Cerului Column and Shamanism

Previously, I discussed the shamanic world view. One aspect of that worldview requires further explanation. This is the shamanic relationship with the Cerului Column.

Often called the Tree of Life, or The Tree of Knowledge found in Judaism and Christianity, or it may be the central axis of the cosmos or the Cerului Column. Whatever it’s called, it’s at the core of who it is and as such has an importance in many ancient cultures. The idea, however, has existed in most cultures since humanity acculturated. Probably the earliest known record of the concept comes from the ancient Egyptian story of Osiris.

In contemporary times, actually a remnant of medieval Europe, it is considered the symbol used by the medical profession, the Staff of Asclepius.

In shamanism, it is the shaman’s staff that represents the Cerului Column and is used to connect the three realms of the world: the Upper World, the Middle World and the third, the Lower World.

For the shaman, the Upper World is the world of the unseen in which there is potential waiting to manifest. The Middle World is the spiritual aspect of the material world and is more like ordinary reality. The Lower World houses the spirits of animals, spirit guides, and of course the human spirit after it leaves the physical body.

Because the staff is a representation of the Cerului Column, it is a powerful tool and is held in great respect and treated with care. For the shaman, this concept poses a definite paradox. For the shaman, the center of the world is everywhere. In his altered state of consciousness, the shaman remains physically firmly planted in the ordinary world, but travels spiritually in non-ordinary reality. While in this trance state, the Cerului Column becomes the place on which the shaman stands or sits and thus becomes the center of the universe.

Norman W. Wilson, Ph.D.