''Shaman'', meaning ''intermediary between spirit and the natural world'', has become a much overused word in the West. It''s not a job title one can give oneself, and in indigenous societies, a shaman is usually born to this role. Ya''Acov Darling Khan is one of the few westerners who have been acknowledged as shamans by indigenous elders or teachers.
After being hit by lightning, Ya''Acov took a 30-year journey into the heart of shamanism to seek his own healing, and to learn how he could serve others with the wisdom he acquired through his experiences. He has studied with indigenous teachers from the Arctic Circle to the USA and South America, and has taken part in ceremonies in such diverse locations as Welsh caves to the depths of the Amazon rainforest. Nowadays, Ya''Acov continues to study and regularly journeys to the Ecuadorean Amazon to work alongside the Achuar and S-ra people.
For thousands of years, shamans helped the people in their communities remain in
