We all die & now we have more older people than younger for the first time. More than this, we all experience many deaths, times when we surrender an idea or ideal, a loved one or part of ourselves. This path is for everyone who wants to catalyze the power of death to live a fuller life. It is also designed to help those in approaching their final passage into the beyond, however they imagine it. Come explore beyond the veil of our ignorance.

We live in a unique time of shifting demographics & the first year in which there are more older people than younger in the US. We also live in a time of ecological crisis & mass species die off, facing the potential of species extinction for the first time. This convergence offers a turning or tipping point where we are called to transition from fear into love, compassion & action. It is a time to come together to celebrate the final season of life & acknowledge the gift of wisdom embodied in the final chapter of our story. We also need to help carry the burden of the youth who are left with an economic & ecological death not of their making. The epidemic of youth suicide calls to us all. 

We are making lemons into lemonade. It turns out that an angel turned up to help me launch the platform. At first, I thought, great! They said their name was Thanos (immortality), so I was like, cool. Then I realized at my MRI the next day that they are often perceived as Thanatos (which I knew was death). FUN!!! Since, I'm waiting for my results in a return to my earlier experience (euphemism) with cancer, I decided that I would do my Death & Cancer coursed while I'm in the aura or energy of this being & state. Let's go!
*By the way, I don't believe angels weightlift, making this a fantasy. Sorry.

This path is for anyone who has faced death (which is everyone). 

The pehonix 

Yes

In a very real way you are creating your story and cosmology in the form of a Medicine Wheel. At the center you are the creator but this is also the place of the Creator--however you imagine this. While the first week begins with an introduction and orientation, ultimately you will design your own story in stone and in the collaboration with the earth. While you begin in your imagination, you will move through journaling into working with the medicine of the mineral, plant, and animal kingdom to recreate the world. 

We live in a time of synthesis in which the archetypal patterns of the past call to us to return to a direct connection with creation and co-create. This is a time to come together and to value life as a whole. So, the medicine wheel is also a way of being in circle and community. It can be seen at play in the world in which we live, move, and have our being as a unifying force.

Your wheel reflects you--your values and identity. So, you get to design a ritual and ceremony to guide and honor your transformation. Building upon an archetypal structure that underlies all healing circles, you get to pick how to create and experience your own. Is it in a forest or on the plains? Inside or out? Large or small? Guided through reflection exercises, journaling, medicine walks, creative design, and self-generated ritual, you will navigate the passage from conception to creation and implementation.

If you lead circles of youth or adults, in cities or in the country, the medicine wheel can provide a basic structure for learning and sharing. To do this, the course offers a number of activities like making a talking stick, creating a necklace, or painting a drum. 

This is called Circle Passages because it is held in a circle. As you undergo your rite of passage there are 3 circles that provide safe passage.

This is a journey from your past to your present to envision your future, moving from separation and preparation to transformation and integration. This journey heals you in body and soul by making you whole. While it may not cure you, this is a healing journey that brings you peace and love, deepening your connection to life and your life. 

Nature is both living and dead. When we are in nature we come to life, realizing that not only nature but our nature is alive. We realize that we love life and are ready to live. Whether revealed through symbolic or synchronous experiences on the land or within your inner landscape as an inner vision or calling, your nature and nature work and play together to guide and transform you.

At its heart this is a vision quest on which each step allows you to see further into your future, gaining insight on where you are going. Vocation means soul's call and rites of passage are designed as archetypal steps to lead you to a new identity, name, calling, and role in community. They help you step into your power and purpose in a new way. 

What does your native culture do with death? Do you have family stories or relatives you can talk to? What about artifacts, books . . . go on a scavenger hunt. Talking to people about shared history & ancestry is affirming. When I talked to my mom in preparation for teaching a college course on Russian fairytales, I delighted her & learned a lot. I realized that I am really Ukranian which was also Russian when my relatives lived there. Now, we are in the Russian war with Ukranian. What is the current relationship of your ancestors to life & death? Go back & back. For example, Russian lost 1/4 of their male population in WW II. What at the cultural, ecological & archetypal wounds?

Reflecting traditions throughout the ages, you get to create a rattle or a drum to help hold your vision. Constructed throughout your journey, you draw or decorate your instrument with symbolic images from your initiatory journey, embodied in an instrument that empowers your life.

Your power circle is a circle that supports you on the land and in your life. To reinforce this circle, we offer drum or rattle making. Following ancient traditions, we embody our visions and calling in instruments as people have for thousands of years. Like all of the aspects of your rite of passage, the creation of an instrument is done your way, if you want.

Retelling your story in your own way has the power to transform you and your life, taking control of the narrative of your past and future. So, we begin by keeping a nature journal--a journal of our nature and nature. This journal helps us move through the stages as we self-reflect and grow.

What calls to you to heal? It could be the call of your ancestors and family lineage as much as your d. It could be your soul, a song of the bird, or the beauty of the sunrise. On this path you will leave patterns in your past to move more fully into your future. Separation, transformation, and integration lead you to transform yourself but also those around you.