Without any direct call to action, I’ve begun receiving periodic urban shaman sightings from friends. Here’s a new one:
I’m really enjoying how my friends are reacting to the idea of an ‘urban shaman’ – it seems to resonate with a lot of people, even if at just a surface level they just think it’s funny.
Also, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how fun it is to sort of play with creating an identity online and to have that bounce back and reflect on what you feel comfortable experimenting w/ in your day to day life. For instance, a small thing I’ve been doing is wear this piece of leather around my head – mostly for practicality of keeping my long hair out of my eyes, but also because it feels like part of a new identity. I can’t tell if I am just being a LARP’ER (Live Action Role Player) or if it has any sort of meaning to it at all?
Part of me is disappointed that I’m not teaching myself to do anything that is actually indicative of a shaman, but I try not to beat myself up too much about it and just take things as they come. If I need to just slowly ease into this that’s okay. You know, it’s sort of like that technique of someone just learning a new musical instrument only carrying around the mouthpiece for a few months. They can blowing into that little metal tube all they want, but it takes a long time of imagining and preparing until they actually start attempting to hold and play the trumpet.
I also received this from someone in my band today (who’s been pestering me about getting a new bass):
what better bass for an urban shaman?
haha
And here’s the bass he was suggesting:Tribal Bass
DO NOT TEMPT ME. I REPEAT. DO NOT TEMPT ME.
Heard a musician in Baltimore say something recently that really got me: “If you only hold a guitar for fifteen minutes a day, you’ll get better at playing it.”
Have definitely been applying a similar concept to learning radio technology: intentionally fetishizing the objects of radio, giving them a psychological potency, almost as an object of worship to make my studying for the ham test a kind of mythic-meditative practice. Maybe it’s symbolic of union with those afar, with communication and congress with the voices and angels of God.
If I had to make something symbolic up about your leather headband, I would say it has something to do with “binding your thoughts” and with keeping the “wildness” of your hair (your dark, animalistic side) from engulfing the focus and vision and clarity needed to face the world of man (work, civility, etc)
whoa yeah we’re totally on the same page with the headband thing, haha!! i’m on a quest for the perfect medicine pouch and am also seeking out weird bone necklaces and stuff.
Garrett
I have heard that people in drumming circles some chant songs they have never played and play in ways they never knew they could. It reminds me of when you play drums and it seems almost tribal. i wonder if you woulnt have some success in a drumming circle.
ok, color me interested. I only started reading your stuff about urban shamanism today. havent gotten into it yet and now im at work. itll have to wait:(
but what i want to know is who is the shaman in that picture and how is what they are doing shaman-y?
buy the bass…
do it…
buy the bass
your friend was right
any self respecting bass playing urban shaman would own that bass
and yes i’ve been following you frequently