Workshops & Gatherings

ALL WORKSHOPS AND GATHERINGS CUTTENTLY SUSPENDED DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

Shamanic workshops and gatherings are offered on a regular basis.  Check the Calendar for offering times.

Dancing With the Dark

Droughts, floods, mass shootings, terrorism, road-rage, gridlock and vicious personal attacks in politics and in the checkout line; it often seems that the environment and modern society are crumbling around us and that we are helpless victims of the Chaos and Darkness that threatens to overwhelm us.  But Darkness and Chaos are the natural result of change and the harbinger of the new.  As the Wheel of the  Year begins anew, it is an excellent time to consider the Darkness within us as well as the Chaos around us.  Over the weekend we will be reflecting on our personal seeds of change, the discomfort we all feel when our old patterns and beliefs no longer work for us and how we can use our shamanic skills to grow and thrive as we strive for inner balance while buffeted by the rapidly increasing Darkness and Chaos around us.  We will dance with the Dark Goddess and ride with the Wild Hunt as we laugh and cry and grow and heal together.

Please note that this is not a teaching weekend.  All are welcome but participants should have strong shamanic skills, know how to journey in non-ordinary reality and work with power animals or spirit helpers.   It will be highly collaborative and probably somewhat chaotic as we delve into this critical aspect of our times and ourselves. 

Celtic Gods & Goddesses

This workshop will help forge your intentions and sharpen your focus for the upcoming year by drawing on the power, guidance, and inspiration of the storied deities of Celtic lore.  During our six hours together, we will vanquish the fears that keep us from stepping into our own divinity by relying on the strength and craft of the warrior god and goddess Lugh and The Morrigan. We will approach the gatekeeper god and goddess, namely, Manannan mac Lir and the Cailleach, in order to transmute and earn our release from our fears.  We will receive healing and initiation from the healer deities Brigid and Aengus, and locate our ancestor god or goddess, who will guide us in a new undertaking of our life work. To close and seal the work, we will forge our intentions and enlist protection through the crafting of a Brigid's Cross.

Basic Journeying

Shamanism is an ancient spiritual practice for healing (both spiritual and emotional), divination and restoration of personal power.  It has been practiced since the beginning of mankind.  The workshop will be providing an introduction to Universal Core Shamanism which is a distillation of shamanic practices from many cultures. The workshop will be primarily experiential with participants learning to "journey" to the world of spirits and meeting with spirit allies for healing, divination and other activities.

Shamanism and the Soul

This experiential workshop will explore the Soul and Shamanism.  Topics covered will include the Soul as seen from a Shamanic perspective, the individual Soul and its connection to the Universe, Soul loss and Soul Retrieval, Soul hiding,enchantment breaking and other aspects of Soul healing using advanced Shamanic techniques.

A Men's Shamanic Gathering is held each year in late spring at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, NY.  This is not a teaching weekend but a time for men to gather and work shamanically.  The Gathering is co-facilitated by Jim Wood and Tom Cowan.  Contact Jim for additional information.  Good basic journeying skills and an ability to work with Power Animals and Spirit Guides are required.