There is No Such Thing as a "Gypsy Shaman"
The term "Gypsy Shaman" is often used to describe Romani healers, but it's a misrepresentation of their role. In Romani culture, the Chovihano is the correct term for a male healer. He isn’t a "shaman" in the way it’s commonly understood—he’s a practical healer with deep cultural knowledge, not a mystical figure performing rituals for show.

Who Is the Chovihano?
The Chovihano is a healer, not a shaman. His work is rooted in everyday life, practical healing, and the use of natural elements like herbs and charms, as well as various healing and protective rituals, spiritual guidance, and practical magic, including Romani divination, to help his community and others. The Chovihano doesn’t rely on dramatic ceremonies or "spiritual power"—his work is focused on real solutions to health and emotional issues.

The trendy title "Gypsy Shaman" doesn’t apply here. The Chovihano works with ancient healing wisdom and tools that are rooted in tradition and culture, not mysticism. Historically, there was no room for mysticism in the lives of the Romani people, who faced slavery and persecution. It was—and still is—a daily struggle for survival. Due to the forced assimilation of Roma people, especially in Europe, the role of the Chovihano is slowly disappearing from Romani communities.He was a respected elder, trusted for his wisdom and practical skills. There was simply no time for mysticism.

The Chovihano’s Role and the "Gypsy Shaman" Label
The Chovihano’s role is to heal both the body and the spirit. He helps with physical ailments using herbs and natural remedies, and offers guidance when people face emotional or spiritual challenges. His work isn’t about spectacle—it’s about helping others and sharing his art of healing. He’s part of his community and focused on real, practical healing. For the highest good of his own people, as well as gadji (non-Romani), he helps if asked.

The term "Gypsy Shaman" is often thrown around by outsiders who misunderstand Romani healing. It implies something mystical or magical, but the Chovihano isn’t that. The label distorts his role and blurs what he actually does. He doesn’t need a fancy title—his power comes from deep cultural roots, not from calling himself a "shaman."

Neo-Shamanism - The Commercialization of Healing for Personal Fulfillment
The commercial spirituality world coined the term “neo-shamanism.” In most cases, I believe this modern revival has little to do with true healing and is more about the unhealed aspects of many healers’ own desires to blindly help and serve others in order to fulfill their own agendas or spiritual longing.

Anyone can call themselves a "shaman," but that doesn’t mean they do real shamanic work. Just like people who adopt symbols and rituals from indigenous cultures without understanding them, some healers use the term "shaman" without any real connection to the traditions they borrow from. These are often referred to as 'plastic shamans.'

My humble estimate is that 95% of shamans on Google are made of plastic, while the real ones remain happily in the Amazon jungles or Siberia, far away from Wi-Fi and the commercialized spiritual industry, which is filled with gurus, life coaches, and so-called shamans.

The authentic shamans certainly don’t have the desire to run shamanic schools or print certificates for their students, offering sacred drumming, energy healing, and ritual work.I haven’t seen any authentic shaman, rooted in genuine tradition, establish formal training or workshops to teach others their craft unless the person comes from their own bloodline.

Authentic shamanic cultures simply don’t operate that way. A trendy certificate might offer external validation, but true shamanic knowledge and spiritual wisdom come from years of personal experience and lineage, not just formal education or a piece of paper. And there’s a reason for that: ancient wisdom and love must be guarded. Otherwise, most people will abuse it instantly. For me, any nonsense such as a shamanic school or workshop is a prime example of that abuse.

Why Tradition, Roots and Authenticity Matter
You cannot heal with water if you do not know the stream from which it flows. The tiny problem with "plastic shamans" is not necessarily their intentions, but the fact that their practices are disconnected from the cultural and spiritual roots that make shamanic work authentic. Without those roots, their healing work lacks depth and authenticity. The title doesn’t give someone the power to heal—it’s the wisdom, the connection to culture, and the respect for tradition that matter.

While shaman is a broader, more universal term used across many cultures and in both anthropological and spiritual contexts to describe a person who acts as an intermediary between the physical and spiritual worlds, sometimes people are lazy about differentiating between a shaman, medicine man, or simply a healer, and they label everything under the umbrella of shamanism.

The concept of shamanism is not confined to Native American cultures but is found across many indigenous societies around the world, such as in Siberia, Central Asia, and parts of Africa. For me, the authentic shaman, beyond the lineage, is the self-healed madman. He always was and always will be. Unfortunately, there are not many left.

Authentic Healing is Never About Labels
Don’t get me wrong. Personally, I have nothing against anyone labeling their healing practice as shamanic, calling themselves a shamanic practitioner, or even drawing inspiration from any indigenous tribe with pure intentions. It might even be a nice hobby for someone. Simply put, why not? Drawing from the healing techniques and wisdom of numerous traditions can be a beautiful learning experience.

However, on an energetic level, the art of healing is not shared with everyone, even if you have a golden stamp from the U.S. Department of Health or a Shamanic Institute somewhere... let's say, again, in the U.S., since most commercialized spirituality nonsense usually comes from that part of the world.

Authentic healing is never about labels. What truly matters is whether the so-called shaman, medicine man, or healer's work is effective. The person, no matter whether they are calling themselves, either heals or does not — it’s the result that counts, not the title or certificate on the wall.

Recently, I made a quick submission to the shamansdirectory.com to list my healing practice. The Shamans Directory is a nonprofit global platform for healers. To me, the site serves as a great example of the romanticized desire of white men to become shamans.

I filled out the long questionnaire, then was asked to provide credentials, and certificates of my healing practice. Of course, I don’t have any—zero fancy papers. As a Rom, I don’t like to carry papers, and any official stamps are useless to me. That’s the gadji (non-Romani) world—not mine. Gadji rules don’t apply to us. We live by our own law and our own heart.

At the end of the application, I requested they create a special category called Romani Healing, as they are already listing other ethnically or lineage-related categories on their website. I did not receive a response to my submission in a timely manner, nor did I expect one. The whole experience, like so many times before, just proved that plastic is still plastic. So, I gladly skip their Cosmic Fire Summit, refusing to call myself a Gypsy Shaman.

The Chovihano doesn’t need the title of "Gypsy Shaman'" to be effective—his practices are powerful because they are deeply rooted in the cultural and spiritual experience, as well as the healing traditions of the Roma people. Like the roots of a tree, these foundations are just as important as the crown. But for some healers who call themselves shamans, the title still holds greater importance. You will not find any authentic Romani person carrying that broadly branded mystical title, as it is not part of our tradition.