#51 The Evolution Of Shamanism - with Hamilton Souther
Hamilton Souther is a master Ayahuasca Shaman who moved from the United States to Peru in his early 20s to find out if there was any truth behind mysticism and Shamanism. He ended up becoming one of the few non-native men to be initiated into traditional ways of Ayahuasca Shamanism. To learn more about how Hamilton got involved with Indigenous cultures and his path to Shamanism, check out our first episode together. Hamilton now operates a healing center called Blue Morpho, based in Iquitos, Peru. They hold traditional healing retreats, hosting guests from all over the world. However, due to the outbreak of COVID, they were forced to transform. Blue Morpho is now expanding its retreats around the world, through cyberspace. Now you can take part in healing ceremonies with Hamilton from the comfort and safety of your own home. In this episode we talk about Hamilton’s journey to becoming a Shaman, the myths and reality of Shamanism, the future of holding healing ceremonies online, and COVID-19’s impact on the medicine world. In this episode we dive into the following: The life and death reality of learning Shamanism. Shamanism is not all about love and “new age” light. An anthropological outlook on tribal societies. A different way of looking at viruses. Hamilton’s first interactions with Shamans. A medicine man vs. any other kind of Shaman. Modern society issues vs. Shamanic tribal issues. The internal struggle that each Shaman has to face. The keys to finding the right healing ceremony for yourself. Hamilton’s own intense healing experience. Two main governing principles of Ayahuasca. The westernization of Ayahuasca ceremonies. Becoming your own Shaman during a healing ceremony. Untrained support vs. trained support. What healing ceremonies should be based in: medicine, love, and healing. The importance of knowing the history of the space of your ceremony. The mythological conflict that exists in Amazonian ideas about plants. “Tree Dietas”. The sacred plant industry during COVID. What happened to Iquitos, Peru’s during the pandemic. Bringing ceremonies to digital space. Breathwork in ceremonies. The importance of plants in the future of technological advancement. Blue Morpho’s Triniti Retreats. Links to find more content from Hamilton and Blue Morpho: Blue Morpho’s website Blue Morpho’s Facebook Blue Morpho’s Instagram Hamilton’s Facebook Hamilton’s Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.