Introduction to Shamanism

Spiritual Retreat: Introduction to Shamanism 

Registration Deadline: This popular workshop is taught twice a year and typically sells out quickly. Please contact us before registering, to make sure there is still room for you.

Contact us to get on our mailing list for future dates.
What to Expect in the Workshop:

Curious about shamanistic practices?

If you are on a spiritual path, you have probably heard this word, shamanism, before. It is the most frequently used term in spiritual and religious circles today. But what is it, exactly?

The English language has no comparable word for the healing practices and effects of shamanism, and for many people in Western culture, there is no language that accurately describes the experience of being in sacred relationship with the divine?

But, if you have scrolled down to this point, I imagine that you are someone who has always known or have been drawn to possibilities that there are other, and sometimes better, ways to cope with life than the typical American perspective on life.

The Introduction to Shamanism Workshop Will Give You the Opportunity to:

Experience safe, non-toxic, diverse, creative ways to perceive reality

Expand your consciousness

Generously nourish your relationship with life’s spiritual center
In Elohee Retreat Center’s beautiful Thanksgiving House, you will be in a small, safe, intimate group setting (maximum 15 people), surrounded by 225 forested acres and within earshot of a 100 ft. waterfall.

Background

The word, shamanism, is an Anglicized version of a Evenki word from Central Asia (samaan.) It has various meanings.

Basically, the term refers to someone who knows the way, to contact the spirits to come restore balance and harmony (within an individual, a relationship, a community, a geographical location, the weather, etc.). A shaman sends away negative energy, finds lost souls, heals illness and so on. Such practitioners are still common in many of the world’s oldest cultures.

Archaeological evidence shows that ‘shamanic’ practices have survived for at least 18,000 years in central Asia. In the Himalayas, shamanism may be 50,000 years old or older. Shamanic/animistic practices are not a New Age fad.

There is also abundant evidence in the art and artifacts of prehistoric Crete (7,800-450 BCE) that shamanistic practices were  also part of the first European culture. We will learn more about that in this workshop.

In parts of the world today where ‘shamanism’ is still active, women and men spiritual healers are still performing ancient healing rituals that include helping the client become re-connected with her/his source of spiritual power.

Wherever and however shamanism is practiced, its purpose is always the same: to restore spiritual, psychological, physical, social and even meteorological and geological wellness.

Shamanism is also grounded in relationships with nature, the five elements, Ancestors and the cycles of life, death and rebirth.

You may not be a shaman, but learning reliable, basic shamanistic practices allows almost anyone to experience an empowering and enriching way to bring about positive life changes. When performed correctly, one of shamanism’s most remarkable characteristics is that its healing effects are typically long-lasting.
A Few Typical Effects of Shamanistic Experiences…

•    Their power builds up over time.
•    Personal connections with sources of spiritual guidance strengthen through practice.
•    Your understanding of your immediate situation and your purpose in this lifetime becomes clearer.
•    Blocks or obstacles, stuck energy, etc. may be removed, opening the way for the real, empowered, you come through.
Overall, the ancient wisdom and basic shamanistic practices presented in this workshop (including journeying, rituals, ceremonies, sacred poses from prehistoric Crete, and more) will clarify how to embody your visionary experiences in your most meaningful relationships—with Spirit, human beings, your compassionate, intuitive self, nature, the elements and your Ancestors.

This workshop is for you, if you are dealing with one or more of the following in one or more areas of your life:

•    Weakness or loss of personal power and/or dysfunction. Nightmares. Anxiety. Panic attacks.
•    Lethargy, physical and/or mental illness, PTSD.
•    String of ‘bad luck,’ such as injuries, illness, relationship issues or financial problems.
•    Depression. Isolation/loneliness, sense of emptiness, lack of meaning, hopelessness, confusion.
•    Doubt whether or not you are living your true purpose.
•    Unresolved grief, trauma, fear, confusion, resentment, anger, rage/envy coming from you or from someone else that is affecting you.

During this workshop, you will be given the opportunity to learn how to:

•    Learn how a simple protection ritual and how to create a safe, respectful, sacred atmosphere where healing may happen.
•    Call the spirits of the land, the sacred directions of north, west, south and east and the spirits of the elements: earth, water, wind, fire (and ether.)
•    Experience facilitated journeys to the spiritual realms of the Lower, Middle and Upper Worlds (and how to return safely to ordinary reality). Learn how to honor your Ancestor spirits and learn their role in shamanism.
•    Enjoy opportunities to embody, integrate and engage your spiritual experiences and insights and
•    Translate the unique visionary guidance you receive into bold, empowering, creative actions in your everyday life, going forward.

Scroll down for Introduction to Shamanism registration and lodging detailsat Elohee Thanksgiving House:

Option 1: Commuter or Camper: Includes workshop tuition, campsite next to the waterfall and Thanksgiving House, two lunches and two dinners. Access to indoor hot shower, fully equipped kitchen and living room inside Thanksgiving House. Tea and coffee station. Not included in camping option: Camping equipment or breakfast. We invite you to bring your favorite breakfast for yourself. Four campsites available (they typically sell out quickly). Ask for further details. $350.00 per person.

Option 2: Shared room and meals in Thanksgiving House: $525.00 per person. Includes workshop tuition, two nights’ lodging on the third floor of Thanksgiving House, twin or triple occupancy with shared bath. Two lunches and two dinners. We invite you to bring your favorite breakfasts to prepare in the fully equipped kitchen. Hot tea and coffee stations always open.  

Option 3: The Suntrail Room: One queen size bed on the second floor, overlooking the waterfall. Shared bath. Add $135 to the basic retreat cost. (Total: $625.)

Option 4: The Queen’s Bedroom. One queen size bed, third floor, shared bath.  Add $95.00 to basic retreat price. (Total:$620.00.) 

Option 5: The Tree House Room (One queen size bed overlooking the waterfall. Private bathroom with clawfoot tub and walk-in shower. Second floor. ) (Total:$725.00.)

Registration Details

This is a popular workshop that usually fills quickly. Before you send any money, please contact us to make sure we have there is a space for you in the retreat. Phone: 706-746-5485, ext. 1 or email robinettekennedy@windstream.net.

After you are cleared for take-off, we will hold a place for you as you choose your lodging option and send in the full amount now to book your accommodations. 

Or, send half the registration fee now as a deposit, and send the balance due 30 days before the workshop begins.

Payment Options:

To pay using PayPal, go to www.paypal.com
To complete your PayPal transaction, use the following email address: robinettekennedy@windstream.net.

To pay by postal mail (check or money order), mail payment (payable to Robinette Kennedy) to: P.O Drawer W, Mountain City, Georgia. 30562. (Yes, the address is P.O. Box W)