Weekend Workshop, Shamanic Journeys, Vermont
June 14 - June 17
Guided by: Sparrow Hart, Willie AlisonMaximum of 8 people.
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Weekend Workshop Shamanic Journeys, VT
$525.00
Magic and Mystery on the Map to the Soul
The heroic and shamanic journeys are mythological themes that weave throughout human history. Each requires the protagonist to journey into another order of reality, a landscape of magic and mystery… eventually to return with new and more authentic power.
The unknown is far greater than the known. It is vast. When the self is removed from center, the world around it expands correspondingly. The methods of all spiritual traditions — at their core — share one thing in common: a removal of attention and energy from the self in its ordinary and consensual reality, and a corresponding emphasis on what’s beyond all the changing, fluid, magical, and mysterious world of the unknown.
This larger self has been sought throughout history in mystical and shamanic practice. It makes its appearance in dreams and deep imagery, in feeling states that transcend the usual boundaries, and in sacred time and space accessed through ritual and ceremony. This vibrant territory is not accessible to the rational self. Reaching it requires a creative and active quality of perception that engages our full capacity as we cross a threshold where image, sense, mind, and feelings merge.
In this workshop we’ll use the tools of shamanic journeying and breathwork to access this vibrant and mysterious realm. Shamanic techniques have been core implements in humanity’s spiritual toolkit for millennia. Breathwork — first developed by Stan Grof in the 60s and adapted and modified by other practitioners since — began as a way to access mystical states reported in psychotropic sessions. Combining darkness, powerful and evocative music, and specific breathing techniques, the windows to the unconscious are flung open, revealing immense vistas with other possibilities for engagement.
We’ll investigate the promise and lure of the unknown, that mysterious and magical expanse of the soul, and summon help from outside the normal sphere of our psyches. Having a rich encounter with the numinous world, we’ll examine ways we might invite this vital energy into the dream of daily life.
Should unexpected circumstances make your participation impossible, and you notify us at least a month prior to your scheduled starting date, your registration deposit may be applied toward another program taking place within a year of your registration. We cannot provide any refunds for cancellations or postponements received less than 30 days before a program starts. You will receive a full refund for any courses canceled by Circles of Air and Stone, although this happens rarely.
Directions
Address:
130 Banning Road
Putney, Vermont
05346
Interstate 91 runs north-south from New Haven, Connecticut through western Massachusetts and half-way up the eastern side of Vermont. You should be able to find your way to it with any New England map. Take exit 4 in Vermont and follow the signs to the center of Putney.
As you come to the center of town, you will be on route 5 (Main St.), heading north. When you arrive at the center take a left at The Putney General Store and head up the hill on Westminster West Road. Follow Westminster West road for 1 mile. You will pass the elementary school on your right and you will take the first left turn after the school. (West Hill Rd.)
Stay on West Hill Road. At the 1.4-mile point there is a fork in the road where there is a left up to the Putney School. You stay right. Continuing on West Hill, until you are about 2.5 miles from where you turned off Westminster West road, there will be a road off to the right marked Putney Mountain Road. Take that right.
The road will fork almost immediately. Stay right. Proceed up Putney Mountain Road for 1.6 miles and you will see a road on the right marked Banning Road. Take a right on Banning Road and go for 0.6 miles. There will be a charcoal house with blue trim on the right. It’s close to the road. The mailbox will say “Sparrow Hart.”
If coming by plane or bus: The nearest major airports are in Hartford, CT, Manchester, NH, Boston, MA, and Albany, NY. There are smaller airports in Burlington, VT and Keene, NH, the Keene airport being the closest. There is a bus service from any of these airports, and from most cities in the New England /New York area to Brattleboro, VT. Brattleboro is approximately 10 miles south of Putney. If you make arrangements in advance, we can most likely pick you up at the bus station in Brattleboro.
Food and Lodging
Food:
Food will be provided. We’ll share preparation and clean-up responsibilities for breakfasts and dinners. There will be fixings for lunches put out on a table, but no formal plans for a group meal. If you have any special needs or requirements around food, please let us know
Lodging:
Most people will be camping, and if you are, please bring a tent, sleeping bag, some kind of sleeping mattress or pad. There are a few spaces inside for an extra $100. These will be dormitory style, 2-3 beds per room with a shared bath. The beds will have a mattress, bottom sheet, and pillow. Please bring a sleeping bag or bedding. We can also provide a tent for your stay for $25, please let us know ahead of time as quantities are limited.
What to Bring
Most people will be camping, and if you are, please bring a tent, sleeping bag, some kind of sleeping mattress or pad, etc. – whatever you need to be comfortable. There are a few spaces inside for an extra $100. These will be dormitory style – 2-3 beds per room with a shared bath – and the beds will have a mattress, bottom sheet, and pillow, so bring a sleeping bag or bedding. There will be plenty of room for everyone to be comfortable. You should bring towels and toiletries, and comfortable clothing.
Clothes:
You should bring towels and toiletries, and comfortable clothing. We can expect warm temperatures during the day, but cool nights are possible, so plan for this when you bring clothing.
- Footwear: Light hiking boots and other footwear for sitting/relaxing time.
- Raincoat or poncho;
- Jacket
Clothes for warm weather:
- Shorts, T-shirts, light shirt
- Something for your head: A bandana may be adequate, but if it is sunny (we hope), a hat which shades your face will be welcome.
Clothes for cool weather:
- Warm hat, scarf or neck gaiter, jacket, socks, fleece pants.
Other Equipment:
- Small day pack, pocket knife, flashlight
- Journal, pen or pencil.
- Water bottle.
Personal items:
- Toiletries – toothbrush, paste, floss, biodegradable soap, hairbrush, towel, washcloth, razor, etc. Sunscreen, sunglasses, Chap Stick
- Bedding: sleeping bag or sheets/blankets; pillow
- Insect repellant
Optional items:
- Musical instrument
- Sacred or ritual objects
Would one experience a full shaman ceremony?
Are there any other dates besides the June dates?
In 2023, there are no other dates for this workshop besides the June 9-12 dates.
Since I don’t know what you mean — or what your expectations are — around a “full shaman ceremony” I don’t know how to answer your question. Shamanic experiences are usually about exploring and discovering what’s unknown … and it sounds like you want to know what that will be before actually having the experience.