Susanna Aarnio

Susanna Aarnio is a 49-year-old shaman, student in comparative religion and botany, lamenter and rune singer, professional wildlife and nature photographer and artist. She lives with her family in Nuuksio National Park in southern Finland.

Aarnio is together with her master and shaman Johannes Setälä the founder and head of ”The Center For Finno-Ugric And Arctic Shamanism”. She also works and teaches intensely together with Setälä, the Guardian of the Northern Shaman Fire. In 2009, Johannes inaugurated Susanna as his successor in his shamanic legacy and work.

Susanna teaches Finno-Ugric and Arctic shamanism, arranges workshops, lectures and courses on Finnish spiritual heritage and the Kalevala sage tradition, leads courses on the making of traditional Finno-Ugric drums, the singing of runes and laments and nature photography.

Susanna Aarnio has organized many exhibitions on Finno-Ugric and Arctic folklore and shamanism together with Professor Emeritus Juha Pentikäinen. In addition, she attends various events and educational institutions to lecture and perform Kalevala poems, runes, laments and traditional shamanistic rituals.

Aarnio makes all her ritual clothing and drums herself. She is also using her shamanistic nature photography in her lectures and workshops.

Susanna Aarnio studies comparative religion and biology at the University of Helsinki, and is a founding member of the Society for Northern Ethnography.

Susanna is a member of the Finnish Professional Nature Photographers’ Association and Finnish Lamenter’s Association.

Susanna Aarnio is a happy mother of four. She has healer roots in her Savonian-Karelian and Norwegian family tree.