Most of the workshops i have done over the years have a shamanic core. Whether it is basic shamanic technique or it is shamanic techniques used in religious studies, magic or ritual. To me shamanism is magic craftmanship. One should start out with learning the basic techniques before one moves on to more advanced work, but that is a good rule for most skills i guess :-)
i do not have a large workshop schedule anymore, but are happy to work with groups from coven size up to 22, when someone feels i have something to contribute, and i feel good about the group, place and subject at hand. Here is a list of some of the, to me most interesting and rewarding workshops i have done, and are still prepared to do. I will fill in detailed info on them as at my leisure :-) :
The path, the power and the craft.Workshops
basic shamanic workshop, covers basic techniques in a proven and structured way of progression. this is core shamanism, with as little cultural influence as possible, for the modern day would be shamanic practitioner, or the long time practitioner that feels a need to connect to the roots and the core of the practice again.
The voice of the earth.
Working with the spirits of nature. The workshop is usually done over a weekend out in the woods or up in the mountains, but it is as usable to the city dweller the goes to the park to connect with a tree or, connects with the earth in the backyard, as it is for the practitioner working up to and doing a uteseta/vision quest in the wilderness.
Shamanic healing
The shaman works under the understanding that bad health or illness comes from either a powerloss or a power intrusion, and has different techniques design to take care of either of those. From the basics of dealing with a sprained ankel, to the specialist work of soul retriveal. During the course of this workshop we work through some basic techniques and connect with the spirits you need to embark on or deepen your work as a shamanic healer.
The workshop is also a good way to enhance your mastery of the shamanic trance, since we need to learn how to stay in the trance and still walk around, physically act and interact with other people. This is a good step further on to the path of the shaman compared to the "standard" shamanic journey laying down blindfolded and being able to totally focus on the drum and the intention of the specific journey.
The runes, the language of power of the north.
The old germanic futhorc is to me the basis of a languages of power that speaks of and adresses a full cosmology. I feel that a magic practice is not full without in depth knowledge of a language of power, and the runes are quite adequate. Divination with the runes as the tool has become quite common, but their use in divination is just a mere fragment of their full potential, in fact i feel that their divinatory use is more of a biproduct than THE issue. I like to do this workshop over 3 weekends, with a couple of months between them, so that the participants are able to practice what is thaught between each weekend and thus make sure the the material is properly integrated.
Seidhr
The old norse practice of Seidhr is to me a core of the northern mystreries, and a practice well worth investing studies and effort into mastering. The tools used; the song, the staff and the high seat is commonly known in many shamanic traditions, but the way they are utilized and made into a syntesis in the Seidhr is quite unique to the northern mystery path. This is a workshop i usually do over 2 weekends, where the first is used to start the mastery of the three elements of the seidhr, and the second is used for the actual practice of seidh, both for the solitary practitioner and for groupseidhr. We work with both divinatory seidhr and power seidhr.
Drummaking
Making of your own shamans drum is much more than just the actual handycraft of drummaking.
During this workshop we take rawmaterials from nature, connects with the power of the animal that carried the hide, and the tree that gave its trunk to make you drumframe, and we fashion it into a powerful magical tool. Which we imbue with the powers that you and your helping entities feel are needed for just your drum. At the end of the workshop you will have a new powerful magic tool and a new insight in the making of magical tools in general. The drum we make is a basic reindeerskin shamans framedrum.
Shamism for a practicing pagan.
Whether you are a pagan shamanistic practitioner or a pagan with a heart open to shamanism i think you will find something of good use in this work shop. It is not shamanistic technique we cover in this workshop but rather how to use shamanistic technique in a pagan religious practice.
Evening workshop with seer work
This is an evening where I use my skills as a shamanistic practitioner and seer to help you with whatever you need help with in your life and practice. We will do at least one shamans journey and or power drumming, some pathworking and use other techniques, and if the group wants it there will be a session where i enter a state of light trance and do seer work for each end everyone in the circle to make your path and life even more in harmony with your intent and purpose. This can be done over a specific prearranged topic, or it can be just what the group and individual needs then and there.
