[UA] Authentic Shamanism

[Tom McGrenery]

Some new ritual ingredients for you lovely people, courtesy of a Nepalese 
gurung shaman who taught our music class on Thursday. Straight from the 
horse's mouth (well, via my lecture notes).

How To Make A Ritual Drum

1) Cut wood from a sengi (fir) tree. This must be done on the "Jaguar Birth 
Day".
2) Fashion this wood into the rim of your drum (the internal bracing can be 
made of whatever you like).
3) Strengthen the outside of the rim with wicker banding.
4) To make the skin, use only the skin of an old goat that has been killed 
by a leopard or jaguar.
5) Affix small tuft of hair to rim to act as a tail. This tail must be at 
the bottom of the drum when it is played.


How To Repel Spirits

In addition to other ritual elements (chanting, drumming, etc.), it can be 
helpful to burn a small amount of the fragrant herb "ti". The scent will 
fill the area, thus purying it. It smells vaguely like celery. You can find 
ti in the wild, above 13000 feet altitude.


The cosmology was interesting, too. Very UAble.


Tom


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