In the Toltec
worldview of Carlos Castaneda, human beings are
fields of energy in interaction with a magical
universe. Teachings for the right side –
ordinary awareness – focus on handling the
known in a non-ordinary way. Corresponding practices
for the left side, called dreaming, involve stepping
outside the self we know into a more fluid and
mysterious reality. This week involves instruction
and immersion in this ancient paradigm, including
exercises for moving beyond the boundaries of
personal reality into a broader and more fluid
perception of self and world, and practices to
invoke the spirit in nature and presence of the
great powers.
We sit in the
present, at the axis where past and future meet.
We have a decision to make: will our lives and
identity be determined by where we have come from
or where we are going?
The myth of modern
psychology -- its focus and truth -- is that our
lives are determined by our past: our personal
history, wounds and childhood experience. The
myth of the ancient world -- its focus and truth
-- is that our lives are, or can be determined
from another place: our future or destiny, if
we follow the voice of the spirit, the calling
of our soul.
In the ancient
maps of consciousness non-rational states were
sought and cultivated, states of expanded energies,
ecstatic union, and higher awareness, and a cornucopia
of practices were developed to achieve these feelings
and perceptions. We will reclaim and remember
this natural heritage of being human, and through
simple but profound practice -- working in caves,
speaking to the fire, encountering nature, chant,
dance, and the doorway to trance -- experience
a Self larger than ourselves, and integrate the
healing it can bring to our lives and people.
This is a week
for men and women who want to open to deeper levels
of their being, to find a vision beyond their
personal stories. We will inhabit a beautiful
house/retreat center, take in the stunning fall
foliage of New England, and engage in practices
and exercises to align ourselves with energies
both immediate and eternal, embracing the unknown
as we lose ourselves and finding our true nature
in nature.
Our program includes
rituals of release, but its focus is on our greater
selves. Making peace with the past and personal
history is a prerequisite for broader states of
awareness, but insufficient: removing the blocks
to climbing the mountain does not tell you how
to get there. Our purpose will be to perceive
the Spirit-in-all-things as a living presence
in our lives and to dance with the ephemeral tracks
of dream until we find solid footing on our path
with heart.
Nature is the
visible face of the spirit. It is to nature that
the soul goes for rest, renewal, and vision. Through
the ages Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, and the prophets
all sought vision in the wilderness. It is there
they came closest to the Source of their existence.
Leaving behind the social self they sought holy
ground where Earth, Spirit, Nature, and God are
one.
