Shamanic Community in painful times

Happy New Moon, happy Asian New Year, and happy 6-month anniversary to Green Snake School of Druid Shamanism!

The inaugural class of my shaman school began in August 2025, to coincide with the general energies of “Back-to-School” here in the States. After working as a public Druid Shaman for 15 years, I finally felt that I had enough experience within my East Coast and International Communities to adapt to the changing needs of potential students (especially in a post-pandemic world). I also was blessed with multiple snake omens, such as the appearance of a green snake during my hikes through Appalachia, 2025 was the year of the green wood snake, snakes are a very powerful symbol within Druid cosmology, and Coyote themself practically shouted in my head “DO IT MY FRIEND!”

When I first created this school, I truly meant it as a place where folx can share magical relationships with the Spirits within loving community, learn new things for their own lives, and just have a place to remember how magical we all are in such a terrifying national culture.  I wanted to share my observations, theories, insights, and journal entires with students who wanted to dedicate themselves to shamanic work. But unlike shaman schools that are based on an outdated, academic, “culturally-appropriated anthropology” model, I wanted to remove any sort of pressure to join and maintain attendance in order to “achieve successful completion” as many other programs do!

The way that I have been taught shamanism within different indigenous cultures (i.e. Wild Druidry, Nepali jhankri shamanism, and my familial ancestors) has filled in some of the gaps that my own shaman school missed. Looking at the patterns of workshops and schools within the States over the past 30 years, much of it was based on the academic model of completion. Graduated students would then using that “certificate of completion” as a basis to put one’s skills out in the world, or to write a “how-to” book that was divorced from ancestral practices (i.e., there is no such thing as “post-tribal shamanism!”). Sadly, this very American model of expertise is NOT accurate to shamanic efficacy– the Spirits show up for those that are in “right relationship”, not those who have a paper certificate saying they are now a shaman! Very few shaman schools actually create community, or long-term support, which is what I am trying to achieve. For students who want to go further and learn advanced techniques to work with the public (i.e., humans, land, animals, etc) I’m excited to create deep lessons following the mentor-apprentice model!

Our school is tiny but mighty, as everyone is located all across the East Coast. Students work diligently to build their own personal connection and practices for a more authentic and magical connection with their Spirits. Students are ALWAYS welcome to attend whenever they can make it, and I will always ensure that any new students I interview add to the collective creative magical space, so that everyone feels safe to share.

Interested in learning more about my school? Want a safe space to engage in magical practices? Don’t know what to do about the authoritarianism, facism, and racism attempting to overwhelm us? Email me (scroll to the bottom) to set up an interview; admissions are ongoing and never-ending– new students are always welcome, aaaOOOoooooOOOOOOoooo!

With love and hope,

Monika Coyote