong Shaman, known as Txiv Neeb, is chosen by healing\nspirits called \u2018Dab Neeb\u2019, with the individual becoming aware that he has been\nchosen to be a shaman through the effects of the \u2018Dab Neeb\u2019 which manifest as\nsudden intolerances of certain foods, or inexplicable fatigue and weakness. Each\nshaman has a different level of healing power, with different shamans renowned\nfor their healing skills with particular ailments and illnesses, just like our\nmodern medical world\u2019s specialists and consultants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illness is frequently attributed to the action of spirits,\nand spirit practitioners are called to carry out curing rites. The shaman will\ndiagnose and will refer people to other sources if they are unable to cure the\npatient\u2019s malady or illness directly themselves. To travel from the physical\nworld to the spirit world, Hmong shaman require a variety of equipment including:\nthe gong \u2018nruas\u2019, the rattle \u2018txiab neeb\u2019, the buffalo horn \u2018kuam\u2019, the rattle\nrings \u2018tswb neeb\u2019, the sword \u2018riam neeb\u2019, a bowl of holy (shaman) water, a bowl\nof uncooked rice as a base for the incense, a few dozen incense sticks, and a\nbowl of uncooked rice with eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every house has a small altar on one wall. This altar is the\ncenter for any ritual related to the household or its members. Annual\nceremonies at Hmong New Year renew the general protection of the household and the\nfamily\u2019s ancestral spirits. The spirit of the door is important to the\nwell-being of everyone in the household and is the object of another annual ritual\nand ceremony and sacrifice. The human world and the spirit world need to live\nin harmony, when this harmony is disrupted the spirits need appeasement, or help\nfrom the spirit world is sought to bring the two worlds back into balance from\nthe effects of mischievous spirits. The Hmong shaman work between the physical\nworld and the spirit world providing their community with support in all of\nlife\u2019s key moments from the cradle to the grave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover journeys in Laos<\/a><\/td> Discover hotels in Laos<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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JAPAN<\/strong>
Miko<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a visit to any of the major Shinto shrines in Japan, you\nwill be sure to see a least one young woman wearing red hakama (long divided\ntrousers) or a red skirt, along with a white blouse or jacket and with her hair\ntied back with a decorative clasp of some kind. This is \u2018Miko\u2019. The Miko, or\nshrine maiden, is a type of female shaman-priest, at a Japanese Shinto shrine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you arrive at the shrine early in the morning you may\nfind Miko cleaning the shrine grounds. The most common place to see them is in\nthe shrine \u2018shop\u2019 selling omamori, or good luck charms, or omikuji paper fortunes.\nYou may see them assisting priests during ceremonies such as o-harae\n(purification), and if you are lucky, you may see them performing a ritual\ndance called Miko Mai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For centuries, Miko have performed kagura (sacred dances for\nentertaining and satisfying the Shinto deities), conducted exorcisms, practiced\ndivinations, and acted as oracles sharing wisdom from the spirit world with the\nliving. Long believed to possess magical powers, they have also worked as\nspirit mediums, channeling spirits to enable communication between the human\nworld and the world of spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past Miko were one of the most powerful religious\nfigures in Japan, and as a result often wielded political influence too. The\nfirst written records of Japan, Chinese chronicles from the 3rd Century, write\nof \u2018Himiko\u2019 who was claimed to be a shamaness queen of Japan, but historians\ncontinue to argue about exactly who she was. And in the Japanese chronicles of\nthe 7th century, an Empress Jing\u016b is written about as a shamaness and military\nruler, though most historians consider her to be a mythical character. Later,\nmore historical accounts mention a priestess of the Usa Shrine, in Kyushu, who\nlead an army to fight and subdue tribes in the south. These shamanesses of ancient\nJapan, held both religious and political power in ancient Japan, based upon\ntheir ability to receive instructions and messages from the spirit world and\nthe gods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miko are not strictly Priests, even though in Shinto women\nare allowed to become priests. They are perhaps more similar to the oracles of\nancient Greece, or to shamans, as in ancient times they were gifted with the ability\nto talk with the Kami, the Shinto deities. By entering a state of trance they\ncould intercede with the gods and then communicate their will to the humans.\nThese divinatory gifts and their ability to communicate with the world of the\nspirits were recognized as divine will. However it seems that the influence of\nBuddhism and Confucianism led to females spiritual power being superseded by\nmales, and over time their shamanic functions came to be controlled by male priests\nand male shamans, and today for the most part Miko are more symbolic of their\nancient roles and act as assistants to the mostly male priests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover journeys in Japan<\/a><\/td> Discover hotels in Japan<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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NEPAL<\/strong>
Jh\u0101kri<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jh\u0101kri are Nepali shaman. Found in many of Nepal\u2019s ethnic groups and within many ethnic groups living in the regions of Sikkim and West Bengal that border Nepal, Jh\u0101kri conduct rituals at weddings and funerals to ensure spiritual help and blessings for the families concerned, and also at key points in the agricultural calendar to seek spiritual help with the crops and the harvest. Belief in the spirit world is strong in these regions and so Jh\u0101kri are both in demand and very much respected members of the communities in which they live and work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with most shaman, the Jh\u0101kri are also spiritual healers\nand they both diagnose and treat disease. Their ability to bridge the world of\nthe living and the dead also allows them to communicate and channel the dead.\nRecently bereaved families may seek out a Jh\u0101kri to communicate with their lost\nloved one. The Jh\u0101kri will allow the spirit of the deceased person to briefly possess\nthem so the family can talk with their family member who has now passed to the\nspirit world. This practice of spirit channeling is known as \u2018Chinta. As with\nthe world of the living, the spirit world has both good and evil spirits, and Jh\u0101kri\nalso act as defenders of the living and will counter the effects of evil and\nmischievous spirits, and the witches that are considered able to control these\ntroublesome spirits.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jh\u0101kri have been defined by some as magico-religious\nspecialists, part herbalists, part healers and part priests whose technique is very\nmuch spiritual and whose business is to determine the nature of the spirit, and\nthen either to placate it or drive it away so it can cause no further harm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover journeys in Nepal<\/a><\/td> Discover hotels in Nepal<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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VIETNAM<\/strong>
L\u00ean \u0111\u1ed3ng <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shamanism was widely practiced across Vietnam, from the\nDelta to the mountainous north, with shamans providing spiritual security to\nthe community through various rituals until the government attempted outlaw and\nstop shamanistic practices with its \u2018anti-superstition\u2019 campaigns between the 1960s\nto 1980s. Labeled as charlatans whose sole aim was to fleece the people of\ntheir hard-earned dollar, the government made a concerted effort to stop and\ndiscredit all forms of shamanism. But spiritual belief runs deep in Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-branded as folk practices, shamanism is alive and well in\none form or another in Vietnam still today. From the burning of symbolic\nofferings to provide family members in the afterlife with the comforts they\nenjoyed in life, to divination, to spirit possession and channeling, all these are\nshamanistic in origin. Even down to buying a new car, or undertaking a big\njourney, a village elder will be consulted to pick an auspicious day in order\nto ensure safety and success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the old religions, ancestor worship is still very\nimportant to Vietnamese families. They will commemorate the anniversaries of\nthe deaths of ancestors, making offerings in their honor on the first and\nfifteenth of the lunar month. Still seeing these long dead relatives as very\nmuch a part of the living family, they will seek advice and support from\nancestors by making special offerings when praying to ancestors for help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another ritual still widely revered and practiced is the L\u00ean \u0111\u1ed3ng ritual of the ancient Mother Goddess religion. Musical invocations are used to encourage spirits to possess people acting as shamanistic spirit mediums or soul callers. Bridging the world of spirit with the world of the living, help is sought from the spirits perhaps for healing, or for advice or divination. Shamanism by any other name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As there is no formal organization of the religion, there is\nmuch freedom in its expression among practitioners. For example, the styles,\ndesigns, and intricacy of the costumes worn by the spirit mediums or shaman may\nvary, or perhaps the size of the accompanying ritual orchestra to play the\nmusical invocations. Yet there remains one very important element of spirit\npossession ritual: loc or lucky gifts from the spirits of the mother goddess\npantheon. Even the spirit world appreciates the power of commerce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practitioners of L\u00ean \u0111\u1ed3ng have claimed to experience improved mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health, in addition to attracting more financial opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover journeys in Vietnam<\/a><\/td> Discover hotels in Vietnam<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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INDIA<\/strong>
Aghori<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Aghori are a small group of ascetic Shaiva Sadhus. They\nare one of the oldest sects in the Hindu Culture tracing their origins back for\nmore than 1,000 years. There are numerous theories proposed for the Aghori\u2019s\norigins with the most well-known proposing that they originated from the K\u0101p\u0101lika\ntradition a now extinct school of Shaivism. Another theory is that the Aghori\narose from a merging between Buddhism and Hinduism. However, it is the\npractices of the Aghori that excites the greatest debate and wonder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Aghori are known for their extraordinary practices\nperformed in their worship of Lord Shiva. Blurring the lines between the world\nof the dead and that of the living, the Aghori live amongst the dead in charnel\ngrounds where they smear the ashes from cremations on their bodies and craft\ncups from human skulls and jewelry from human bones where they worship and hold\nrituals for their god Shiva, the god of destruction that dwells in the\ncremation grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are infamously known for their rituals involving the\ndead, such as \u2018shava sadhana\u2019, a tantric form of ritual worship where a devotee\nmeditates in a lonely place while sat on a corpse to invoke the mother goddess\nin her form as Smashan Tara, Goddess of the Cremation Grounds. In Hindu\niconography, Tara, like Kali, is one of the ten Mahavidyas (wisdom goddesses) who\nonce invoked can bless the living with supernatural powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gurus and disciples of Aghor believe their state to be\nprimordial and universal. They believe that all human beings are natural-born\nAghori. Hari Baba has said on several occasions that human babies of all\nsocieties are without discrimination, that they will play as much in their own\nfilth as with the toys around them. But children become more discriminating as\nthey develop and grow through learning the culturally specific mores and\naversions of their parents, and at the same time becoming more aware of and\nfear of their own mortality. In this sense, the Aghora s\u0101dhan\u0101 is a process of\nunlearning deeply internalized cultural models. When this s\u0101dhan\u0101 takes the\nform of charnel ground, the Aghori faces death while simultaneously meditating\non the totality of life at its two extremes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their practices are sometimes considered contradictory to\northodox Hinduism. Yet many Aghori gurus command great reverence from rural\npopulations, as they are considered to possess great healing powers gained\nthrough their intensely eremitic rites and practices of austerity. The Aghori\nare said to be masters of many spiritual powers and are respected healers, believed\nto be able to cure people from spiritual and physical illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover journeys in India<\/a><\/td> Discover hotels in India<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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INDONESIA<\/strong>
Balian<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just for beautiful beaches and stunning scenery of\niconic volcanoes and verdantly glorious rice terraces cascading down steep\nhillsides. Bali is also famous for its long history of traditional healing\ntherapies, known as Bali Usada. Balinese traditional healing practices use\nnatural herbs and spices, holistic therapies, and ancient wisdom to heal\nemotional, physical and spiritual illnesses. Traditional healing modalities are\nprominent in Balinese culture today, which include natural herbal remedies, massages,\nand energy work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bali Usada practitioners, Bali healers, were brought to\nthe world\u2019s attention when they were popularized in Elizabeth Gilbert\u2019s novel and\nfilm \u201cEat, Pray, Love\u201d. Bali Healers are locally referred to as a Balian or\nshaman and are very much traditional healers who work with divine energy to\ntreat physical and mental illnesses, remove spells and to channel energy from the\nancestors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Balian have learned their art from studying the ancient\nKawa scriptures called lontar, and apprenticing with a master. Others have\nreceived wahyu or divine inspiration and heal from the heart. Both have an\nesteemed place in Balinese society. Often the problem lies with demanding and\nannoyed ancestors who can cause mischief or indeed real harm if not treated\nregularly to their favorite treats made through offerings. The Balians go into\na trance state to discover the root cause of the problem and either give the afflicted\nperson herbal medicine, a special massage, or a list of offerings to be made to\nthe ancestors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real Balinese healers are very much a part of the community\nand as such they use the ancient knowledge of their ancestors to treat people\nwithout expecting anything in return. Balians are viewed with the same status\nand respect as a western doctor and have different specialties to heal specific\nproblems of the body. When visiting a Balian one must dress respectfully in a\ntraditional sarong and temple scarf, one must never touch their face or head,\nor point the bottom of one\u2019s feet at the Balian during your healing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of our members in Bali, Sanak Retreat, offers a wonderfully\nrare experience where guests can meet and receive a blessing from one of these\ntraditional shaman healers. The Melukat Water Blessing Ritual is performed by\nthe Balinese Healer, Pak Nyoman, at a secluded holy spring 45 minutes\u2019 walk\nfrom the retreat where he is the spiritual caretaker of the \u2018Kali Batu\u2019 (Holy\nSpring). The water blessing lasts for about 45 minutes, but its effects might well\nlast for a lifetime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover journeys in Indonesia<\/a><\/td> Discover hotels in Indonesia<\/a> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So next time your \u2018computer says no\u2019, maybe an offering to\nthe spirit world (no, that doesn\u2019t involve opening the drink\u2019s cabinet\u2026although\nit\u2019s a good start) is a better course of action than offering a stream of\nexpletives at the Silicon Gods. There\u2019s many the time when I have wanted to\nritually burn my computer\u2026go on, try another unscheduled update Windows, I dare\nyou!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Destination Spiritual Wellness – Shamanism for Power and Healing Shamanism has been practiced in societies and cultures all over the world in myriad forms for thousands of years. At its core, Shamanism is about seeking wisdom and knowledge, and interpreting the voices of the natural world for the benefit and general good of the community. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":5731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[27,28,25,1,251,26],"tags":[181,246,374,376,38,373,377,378,371,201,68,375],"yoast_head":"\nMagic, Witch Doctors and Shamanic Rituals Around Asia - Secret Retreats Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.secret-retreats.com\/blog\/general-info\/magic-witch-doctors-and-shamanic-rituals-around-asia.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Magic, Witch Doctors and Shamanic Rituals Around Asia - Secret Retreats Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Destination Spiritual Wellness – Shamanism for Power and Healing Shamanism has been practiced in societies and cultures all over the world in myriad forms for thousands of years. At its core, Shamanism is about seeking wisdom and knowledge, and interpreting the voices of the natural world for the benefit and general good of the community. 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