February 4-6, 2005
Whatever our age, generation, or gender, our lives are deeply touched by war. For men, war was the road to manhood. Some of us, or our fathers, served in World War II, “the good war,” others in Korea, “the forgotten war.” Veterans, resisters, protestors, evaders, and exiles experienced, and still carry, the moral and historical quagmire of the Vietnam War. Many served in or protested the nuclear build-up, the Gulf War, and the numerous smaller actions America pursues. Since 9/11 and the Afgan and Iraq Wars, we’ve lived in the atmosphere that war always creates: threat, terror, confusion, grief, irremediable loss, and moral turmoil. Whether or not we took a stand, served in the military, or lost loved ones, war wounds our spirits for life.
How has war touched our lives and shaped the lives of our families, friends, communities? How did our roles as soldiers or protestors fit with the practice of warriorhood and citizenship throughout history? What wounds do we secretly carry? How did our military service, or avoidance, shape our adult personalities, identities, values? Our unexpressed pain, anger, disillusionment, and losses need to be shared in order to be healed.
We invite veterans and non-veterans, men and women of all ages to examine the effect of war and its everpresent imagery and atmosphere on our lives, values, and souls. In a caring, affirming, non-judgmental atmosphere, through presentations, exercises, storytelling, group work, psychodrama, ceremonies, and rituals, we will allow our war wounds and untold stories to emerge. We will seek healing and reconciliation between veterans and non-veterans and between the generations and genders. We especially invite our elders who lived through WWII and the Korean War and war survivors from other countries to join us on this healing journey. Let us regain our balance, find our place, and achieve soul healing in our engagement with eternally recurring archetypes of war and warriorhood.
Since early childhood, Ed Tick’s passion has been studying and experiencing the ways of the soul, and the special focus of all his work is on expressing, healing, and mentoring the soul. Ed believes war damages the soul, and we need to heal our souls from war and violence. Ed provides training worldwide on the archetype of war and the soul-healing of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Since 1979 he’s pioneered the treatment of Viet Nam veterans, war resisters, and their families. He is author of Sacred Mountain: Encounters with the Vietnam Beast and The Practice of Dream Healing: Bringing Ancient Greek Mysteries into Modern Medicine. His next books are The Golden Tortoise: Journeys in Viet Nam and War and the Soul, both forthcoming in 2005. He is a psychotherapist, author, lecturer, director of Sanctuary International, co-director of the Sage Center on Violence and Healing, and adjunct professor at the Sage College. Ed is an expert on the classical Greek tradition and on Viet Nam and leads journeys of healing and growth to both countries every year. We welcome his skillful leadership and deep compassion in this matter of vital importance. Visit his website at: http://www.mentorthesoul.com/