Kinship with Nature Workshops
“All around us we see evidences that there may be a sense, of some additional power of getting impressions and knowledge from without by another means than smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing, or feeling.”
learn to communicate with nature by developing the heart as an organ of perception
These workshops develop the skill of directly perceiving the vast communication and intelligence of Nature. Everyone has this ability, it is merely dormant and just needs to be nudged to reawaken. These workshops develop the ability and skill to dive deeply into the seemingly hidden world of Nature. We start to see that everything is alive and everything has consciousness and that Nature’s intelligence is far greater than we possibly could have imagined.
Foundation: Why is it so important that we learn to communicate with Nature? We talk a little about the history of the cultures and people who directly communicate(d) with Nature, stories from Nature as told by those communicators, illustrations of the phenomenal intelligence and love in Nature, why the heart is a powerful organ of perception (thank you Stephen Harrod Buhner), Each session involves a short lecture followed by exercises. These exercises build upon each other to open and develop our innate abilities to directly feel and communicate with Nature.
Practice makes Perfect: Putting the exercises to work out in Nature. Each workshop has a theme - trees, healing plants and herbs, the flower kingdom and the various elementals of Earth, Water, Air and Fire. Every element of Nature, whether it is trees, shrubs, lichen, mushrooms, flowers, rocks, wildlife or water, have a unique message and purpose. Short lectures followed by exercises go into the deeper meanings, message and symbols found in Nature.
The Big Picture: How can we use our newfound connection with Nature? What does it mean to become a part of Nature and work directly with Her? This more advanced work studies the land where we are, the indigenous cultures that came before, the water the flows around and beneath us and how we can help Nature to heal past traumas and heal from environmental degradation.
2023 Schedule - more are added every week!!
April 15, 2023 at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation: Earth Day Fire Ceremony, Forest Walk and Fire Elemental Workshop with Mike Gulbrandsen and Cathy Carter:
Join us this year, as we celebrate our connection to the Earth and the Fire Elementals that surround us, on Saturday April 15. (If it is raining event is canceled)
9:30 am We will meet at the Pell Hill Playground parking lot and begin our walk in
10:00 am Fire Ceremony: Michael will open the workshop with a Fire Ceremony, where everyone creates a Release Stick - a stick with your intentions that need to be released wrapped around it and tied in place with string and then placed into the fire. After the Fire Ceremony, two groups are formed:
Fire Elemental Group led by Cathy Carter, Kinship with Nature - The fire spirits, also known as salamanders in folklore tradition, are the oldest of the elementals and therefore their consciousness is the most developed. They are, above all, beings of transformation, and they know the sacred pathway from death and decay to rebirth intimately. Fire is the gateway to the spiritual world - a doorway into the supersensible realms and we stand in front of it with reverence, which is why acts of ritual devotion commence with the kindling of a flame.
Forest Whispers Group, led by Michael Gulbrandsen, Nature’s Whispers - Walking in harmony with nature expands our awareness so we can relax and reduce our anxieties and stresses. We focus on allowing nature to awaken the senses. You have to pause and take in the magic, slow down your senses. See the forest from the Squirrel’s Eyes and listen to Nature’s Whispers.
Noon Lunch - Bring your food/beverage/snacks
1:00 pm Swap Groups 2:30 pm Closing Circle & Departure
Cost: $75 for the day, materials provided
Space is Limited, email or call for Reservations,
WalkingTheTrail16@gmail.com or 845-489-7250
Adults & Children 18 years or older only
Payment can be made with check, cash, PayPal (ccarter@creatingsacredplaces.com) or Venmo (@Catherine-Carter-108)
If you would like to host a workshop in your area, please contact me for details.