ABSTRACT
In the ritual pathways of shamanism, transformation takes precedence. Like the shaman, the priest has a divine calling; but this charisma has become subordinated to the regularities of the religious institution. Priesthood comes later than shamanism and is an adaptation of it to hierarchical patterns of social organization. In practice the priestly and the shamanic are mixed, and indeed it is customary to speak of the Haitian houngan as a priest, his female counterpart, the marnbo, as a priestess. The relation between established shaman and new learner is ad hoc. A shamanic ritual is the opening of a window, the casting of a net, the hurling of a cry into the night. The shaman performs for effect because the shaman understands himself or herself to be an agent of transformative power. On the contrary, the shaman is typically very much in charge, and shamanic ritual traditions are often very strong.
