Raising the Sacred Fire: Building & Moving Energy in Ritual January 30, 2009

Do you want to build and move energy in ritual?
Are you called to work with the fire of rising life force?
Would you like to facilitate potent, transformative rituals?

A 2.5 day intensive, Jan. 30, 31, and Feb. 1, 2009

Whether you are a healer, a spiritual seeker, shaman, drummer, performance artist, change agent, or if you facilitate rituals, celebrations, and gatherings, you are working with and transforming energy with people.

The class teaches working with energy in the context of healing rituals, celebrations, rites of passage, performances, and other group gatherings. Through presentations, discussions, and experiential work, we will explore the energetic flow of ecstatic rituals and help to take the frustration of trial and error out of learning to facilitate effective rituals.

We will sing, chant, move, drum, dance, and connection for ritual invocations, trance inductions, raising energy, and group connection. With rhythm, voice, movement, and intention, we raise up the life force within us. We will learn models for building, moving, and transforming energy, use inclusivity to engage participation and create more powerful, impactful rituals. How do you participate in ritual, and how can you make space for others to add their own vitality?

Who should attend
This intensive is open to anyone who seeks tools for ritual facilitation. Experienced ritualists will learn tools and philosophies behind what works and what why. New ritualists will learn foundational structures and be empowered to take on ritual roles.

You will leave this class with tools that include:
• Understanding energetic flow, ritual components, and the impact of different choices
• Strengthening presence through your authentic self and speaking from the heart
• Layering energy through voice, rhythm, movement, and intention
• Encouraging participation through group safety, inclusivity, and multi-sensorial options
• Sensing group energy, moving it, and transforming it
• Ways to achieve different kinds of energy: deep, high, nurturing, cradling

Class overview
Friday night: An experiential introduction to ecstatic movement, sound, and rhythm.
Saturday: The class will combine presentation of tools and philosophies with practice in building energy together as a group. Class participants can choose to take a ritual role in the public ritual.
Saturday night: Class teachers and students will offer a public ritual for the Chicago community.
Sunday: We will review the ritual with a feedback session, then explore more advanced philosophies of ritual energetics and energy play.

Teaching Team
Shauna Aura, River Roberts, Steve Smith, Lucinda Sohn, and Jennifer Byers bring a breadth of experience in ritual arts. They include staff members at Diana's Grove Mystery School and of Reclaiming Witch Camps, teachers of ritual arts, leadership, Reiki, massage therapy, and also include professional singers, drummers, an actor, martial artist, and a choir director.

Dates:
Friday, Jan. 30, 7pm-9:30pm
Saturday, Jan. 31, 9am-5pm (class) 7:30pm (ritual)
Sunday, Feb. 1, 10am-2pm

Registration
$75-$150 Sliding Scale, Work exchange available.
Please pay what you can afford; your generous donation at the top of the scale enables others to attend who otherwise could not afford to. If you are interested and cannot afford to attend, please contact ShaunaAura@gmail.com for options.

Location: Life Force Arts Center, 3148 N. Lincoln, Chicago IL

Contact: ShaunaAura@gmail.com or 773-278-7010 with any questions.

Official Website: http://www.ringinganvil.org