Shamanic Offerings
with Lenore Norrgard, MA, Harner Method Shamanic Counselor

Shamanism is an ancient spiritual practice native to every inhabited continent on earth. While the spirits of place and the flavor of the practice vary from culture to culture, the heart of shamanic practice is essentially the same.

Through shamanic practice you can encounter a hidden realm: The spirit world - non-ordinary reality - where power animals, spirit helpers, ancestors and spirit teachers reside. Through learning the discipline of shamanic journeying, you can visit the spirit world and receive counsel and healing to enhance your life and work on this planet.

Upcoming offerings are listed below. Lenore also is available to come to your community to teach, and please inquire about online and teleclass instruction through this site.

Lenore is a brilliant teacher, and I am delighted she is sharing such profound work. She is grounded in full integrity, and shares from the depth of her creative nature. --Sandra Ingerman, author of Soul Retrieval and Medicine for the Earth

I enjoyed my first journeying experience, thanks to your expert guidance. I feel totally respected by you and empowered, and I want to thank you for your clarity. --Kelli Turner, student

Thank you for being a superb teacher. --Sharon Martini, student


This Fall: Coming this Winter:
















Our Ancestors, Ourselves
Healing Our Collective History

Saturday, September 6, 2008
1:00-4:00 p.m.
1338 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland


Our country is blessed with an abundance of wealth and people of good will--so why do we find ourselves stuck in cycles of violence at home and abroad?

From a shamanic point of view, it is because our nation was born in suffering for most beings involved, and this traumatic legacy continues to haunt our nation and the globe.

The good news is that we can heal history! When we heal our history, we release the gifts of our ancestors to bless the world.

We can realize a U.S. that is part of the community of nations, and one in which our wealth is not hoarded, but shared.

Join us for an uplifting afternoon of shamanically healing the past and shifting our destiny as a people.

Tuition: $30
Registration: Online through
New Renaissance Bookshop, by phone at 503.224.4929, or at the door.

(back to top)
















Our Ancestors, Ourselves
Healing the traumatic roots of U.S. violence

Friday, September 12, 2008
4:00-5:00 p.m.
8 Neuberger Hall, Portland State University, Portland


Our country is blessed with an abundance of wealth and people of good will, yet we continue to engage in wars of aggression abroad and find ourselves with escalating cycles of violence in our homes, our schools, and on our streets.

Our nation was born in upheaval and suffering for most of the people and other beings involved, and this traumatic legacy continues to haunt the globe. We are stuck in patterns of brokenness and imbalance that make harmony within our nation, and with other nations, difficult.

The good news is that we can heal history!

In so doing, we become able to access the gifts of our immigrant ancestors, which can help us shift the energy on our continent so we can finally realize the early vision of democracy first inspired by the Iroquois Confederacy.

Join us for an uplifting shamanic perspective on how we can heal the past, and in this way shift the direction of our country and our destiny as a people. We can realize a U.S. that is part of the community of nations, and one in which our wealth is not hoarded, but shared.

Tuition: This workshop is offered as part of the Building Cultures of Peace Conference. Register for the conference and attend this and many other fine workshops and events!

(back to top)















Shamanic Empowerment Weekend

October 25-26, 2008
Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day
Portland


In these times of turmoil and transformation, developing relationships with our personal spirit allies can ground us, giving us the resources to navigate the twists and turns of life with spiritual power and joy!

This weekend intensive provides beginning, in-depth instruction in fundamental shamanic journey skills. Learn how to journey safely to the spirit world and back, develop relationships with your personal spirit allies, how to formulate questions to elicit the counsel and personal healing you seek, and work with the information you receive.

Learn and practice how to use your voice and body to achieve and sustain a shamanic state of consciousness. Learn and practice how to obtain helpful information for someone who has requested your help.

Establishing ongoing relationships with one's own helping spirits typically leads to greater feelings of well-being; a stronger sense of connection with the earth and other beings on it; and an ability to live life in a fuller and more powerful way.

If you can answer Yes to the following questions, this intensive may be for you:

  • Are you ready to move in the direction of empowering yourself and using the spiritual wisdom and power you gain for living a fuller, richer, more meaningful life?

  • Are you ready for a space where counsel and empowerment will be given to you directly by your own helping spirits - not by the instructor, nor by other workshop participants?

  • Are you able to listen to others talk about the issues in their lives without commenting or offering advice? Can you keep any personal information you may hear confidential?

  • Are you willing to commit to attending the whole weekend?

All these factors are of equal importance. If you have questions please call instructor Lenore Norrgard at 503.450.9991.

Strengthen your relationship with life and the planet through learning to communicate with the spirit world!

Tuition: $267 adults; $187 teens and repeating adults
Registration: Enrollment is limited, please register early and at least by October 18. Participation is open to all, and spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

This offering fulfills the prerequisite for the Shamanic Healing Apprenticeship Program and other advanced offerings.

Details about location and what to bring will be delivered to registrants by email or post.

To reserve an adult place online now, click on the button:


To reserve a teen or repeating adult place online now, click on the button:



To register by post, send your contact information, type of registration, and check or money order for your tuition to:

Circle of the Living Earth-AIWP
P.O. Box 11645
Portland, OR 97211

We can also take your registration by phone if you have an email address and credit card. Call 503.450.9991.

Cancellation policy: Cancellations received in writing 10 days or more ahead will receive refund minus $50 per registrant handling fee. No refunds or credits will be provided for cancellations not received in writing, or received less than 10 days before the workshop.

(back to top)















Coronation of the Collective Heart

Monday, November 3, 2008
New Renaissance Bookshop
1338 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland

Join us in ceremony on the eve of the election, to transform our power-over paradigm into one where our hearts rule!

We can replace the individual egos we have enthroned with the collectivity of hearts--human and otherwise. Our hearts know the oneness that can heal our world.

Come to this life-changing ritual and join with others, the world over, who are ready to establish heart-centered rule for the highest good for all communities, all people, all life, and all the Earth.

Brother Mohandas Gandhi said, "Power invariably goes into the hands of the strong. That strength may be physical, or of the heart, or, if we do not fight shy of the word, of the spirit. Strength of the heart connotes soul-force. Let it be remembered that physical force is transitory, even as the body is transitory. But the power of spirit is permanent, even as the spirit is everlasting."

Brother Gandhi also said, "When we dream alone, it is only a dream, but when we dream together, it is the beginning of a new reality."

Therefore, on the eve of the national election, let us join together in dreaming a new reality, and carry out the Coronation of the Collective Heart!

All are welcome! Come to this life-changing evening ready to let go of the old power-over paradigm, and establish collective, heart-centered rule for the highest good for all the Earth.

Tuition: $12
Registration: Online through
New Renaissance Bookshop, by phone at 503.224.4929, or at the door.

(back to top)















Medicine for the Earth Weekend

November 8-9, 2008
10 a.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday

The Little Church, Northeast Portland

Miracles are within our reach with Medicine for the Earth, a new practice for transmuting physical toxins through spiritual practices.

While science is overwhelmed with the magnitude of environmental imbalances needing correction, there are age-old spiritual practices for creating miracles--healings that cannot be explained by Cartesian science, but now may be understood by cutting-edge quantum physics.

In this class you will learn and practice the seven-part spiritual formula for transmuting physical toxins, whether they occur in your own body or in the environment around us. Experiential exercises will introduce your body-mind to the truth of these teachings.

Come experience your own divinity, and learn how embodying your sacred self, right here and now, on this planet, purifies our bodies and our Gaia-home of the pollutants we've created. The time has come to use the spiritual powers that are our birthright to remember who we are, and thus bring ourselves and our beautiful, imperiled earth back into balance and wholeness.

Bringing the earth back into balance may be beyond science, but collectively we have the power to heal the earth, and we begin now.

For a discussion of shamanism, Medicine for the Earth, and the current state of politics and the environment, read Lenore's article, Medicine for the Earth: A Conversation with Sandra Ingerman, published in Reclaiming Quarterly, the magazine of the Reclaiming community.

Prerequisite: Read the book Medicine for the Earth, by Sandra Ingerman.
Tuition: $267 adults, $187 teens and repeating adults
Registration: Please register by November 1; after that, inquire whether there still is space before registering. Participation is open to all who meet the prerequisite, and spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lodging: This is a non-residential workshop; however, out of town participants are welcome to bring their own bedding and share the floor of our lovely meeting space, where they will have access to shared bathrooms and a communal kitchen, for a nominal nightly fee.
If you prefer a hotel, McMenamins Kennedy School is less than a mile from our site.

Details about location and what to bring will be delivered to registrants by email or post.

To reserve an adult place online now, click on the button:


To reserve a teen or repeating adult place online now, click on the button:



To register by post, send your contact information, type of registration, and check or money order for your tuition to:

Circle of the Living Earth-AIWP
P.O. Box 11645
Portland, OR 97211

We can also take your registration by phone if you have an email address and credit card. Call 503.450.9991.

Cancellation policy: Cancellations received in writing 10 days or more ahead will receive refund minus $50 per registrant handling fee. No refunds or credits will be provided for cancellations not received in writing, or received less than 10 days before the workshop.

(back to top)















Sacred Drum Making

Saturday, December 6, 2008
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Portland

The sacred drum is the most widely-used tool for bringing about the altered state that frees us from our bodies to journey to the spirit world. The frame drum is used in shamanic cultures around the world, as it is easy to hold in one hand while beating it with the other, making it great to use while trance dancing, and easy to transport.

Learn a beautiful, versatile lacing technique suited to varying climates. After setting sacred space, we'll lace rawhide drumheads to maple hoops, and you'll leave with a very special drum: One infused with your own spirit.

In the past, couples and friends, parents and children have enjoyed helping one another lace their drums in this hands-on workshop.


Tuition: $117 for adults, $77 for young people 10-18 years old
Materials fee: $55 for a 13" drum, $65 for a 15" drum, or $80 for an 18" drum.
Registration: Pre-registration by November 28 is required.

To reserve your place online now, make your selections, then click on the button to make a $125 deposit:

Drum Size
Registrant



You will be billed for your balance, which is due by November 30.

To register by post, send your contact information, choice of drum size, and tuition plus materials fee by November 28 to:

Circle of the Living Earth-AIWP
P.O. Box 11645
Portland, OR 97211

We can also take your registration by phone if you have an email address and credit card. Call 503.450.9991.

Cancellation policy: Cancellations received in writing 10 days or more ahead will receive refund minus $50 per registrant handling fee. No refunds or credits will be provided for cancellations not received in writing, or received less than 10 days before the workshop.

Details about what to bring to the workshop will be sent by email or post one week before the workhop.

(back to top)
















Dreaming the Dark
A Winter Solstice Retreat!

December 19-21, 2008
Friday dinner through Sunday lunch

with optional Friday afternoon journey instruction session

at Menucha Retreat Center, outside Portland, Oregon
on the beautiful Columbia River Gorge


Join us for two days of seasonal celebration, shamanic community and sacred ritual!

Let us nourish your body, heart and soul this solstice. Make it a time to slow down and restore your whole self, in the embrace of beloved community. Give yourself an oasis of peace this holiday season!

Imagine yourself in a sacred circle on the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Share delicious meals with fresh-baked, whole-grain bread in the sun-filled dining room.

Enjoy the warm company of Earth, Spirit and friends in sacred circle.


  • Nature walks with stunning Gorge vistas
  • Bone-warming fires in the huge lodge fireplace
  • Drumming, singing and dancing
  • Shamanic journeying - beginners welcome!
  • The shamanic bone game
  • And our annual Dreaming the Dark healing ceremony
Afterwards, return home spiritually centered and refreshed.


Dreaming the Dark: Celebrating Our Source

Lenore Norrgard developed the Dreaming the Dark: Celebrating Our Source ritual celebration in 1995 for her Pacific Northwest clients, students and friends. It's a ceremony for honoring and receiving healing from the extended darkness we face every Winter.

For 12 years, Dreaming the Dark has been an annual, invitation-only celebration.

This year, for the third time, we open our doors to all who feel called to join us in retreat for this sacred ritual of power and healing.

What participants say:

  • It was a time to connect with my heart and the earth and to open myself to the spirit world in new and profound ways. I felt so welcomed and included and respected. Thank you for reframing my notion of dark into a celebration of the void. --Karen S., retreatant

  • I received a fantastic healing at the ceremony...I now can see in the dark. --Christabel

  • One of the most vivid and powerful experiences of my life. --Hugh

  • I imagine that this might be what it feels like to be an angel singing in the divine scheme of things. --Kathy

  • This ritual was one of the most powerful that I have experienced...there was a very deep peacefulness... It was beautiful. --Barbara

  • I loved the ritual and had a quite profound healing experience...I have been sleeping like a baby every night since. --Dory

  • The whole ceremony...touched my soul... I did not want the magical time to end. --Judy


The Sacred Hoop, the UK's premier magazine on shamanism, featured a piece on this sacred ritual. Just click on the magazine image to download a copy.


Join us in sacred celebration this year!



A range of accommodations is available, from dormitory beds to semi-private and private rooms. Each package includes soul-renewing program, six delicious, healthy meals**, and two nights' lodging with shared bath at beautiful Menucha Retreat Center.

Dormitory (3 or more to a room): $447 per person
Semi-private (2 to a room): $497 per person
Private room: $547
Commuter (includes lunches and dinners): $417

**We can accommodate some special dietary needs, if you provide us details with your registration - the earlier, the better.

Bring friends and save! When two or more people register together, you can deduct $50 per person.

Pay early and save! When you make full payment by October 31, you can deduct $25 per person.

Yes, you you can save $75 per person if two or more people register together and make full payment by October 31.

To reserve your place now, please indicate accommodation and dietary choices, then securely make a $200 deposit online by clicking on the blue button below. We will bill you for the balance, which is due by December 5. If you pay your balance by October 31, you will receive the early registration discount. If you make deposits for more than one person, and two or more attend, each person will receive the "bring a friend" discount.

Accommodation choice
Dietary preferences

To register by phone, call 503.450.9991 and leave your name, phone number, and good times for us to return your call.

To register by post, send your name, address, email address, phone number, and choice of accommodation and diet, with $200 deposit per person to:

Circle of the Living Earth
P.O. Box 11645
Portland, OR 97211

If two or more people send registration in together and attend, you each get the "bring a friend" discount. If you pay your registration in full by October 31, you get the early registration discount.

Cancellation policy: Cancellations received in writing by November 30 will receive refund minus $75 per registrant handling fee. No refunds or credits will be provided for cancellations not received in writing, or received after November 30.

If you have accommodation or registration questions, please call 503.450.9991.

We look forward to seeing you there!

(back to top)
















Shamanism and Global Transformation
Power Tools for Social Healers

Dates, location TBA

As we work for a world of true freedom, justice and community in harmony with nature, how do we find and maintain a spiritual footing in the midst of the storm?

Core shamanism is a spiritual approach that returns spiritual authority to the individual and the local community, by providing tools for communicating directly and effectively with the spirit world.

Our ancestors relied on helping spirits to maintain a world in balance. Through re-establishing these relationships, reconnecting with our ancestors, and rooting ourselves in this sacred earth, we can find guidance and sustenance to create a new harmony.

Sit in circle with fellow activists and develop relationships with your personal spirit allies. Learn how to elicit and apply spiritual counsel on both the personal and social levels. Explore how shamanic practice, while avoiding the pitfall of cultural appropriation, can inform and empower the work of social healing.

For some examples of shamanic practices applied in the peace movement, read Lenore's article, Ritual and Activism: The Alchemy of Social Transformation, featured in The Sacred Hoop, the UK's premier shamanism magazine.

Registration: If interested in this offering, call 503.450.9991 or email and we'll let you know when the date and place is set.

(back to top)