Here's something that surprised me about shamanic practice: it didn't give me cosmic purpose. It didn't reveal that everything happens for a reason. It didn't show me a grand plan I'm meant to fulfill. What it did was show me how to create meaning in a universe that offers none. This sounds bleak. It's not. It's actually profoundly liberating. Let me explain what I mean by distinguishing two things that often get confused: meaning and purpose.