;-)
I'll need to get my Alice out ... but to paraphrase Humpty Dumpty: ... "A
term means exactly what I mean it to mean when I mean it to mean that." I
think its a false analogy to contend that scientists, lawyers, accountants
are shamans. The quote that comes to mind is Arthur C. Clarke's "Any
sufficiently advanced technology will appear to be magic to the
uninitiated." Someone posted a reasonable quote about a Shaman living off
of society's surplus by taking a percentage and greasing the wheels. It's
obvious that there is still a demand for snake oil in society ... Society
still has Shamans: besides the obvious God Salespeople "Place Your HANDS
on the TV .... You will be healed." there are the secular purveyors of
nonsense: Political commentators <Rush Limbaugh> and Entertainers <Howard
Stern>, Musicians <The Spice Girls, Milli-Vanilli, Vanilla-Ice>, Managers
and Executives <as portrayed in Scott Adams' books>.
The difference between a Shaman and an Artisan is tough for me to pin down
... They both create more from less, but the keys to the difference seem to
be reproducibility and adaptability. If a system is able to be taught and
adapts to changing circumstances its an art. If it can't be taught or
requires special conditions then its a sham.