From: The Big-8 Management Board <board@big-8.org>
Subject: Proposed New Moderator: soc.religion.shamanism (LAST CALL FOR COMMENTS)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.native, news.announce.newgroups, talk.religion.misc,
soc.religion.shamanism, news.groups.proposals
Followup-To: news.groups.proposals
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 08:48:29 -0600
Organization: http://www.big-8.org/
Moderation Replacement Announcement
soc.religion.shamanism
This is a formal announcement that the Big-8 Management Board intends to
replace the moderator of soc.religion.shamanism.
MODERATION POLICY: soc.religion.shamanism
This group will be robomoderated to block spam and crossposts. If someone
wishes to apply more sophisticated filters, or to hand-moderate the group,
please contact the moderator.
MODERATOR INFO: soc.religion.shamanism
Moderator: Tim Skirvin <skirv@big-8.org>
Article Submissions: srs-submit@killfile.org
Administrative Contact: srs-request@killfile.org
END MODERATOR INFO
HISTORY:
soc.religion.shamanism was created in October 1993 by a 179:58 vote. It
enjoyed regular traffic until December 2000. A June 2006 Moderator Vacancy
Investigation into the group showed that there is no current active
moderator of soc.religion.shamanism.
While there were initially several volunteers to moderate the newsgroup, no
agreement could be found amongst them as to policies or technical details.
Rather than continue to let the group linger, the Big-8 Management Board has
decided to robo-moderate the group until a suitable moderator can be found.
Some web links of note:
http://groups.google.com/group/soc.religion.shamanism/about
ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/usenet/news.announce.newgroups/soc/soc.religion.shamanism
CHARTER:
Excerpted from the control messages:
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of soc.religion.shamanism is to provide a forum for
discussion and exchange of questions, ideas, views, and information
about historic, traditional, tribal, and contemporary shamanic
experience. Everyone is invited to take part in this discussion by
sharing views, ideas, opinions, experience and information about
shamanism.
2. BACKGROUND
Technically speaking, Shamanism is classified by anthropologists as
an archaic magico-religious phenomena (in) which the shaman is the
great master of ecstasy. This view of shamanism is further detailed
in the Shamanism-General Overview Frequently Asked Questions (which
is available in news.answers). The distinguishing characteristic
of shamanism is its focus on an ecstatic trance state in which the
soul of the shaman is believed to leave the body and ascend to the
sky (heavens) or descend into the earth (underworld). The shaman
makes use of spirit helpers, which he or she communicates with,all
the while retaining control over his or her own consciousness. Most
importantly, shamanism as a spiritual practice focuses on the personal
experience of the shaman. Everything that a shaman does depends upon
this experience. Without it, there is no shaman.
In contemporary, historical or traditional and non-traditional shamanic
practice the shaman may at times fill the role of priest, magician,
metaphysician or healer. Personal experience with and knowledge of other
realms of being and consciousness and the cosmology of those regions are
prime determinants of shamanism. With this knowledge, the shaman is
able to serve as a bridge between the mundane and the higher and lower
states. The shaman lives at the edge of reality as most people would
recognize it and most commonly at the edge of society itself. Few indeed
have the stamina to adventure into these realms and endure the outer
hardships and personal crises that have been reported by or observed of
many shamans.
For more information see the shamanism-general overview FAQ, which
has been posted to news.answers. In addition another FAQ, soc
religion.shamanism FAQ, will be regularly posted to once this group has
been created.
PROPONENT:
Tim Skirvin <skirv@big-8.org> - on behalf of the B8MB
DISTRIBUTION:
This document has been posted to the following newsgroups:
news.announce.newgroups
news.groups.proposals
soc.religion.shamanism
soc.culture.native
talk.religion.misc
The proponent will also post pointers to:
soc.culture.celtic
soc.culture.misc
alt.pagan
alt.mythology
soc.religion.paganism (moderated)
CHANGE HISTORY:
2007-01-10 New Moderator Found (Tentative)
2006-07-20 Moderator Vacancy Announcement
2006-06-27 Moderator Vacancy Investigation
