Shamans of the Circle of Wisdom

On the occasion of gatherings of the Union des Traditions Ancestrales in France, shamans from the 5 continents meet to witness the universality of practices and the fraternity of the many traditions. I took portraits of shamans dressed in their traditional costumes.

"It was predicted that the time would come when the voices of indigenous peoples would rise again, after five hundred years of silence and oppression, to guide us to an eternal fire of peace, love and fraternity among all the Nations. "

William Commanda was the hereditary chief of the Algonquins. During his life, he has witnessed many times the oppression of his people and the virtual destruction of his territory, his language and his culture. During a deep spiritual awakening, he understood the urgency of bringing together the peoples of the four symbolic races of humanity, developing relationships based on these values and creating a synergy that would contribute to the spiritual transformation of a perceived world by many as being "in spiritual bankruptcy."

In the footsteps of this man, a gathering was created in France: The Circle of Wisdom of the Union of Ancestral Traditions ". Shamans from all 5 continents gather there each year to witness the universality of practices and the fraternity of the many traditions.

These gatherings are carefully designed to promote individual and collective healing, to build community at large, to support youth development and empowerment, and to integrate the creative principle with spiritual, social and community development. All are committed to promoting interracial and intercultural harmony, social justice and respect for Mother Earth. They also engage in their own communities to defend ancestral cultures.

Shamanism is an ancestral practice centered on the mediation between human beings and the spirits of nature. In recent years, it has taken a new leap forward in the West, in the wake of personal development practices. Initiatic stays and festivals gather more and more people in search of meaning, seduced by the pillars of this neo-shamanism: spirituality, connection with nature and community aspect.

I decided not to photograph the gathering itself, but to make portraits of all the Shamans present, bearing in their looks, their clothes the energy of the ceremonies that they come for a moment to leave.

I decided to make the same light and the same background for all, in order to create the visual sensation of the unity that connects them all.

I wish to testify for those men and women who work for Peace, between people, communities and towards the Earth.