Interview — David Shi, Author of The Mysteries and Magic of North Asian Shamanism

Linda Bischoff (PaganPages.Org): In your book “Spirit Voices” you talk about your background and your path to where you are today – is there anything else that you’d like to add? What do you see your future path looking like?

David Shi: Yes – thank you. I grew up in what I would term an Atheist family meaning that I was raised by parents with a mindset of believing in hard science; somewhat of a STEM perspective. The ancestral practices in the book are coming from my ancestors who began appearing in my dreams when I was in my mid to late teens. It was in this way that I began to slowly discover my Manchurian roots and the community of Shamanic people/elders to assist in my path. The elders have been very helpful in clarifying messages and I believe this is an ongoing process for me – the writing of this book being only a part of my journey.

I plan on going back to looking for the specific traditional elder to guide me and then to focus on one tradition. In this culture one must be chosen to be a Shaman and once chosen you must follow this path. Should you choose not to follow the path you risk punishment from the gods. The decision to become a full time Shaman is ultimately determined by the gods and if that is my chosen path I will need to determine how to become financially sustainable. The North Asian belief is that it is rude to have set prices but something must be offered as payment for Shamanic services and there are many initiated Shamans that still hold “day jobs”.

Tell me more about the concepts of North Asian Shamanism?

Shamanism has always been trendy, but it reached it’s peak between the 60s and 80s and that is when the most New Age damage occurred. Currently the word is trendier than the practice. Every culture has its own history of spirituality. Shamanism is to maintain co-existence and balance between communities and individuals and the spirits around them.

The book covers many traditions across North Asia. There are some similar practices within North Asia and there are some specific areas with their own regional flair. The early chapters of my book generalize traditions, and the later chapters emphasize details within regions. I practice what resonates with me and my spirits. There are indeed some cross-cultural influences and things that come from shared roots. Most practices are traditions that come from centuries of unbroken lineage.

When working with the ancestral spirits you must also connect with the land spirits and vice versa – it is very important to bridge the ancestral and the land. Open practices should be a part of our everyday life for spiritual health. Closed practices are closed because they are not safe to practice without “knowledge” and come with a risk of physical and spiritual repercussions.

What was your main inspiration for this book?

Weiser (the Publishing Company) had been asking me for many years to create this book, but it was only during Covid that I seriously considered it. Upon review of my bookshelf, I realized that there were very few books that broadly cover all of the beliefs in an easy-to-understand way.

Shamanism has always been linked closely to the North American Indigenous culture. I wanted to inspire Asian Americans to strengthen their roots and to do that I knew it must be relatable. So, I incorporated some of my experiences from my own journey regarding concepts and general practices for spiritual health.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Most of my writings occur late at night. It wasn’t uncommon for me to be sitting in front of my computer at 2:00 am with several tabs open and many resource books spread around me. Sometimes it’s easy to fall into rabbit holes when researching and writing about spiritual topics.

Are there other books that you have authored?

In 2016, through The Lucky Mojo (publisher) I released a book called North Asian Magic. It was a small book, only 96 pages and it was about Shamanic and Buddhist Magic.

About David Shi

David J. Shi is a shamanic worker and folk magic practitioner who engages in traditional North Asian forms of shamanism. David’s practices are deeply rooted in spirit work in which ancestral and land spirits are called to empower all workings. He has appeared at conferences and festivals throughout the United States and is always aiming to introduce Westerners to Eastern spiritualities and helping fellow Asian Americans connect to their spiritual roots.

 

 

 

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About the Author:

Linda Bischoff

Over the past 35 years, Linda has been helping people curate elements of their physical space to influence mind, body and spirit. Her focus has always been on creating meaningful connection with our environment.

Within her practice of Feng Shui, she combines the principles of Interior Design and the concepts of Biophilia to ensure positive energy flow. When we enhance the vibrations around us we become more likely to achieve our dreams and goals.

Linda lives in Halton Hills, Ontario with her husband and their cat Molley. Find out more about her and her practice at avalonlanestudio.ca —