used to determine place of best birthing boys or girls. Structure and practices Niam Neeb Txiv Neeb (Shamans) Shaman practice is called ua neeb (ua: "to heal through the, neeb: the spirit world", the dab neeb being specifically shamanic spirits), while the shaman is called Niam Neeb or Txiv Neeb, meaning "mother/father of the neeb". The position of a shaman is not inherited as shamans are chosen by the neeb class of gods, manifesting through trails experienced by those chosen. Chosen people are guided by elder shamans until they are able to perform the healing rituals themselves. A shaman has control on their spirits helpers. In the spirit journey, the shaman calls on their helpers who are spirits to guide or assist them in the spirit world. They moves and sing on a spiritual horse (nees) represented in the living world by a shaman's bench (rooj neeb). They also call on the forces of the cosmos to help them, such as the creator, Saub, the First Couple, Pog Ntxoog, Lady Sun and Lord Moon (Nkauj Hnub Nraug Hli), the seven stars of the Pleiades, and occasionally animal spirits. Divination horns (kuam neeb) is one form or means of communication whether the spirit has returned, and they are used in many rituals. The shamans perform two sessions of healing rituals: the diagnostic rituals (ua neeb saib) and subsequently the healing rituals (ua neeb kho), only if the patient shows no signs of recovery after the first ritual. The shaman's altar also has a special hanging or standing altar, with two or three tiers depending on the status of the shaman. The main focus of the tiers is to be a place for all the shaman's tools and items to be placed neatly, another can sometimes be a respect to their teacher, and another tier to practice spiritual healing or khawv koob. It is believed that these tiers represent Siv Yis' grotto near the top of the holy mountain, above a pool near of which grows the flower of immortality. This pool is represented by a bowl of water placed upon the altar. From the altar depart several cotton threads resulting attached to the central housepost, and it is along these threads that the neeb travel when they visit the altar. House altar Along with the shaman alter, the Hmong household altar is dedicated primarily to the Dab Xwm Kab (spirit of