Shamanism cannot be fully understood without understanding the significance of shamanic ritual tools, just as the spirit cannot be comprehended without matter! A shaman’s sacred implements may be of many different kinds. They many include sacred plants, special stones, animal parts, musical instruments, special essences, masks and costumes.

For the shaman, these objects not only represent the sacred, they embody the spirits, sacred cosmology and origins of the shamanic world. An altar created with such objects becomes an interface or doorway between spirit and physical matter.