Ethical Shamanic Practice: The Three Core Principles of Working with the Spirit World
Ethical Shamanic practice is built on relationship — not technique. And like any healthy relationship, it requires certain qualities to thrive. Over years of practice and teaching, I've distilled these qualities into three core principles I call the Three C's: Context, Consent, and Collaboration. These aren't rules imposed from outside. They are the natural expression of genuine, respectful relationship with the living world — with the land, the spirit realm, and all the beings we work alongside in Shamanic practice.
My Introduction to Context, Consent and Collaboration in Shamanic Practice
When I was in second grade, my school went on a trip to the high desert in central Oregon. At that point in my life, visiting a different bioregion was a huge revelation to me. I was accustomed to the towering firs, waterfalls and cascading moss of the pacific northwest rainforest. Encountering such a distinct environment with a completely different architecture of climate, geology, and inhabitants opened my eyes to new awe for the genius of nature. As we learned about life in the desert, I felt the tremendous importance of understanding the constellation of beings, elements and land, and how they all work together in a way that is specific and ideal to that particular place.
That moment planted the seeds of what would later become the three principles I now teach as the foundation of all Shamanic practice: Context, Consent and Collaboration. For the first time, I clearly realized the significance of this dynamic in nature. Later in my teenage years, these ideas took on more structure and definition as I began my Shamanic study and learned practices from my teachers about how to make offerings and communicate with land and nature spirits, and bring these principles into Shamanic healing sessions.
Let’s explore the Three C’s of Shamanic practice and how they can help you deepen your relationship with nature and the spirit realm.
Context: Know Where You Are
Context is the first and most foundational C. In Shamanic practice, context means understanding the existing architecture of wherever you are. What land are you on? Who are the indigenous peoples or original stewards of this place? What are the common plants, animals, and salient geological features? What is the history of this land — its transformation, its grief, its gifts? Who are the spirit guides who work with these frequencies and come from this place?
Context also encompasses the cultural lineage you are working within. Are you drawing on a specific tradition? A specific teacher? A specific geography? The more clearly you understand your context — both the land context and the lineage context — the more effectively and respectfully you can work.
Practically, this means: wherever you are, take time to learn about the place. Research the bioregion. Learn the plants and animals, and their relationships with each other. Research the history. Acknowledge the peoples who have stewarded this land before you. This is not only ethically important — it also makes your practice more powerful, because you are working in alignment with the actual living intelligence and existing architecture of the place rather than imposing something onto it. This is foundational to a practice of ethical Shamanism — there is no true relationship without understanding.
Consent: Ask Before You Act
Asking for and receiving consent to harvest Chanterelle mushrooms.
Earth is a free will planet. This is one of the fundamental principles of Shamanic cosmology. Nothing can be compelled. Nothing should be compelled. Everything we do in relationship with the spirit world, with land and nature spirits, with the beings we work alongside — all of it happens in the context of consent. In an animistic worldview, consent isn’t just a courtesy — it's a recognition that everything around us is genuinely alive and sovereign.
This means asking before you take anything from nature — a mushroom, a branch, a stone, a handful of herbs. It means asking the land or the space before you do ceremony, Shamanic healing work, or any kind of energetic practice. It means listening for the response, which may come as a felt sense of openness or resistance, as a sound, as an image, as a physical sensation or physical messenger. The principle of asking and attuning before acting is at the heart of what I mean by ethical Shamanism.
What does it feel like when consent isn’t present? I clearly remember an experience several years ago where I was walking through the forest, looking for a space to do some Qigong and Shamanic ritual practice. I came across a spot that visually looked beautiful and appealing. When I opened my senses to ask if I was welcome to practice there, I felt incredibly uneasy. All of a sudden, the birds all went quiet, and I felt prickling on the back of my neck. I acknowledged the refusal and kept walking. As soon as I left the space, the birds resumed singing and the sensation faded. I kept walking until I came across another space that answered my request with warmth, welcome and a feather on the ground.
Collaboration: You Are Never Alone
The third C is perhaps the most liberating: you are never doing this alone. Shamanic practice is always collaborative. You are working alongside your spirit guides, your lineage teachers, the land spirits of wherever you are, the medicine spirits of the plants and elements, your own higher self. All of these are available to you as partners, allies and collaborators.
The shift from ‘I am doing this’ to ‘we are doing this together’ is transformative. When you’re holding space for someone in a Shamanic healing session or ritual, you don’t need to carry it all yourself. When you’re navigating something difficult in your own life, you don’t need to navigate it alone. When you’re facilitating a group or a retreat, you can invite the land itself to hold the container with you.
Collaboration requires the skill of asking, the willingness to receive and the reciprocal flow of energy through offering back. All of these are practices, and like all practices, they deepen with time, attention and devotion.
Putting the Three C’s Into Practice
As you are building your own Shamanic practice, here is a simple way to bring all three C’s into any Shamanic work or ceremony.
Before you begin, take a moment to orient to Context: where am I? What is the living architecture of this place? What do I need to understand about these beings and this environment?
Then move to Consent: I am asking permission to be here in this way. I am listening for the response and waiting for a full yes.
Finally, open to Collaboration: I am not doing this alone. I am working with my guides, with the land spirits, with all the beings who choose to support this work for the highest and greatest good. May my practice be a devotional gift of reciprocal generosity.
This three-part orientation takes only a few minutes and it fundamentally changes the quality of everything you do. It moves you from performing a technique to being in genuine relationship. That difference is everything.
Ready to Deepen Your Shamanic Practice?
The Three C's — Context, Consent and Collaboration — are woven through everything I teach, from individual healing sessions to long-term mentorship to the Foundations of Shamanism course. They're not just principles to read about. They're skills that develop through practice, guidance and genuine relationship with the living world.
If you're ready to build an ethical Shamanic practice rooted in integrity, here's where to go next:
→ Foundations of Shamanism — my 11-week live online course covering the essential skills of ethical, grounded Shamanic practice.
→ Shamanic Mentorship — 1:1 support for your unique path of healing and awakening.
→ Shamanic Healing — powerful sessions for deep personal healing work.
Not ready to commit yet? Start with my free guide, Activate Your Shamanic Gifts, and begin building your own relationship with the living world.
