Feb 10-12, 2006
The Huichol Indians, a small tribe of about 15,000 living in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, are believed to be the only tribe in North America that has maintained its pre-Columbian traditions intact. The Huichols believe that every human being can learn to have direct experience with the Great Spirit and the Ancient Ones. They believe that each of us is a mirror of the gods and that God is not some abstract being: God is in our hearts. They use ceremony, sacred dance, vision quests, and pilgrimages to places of power to connect the human heart to the heart of creation.
The Huichols are a simple people, but simplicity can be profound. They believe it is healing for the spirit to laugh. The Huichol message is to love, celebrate, and be thankful for whatever the gods give us, good or bad. They believe healing is a way of life that permeates every aspect of existence, not just a response to illness.
You will have the opportunity to learn practices of shamanic health and healing, the use of dreams to guide and empower your life, ways to approach the sacred places of power in nature, and how to embrace that power as it nourishes and balances your life.
The Huichols have a rich mythology, a visionary artwork, and a strong ceremonial tradition. Their word for shaman translates as “deer spirit person.” The Dance of the Deer, a beautiful and intense sacred dance, allows the dancers to enter a trance state of joy and ecstasy and walk through a sacred doorway called Nierika, the face of the divine, a link to the other realms of consciousness and being.
We invite you to participate in a Dance of the Deer ceremony to honor the spirit of Winter. In the Huichol shamanic tradition, winter is a time of introspection, dreaming, and inner transformation. In the stillness of winter, we have a chance to quiet our minds so our hearts can see and hear. We can open ourselves to the heart of creation and find a deep connection to the power and beauty around us.
Brant Secunda is a shaman, healer, and ceremonial leader in the Huichol Indian tradition of Mexico. He completed a 12-year apprenticeship with don Jose Matsuwa, the renowned shaman who passed away in 1990 at the age of 110. He is the adopted grandson of don Jose, who chose Brant to fill his place and to help carry on the traditions of Huichol Shamanism. Since 1979, Brant has been the Director of the Dance of the Deer Foundation Center for Shamanic Studies, which is inspired by the life and vision of don Jose Matsuwa. Brant has led hundreds of vision quests with thousands of people over the past 26 years, and people come to him from all over the world for healings.