Class Schedule

Please Note***

All workshops and courses require a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold your reservation.  Registration for all classes ends one week before the beginning date of class. Thank you for your understanding.

Please e-mail to register or for more details call 415-452-9730

Class Descriptions:

Shamanic Journey

Since the Paleolithic times shamans were the healers, seers, herbalists and the spiritual leaders of their tribe. These medicine men and women used a particular technique called the "journey," to solve problems, heal and receive insights on behalf of the tribe and its members.  A journey is a trance induced by drums or rattles to access "non-ordinary reality." This state is often called "the Astral plane," and it is a form of consciousness that experiences the Unseen realm of power animals and spirit guides that offer help, guidance and healing.

Basic Shamanic Journey skills

Intermediate Shamanic Journey skills

This class will take place at Coyote Point Regional Park, which has a great place for a journey circle. Carpool leaves S.F. at noon and will arrive at the park about 1pm and leave about 4pm The class will offer practice in this beautiful natural setting. It is a chance to deepen your understanding of the basic skills and principles of shamanism such as: setting sacred space, clarifying intention, building and deepening relationships with the Unseen allies and exploring the principles underlying the shamanic world view. This class will help you prepare for the work of journeying for others and is a prerequisite for the soul retrieval class.

Advanced Shamanic Journey skills: Soul Retrieval

Shamans view the "spirit" as the essence that continues from one incarnation to the next. The "soul" is the essence that defines us in this particular incarnation. The Shadow powers are considered "lost soul parts" because they are pieces of our authentic selves that were lost on the astral plane. It is as if they are frozen in time as a result of poor modeling, traumatic experiences or harsh socialization involving ridicule, judgment, intolerance, the need for perfection along with the many other illusions that tell us we are separate from our Source.

"Soul theft" is more serious, as it comes from a malicious act such as a curse or hex, outright physical or emotional abuse, or any other intentional cruelty. Whether through soul loss or soul theft, the result is that we forget or are robbed of our authentic expression, and with it, the fundamental recognition of our inherent Divinity and personal power.

You could call the shadows products of skewed or arrested development. Not only are these soul parts stuck in the past, but they would have us unwittingly repeat that past over and over again through negativity and self-sabotage without ever realizing we could do better. Our shadows often operate on outdated information or false assumptions based on the limitations, definitions and dysfunctional behaviors we learned during our childhood or assumptions derived from traumatic experiences in adulthood.

If a parent said, "You can't do anything right," instead of offering guidance and encouragement, some of our natural enthusiasm would be squelched. If a teacher, sibling or even a current spouse or boss asked, "What's wrong with you?" we might come to think that something must indeed be wrong with us or that we just "can't do anything right." The result might be less desire to make an effort, or a tendency to become manipulative or rebellious. The energy has to go somewhere, and if it is not encouraged in a positive direction it will manifest as our shadows.

If we are constantly fighting or rejecting parts of ourselves, then we are diverting precious energy from our true purpose, which is the recognition and full expression of our own Divinity. Our shadows are the parts of ourselves that we judge, fear, hide, deny or wish we could "get rid of!";;

They need our compassion, perhaps a little self-discipline - but certainly not more judgment. Self-discipline originating from compassion is the guidance of a loving parent or supportive friend, whereas self-discipline originating from judgment is condemning, punitive and seldom effective. We cannot be whole so long as we strive to deny or get rid of these parts of ourselves so the goal is to reconcile with them and bring them home so we can be whole.

Taoist Wicca and the Wisdom of the Seasons

This workshop\workshops provides an in depth exploration of a system called "Taoist Wicca" from the upcoming book entitled, " The Wisdom of the Seasons: A Guide to the Sabbats, the Chakras and the Tao." By mixing ritual with Taoist principles and chakra wisdom this system transforms the Wheel of the Year into a goal-tending tool for healing and growth. See how a process of applied introspection can open the sabbats as thematic and energetic connections between the body, mind and spirit: the Unseen, ourselves and our planet.

Chakras

Chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or vortex.  We have 7 major Chakras that operate as a thematic link to the body's endocrine system.  Functioning much like a hard drive, Chakras help us integrate life themes such as survival, sexuality, power, love, truth, creativity and wisdom.  This basic class covers energetic theories and strengthens perceptions through meditation and practice.