Nature, Ceremony & Self

A Wilderness Rite of Passage

A program for GCC's Outdoor Leadership Program students, past and present

Nature, Ceremony & Self is a cross–cultural wilderness rite of passage based on traditions that have been sustained for thousands of years. The recent revival in North America of wilderness rites of passage reflects the relevance and potency of the type of healing and transformation elicited by the widespread rise in consciousness we are now experiencing. By exploring human growth and development through a framework of kinship with nature, Nature, Ceremony & Self is an organic and experiential learning model for personal wholeness and planetary sustainability.

Rites of passage consist of rituals and ceremonies that draw upon the teachings and practices of earth-based cultures. These forms are ancient pathways that initiate the participant into higher and deeper levels of self– awareness, through which one’s capacity to become a thriving and vital member of his or her community are enhanced. The vision quest, which Nature, Ceremony & Self is based upon, is a historically pivotal rite of passage that deals specifically with questions that address an individuals unique purpose in life. Indigenous cultures often used it to mark a fully conscious transition from adolescence to initiated adulthood. It is a passage rite to explore, discover, and embody a life of greater purpose and meaning, while leaving behind the parts of us that prevent this flourishing. Through this practice, individuals are empowered and families, communities and society are strengthened.

Nature, Ceremony & Self begins and ends with a non-hierarchical form of communication, known as council, which is used to help participants achieve clarity around their intention as it relates to the unique place they are in their life. The heart of the program consists of a solo fast in a quiet place in nature, where the participant enters a more inward and reflective place, gaining intuitive and experience-based reinforcement to support their intention. Together guides and participants weave community and solo experiences through a compassionate and skillful exchange known as mirroring. A psycho–spiritual model of nature-based human development is also used to provide a comprehensive map of the inner terrain of transformational learning.

This ceremony is simple and playful as well as deliberate and determined. It is both revelatory and celebratory. In this old practice we find new ways of living and learning that we have been waiting to remember for a long time.

Dates: April 16-18, 2011
Guides: Chris Crotty & Patrick Draper
Location: North Quabbin Region
Cost: $175