Week 4: Spirits Spirits Everywhere: Animism and Modern Interpretations -Brittany Carlson
In preparation for this week’s
discussions, we read ““We have Len Dong Too”: Transnational Aspects of Spirit
Possession” by Karen Fjelstad; “Tarot Cards: The Ancestor and The Ghost” from
the Open in Emergency box and ““We
are not alone” The Shamans of the World Tells Us” by The Scientific and Medical
Network. In ““We have Len Dong Too”: Transnational Aspects of Spirit
Possession” by Karen Fjelstad the article discusses the changes (doi moi) that the Len dong ritual is undergoing and the increasing materialism that society
is currently facing regarding religious practice. This relates to the theme of
the week because it shows the changes of traditional ritual to what a new
modern interpretation of the ritual is. The tarot cards, “The Ancestor” and “The
Ghost,” from the Open in Emergency boxare
used to represent something more that is viewed on the surface. The cards
relate to this week’s reading because like with the concept of animism where
non-living objects are given living attributes and used to represent something
more than the object itself, the Ancestor and the Ghost are used to represent
something more than the surface value of the picture that is shown on the cards.
In ““We are not alone” The Shamans of the World Tells Us” by The Scientific and
Medical Network the article introduces the idea that shamanism and shamanistic
practices should be included in the educational curriculum. This relates to the
theme of the week because the idea that shaman teachings could become
integrated into society can give rise to a modern interpretation of shamanism.
I personally enjoyed learning more about the significance behind the creation
of the tarot cards this week. I found it particularly interesting that the
tarot cards were created as an artistic representation of the hidden aspects of
Asian American emotional, psychic, and spiritual lives, as well as the systems
of violence that are inflicted upon them as noted by the people behind the
conception of the Open in Emergency box
(kickstarter.com).
Question:
Why did the Len dong ritual undergo a
doi moi (transformation)?

Literature
Cited:
Karen
Fjelstad. ““We have Len Dong Too”: Transnational Aspects of Spirit Possession.”
Open
in Emergency. “Tarot Cards: The Ancestor and The Ghost.”
The
Scientific and Medical Network. ““We are not alone” The Shamans of the World
Tells Us.”
Media
Cited:
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