Teachings and Ceremony

 

Teachings:

We will be giving basic teachings on Shamanism, the Four Directions and the Elements.   We will also be showing you how to build a Medicine Wheel and create a sacred space.   We will talk about Animal Guides and how to work with them.   We will also give you ways to open and connect to Spirit, to go deeper within yourself and to allow the mystery of ceremony to unfold.

 

Ceremony:

The focus of the weekend will be on four personal ceremonies.  The intent will be to align with the energies of the four directions.  We will also spend some time in group ceremony where you will be given the opportunity to create sacred space in the form of a medicine wheel, experience a shamanic trance journey to find your power animal and connect with your voice of power through ancient chants to the sound of the drum.  

 

South Ceremony:

Water has a natural calming effect on the human psyche.  The sound of a flowing brook or waves lapping on the shore cut through our defenses and beckon us to connect with our inner emotional landscape.
Water teaches us how to realign with the flow of life; how to trust and embrace our internal feeling states and allow them to move through us as currents of energy, washing us clean and restoring us to a natural state of well being.   With the south ceremony, you will be given the opportunity to use the experiences of imagining, feeling, sensing, tasting, playing with, and shape shifting into water with the purpose of using these experiences as gateways into the depths of your unique emotional landscape. 
You will use this ceremony to move through emotional blocks which may be interfering with the full expression of who you are and keeping you from being fully present in each moment.

 

West Ceremony:

Earth represents both the physical world we live in and our body.  In our modern “heady” world it is common to become very disconnected from our bodies.  By working with Earth we can become more present in our physical body.   This allows us to discover where we hold stress and are out of balance.   Exploring your own physical aliments and looking for the seed of why they may have manifested empowers one to self heal   This ceremony also guides us to use Grandmother Earth for both grounding and releasing.   By journey deep within the earth and oneself you gain insight into what is required for transforming your body to a healthy balanced state.

 

North Ceremony:

The Wind sings its song of freedom as it moves through the branches of trees, caresses fields of grass, and sends ripples over the surface of the water.  What does freedom feel like?  Follow the wind on a journey to find out. 
Our minds are so cluttered with information and most often self-critical/self-depreciating thoughts that we cut ourselves off from life or put our lives in little boxes that seem safe enough…but at what cost?
Wind teaches us about surrender.  It teaches us about making space in our busy minds so that we can be receptive and open to our inner wisdom and be guided by the Spirit realm.
You will use this ceremony to clear out some of the mental clutter/inner dialogue that is holding you back from a full and intimate encounter with Life.

East Ceremony:

Fire has long been associated with Spirit and illumination.  The light and heat of a fire can instill a sense of awe and wonder within us and have an energizing and uplifting effect.   Fire speaks to our Higher Spirit, lights us up from within, sheds light on the shadow, and reconnects us with our higher purpose.  With the East / Fire Ceremony you will build a fire, work with it, (fire gaze), feel it, be it, and know what it is to be the spark of creation.  Through this ceremony you will have the opportunity to re-connect to your higher self.