October 3-5
Long before Freud focused on the importance of dreams as psychological messages from the unconscious, native peoples understood dreams as something bigger and more important than that. The ancient Greeks slept at the oracle of Delphi in the hopes of receiving divine dream guidance. Australian aborigines believe in a separate dimension of reality called the dreamtime. Connie Kaplan teaches that dreaming is a spiritual practice , one that we all share. She shows us that dreams are messages from the soul, reminding us of who we are and why we are here. Using vivid dream excerpts, Connie describes the thirteen types of dreams we can experience and how dreams are connected to the cycles of the moon. She reveals how participating in dream circles can help us crack the code of our dreams and decipher these letters from the soul. Connie began her own adventure in dreaming in 1986 when she was struck with a mysterious illness that sent her to bed for almost two years, ending her successful career in television production. During the 15 hours a day she slept, dream teachers more fascinating than any Hollywood characters came to her and taught her the secrets of dreaming. She now shares this knowledge through her dream circles, her spiritual counseling practice and the online dream classes she teaches.
At a time when people are investigating their spirituality, ethics, and inner wisdom with renewed intensity, dream circles are replacing book clubs in living rooms around the world. In her workshops, Connie reveals the role dreaming plays in daily life and teaches us how to experience the deeper truth of life through engaging in dream circles. New ways of thinking about dreams are important steps towards creating a new world of peace. Through lecture, council style sharing circles, and group exercises we will learn to make the transition between psychological/personal understandings of dreams and spiritual/collective understanding. At Rowe, we can practice bedtime rituals to prepare us for our nighttime dream experiences. Connie will discuss the ancient prayer form, called dream circle, describing its history, its purpose, and its "rules." Then we'll experience a dream circle together, entering a meditative state that is rather like dreaming and being awake at the same time.
Our dreams will guide us in determining the shape of the weekend. The dream messages we receive will lead us to the creation of a closing ceremony for Sunday. Our practices together will prepare us to continue tapping into the spiritual power of dreams when we return home. If you resonate with the energy of dream work and the spectacular beauty of New England's fall foliage, you will find this a very special weekend.
Connie Kaplan holds master's degrees in communication and psychology and a doctorate from the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, California. She is the author of Dreams Are Letters from the Soul: Discover the Connections between Your Dreams and Your Spiritual Life and The Woman's Book of Dreaming. A self described "soccer mom and grandmother of the dream circle movement," Connie lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband and two children. Learn more about her work at www.turtledreamers.com . We welcome Connie on her first visit to Rowe's special dreamland.