Calendar of Events: Retreats & Workshops with Mikkal
14th Annual South Manitou Island Vision Quest Experience, August 6-13, 2010, in Northern Lake Michigan. The event begins at Crows Nest Wilderness Retreat Center on Friday August 6th, and involve Drum—Journey Circle, fasting and Sweat Lodge, and trekking North, spending one night on Crystal Lake near Frankfort, Michigan before taking the Ferry to the Island. We reach base camp around noon Monday, and from their questors find their solo quest site, usually on a bluff in the Dunes majestically over-looking Lake Michigan. The flora and fauna on the Island are unique and amazing. The event is led by Mikkal, and supported by the annual shamanic apprentice summer school staff and participants. We return form the Island on Friday, August 13th, arriving back at Crows Nest by midnight. For more information on preparation (usually several months in advance) and details and tuition and out of pocket costs of the S. Manitou Vision Quest Experience. This is a traditional type wilderness Quest, involves backing packing, and requires that you be in good health. For the S. Manitou Vision Quest or less physically demanding Vision quest at Crows Nest, you may also inquire of Mikkal via email ShamanicAR@aol.com Or via tele: (269) 687-9364 Cost :$550.00 plus incidental expenses (meals, supplies, ferry boat fees, etc.)
The Annual Shamanic Counseling Apprenticeship Summer School, August 6-13, 2010, is for apprentices in the shamanic counseling and psychotherapy program. Individuals in this program make a minimum three year commitment. The program involves monthly and as needed tele-mentoring sessions, and where possible, on- site mentoring sessions at Crows Nest. It involves the Annual Apprenticeship Summer School which combines Wilderness Retreat with shamanic workshops and opportunity for supportive community. Apprentices also make themselves of service in providing various kinds of support and processing for the Vision Questors. This year's practice involves Wounded Healer Work using Iachak and Toltec nd Journey work ceremonies The use of tracking and cleaning out your wounds [and problem patterns] and thereby developing your own inner data base as a shamanic healer. S. Manitou Island is a beautiful power place for doing this profoundly transformative work. If you are interested in joining the annual summer school program contact Mikkal via email or tele provided above. If you are already in the apprenticeship program you can be admited to a secret website for apprentices, with blogs, community discussions and photos of workshops and Vision Quest etc there by contacting Luis Cruz Ortega via email and requesting admittance at luis@journeycompanions.com Cost: $550.00 plus incidental expenses (meals camping supplies, ferry boat fees, etc.)
Circle de Saggasse Shamanic Gathering in Cogolin France, at Centre Trimurti, March 11-14, 2010. This is one of the largest annual shamanic gatherings and events of its kind in the world, with shamanic presenters from every continent. Mikkal will be presenting lectures and workshops during the event on the use of sacred ceremony, and role of amulets and mask making in a variety of different ceremonies involving soul retrieval work. For information regarding the even contact Michel Burdet at Alpinehealer@sunrise.ch or check the Trimurti Conference Center in St .Tropez, France, www.trimurti-seminaires.com for registration, dates and costs. This is a very affordably priced event, and had 1,400 attendees last year, and has shamans presenting and sharing wisdom and ceremony from every continent.
Detailed and extended CALENDAR OF WORKSHOP & APPRENTICESHIP EVENTS
Sept 2009---Feb 2011
Shamanic Counseling and Coaching Series Dates*
Sept 25-27, 2009
Workshop I
Heart-Centered Counseling: Crows Nest Center for Shamanic Studies 7pm Fri-Noon Sunday, Cost: $325.00 USD
Nov 6-9, 2009
Workshop II
Client Skills Crows Nest 7pm-Friday—Noon Sunday, Cost: $325.00 USD
February 12-14, 2010
Workshop III
Inventories, Assessment and Clinical Soul Retrieval Work, Ethics. Crows Nest, 7:PM Friday night—Noon Sunday. Cost: $325.00 USD
March 7-15, 2010.
Apprenticeship Assistance
International Shamanic Celebration in Cogolin, France, Centre Trimurti. Sponsored by the Cercle de Sagesse Ancestrale. Assist Mikkal and Shamans from Europe, Siberia, and the Americas, and participate in workshops and study with shamans of your choice. You pay your airfare, lodging and food covered for the exchange of apprentice-assistant’s help.
April 23-25, 2010
Awakening the Shaman Within I.
Basic Journey Skills and introduction to sacred chant and ceremony.
Friday 7pm—Noon Sunday. Crows Nest. Cost: $195.00 USD
1/2 price if you've previously attended this workshop
May 21-23, 2010
Awakening the Shaman Within II.
Archetypal Journey Skills and the heart-path.
Friday 7pm—Noon Sunday, Crows Nest. Cost: $195.00
1/2 price if you've previously attended this workshop.
June 25-27, 2010
Applying Journey Work to Client Work
7:PM Friday—Noon, Sunday. Crows Nest. Cost $195.00 USD
1/2 price if you've previously attended this workshop.
August 6-13, 2010
Wounded Healer Summer School
and concurrent 15th annual Vision Quest on South Manitou Island. Northern Lake Michigan. See website for details www.cmichaelsmith.com Cost: $550.00 plus incidental expenses. [See above description].
Energy Medicine: Soul Retrieval and Extraction Series. **
September 24-26, 2010
Classic Soul Retrieval Work, part I
7pm Friday night—Noon Sunday. Crows Nest. Cost: 325.00
November 5-7, 2010
Classic Soul Retrieval, part 2
Long distance and on site SR journeys.
Integration with Shamanic Coaching structure and Heart psychology.
7:PM Friday—Noon Sunday. Crows Nest. Cost: $325.00
February 11-13, 2010.
Energy Medicine: Extraction Methods, Crystal and Feather,
Long Distance and on site SR/E Journeys. Integration with
Shamanic Counseling/Coaching Structure and heart psychology.
**Pre-requisite journey skills and application/assessment for readiness with Mikkal is necessary before proceeding to this level of advanced shamanic healing work. The Shamanic Counseling & Coaching Series and the April through August workshops/retreats or their equivalent help insure readiness for this advanced training.
This series is currently run every other year.
*Workshop events at Crows Nest Center for Shamanic Studies take place in the context of a rich and supportive community, itself an important component of apprenticeship, and a real benefit. The wood land setting is conducive to work with nature spirits, retreating, ecstatic drumming and dancing, fire ceremony and much more that attend all of these events. Individualized apprenticeships via telephone consultation, called Fire Talks, with Mikkal are also possible. For more detailed information regarding workshops, apprenticeships with Mikkal on site or long-distance, and for details about events, go to the website www.cmichaelsmith.com For more info contact Mikkal via email ShamanicAR@aol.com
C. Michael Smith Ph.D.
ShamanicAR@aol.com
Monthly Drum-Journey Circle at Crows Nest, normally the Saturday closest to the Full Moon. The Drum Circle provides an opportunity for sacred ceremony in community context. It is a democratically run circle with shared input. It involves smudging/cleansing, prayer, chanting, and opportunity for two shamanic journeys, one normally is selected around a them the group decides on, the second journey is personal in content, each participant what the will journey for. The event winds up with refreshment and fellowship, and on Solstices and Equanox, a Medicine Sweat Lodge is offered for those interested. The Sweat is followed by pot-luck feasting. If you are interested contact Bob Wagner, silentgiants@yahoo.com
Or via tele (269) 449-8951
Introductory Workshop to the Shamanic Journeying. Saturday September 27-28 9-4pm, 2008, 9-2pm. Crows Nest. This workshop, or strong journeying skills are pre-requisite to most of the workshops offered by Mikkal. The introductory workshop is an experiential learning process that will teach you to journey, find a spirit guide, learn to dialogue through SSC Divination, and explore ways of combining this practice with other spiritual practices and ceremonies. Bring a journal and pen, a blanket, a bandana or eye pillow, and a brown bag for lunch. Costs for the day $90.00.
Soul Retrieval and Extraction, Part I - Workshop Friday evening, October 30, 8:30pm, through Sunday 2pm, Nov 2nd, 2008: Location: Crows Nest. This workshop teaches the basics of soul loss and retrieval, and introduces how to expose areas of soul loss through a heart-centered dialogue with the client, and methods of preparation, ceremonial soul retrieval, integration and follow up are taught and practiced. The workshop also lays groundwork for integration of shamanic and depth psychological perspectives and resources. Students will be introduced to sacred ceremonial soul retrievals and cleansings based on Central and South American curanderismo, and Imaginal Dialogues (Jungian "active imagination") and Spirit Talk Journaling as a modern depth psychological resources for soul retrieval integration work in a counseling or coaching context. The basics of cleansing and its role in soul retrieval ceremonies will also be introduced. This workshop is pre-requisite for the more advanced ancient shamanic soul retrieval and extraction [SR/E]. This workshop is strongly recommended for apprentices, and is open to shamanic healers and psychotherapist who are interested and qualified. Contact Mikkal for more information regarding this training event. ShamanicAR@aol.com Costs : Tuition $375.00 Breakfast on Sunday is included, but you may wish to bring your own brown bag meals or visit nearby restaurants for lunch and dinner. You may commute, stay at local area motels, or bring sleep bag and make use of campsites or cabin and Lodge for sleeping.
Advanced Soul Retrieval Workshop , Part II. Location: Crows Nest. Saturday February 20th and Sunday February 22nd, 2009. Pre-requisites are the Basic Workshop in Soul Retrieval and the Advanced Soul Retrieval I workshops. This workshop continues the soul retrieval training, adds extraction methods, and explores ways to integrate SR/E training into your area of professional practice: psychotherapy, consulting, coaching. Counseling and felt-sense based processing techniques in a heart to heart context, and various ways of integrating soul retrieval work with various forms of sacred ceremony and consulting practices are covered. The creative and therapeutic use of amulets, fetishes, talismans and mask-making (and other symbolic objects) in supporting the integration of soul recovery is also experienced and taught. The professional ethics of practice and issues regarding how to offer your services and set up your practice are also covered. Costs : Tuition $375.00 Breakfast on Sunday is included, but you may wish to bring your own brown bag meals or visit nearby restaurants for lunch and dinner. You may commute, stay at local area motels, or bring sleeping bag and tent, and make use of camp-sites or Cabin and Lodge for sleeping.
See the CROWS NEST page on this website for details about location, lodging, and ammenities.
