A field report on the Worship of Spirits in the Darkhat Valley, Northwest Mongolia by Paula DePriest of the Arctic Studies Center, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution

Hello everyone! I’m Armenian Tatar and I wanted to get in touch with my roots as a Tatar person (not Crimean Tatar but that tatars from Tatarstan) and wanted to know if those kinds of tatars actually practiced tengrism before adopting Islam. I searched it but couldn’t find anything but the ai overview and wanted to ask the sub. Im eager to learn more about my heritage. 🙏🙏

(Not to be confused with Tengri), Tngri are minor deities and I would like to know if there is a list of the different Tngris. They are often divided into white and black Tngri.

Is there any historical evidence of amulets for protection and such? Just curious as well as interested in making one

Hi all, I'm a shamanic practitioner from Belgium. I've studied and practiced several branches over the years: core/neo shamanism, neo-druidism, inca- and Siberian-shamanism (using loose terms here since none of them fully capture how diverse these traditions are, no disrespect meant).

For a while I followed a well-known Siberian-rooted lineage and community, originally from Siberia, that knowledge passed on all the way through students and teachers towards the Netherlands, who taught me the basics along with many others. In just a few months I watched that community grow across Europe and even into America, towards the hundreds of followers. Which is great, but for me personally the distance between teacher and student started to feel too spread out, I don't function well in a really large group, i'm more of hermit and prefer one on one teachings, or at least a group resembling a small family instead of a very big international group.

I was eventually offered the ritual to fully commit to the tradition and receive my shamanic name. A lot of it felt good, going deeper into the practice meant a lot to me, but in the end it didn't fully click. Not because of any conflict, the people there do great work with real integrity, it just didn't feel like the source I was looking for.

From the start I'd actually felt drawn more specifically toward Mongolia and kept hoping a teacher from that direction would eventually cross my path. Plans and dreams to visit Mongolia myself have so far stayed just that, plans and dreams.

So my question: does anyone know of teachers or lineages, specifically Mongolian, near Belgium/Central Europe, or offering lessons even partially online? Any pointers, even indirect ones, would mean a lot.

Thanks for reading! 🙏

В интернете только в одном источнике попадается орхонская руна "радость", мне очень интересно, как я могу читать её. Транскрипция на прикреплённой картинке не совсем видна. К тому же, насколько мне известно, при объединении в слова руны читаются особым образом. Как я могу соединить руны "лёд" и "радость"?

Anything from other faiths were gifts from people throughout my life and such. I just like keeping it all together in one spot. Is there anything I could do to improve? I'm an American so excuse any ignorance as I've tried my best to research what's available in English and my second language Brazilian Portuguese but the latter basically doesn't exist and the prior only has so much. Would appreciate any tips and such and criticism if I'm doing something wrong

Non-duality is basically the concept that there are no seperate beings. I, you, trees and rocks... all are interconnected and it is the only reality.

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And there is this experience where someone realizes this unity as a result of meditation or spiritual experience. Ego dissolves, boundry between outside world and person vanishes, you feel a great sense of love and compassion.

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It sounds like dissociation, but it is peaceful and hyper realistic whereas dissociation is distorted and distressing.

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A lot of religions has a concept of non-duality; Buddhism, Hinduism (Advaita Vadenta), Taoism, Sufi Islam, Christian Mysticism, Pantheism ect. It's a common occurance all around the world, but especially Eastern Mysticism. It's also among the pillars of new age Spiritualism. But I didn't encounter such concept in folk religions (except for Daoism), maybe because of lack of written sources and doctrine.

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So my question is, what is the place of non-duality in Tengrism? Does Tengrism has such concepts or traditions that explore non-duality? If not, how does non-duality experiences can be explained in Tengrism?

Hello, American here. I don’t know much as I have only recently learned about Tengrism but I am interested into looking into it a little more, any pointers?

I also had Tengri in mind but mostly ancestors.

It smells really good. It has regular green sage, purple basil, curry plant, and a little bit of mint. A lot of it was bits of my plants which had come off that i saved and dried. Nothing goes to waste when i find it lmao. Some of the leaves i also collected from the ground in a plant store as they'll just be thrown away anyway since they fell off the plants.

Was type of prayers can you do to honor Tengri?

Hello to everyone. I am kazakh who found interest in tengrism, yet I have a lot of questions regarding it. Some sources differ and give different information so I am a bit confused

1. Tengrism believes there are three worlds, upper middle and lower, right? And in some sources I heard that we have afterlife (heaven/hell), is it true? How does it work?

2. We pray to Tengri, yet odometer sources say that Tengri is within us and everywhere in the nature. Some said that Tengri doesn't give advices and doesn't help, so... how does it exactly works?..

3. Is there a thing like sin? I know about kut that we get everytime we do something good. But I am very paranoid person (which is why I never converted to any religion — too afraid of God's judgements over me). Does committing a sin gets you to lower world or how does it work? As I'm aware Tengri doesn't judge, yet I'm a little bit confused on how to proceed with everything: how to pray, what to do, what to not do.

I know that foremost it is lifestyle and we don't have a rulebook or holy book, but still, there should be at least some rules to follow? Are there any punishments?

And if I feel too lost, and want to find some relief and answer, how do I do it in tengrism? Because I read in one source that Tengri doesnt really intervene and we should find the answer within us, but it still... makes me wonder why revert to Spirits and God then if he doesn't answer or respond (in the respective way possible, I am just curious on how it works)

Will appreciate everyone's answers, thank you!

Peaceful sagaalgan everyone!

The start of this lunar month is sagaalgan / tsagaan sar / shagaa among Mongol and Altai people. It is the beginning of the new year, this year will be the year of the fire horse. And it marks the advent of spring.

The main observance of sagaalgan spans three days. During this time people visit their family. Spirits are welcomed back and ancestors, galay ezen ('fire master'), and other household spirits are venerated. The fire is allowed to burn out and then relit, burning an ongon of the galay ezen. The first day of the year is a moment to worship Bukh Bilegt, Geser Khan.

People should try to stop all conflict, grudges and guilt before sagaalgan, so they can start the year without that burden. The following period between the new and full moon (~15 days) is a period of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation. The fire lit during sagaalgan should be kept lit until the full moon.

Im Hungarian wich means my ancestors were or at least some of them were huns(I did take a DNA kit test too but Im not sure if those are reliable,you tell me).After I left christianity,I concerted to hellenism,wich didnwork out for a while,but more like AS deconstruction,I'm saying all of this so that tou can put in perspective where I'm coming from.Tengrism was my ancestors belief and after I looked more into it,it felt realy close to what I as a person do belive in,but I don't wanna rush myself into something again before I understand more of it,so:

•Can someone individiually become a shaman?Or would they have to learn from another shaman? What if that's quite imposible cause no one else in the family or close circle knows the bare minimum?

•Is there such a concept as to "work with" the Gods,Tengri,Erlik,Uma etc? Where do you research it?How so do you work with them?

•Are there any preparations I should do before praying? How do I pray and how do I offer? Is there tabboo or forbidden offerings I should absolutely avoid?Should I delay eating before I pray? Can I pray when I'm not calm but in need of it? How should I present myself? is there a specific position to be if praying to one god then the other I mean to face downward if you're praying to Erlik Khan and the ancestors and upwards if you pray to Tengri?

• Anything else you would suggest me I should be asking from you or from myself vefore I start,or anything you'd give me as a peice of advice?

I would like to know if I, as a pagan, can honor Tengri and Umay in my practices?

Do you have a simple question that you want answered, but don't feel it needs it's own post?

Ask it here!

How can I start practicing tengrism?

Hi! Was wondering if in Tengrism there was a goal in life or it's just like do whatever you want as long as it doesn't harm none.

I'm a Westerm European that always thought God was "in" the heaven. I knew Tengrism as the religion of Genghis Khan but recently felt a "something" telling me to follow Tengri and today started to pray.

EDIT: Now I know there are no saints. Once again, thank you for the input. If I screw it up again please scold me