Category: Shamanism

Native American Church – Founded in Oklahoma in 1918 and creatively fusing elements recognizable from earlier indigenous religious traditions and movements of North America and…

Myerhoff, Barbara (1935–1985) – One of the earliest anthropologists of Huichol (Wixáritari) shamanism, Myerhoff was one of the first non-Huichol (with Peter Furst) to participate…

Mutwa, Credo (1921– ) – Prolific Zulu writer who styles himself variously as shaman, medicine man, and witch doctor. Mutwa’s books have been about healing,…

Music – In addition to the making of rhythmic sound aided by drums, rattles, bells, and other instruments, shamans in many cultures sing or chant…

Mushrooms – While entheogen use is often perceived to be prevalent in shamanism worldwide, few indigenous shamans have made mushroom use an important part of…

Murray, Margaret (1863–1963) – British Egyptologist who made an important contribution to that subject but is probably best known for her work The Witch-Cult in…

Morrison, Jim (1943–1971) – Born James Douglas Morrison. Lead singer and songwriter of the late 1960s–early 1970s American rhythm-and-blues-, blues-, and jazz-influenced psychedelic rock band…

Mongolia – Mongolia is a landlocked Central Asian country of grassland, mountains, and desert that today is bordered by Russia to the north and China…

Midwives – Midwives in some cultures can have much in common with shamans, especially election by powerful helpers from other worlds. Elsewhere, midwifery may be…

Midewiwin – Ojibwe ceremonial complex, entailing an unfolding or hierarchical series of initiations involving transformation and healing rites and including elements of bear ceremonialism. While…