There is no
separate self. All experience arises through the
senses, and we cannot know ourselves apart from
them and the ecology they are embedded in: the
living earth which creates and sustains us. The
ability to perceive and the organs upon which
all our potential and possibility are based, evolved
over millennia in interaction with a dynamic landscape.
Who we are is a result of this relationship.
This week is
for men and women who want to open to deeper and
larger aspects of their being, who want to find
their true nature in nature. Perception is a two-way
street, a reaching out from the core of our being
and allowing ourselves to be touched by something
other than ourselves. We will work to expand and
enrich our relationship to this great, creative
being, to discover our true selves, our medicine
and unique path to wholeness.
The program
will take place in a beautiful natural setting
in Putney, Vermont, with distant views of Mt.
Monadnock to the east. We will explore ourselves
in the surrounding areas, using streams, mountains
and nearby megalithic structures as allies in
our search for the sacred roots that bring sustenance
to our lives.
The workshop
includes a prayer lodge, a day-long dreamwalk,
and teachings and exercises to invoke the spirits
of nature, focus our attention, and develop our
connection to and sense of the living presence
around us. Participants will experience rituals
and ceremonies of purification and attunement,
principles of right relationship, and shamanic
practices for listening to the voice of the earth,
wind, and water.
We cannot truly
know ourselves without knowing the Earth and the
powers of fire, air, and water. She is the ground
of our being. Every molecule of our bodies has
come from her, and our blood reflects the chemical
composition of the great oceans. The wind gives
us life with each breath. Fire burns in every
one of our cells. Nature is the visible face of
the spirit, and our nature and spirit are found
within, and not apart from her.
Our task will
be to "bridge heaven and earth," bringing
the ancient teachings to life in our lives that
we might live with vision and walk a path with
heart. As such, the lessons must be practical
as well as profound, addressing the challenges
and issues that face us daily in love, work, and
community, and bringing healing to the wounds
of our personal history in the process. Creating
a safe and supportive circle will be an important
part of our time together.
