Master Practitioner and Shamanic
Initiation
The Australian Dreaming Project
Ikon Institute
Spirit of the Earth Medicine Society
Australian Association of Shamanic Practitioners
INTRODUCING ADVANCED
SHAMANIC TRAINING
Ikon Institute, in association with the Spirit of the
Earth Medicine Society [SOTEMS], has been conducting training in shamanic
practice in Australia for 20 years. The programs offered have been based on
world-wide experience, research and practice which embraces many cultures. To
date, these programs have been aimed at providing participants with the
fundamentals of shamanic practice in such a way that they are able to go
forward, at the completion of courses, into the community to practice
professionally. At the core of this process, is the life enrichment, spiritual
and personal growth of the students of this work.
Ikon has offered workshops, short courses and the very
successful two-year Diploma of Shamanic Practice throughout Australia. Graduates
of this latter program are currently making their mark in the community,
offering an extensive range of healing and ceremonial services.
However, there is now a need to take this work
further…. to offer advanced training and the parallel path of initiation into
the shamanic vocation, following traditional lines.
What is offered draws upon many cultures but especially
the work of the Spirit of the Earth Medicine Society [SOTEMS] and the joint
Ikon-SOTEMS undertaking, The Australian Dreaming Project. The latter is
a comprehensive attempt to develop a framework for an Australian spiritual
practice in which shamanic work is central.
So, we are taking the very large step now to afford
training experiences and skill development of a very high order and which will
serve to create a new generation of practitioners and teachers.
We would like you to step forward if you feel you
are ready for this exciting but challenging program.
THE PROGRAM
There are two strands to the Advanced Shamanic Practice
training: Master Practitioner Training and Shamanic
Initiation
-
Master Practitioner: Shamanic
Practice
This course is open to persons who have the following
background:
·
Completed an Ikon Diploma of Shamanic Practice or equivalent
or
·
Traditional training in shamanism in any culture
or
·
Other training and experience which can be assessed
It is largely a matter of whether applicants are
interested, passionate and committed to shamanic work
Assessment of applicant’s eligibility is done on a
case-by-case basis.
The training program has the following modules:
| |
1. Working with
the worlds of Spirit and Nature |
10 days, Central
Desert |
| |
2. Body, Mind,
Spirit and Soul in Shamanism |
10 days, Central
Desert |
| |
3. Advanced
Shamanic Healing |
10 days, Central
Desert |
| |
4. Mastery of
States and Journeys |
10 days, Central
Desert |
The training will involve intensive work in natural settings with occasional
‘classroom’ work. The Central Desert modules in September will be held in
conjunction with the annual Vision Quest.
The course will be physically and psychologically demanding as it requires
more than intellectual understanding; rather, it requires the commitment of the
whole of one’s being to the work. This creates significant personal change on
all levels of existence.
- Shamanic Initiation
SOTEMS has been operating in Australia for over 20 years. In that time, it
has developed a strong community which is creating a medicine ways and shamanic
culture across the country. This is not merely in terms of courses and workshops
offered, or in terms of counselling and healing services available; rather, it
is also in terms of there now being a substantial social, cultural and spiritual
basis for shamanic practice. With this comes the opportunity to become an
initiated shaman within the SOTEMS tradition…. and it is now a tradition!
The process is one of personal, traditionally modelled training and
initiation through several stages. What this involves is as follows:
a. Enrolment in the Master Practitioner program
b. Being interviewed for shamanic training and initiation
c. Where a person is accepted for shamanic training and
initiation, they will receive personal training from Dr. Rafael Locke which runs
in parallel to the Masters program. No disclosure of the content of this
individual training is available; it is discrete and focused on the individual’s
needs, strengths and motivation, and personal path.
Since the next module is 18th-28th April, 2012, it is
advisable to communicate your interest to us as soon as possible.
Next entry point: 18th
-28th April 2012
Fees: Master Practitioner: $10,000.00 Deposit: $1000.00
Payment schemes available: Deposit + 18 payments of $500/month by direct
deposit or cc
Shamanic Initiation: Appropriate exchange arranged as per traditional
practices
For specific information or to
register your interest please contact Dr. Rafael Locke 0417 964 777 or email
rafael43@bigpond.com
or click
here for Brochure and here for the
ASP 2012 Enrolment form
Why Study Shamanic Practice?
 You
might ask why you should be interested in something like shamanic practice which
seems so exotic and distant from our everyday lives in Australian culture. The
answer is very straightforward and somewhat surprising since it reveals much
about our heritage.
Shamanism was the first form of spiritual and healing practice in human
culture. It is alive and well in some form in about 90% of the world’s cultures.
Our knowledge of shamanism extracted from archaeology extends back over 40,000
years.
The core ideas and practices of shamanism formed the foundations of the
great religious traditions of the world. Many of the rituals and teachings of
the modern churches, for example, are rooted in shamanic practice and world
views. Modern medicine has much to thank shamanism for. Traditional shamanic
practice involved a profound set of techniques in mind-body medicine, the use of
states of consciousness, herbal medicine and a medicine which aligned human
beings with the cycles and dynamics of nature.
Shamans and Shamanic Healing in Modern Life
Shamans are usually initiated into the profession through a profound ordeal. In
this way, they learn to identify their own medicine and also embody the
mythology and worldview of their people. They are then able to travel through
the many worlds in which human beings can dwell in the service of healing and
expansion of awareness.
They are experts in the use of symbols, myth, ritual and healing
techniques, all informed by a psychospiritual view of the world.
Over the last twenty-five years, there has been a very large amount of
research done on traditional shamanism and how it can assist us to live better,
more richly in our busy lives in contemporary society. Shamanism reminds us that
we are a part of nature, connected to the web of life, and that we can heal
ourselves through this knowledge in specific ways. Indeed, the newly developed
field of transpersonal medicine is almost totally informed by shamanism.
It is important to note that every culture represented in Australia today
has some shamanic tradition, no matter how attenuated it may be. Indeed, many
Australians are busy not only tracing their lineage, family history, but also
their shamanic legacy …e.g., Celtic traditions
Shamanic Practice Course Content
The 2 year course is designed to provide students with a detailed knowledge of
shamanic practice in a wide range of cultures around the world and through
history so that they will:
-
Understand how
shamanism emerged and how it speaks to us now
-
Learn to master
techniques that you to cultivate different states of consciousness and
undertaking spiritual journeys for the sake of healing and gaining in knowledge
[for yourself and others]
-
Learn how traditional
shamanic ideas and practices can enhance our understanding of healing work and
-
use shamanic practice
to expand on any existing skills in counselling, natural medicine, biomedical
science, psychotherapy, psychiatry, body work and so on
-
Integrate knowledge
and practices from shamanism into one’s personal life for spiritual and personal
growth.
The course is taught over two years in a series of modules which
systematically build students’ skills and understanding. It is also true to say
that the course can be a life-changing experience.
It should be noted that this course is not training people to be shamans, but to
be able to use shamanic technologies for personal and professional development.
Course Author and Facilitators
The Diploma in Shamanic Practice has been developed and taught by Dr Rafael
Locke who has trained people in shamanic techniques in the US and Australia for
over 20 years.
Dr Rafael Locke has doctorates in a range of medical sciences including
Anthropology and Psychology, as well as being trained in the medicine ways with
more than 6 tribes on three continents.
He is the pre-eminant expert in shamanic practice in Australia and the
founder of the Spirit of the Earth Medicine Society. |
|
Guy Brunette is an initiated
Sangoma, which is a
traditional healer of the Zulu tribes of Southern Africa. He is one of
only a handful of white Southern Africans to accept and undergo the ordeal of
Thwasa (formal traditional training) in order to be initiated into the sangoma
traditions.
Guy is also an initiated shaman and
ceremonial leader within the Spirit of the Earth Medicine Society traditions and
mythology.
|
|
Terry has completed academic studies in cross
cultural counselling and applied anthropology and post graduate studies
merging mental health and spirituality.
He is a professionally Registered Psychological
Counsellor and in private practice offers transpersonal psychotherapy and
regular Shamanic ceremonial tool making workshops.
He is a Senior Ceremonial Leader and initiated
Shaman in the Spirit of the Earth Medicine Society.
|
The Program and Curriculum
The
program has been developed over the last twenty years by Dr. Rafael Locke
through research and participation in shamanic practice in a number of cultures
around the world … the Americas, Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia and
Australia, for example. Commencing in 2004, a series of fascinating and
challenging courses has been offered as a sequence for personal and professional
development. All of the courses retain a faithful connection with shamanic
traditions as well as translating shamanic work into modern idioms of
psychology, medicine, anthropology and other disciplines.
The program is
run over a 2 year period, with each module being over a 4 day period (friday-monday)
once a month. There is also a weekly tutorial in the evening.
The program is divided into 4
Parts
PART 1: Foundations: Shamanism as Visionary Practice
This
first level of the program offers a comprehensive introduction to shamanic
practice which will also have a strong intellectual base. The shamanic approach
to health, illness, and human development will be compared and contrasted with
that of the paradigms of traditional biomedical science and mind-body medicine.
Detailed examination of the methods and cultures of contemporary medicines will
be made so as to provide students with a clear grasp of where shamanic practice
can fit in Australian society.
-
Visionary Practice I:
Shamanic Worlds and Practices This first module explores the
fundamental nature of shamanism in human history and culture. It looks at the
ways in which shamanism is a part of evolutionary biology and anthropology. A
detailed examination of the notion of visionary practice is undertaken and the
many faces of the shaman unfolded …. priest, healer, medium, story teller,
magician, and so on. Shamanism is linked to life in contemporary society in a
practical way and there is a special focus on shamanism and healing, connecting
it to other healing modalities. Shamanic initiation and understanding personal
pathways.
-
Visionary Practice II:
Shamanic Journeys Exploring shamanic states of consciousness. Shamanic
initiation re-visited, crisis/madness and healing. The shamanic journey as
symbol and tool. Exploring states of consciousness: types of trance, divided
consciousness, dreams and other states. Personal medicine. The dreaming wheel in
Australia. Shamanic divination. Using visionary/spiritual intelligence.
Projection: out of the body journeys. The shaman and death.
-
Visionary Practice III:
Foundations of Shamanic Healing The shamanic body and the dreaming
process. Fundamentals of shamanic healing in four major processes: 1. Entering
the landscape/dreaming; 2. Tapping the stream; 3. Visiting the seat of the soul;
4. Perceiving the energy of life. This is a systematic and practical training
program which uses the drum, rattle, symbol, medicine objects and dreaming wheel
as essential tools. This module focuses work on shamanism as a healing vocation,
focusing on healing with individuals, groups, and communities.
-
Visionary Practice IV:
Types of Ritual in Shamanic Work Ritual, myth and symbol in healing
practice. The meaning of ritual and how it is used in shamanic practice. How
ritual works psychologically, socially and parapsychologically. Working with
people to develop ritual processes and implementing them effectively. Types of
rituals and specific needs of clients. Personal and social rituals. The
transformation process.
PART 2: Advanced Practice Skills
-
Advanced Shamanic Practice I:
The Journey of the Soul The journey of the soul. The major focus of
this module is the area of soul damage and soul loss. This is central to
traditional shamanic practice but is also relevant to contemporary society, our
lives in stressful times. Exploring traditional ceremonies for working with soul
damage and loss. Related notions of spirit illness, the call and the opening of
the pathway. Entry of the soul into this world and exit. Types of problems which
arise, diagnosis and treatment.
-
Advanced Shamanic Practice II:
Sorcery and Counter-sorcery Shamanism, healing and sorcery. Type I and
Type II sorcery: The psychological, parapsychological, social and political
aspects of sorcery. How ritual sorcery is performed, its meaning and impact.
Sorcery, illness and madness. Diagnosing sorcery: distinguishing sorcery effects
from other forms of illness and disability. Setting up and executing
counter-sorcery measures.
-
Advanced Shamanic Practice III:
Possession States Shamanism, possession. Gaining a working knowledge of
possession in shamanic work as a tool and also as a problem which shamans deal
with. Unpacking the types and stages of possession and its relation to
obsession. Possession and madness. Possession and consciousness.
PART 3: Shamanic Worlds: Culture-Specific Practices
-
Shamanism Three explorations :
Looking at shamanism in Africa [the !Kung Bushmen and Zulu Sangomas], in the Caribbean [Vodun in
Haiti] and in South America [Peru and Brazil]. This module will compare and
contrast these forms of shamanism and draw from them valuable tools for shamanic
practice in a range of settings.
-
Australian Shamanism Spirit of
earth and sky. Shamanism in Australia. Aboriginal shamanism explored, concepts
of the Dreaming. Europeans in Australia and the development of a pan-Australian
shamanism. Mythology and ceremony for our times. The Australian physical and
spiritual landscapes: the totemic world, the elemental world, the symbolic
world. Practising shamanism in Australia.
-
Contemporary Practice Topics :
This module covers the range of factors which a shamanic practitioner will need
to understand and incorporate into practice in Australia. This includes matters
relating to mental health, medicine, ethical and legal issues as well as
refining diagnostic abilities. Setting up and building a successful practice:
pitfalls and promises.
PRACTICUM
Vision Quest Traditional path-seeking through ordeal. Every student
who wishes to be certified as practitioner is required to undertake a 3-day
vision quest in the central desert. This ritual will consolidate the shamanic
perspective and inform each student of their personal path and medicine. Details
available closer to the date of the quest.
The
course is accredited by the International Institute for Complementary Therapies.
Membership of the Institute is available upon graduation along with access to
professional practice insurances.
This
program represents a set of programs which reflect ways in which Australians can
establish a meaningful spiritual sense of their place in Australia, and the
world, with a specific focus on the creation of an Australian spirituality and
shamanic practice which are practical and relevant to our times and needs. It is
called the Australian Dreaming Project.
COST
AND CONTACT
Cost
(including GST) is $10 000.00 for all modules with a $1000.00 deposit.
Payment schemes are available and payment can be made per module.
Click on the following link to download the
brochure and prospectus
and/or enrolment form
For more information or a prospectus, please email
info@sotems.com.au
or call the following :
| City |
Contact |
Course Start |
Contact |
| NSW |
SOTEMS |
TBA |
Tel : Andrew on 0414-707-876 or Marcus on
0400-677-299 |
| Melbourne |
SOTEMS |
TBA |
Tel : Guy on 0407 495 076 or Terry on 0447-334-002 |
| 
