February 13-16 (Friday-Monday)
Have you ever wanted to begin your study of Celtic life and beliefs at the very beginning of Celtic culture in ancient Europe, when the earliest Celtic people discovered the great Mothering Spirit they would call Danu? Have you ever wanted an introduction to the shamanic practices of the Celts rooted in the "original instructions" from their most ancient ancestors?
On this long holiday retreat, we'll begin along the Danube with the Celtic tribes who named that great river after their most primal Mother, Danu. The Life-Force and Spirit-Power behind all that is, She's journeyed with her children through the ages. We'll move with her into the Celtic lands of Britain, where her name evolved as Dana, Don, Anu, and Ana. That primal force, Dana, has been honored by Celtic people as a great Gift, and in Ireland and Scotland the major Celtic spirits called themselves the "Children of Dana," the Tuatha De Danann.
As the centuries progressed, the visionary poets, seers, healers, and druids would be known in Gaelic as the aos dana: the "People of the Gift." This Gift is that mystic vision shared by shamans and seers everywhere - the ability to recognize and participate with the spirit powers that shape our world.
We'll discover how to live consciously and creatively through tales of Brigid and Lugh, Finn McCool and the Fianna, the Mythic Forest, the Sacred Deer, the Salmon of Wisdom, and the Realms of Faerie - all embodiments and children of the Great Mother Dana. We will learn to find her Life Force in our souls, to read her omens in nature, and to bring back dana-energy from the elements to empower ourselves and others.
The shamanic practices and perspectives learned in this retreat can be used for your own spiritual growth and soul-making or in a healing capacity with and for others. They can reconnect you with the mysticism that links the natural and supernatural, infusing nature with divinity. The shamanic and spiritual traditions of the Celts are not anthropological artifacts. Celtic mysteries, alive and vibrant, have always been adaptable to changing situations. Come join us whether you are new to shamanism and Celtic ways or are already well versed in the practice of these ancient mysteries. It's always good to begin at the beginning - and to return there. This long weekend, through lunch on Monday, will cost an additional $80.
Tom Cowan, holds a doctorate in history and humanities and leads international workshops, retreats, and pilgrimages focused on shamanism, Celtic spirituality, and the mystical life. His most recent book is Yearning for the Wind: Celtic Reflections of Nature and the Soul. He also wrote Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit, Shamanism as a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life, and The Way of the Saint. He is a shamanic counselor, a member of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, a scholar, and a minister in the Circle of the Sacred Earth, a church of animism dedicated to shamanic principles and practices. He's been practicing and teaching shamanism for over 20 years.