What is a helping spirit in shamanic belief?

In shamanic belief, a helping spirit is an active supernatural being—or a group of such beings—that assists a shaman in their duties. These spirits are central to the shaman's ability to perform their social and religious roles, as they are believed to provide the power necessary for the shaman to heal the sick, divine the future, and communicate with the transcendent world.12

Key characteristics of these spirits include:

• Relationship to the Shaman: Shamans are believed to be chosen by these supernatural beings, often during adolescence, rather than attaining their position through personal choice. The spirits may initially torment a candidate—a process known as "shaman illness"—to force them to accept their vocation.31
• Types of Assistance: While a shaman may have an active helping spirit, they may also possess a passive guardian spirit, which can appear in the form of an animal or a person of the opposite sex.1
• Proficiency: The quality of a shaman’s work is often defined by the nature of the spirits they communicate with. For instance, "white" shamans are associated with benevolent deities and good spirits, while "black" shamans are associated with wicked ones.4

By entering a trance state, the shaman can communicate directly with these spirits, allowing them to act as a medium or to send their own soul into the spirit realm to perform tasks such as retrieving a lost soul or escorting the dead to the Yonder World.21