Sha’tokan

Sha’toka

Deities

Worshipers of Sha’toka do not worship any gods, rather they revere and honor the spirits and their ancestors. (This religion is purely a Centaur religion, or anyone who has wild magic.)

Spirits are animals that have died but continue changing nature and other aspects of the world. And they are able to provide blessings, and protection.

They also revere their ancestors to honor them.

The teachings of the Shamans

Shamans teach that honoring the spirits will bring blessings to one's life, help keep the balance of nature, and bring honor to you and your ancestors.

Shamans also teach that spirits are an unseen force, only appearing in very rare circumstances. They help keep the balance of nature, they help plants to grow, keep animal populations healthy, and provide a place of rest and joy for those close to them. Those who live their lives alongside the spirits, will gain a peaceful afterlife, and be able to watch over their descendants.

They also teach that one of the best ways to pray to a spirit is to light a small bright spark and play a short melody on a traditional instrument before saying a prayer. (Each animal spirit species has a different tune, melady, or instrument of choice that they prefer.)

The Spirits description

Spirits are described as looking like living animals, only with glowing eyes and marking, and being transparent. Or not visible at all.

Daily Life

The spirits are worshiped daily in various different ways. Mostly the spirits are prayed to when performing a task or duty that is within their sphere of influence. Such as asking for wisdom from owls, asking for bravery from Bears and so on.

Many also have small shrines to various animal spirits that they seek guidance and blessings from.

Followers who hunt animals will leave Bright sparks behind to honor the bounty of the animal, and please the spirit.

(A bright spark is a small stone bowl full of Bridle thorn wood. When burnt this wood makes sparky and popping fire, it also changes to more of a blue green flame. It’s believed that leaving this where the animal was killed will become a gift for the animal once it becomes a spirit, as it will be the first thing they see in their new life as a spirit.)

List of traditional instruments:

Bells,

Rattles,

Flutes,

Drums,

Stringed Instruments.

Woodland centaurs do not eat meat, however they still have cooking fires. They like to cook up soups and grow a variety of plants to eat. They will eat fish however, from lakes and rivers.

Professions

Shamans

Shamans speak to the spirits and are the spiritual guides for villages. They tend to the spirits and help keep the balance of nature around a village that they live in. Shamans are also always wild magic users.

They also help perform medicine, and healing.

To become a shaman one must be chosen by one and become an apprentice for many years. When their shaman teacher believes them to be ready they will undergo the shamanistic ritual. For the ritual they must find a specific animal that is gravely injured or very elderly. The animal will depend upon what tribe the shaman is from. Woodland shamans look for male deer, Grassland shamans look for male Bulls, and Highland shamans look for male rams.

The shaman will attempt to bargain with the animal. Giving them an honorable and clean death to end their suffering, in exchange for a certain amount of their energy upon death. Once completed the shaman will have a pair of antlers, or horns grown from their heads. This is to mark them as a fully fledged shaman.

Outfit

Shamans will wear the pelts or skins of the animals that they speak to or represent. They also have many pendants and totems attached to their attire.

They also have unique tattoos and paint on their bodies that marks them as a shaman. These body markings are green.

Architecture

They have Spirit shrines. These shrines are large groves surrounded by a stone fence. Within these groves are beautiful sacred gardens full of plants that are said to be loved by spirits. This place is also dotted with tombstones, each one has a carved animal at the top of the tombstone. The animal represents their animal companion. The animal eye sockets are hollow, built to allow a small fire to be light within them. (Traditionally small fires are lit within the animal stone skull of the tombstone one is trying to honor and commune with.)

There are also large, tall stone brazzers. These hold a special scented wood that is to be burnt every night. It is light to keep the spirits close to the shrine, and to honor them and the ancestors.

The spirit shrines are used to speak to the ancestors as well as spirits. It is also used for meditation. Many shamans build their homes next to a local shrine and help to tend to its needs. Mostly however the village works together to clean and repair the shrines from age, keep the plants healthy, and light the brazzers.

Zodiac

Overview: They believe that being born on a specific month gives you the spirit of a specific animal and the traits there in.
Winter 1: Wolf

The wolf symbolizes bravery and leadership.

Winter 2: Mammoth

The mammoth symbolizes Love and a long memory.

Spring 3: Bear

The bear symbolizes strength.

Spring 4: Long Elk

The Long Elk symbolizes Freedom.

Summer 5: Trout

The Trout symbolizes Determination.

 

Summer 6: Eagle

The Eagle symbolizes the thrill of the hunt, and honor.

 Summer 7: Large Cat

The cat symbolizes Ferocity and intelligence.

 Summer 8: Ram

The Ram symbolizes Loyalty.

Fall 9: Fox

The Fox symbolizes Craftiness and quick wittedness.

 Fall 10: Boar

The Boar symbolizes Stubbedness.

 Fall 11: Humming bird

Humming bird symbolizes art and passion.

Winter 12: Owl

The owl symbolizes Wisdom.

Mythology

It’s believed that the spirits will come to those who seek them if they help to keep the balance and honor them. Spirits have been known to help in many ways, such as guiding those onto paths of wisdom, balance, and peace. Or to help those who are lost whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

Belief

They believe that when they die those close to the spirits will have their souls taken by the spirits to dwell with them. They will then be able to help the spirits to help guide their living descendants, and to help the spirits to keep balance.