part Five- integration

The year begins with a non residential weekend in January to integrate all the work done in the first year and our four meetings for the Four Seeds. We will meet in January in the depths of winter to also set strong intention going forward into the second year of training. We will undergo ceremony again together, cleansing the spirit, and renewing our connections for the work going forward. There will also be the opportunity to share in circle the challenges and opportunities brought forth by the work so far.

part Six- the below- the mother

Having formed a relationship with the four directions and elements that surround us, it is now time to dive deeper and to explore the polarities of the Mother and Father, before coming to rest in the centre.

We begin below, to fully connect to and heal the relationship with Mother earth, the primal goddess of this world and many others. Most ancient shamanistic traditions honour their relationship with Mother earth above all else. And this is the relationship that is the most out of balance in the modern world, which is reflected in the precarious situation we find ourselves in terms of earth changes and humanity’s survival. It is also reflected in the ambivalent relationship that a lot of modern people have with their own bodies, a source of a lot of sickness and addictions.

To practice shamanic work it is important to feel safe and welcome in the world, at home here and in our bodies. The model for this would have been our own birth mothers or guardians, however this may not have always been possible due to various different reasons. And even if it was, we cannot stay locked into this relationship forever. Thus, traditionally there would be ceremonies to initiate members of the tribe into a full relationship with the real Mother.

This becomes a two way relationship. On the one hand, we receive support and the unconditional Mother’s love to feel protected and at home in the world. On the other, we understand and begin to embody a sense of responsibility and need for service to the earth and all her inhabitants. Through this process we begin to gain maturity and move out of the selfish take and consume culture that pervades modern living. We learn to give back, from a place of fullness and generosity. That true sustenance comes from a full relationship with the land and the healing of our own body/ mind split.

part Seven- The above- the father

Having looked into the depths below, we now raise our vision to the huge vistas of the skies above, to heal our relationship with the watchful, guardian spirit of the Father. To gain perspective over our lives and become conscious of the cosmological visions that hold our world together.

One of the sources of great misery in the modern world is the lack of meaning that can infect people’s lives. We are not taught about meaning, we are taught instead ‘knowledge’ and ‘facts’. This is the nature of the cosmological story that is told- life is random and insignificant. Yet, indigenous cultures often understood that without meaning, something in the human soul withers away and dies. This is especially true when we face some of the harshest aspects of existence through loss or personal tragedy. It is only in gaining perspective, can healing begin to be integrated. We need vision to survive and vision also gives birth to purpose, which fills our life with meaningful action.

In this instalment we look above, to find guidance from the stars, planetary bodies and denizens of the upper world to assist us in discovering our own personal visions. To fully know and understand our place in the world. Whilst also being guided into the right action to take forward this vision into the world.

This will, again, be about healing the relationship with our birth fathers, or early male guardians, in order to be re initiated into relationship with the great Father, who can guide and protect us through our lives. A being that we can call on for that in life which will provide meaning and sustenance.

part eight- The centre

Having explored the polarities of the Mother and Father and how to exist between them we can now fully experience and get to know the centre. This is the place of mystery, the source of all life.

Shamanism is about relationships and balance. In order to find balance within relationships- to the earth, to the spirits, to our ancestors, to our communities, to our families and to the wider cosmos, we need to be able to operate from the centre of ourselves. On this journey of initiation, you will have been introduced to the seven main directions of the Medicine Wheel. The purpose of this initiatory rite, is to know the place at the centre of the wheel, thus to find balance and focus when chaos and uncertainty is surrounding you.

To be fully open to the healing powers of the spirits, it is essential to be able to be the hollow reed or bone, to get ourselves fully out of the way so that the spirits can move through us to affect the changes required in the world. To become this conduit for spirit, we will explore the different methods you will need to get out of the way and into the centre. We will also explore, in a much deeper way, why you are being called in this way to be of service to spirit. What may get in the way of you following this call in a clear and committed way.

This is the final initiation in the Medicine Wheel and will end with a powerful, all night medicine ceremony to complete the journey.

part nine- mini pilgrimage

One of the most important and often overlooked aspect of any healing is that of integration. This is the hard part, when all the magical, energetic work has been carried out and then must be integrated into a persons life. Until this happens the healing can remain ineffective or be rejected and is often the reason why spiritual healing can fail. This is also true of the shaman. In some ways it is easy to open up the doors to the spirit world. What takes a lot of hard work is keeping those doors open. 

Inspired by the close work we have done with the Wixarika who spend at least three months of the year on pilgrimage, paying their offerings so that the doors to the spirit world remain open, we will undertake a mini pilgrimage on the final four days across Britain. On the Saturday night we will undertake a final major ceremony in a sacred site in one of the cardinal directions. This will then create a living medicine wheel on the landscape of this land that can be returned to in the future with more offerings and for learning. 

We will learn about earth healing and there will be opportunity to work with the plant spirits of this land. There will also be the encouragement to make a strong commitment to the spirits of the landscape, in order to take the work forward. It is the spirits that enable us to do this work, without them, it is nothing. In this final four days initiation, the work will be handed fully over to them, to assist in the integration of the experience of the first two years for each individual.