Shaman Tools

Shaman tools vary even among different indigenous groups.  Core Shamans of North America, Shamans of the High Andes and Nepalese shamans are all powerful in their own right; and they have their unique tools and ways.
Some of the commonly used Shamanic tools; plus a few others that are unique to one or more of the above three shaman cultures are listed as follows:

1) Feathers.

The feathers held in highest esteem by many cultures are the Eagle, closely followed by the Hawk and Condor. These Raptors are awesome predators, flying highest in the sky, some can soar and plummet at speeds and with an agility we can barely imagine. To be in possession of these feathers was, and still is regarded as a great honor. To work with bird energies is to love them, respect them, honor them.

You may be familiar with the term 'smudging, or smudge feathers', a practice that dates back centuries… The feathers used for smudging range from Turkey, Eagle, Hawk, Condor … the list is endless. Yet each feather has a different meaning, and each feather has within it the energies of the bird it comes from. 

Turkey is considered the eagle of the South of the Medicine wheel in some north American Shaman cultures.The most  commonly used feathers in smudging are Turkey; they are regarded as having cleansing and healing properties.

Shamans also use the entire wing of a bird such as turkey, eagle, condor, etc. for the purpose of smudging and cleansing.

2) Rattles

Rattles are one of the most ancient of musical instruments. The rattle, in its various forms, is used by shamans in many parts of the world to help the practitioner enter a shamanic state of consciousness and for calling in the spirits.

Native American Rattles ... made of Rawhide, Gourd, Turtle.  Of the many types of Indian rattles it is probably the turtle shell rattle as well as Native American gourd rattles that are the most well known.

Among the South American Shaman cultures of Peru, Andes, Amazon, etc., rattles are made from gourd, stick, feathers and contain corn.

Native American rattles are made with unique materials ...

Turtle shell rattle and may also include leather, rawhide, bead work and feathers as well as fur, leather fringe, seeds, rocks, antlers, horns, bones and shells.

The items placed inside the rattle also have special importance and are often chosen with great care.

Occasionally blue corn is used with or without quartz crystals.

The Native Indian rattle is also an instrument that is said to refer to the three kingdoms.

The animal kingdom … represented by the container or feather decoration,

the mineral kingdom … represented by rocks used for sound

The plant kingdom ... represented by the container or the wooden handle of the rattle.

3) Drums.

Drums are one of the most ancient of musical instruments. The drum, in its various forms, is used by shamans in many parts of the world to help the practitioner enter a shamanic state of consciousness and for calling in the spirits.

Typically, a shaman's drum is made of animal hide.  Deer, buffalo, Elk are common; goat hide is also used in drum making.

A shaman rides on the drum beat into a shamanic state of consciousness.

4) Quartz Crystals.
A shaman uses quartz crystals for healing, extraction, divination. Quartz crystals used in extraction are double pointed. Vogel cut double pointed quartz crystals are becoming more common for this purpose.

Some crystals have to be charged in by sun light and some by moon light. A shaman journeys to the mother crystal and asks for directions on how to charge it and what the crystal is meant to be used for.

5) Mirrors.  

Mirrors are held as sacred to the Moon, for as the moon reflects the sun's light, so too is a mirror an object of reflection. The symbolism of the mirror is simple and yet, complex.   

Mirrors also help us to see things we could not, without their aid; not only the physical, but also higher things such as memories of past lives, glimpses of the future and visions of things happening in other places at the same moment. They act as portals into other worlds.

The mirror is a useful and symbolic tool; a link with the moon, with one's subconscious and ultimately with nature itself.  Since it is a lunar tool, the mirror used is round; about three inches in diameter is quite common.

6) Staff.

It is a walking stick with feathers tied to its top end with a leather ribbon.

7) Bells.

Bells are one of the most ancient of musical instruments. A set of two bells is used by shamans of the high Andes for calling in the spirits and for singing to the mesa. One of the bells is higher pitched and is the female and the other is low pitched and is considered the male of the pair. A rattle serves the same purpose. An Andean shaman uses both a rattle and a pair of bells.

8) Mesa or Medicine Bag.

9) Spirit Water.

Florida water is used by Andean and South American Shamans to cleanse and also while creating sacred space.

10) Phurba.

Phurba is a dagger used by a Nepalese shaman. Andean shamans use a silver knife. These are used for cutting chords to people, places, etc. 

In certain other energy healing practices such as reiki, the healer uses an imaginary blade of their choice for cutting chords.

In Angelic healing, cutting chords is as easy as calling upon Archangel Michael to help cut the specific chords.