FSS Polestar highlights some of the questions we are frequently asked about contemporary shamanic practice. “Polestar” is defined as “something that serves as a guiding principle.” It reflects our commitment to helping practitioners stay oriented to authentic shamanic methods and ethics, while maintaining their own independent spirituality, which comes from learning directly from the compassionate spirits. Send us your practice-related questions for consideration for Polestar. Use our CONTACT FORM, and put “Polestar” in the subject line.

FSS Polestar: Plant Spirits as Spirit Helpers

Interesting questions often arise during discussions of Animal Spirits, such as Power Animals, and other types of Animal Spirit helpers. People are curious to know whether it's possible to have plant spirits as spirit helpers too. Power Animals and other Animal...

FSS Polestar: Core Shamanism, FAQ

When Michael Harner first introduced The Way of the Shaman in 1980, shamanism was little known outside of academia. The renaissance of contemporary experiential shamanism is largely due to his pioneering work over the last several decades researching, developing, and...

FSS Polestar: Spiritual Help for the Burning West

The original article, Fire Season 2000: Spiritual Help for the Burning West, was written by Nan Moss and the late David Corbin. (©Shamanism, Fall/Winter 1999, Vol. 12, No. 2.) It was revised and expanded by Nan Moss in September 2020. While originally written in...

FSS Polestar: Responding to Events in Ukraine

Please see TRAINING IN SHAMANIC METHODS TO HELP UKRAINE below for opportunities to train with others to apply shamanic methods to help Ukraine and its people. If you are doing something to help and would like to share with the shamanic community, please visit Core...

FSS Polestar: The Shaman’s Song and Helping Spirits

The Shaman's Song and Helping Spirits A podcast with Susan Mokelke From the series, Curious and Curiouser with Robin Johnson: a Great Mystery Podcast Series October 25 This informative interview opens on a personal note, as Susan Mokelke tells the story of her path...

FSS Polestar: What is a shaman?

What is a shaman? How does one become one? The re-emergence of shamanism in the West has been largely driven by the pioneering work of the late anthropologist Dr. Michael Harner, founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. His lifetime of research,...

FSS Polestar: Shamanism at the Inflection Point

Humanity has reached an inflection point—an unprecedented situation where one species can determine whether the Earth itself fades or flourishes. The confluence of a pandemic, racism as graphically and inescapably laid bare by the homicide of George Floyd, vast...

FSS Polestar: Shamanism as a Profession?

Shamanism as a Profession? Practicing Shamanic Healing Using Core Shamanism We find ourselves these days at a significant crossroad in the growth of shamanism in contemporary society. In the 1980s, when the Foundation’s training programs were relatively new, people...

FSS Polestar: Shamanism for Local and Global Healing and Assistance

Faced with catastrophes of an epic scale -- such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and social injustice -- how can I ethically bring the power of the compassionate spirits to help? Faced with catastrophes of epic scale, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate...