SHAMANISMShamanism is the ancient spiritual practice of journeying to the Otherworld to seek the counsel of spiritual allies to attain wellness for the self and community. Spiritual allies are power animals, elements of nature, ancestors and teachers. Develop a strong relationship with your spiritual allies and heal deep aspects of yourself. Many of the answers to life's questions are inside you and shamanism is a way to access them. Read more about shamanism here.
Time Structure: Arrive 4 p.m. the first day and depart 2 - 4 p.m the third day. (exception: Nature Cures and Forest Shamanism depart 2-4 p.m. the fourth day; Celtic Shamanism arrive 9 a.m. depart sunset.) For fees see registration page.
July 3-6 Nature Cures: Four-day retreat immersed in the cures of Nature. Life out of balance? Stressed and worried? Seek solitude in nature and regain your peaceful center. Awaken your senses and recharge your inner strength. Rejuvenate with herbal teas, clay body paint, nature awareness, elemental medicine. Shamanic journeywork in the mornings, self-guided healing in nature in the afternoons and Healing Circles at night. Slow down and appreciate simple moments. Quiet your internal chatter and give yourself space to truly see and hear. Become absorbed in rippling waters, listen to birdsong, delight in cloud watching, ponder the stars. Touch the wild heart of nature and rediscover the wonder in all life.
Aug 2 Celtic Shamanism: Explore the traditions of Celtic Shamanism in this one-day retreat in nature. Celebrate your Celtic soul and honor summer's bounty, the flowing wave, the quiet earth. Journey to the Otherworld and learn about the crane bag, cloak of power and silver branch. Wander through myths and counsel with deities. Practice the omen hunt. Feel the influence of the Winds of Fate and the Celtic Spirit Wheel. Know the power of the in-between places. Pay tribute to the gifts of summer in a Lughnasa ceremony.
Aug 29-Sept 1 The Elements of Forest Shamanism: Four-day shamanic retreat with the animals, plants and elements of the forest. Spend time in journeywork, nature attunement and wisdom walks. Learn the art of the forest shaman through sensory awareness, shapeshifting and enchantment. Walk with the Fianna and the Green Man, Celtic forest deities. The Fianna were hunters, storytellers, shamans and warriors keeping vigil in chaotic, dark ages. The Green Man is the legendary keeper of all wild green places. They are awakening to mentor those who answer their call.
Feel the power of the landscape surrounding you - in the four directions and within your sacred center. Travel the World Tree and commune with trees - the guardians of life on earth, vessels of ancient memory and wisdom. Learn healing plants and spiritual trees revered by the ancient Druids. Tread woodland paths and be inspired and awed by forest dwelling creatures. The realm of the wild forest is in our blood and bones. Save the forests, save ourselves, save the planet. Read more about the Fianna, the Green Man and our Dependence on Trees here.
Sept 19-21 Soul Shining: co-facilitated with Rhonda Leifheit. Heal your psychic wounds of past and present lives. Using journeywork and past life regression, examine the beliefs, vows, patterns and scars that have traveled with you through the many cycles of your soul. Understand your soul's odyssey and explore your many soul shrines - Celtic term for the body. Access and heal the source of wounds through the Three Inner Cauldrons. Shapeshift fear to joy; grief to gratitude; despair to faith. Work with your points of death and imprints that carry over into future lives. Rewrite your sacred soul contract. Stand within the highest truth of your soul's radiant nature - truth that is big enough to hold both great pain and vast beauty. Take joy in your complexities and uniqueness while fulfilling your destiny. Let the light of your soul shine as you remember who you really are. Fee: $115-$195 sliding scale plus $85 deposit.
Rhonda Leifheit is director of the Source Life Enrichment Center in St. Louis. She teaches classes in personal and spiritual growth including meditation, past life exploration, and dreams. Rhonda is a reader of the Akashic Records. By going into a light trance she describes the client's most significant past life as well as it's relevance to the present lifetime. Since 1979 Rhonda has done thousands of Past Life Readings for people in all 50 states and in several foreign countries. She also helps clients explore their own past lives through Past Life Regressions. Rhonda is certified in Hypnosis and Transformational Imagery. More on The Source here.
Oct 17-19 Echo of the Ancestors: Your personal identity is woven together with the men and women who have lived before you. They dwell here in the present in your skin, DNA, breath and bones. Your ancestors are the reason you are here. You exist because of them and embody a lineage that continues to live through you. The ancestral mind is a deep resource for solutions to problems, healing of wounds and life guidance. Tap into this deep well of wisdom, reclaim your ancestral history and benefit from this voice of knowledge. Recognize the diversity of your ancestors be they physical, spiritual or heroic. Assist souls who are stuck between the worlds and explore the soul's passage at death. The souls of our beloved dead offer love and support and want a better world for us all. Read more about Echo of the Ancestors here.