The Shaman Game

The Shaman Game
Have you ever wanted something? I mean who hasn’t, right? That’s the reason humanity ever came up with such things as science or magic in the first place. Too bad modern people don’t really think of magic as a way to get what they want anymore - but I know of one way to get what you want - if you’re willing to play along. It doesn’t have a name because it’s so old, but I call it the Shaman Game, and I learned it from some medicine men during a stint in the Amazon rainforest. Don’t worry I made some modifications for the city down the road as not many of us have acres of dense jungle to play in. This game was originally played by shaman and warriors of many tribes as a way to find truth, to judge criminals, or learn the future, or to find something, but you can play it to find lotto numbers or the name of your future soulmate or the day you will die or just about anything. These individuals would learn the truth by journeying to the spirit world and gaining knowledge from its denizens just like you are about to do.

What You Need to Play:
-6 Tealights or other small candle
-Taper Candles and Stands per room of your play area (minimum of 7 rooms, please)
-Lighter or Matches
-Sea Salt
-3 Small Plastic Baggies (you will fill these with a table spoon of salt each)
-Mirror (that fits in the palm of your hand comfortably)
-Weapon (whether that means an edged tool, an instrument, or a holy item is up to you, but choose carefully)
-Flashcards (at least 7 per room or for fun use a Tarot Deck)
-Writing Tool
-Trusted Blood Relative or Stranger met 24 hours before the game (to aid you in the game)
-Something Precious to Wager (The truth you gain is only as powerful as what you are willing to wager but if you lose the game you lose this too so think about it carefully; if you wager your entire existence a slip with your full written name and a few drops of blood will suffice)
-Door (Ideally on every room but only a main door is needed)
-Running Water (Optional but it attracts spirits)
-Fans (Optional but it attracts spirits)
-Thermostat turned down to maximum cold (optional but it attracts spirits)
-Libations (Optional but it attracts spirits)

How to Play:
1.) Prior to attempting this game the player must abstain from food, water, sexual climax, chemical substances, and sleep for at least 24 hours. A vigorous workout half hour before the game is also recommended. It’s also a good idea to wear loose fitting clothing, or nothing at all for more fun, and make sure to take off any religious jewelry or anything made of silver or iron as it may upset the spirits. If you have medical reasons preventing you from doing any of these you are best off not playing this game.
2.) When the sun has been set for at least an hour, gather the materials with special consideration to your Weapon, your precious Wager, and your Companion as these will shape the game and wait outside of the play area. Your Companion must perform the set up alone and out of view.
3.) The Companion must first create a safe zone in the center of the home for the player by placing and lighting the six tealights in a circle surrounded by salt and place the wage in the middle. They must then write random letters and numbers on the flashcards and hide at least seven in various places of each room along with the unlit taper candle and stand. Next, the Companion must go through the play area shuttering every window for darkness, turning off all the lights and other electronics, ensuring each door is open, and if selected turn on sources of running water to just a trickle, turn on the fans and thermostat, and pour out libations in each room.
4.) Once all this is done the Companion must leave the play area, closing the front door behind them, and wait outside for the duration of the game, first entrusting the player with the lighter or matches, the three small baggies of salt, the mirror and the weapon. The player now properly equipped faces the door, knocking seven times while saying: “I am a Shaman. I have come to travel through the spirit world and learn the truth. Guests from above and below and outside and in I welcome you here, please help me know (your desire) through my glass eye against my wager of (your wager) but I am armed with (your weapon) and I will know the truth.”
5.) Once inside the player is no longer allowed to look directly at anything but must instead use the mirror in his or her dominant hand and look through only it’s reflection to see anything including the spirits you have welcomed here. The player must first go to the safe one and check that all the six lights are still lit, if they are he or she may proceed, but if three or more are not lit the game must be aborted now.
The player must search the play area, avoiding or defending against spirits, trying to find and light the taper candle in each room. When the candle is lit the player is allowed to search that room for up to three flashcards but each must be transported one at a time to the safe zone before the candle in the room is extinguished. If the candle in the room is extinguished before the player finds a cards or finishes transporting it or if the door to the room is closed, they were all opened by the Companion in the set up, the room is off limits to the player now. It is advised that the player keep the weapon and other items handy as they wander through the house.
6.) The game continues like this until the player wins, loses, or ties with the spirits. If triumphant or at least tying the player exits the play area with his or her wager in hand and the Companion goes in extinguishing the candles, turning of the taps and fans, and opening the windows for dawn’s first rays. If the player loses he or she should leave the wager in the center of the safety zone, extinguish the candles, turn off the taps and fans, gather any necessary items but leave the play area immediately and spend the next 24 hours away from the play area. If the wager is gone when the player returns he or she lost completely for it was claimed by the spirits and he or she may not play the game again but if the wager is still in the home, it will never simply be where it was left in the circle, the player is invited, and expected, to play again soon.

Win Condition:
To win the Shaman Game the player must successfully transport three cards from each room and figure out what they mean while every candle he or she lights, as well as all the candles of the safety zone, stay lit before dawn. If this is accomplished the player will be rewarded with a small token usually of a semi-precious stone or precious metal coin or pendant within three days of the game.

Lose Conditions:
I’m afraid there are many more losing conditions than winning, and losing means the sacrifice of your precious wager (but all may not be lost if you put up a good game). The first losing condition is if three or more candles of the safety zone go out during play the spirits have bested you. The next losing condition is if the player ever releases or breaks the mirror during the game he or she loses automatically. The final losing condition, although possibly necessary and smart for the player, is if the player abruptly ends the game without winning or tying with the spirits by something like turning on the lights, calling out to his or her Companion, removing the wager from the safety zone, leaving the area of play, or anything along those lines.

Tying Conditions:
In this game tying means you get to walk away with your wager in hand and with some, albeit maybe not all, of the information you wanted so don’t think of it as too bad. Basically, you tie with the spirits if you are forced to spend the majority of the game inside the safety zone for your protection or from fear or if you otherwise neither win nor lose.

Warnings & Precautions:
- This game will require you to move around in a darkened environment relying on a mirror’s reflection to guide you so unless you want to break an ankle or worse it may be in your best interest to clean and move things out of the way before you try it out. Also make sure your drains are unclogged and that the safety zone is on a hard floor and the stands in each room are secure otherwise you may just flood or burn your play area.
- Expect to be surrounded by spirits of all different kinds and temperaments, especially if you followed the optional suggestions. Each spirit will have a different way of manifesting itself so I won’t ruin all the fun but keep your senses peeled for darting shadows just out of direct sight, for spots with a different temperature, areas with unusual smells like blooming wildflowers or rotting meat, for random grazing touches along your body, and for unusual sounds like interruption of the water trickling or banging on the walls. It would also be a good idea to stay away from all other mirrors as you may see something you’d rather not and make sure to avoid rooms whose doors have closed but if you feel inclined put an ear to the door and hear what is going on as it will surprise you.
- This game will summon spirits, not all of which may be friendly or so willing to give you the information you seek, so be prepared for resistance and be sure you can use your weapon if need be. The salt packets you have should be enough to either dispel one spirit each or enough to make a rudimentary salt line if you are away from the safety zone and need to if possible get to the safety zone instead. Also after the game is done, especially for any rooms who had sealed doors, make sure to cleanse the play area according to your faith otherwise some spirits may just linger.
- Every player should also be wary of what their mirror shows them as during the game the spirit of the mirror you are using may show you your true self and other things you would prefer not to see or know but if that happens hurry back to the safety zone and the illusions should cease.
- If you are a practitioner of magic in any form, a psychic, or a person of extreme faith you may experience headaches or nosebleeds or worse you may find that your play area is much larger than you originally believed and that you have gotten lost. If you find yourself in the extremely rare situation of a seemingly endless hallway or stairway or in a room with extra doors it is entirely possible you have entered into the spirit realm and will need to find your way out. I’m afraid that I cannot advise you as the route you took determines the exits available but I would strongly suggest that you continue only using the mirror to see, searching the rooms to see what goodies you could potentially find but keep your bearings straight. You should return to our realm when you lose the game, as you have no chance of winning or tying now, or at dawn but be prepared to defend yourself.

Happy Hunting and All the Best.