The Northern Shamanism Guild consists of the elders and active apprentices in our particular tradition. Our training is not for “self-empowerment”. It is training to become a full-time lifelong service professional in a specialist tradition. One enters formal apprenticeship training with the expectation of taking lifelong vows as a full-time service professional. Training is free of charge, because you’ll be working toward taking those vows.
If what you are seeking is just general shamanic training in this tradition, and you are not called to the work of being an oathbound full-time service professional, then you want to be a student, not an apprentice. We do trainings for students, but you will be expected to pay for those trainings, travel to visit one or more of the elders on our (very busy) schedules, and take care of your own lodgings and sustenance during the trainings. If you are interested in being a student, please apply to Raven at cauldronfarm@hotmail.com and we will work out training times for the following year. Please put some thought into which you want to be. It is possible to start out as a student and end up as an apprentice.
Unlike many traditions which charge significant fees, it is not our policy to require payment for training or initiation. However, those seriously interested in entering apprenticeship should be aware that we will expect them to make arrangements to travel to instructors for blocks of training which may last several days twice a year, in addition to the requirement of attending our annual gathering of Northern Tradition Shamanism practitioners. This means that they must be able to take time away from school or work, as well as covering the cost of travel to the instructor (in Massachusetts and/or Michigan and/or North Carolina), along with meals and accommodations. Those unable to make such arrangements should not apply.
To be inducted into the Guild as an apprentice, you must do the following:
1) Apply to one of the elders, and get a reading as to whether we are appropriate for you. You will be assigned a diviner from our Guild who can perform long-distance divination, and you must compensate them for the reading. Compensation is negotiated between seeker and diviner. To become an apprentice, the reading must come up positive.
2) Then you will be assigned a teacher. While we can teach some things long distance, you will be required to travel a minimum of three times a year at first – once for our yearly gathering and training, and at least twice a year to one or more of our elders for private training. The most important parts of this training can only be taught in person.
3) If you are partially long distance, all of your “homework” must be fully documented and sent to us. While you can proceed at your own pace, if you blow us off too many times, or refuse to do work, or drag your feet repeatedly, we may decide that this is not the right path for you at this time.
4) We have both shamans and shamanic practitioners. Both are competent people. The difference in our tradition is that a shaman is seized up by our Gods, possibly without their consent, and is bound to this work for life by Them. A shamanic practitioner seeks out a voluntary relationship with our Gods and can set boundaries on the Work, and possibly leave it if they choose. Which you are is determined by divination.
5) There are nine levels of competence in this Guild. For each level, if you complete the training, you will be cleared by the Guild to offer certain services to clients, and you can list yourself on this website if you choose. Shamanic practitioners will not be taught beyond Level 3. Understand that each level will take years to complete, and divination may show that you need extra work in order to be granted a level. This is a lifetime’s work. If that intimidates you, we are not the right place for you.
6) If you are not an active member of this guild in good standing, we will probably not validate you in public as a Northern Tradition Shaman or Northern Tradition Shamanic Practitioner. (Some exceptions are former founding members who left the Guild after achieving at least fourth level for a shaman, and students who have completed the first three levels for a shamanic practitioner.) If you are not a member of this guild in good standing, and do not meet the exception definition, and we are asked if you are actually a Northern Tradition Shaman, we will say only that we have no proof that you are, we cannot stand behind any part of your reputation, and the individual will have to decide for themselves.
7) We understand that there may be any number of people who have read some books and decided to call themselves a Northern Tradition Shaman. People have the right to call themselves anything they like, including Merlin or Napoleon, but while we will not go after you for saying it, we will also state firmly that we cannot stand behind your competence if you are not a member of this Guild in good standing.
8) If you join this Guild, you must be on the same page with us as to personal values. First, you must read our Statement of Public Values. If you have any personal problem with this statement, we are probably not the group for you. While we are happy to clarify if this statement seems unclear, this attitude is what will be expected of you as a Guild apprentice and elder.
Northern Tradition Shamanism Guild Statement of Values
To apply for membership and training, please email Raven Kaldera at cauldronfarm@hotmail.com.
Note: Around 2/3 of the training is energetic, and cannot be taught long distance. Because we cannot currently do in-person training until the COVID emergency is well and truly over, we are putting a temporary moratorium on new students, and any new apprentices that we accept will have to do the majority of their training later, when it is safe. We don’t wish to put anyone at risk when we can wait and be safer later. Check back with us when this chaos has calmed down!