Department of Shamanic Studies
Shamanism is a general term to describe a constellation of earth-based spiritual traditions and is a lifelong learning process. At OSC there are three broad modes of study: initiatory, artistic, and multicultural. Initiatory programs are actual contemporary shamanic traditions whereby the student becomes an apprentice and studies for an average of 3 to 5 years to learn the specific tradition taught. At present OSC teaches a tradition known as the Pillar Seiğr (Say-ther; for women only) tradition. This is a minimally 4-year apprenticeship program that merges mystical traditions of Norse Seiğr (women's shamanism) with a contemporary philosophy; its emphasis is on empowerment, vision, creativity, prophecy, and a deep connection with the Sacred Feminine. Program operates Fall-to-Fall within a small-group structure, but students are encouraged to apply throughout the year pending space.
Students may also opt for a degree in World Shamanism, which emphasizes becoming well grounded in both the global indigenous roots of shamanism as a religious practice and its current and varied manifestations as a new religious movement. At the doctoral level, students in World Shamanism can choose to either develop their own personal initiatory path, creating a coherent and personal tradition of shamanism based on their grounding in academic knowledge and their personal spiritual vision, while being mentored; or further develop academic exploration of a pre-existing path. Students in this department learn through a combination of independent study, self-paced directed study, live online seminars, and class/group study. The World Shamanism masters and doctoral program operate under three tracks: scholarship, ministerial, and combined.
Finally, OSC launched in the Fall of 2010, a specially designed MFA program that allows students with shamanistic spiritual beliefs to merge this with their creative calling--in theory exploring shamanism as a creative and performance call. Students from varie artistic backgrounds learn about shamanism as a world tradition of religious and spiritual reflection and apply this to their own artistic self-expression. Students are admitted to the program based on portfolio submission.
