FSS Polestar: The Singular Power of Shamanic Practice

“Shamanism is not ‘New Age.’ It is Stone Age and has been living ever since.” —Michael Harner As shamanism in our modern culture grows, more and more students who want to learn its powerful healing methods come to FSS workshops having already...

FSS Polestar: Core Shamanism – Respecting Indigenous Cultures

Core Shamanism, by definition, is based on universal principles of shamanic methodology, and does not borrow ceremony and practices from indigenous cultures. “Core Shamanism consists of the universal, near-universal, and common features of shamanism, together...

FSS Polestar: Shamanism, Spirits, and Transformation

In My Path in Shamanism, the interviewer asks Michael Harner: In addition to the compassionate spirits, are there malevolent spirits? “Yes. Here in the Middle World the spirits have the whole range of personalities that also occur in ordinary reality. What is...

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...