Note: this is one of three seminars in the Foundations Course, which is the first level of Joan Forest Mage's Shamanic Training Program.

Joan Forest Mage's Shamanic Training Program provides comprehensive instruction in a contemporary form of shamanism, an ancient form of spiritual practice and healing through connecting to one's spirit guides. It is based in the Creative Community Medicine Wheel, which Joan received as a "download" from the Universe beginning in 1985.

The Program provides training from the basics of shamanism to establishing a firm personal shamanic practice, and progressing to doing shamanic healing and teaching for others. This 12 month Program is split into four Courses: Foundations, Shamans Path, Shamanic Healers Practicum and Ritual Leaders Practicum. Each Course takes three months. Courses include both in person and online components. 

Fall 2010 Foundations Course

learn the basic concepts and practices of shamanism

The Shamanic Training Program Foundations Course takes place over a period of three months. It covers the basics of shamanic practice, including working with energy and the energy body, shamanic journeying, and finding your individual way of accessing intuitive information. Cost: $375 for all three months.

The Foundations Course meets for a seminar once a month for three months. The seminars are held on a Saturday from 9 AM - 5 PM. Students also have assignments between seminar meetings, and are encouraged to have online discussion with the instructor and fellow students.

Foundations Course: $375 for all 3 Foundations Seminars. No pre-requisites

 Foundations 1: Energetic Protection - September 25

Foundations 2: Shamanic Journeying -  October 23

Foundations 3:Shamanic Consciousness-November 20

Foundations 1: Energetic Protection

Learn about your energetic, spirit body. You will learn to identify your etheric, emotional and astral bodies, and how to ground energy, release energy blockages, invigorate your chakras and protect your energy field. We will practice basic energy techniques such as simple yoga and tai chi exercises, sound healing, hands-of-light, power objects, crystals, and finding your power song and dance. We will align ourselves with the elements (air, earth, water, fire and ether) and experience how they help us shift energy. We will also examine the importance of intention and core beliefs in energy work. No Pre-requisite. Required reading: Mother Wit by Diane Mariechild and Maps To Ecstasy by Gabrielle Roth.

Foundations 2: Shamanic Journeying

Learn the ancient shamanic journey meditation: traveling to the spirit realm to gain wisdom and healing from angels, ancestors, totem animals and other helpful spiritual beings. To the classic shamanic drumbeat, you will journey to the three territories of non-ordinary reality to begin building relationships with your own group of spirit helpers. Learn about shamanic cosmology, the history and ethical basis of shamanism, and the ways shamanic practice applies to the modern world and to healing the web of all life. No previous experience necessary. Please bring a drum or rattle if you have one, and a pen and notebook. Required reading: Singing The Soul Back Home by Caitlin Matthews.

Foundations 3: Shamanic Consciousness

Gain greater skill in entering meditative consciousness through learning time-proven methods of quieting your mind and body, observing your intuitive impressions so you can hear Spirit’s messages more clearly. We will utilize self-expressive arts – writing, drawing, singing, dancing – as meditational and energy work practices. Learn how to interpret the visions you see in your shamanic journeys and dreams through discovering your preferred perceptual mode (seeing, hearing or feeling) for accessing intuitive information. You will further deepen your relationship with your own group of spirit helpers. No pre-requisite. Please bring a drum or rattle if you have one, and a pen and notebook. Required reading: The Open Mind by Dawna Markova.

More on the Shamanic Training Program

The Shamanic Training Program is split into four Courses, each of which is carried out over a period of three months. Courses include both in person and online components.

 In each Course, students attend one seminar a month for three months. The seminars are held on Saturdays or Sundays from 9 AM - 5 PM, so students come one Saturday per month for three months to complete one course.

In addition to the three seminars, students complete assignments in between seminar meetings using online interaction with the instructor and classmates.

For further practice, Shamanic Training Program students have the option of attending Joan's 2-hour open classes for the public. These are called Shamanic Practices, and they are held throughout the month.

The four Courses of the Shamanic Training Program are:

Foundations - the basics of shamanic practice, including working with energy and the energy body, shamanic journeying, and finding your individual way of accessing intuitive information. Cost: $375 for all three months.

Shamans Path -building strong relationships with your spirit guides. Cost: $375 for all three months.

Shamanic Healers Practicum -  learning shamanic healing for others. Healing modalities covered include soul retrieval, power animal retrieval, extraction and sound healing. Cost: $450 for all three months.

Ritual Leaders Practicum - learning to lead healing ritual in a shamanic way. Cost: $450 for all three months.

The first two Courses, Foundations and Shamans Path, enable the student to establish a firm personal practice of shamanism. The second two Courses, Shamanic Healers Practicum and Ritual Leaders Practicum, are for those who feel called  to do shamanic healing and teaching for others.

The Foundations Course is the pre-requisite for taking Shamans Path, and Shamans Path is the pre-requisite for taking Shamanic Healers Practicum and Ritual Leaders Practicum.

Tuition policy: there are no refunds, but each Course is repeated on a regular basis, so if you find you are not able to attend one of the seminars in a Course you have paid for, you can take that seminar when it is offered again.