VISION STATEMENT
Tending to the Soul of the World
The Western psyche has been split asunder by the dualistic assumptions inherent in our way of seeing the world. Foremost among these assumptions is that humans are separate from and superior to Nature. Many of us suffer from this fundamental distortion of reality. We have been uprooted from our original spiritual ‘home’ in Mother Earth. As a consequence, our hearts long for something but we’re not quite sure what it is.
The School of Natural Wonder (SNW) seeks to mend this wound to our psyches by offering experiential, nature-based programs designed to help people connect deeply with the natural world, themselves, each other, and Spirit, however that may be experienced. It is believed that Nature, as the dwelling place of Spirit, is our first and foremost teacher. The rhythms, inhabitants, and relationships of the natural world mirror back to us aspects of our own souls. Dwelling upon the Earth in a sacred way returns us to our true nature. Buried beneath the masks of civilization lies an indigenous soul within us longing to emerge into the light of the sun, to sing and dance with joy, to reclaim that which is wild, holy, and free within us.
Towards this end, SNW offers a sacred, supportive container in which participants can experience contemplative, participatory, and ceremonial ways of being in Nature. The basic model for all our programs is the Vision Quest, an ancient rite of passage, which we have adapted to meet the needs of modern people in search for renewal, guidance, and a deeper connection to Spirit. Although deeply indebted and inspired by Native American traditions and wisdom keepers, we do not offer a “Native American Vision Quest.” In our work we weave together three wisdom traditions – Native American spirituality, Depth Psychology, and Buddhism – into a powerful vehicle for transformation. The silence, solitude, and fasting of the Vision Quest serves to strips us down to our essential being so we may give birth to the truth and beauty of our own souls.
The Vision Quest can serve different intentions. It is a powerful, ceremonial way to mark, honor and celebrate any life change, to discover one’s own meanings and purpose, to seek renewal, to heal old wounds, to connect with Spirit. In addition, it is a particularly powerful vehicle for helping young people negotiate the momentous passage from childhood to adulthood.
Ultimately, for us, ‘vision’ comes in the moment that we are fully present to our inner life and the presence of the ‘Other,’ whether human, animal, tree, rock, river, wind…. In the blazing light of that presence, there no longer is an ‘Other,’ we are One in Spirit. As the heart opens, it knows no limit, no horizon, no separation; it gathers all together in love. With that vision we are transformed and the world as well.
All of our programs are geared toward healing the alienation and separation endemic to the modern world. In the ancient alchemical sense, we seek to create new ways of healing and tending to the soul of the world.
