Informant38

The word 'shaman' is not gender specific. It has no linguistic connection to 'man' or 'woman' and the pluralized 'shamen' or feminist 'shawoman' and 'shamaness' are misinformed at best and political or ignorant at worst. The word shaman describes a very specific role and methodology within Siberian tribal society.

. . .

Siberian tribes used to feed Amanita Muscaria mushrooms to their reindeer and would then drink the reindeer's urine to effect a hallucinogenic state. Some people claim this is where the 'flying reindeer' concept came from. Notice how Santa's suit resembles an Amanita Muscaria mushroom. South and Central American tribes were unique in that it was their main methodology of journeying...
from Barbelith via the self-indulgently cynical and adolescently angsty Mordant Carnival who nonetheless rendered the seizure below.