In times of chaos, anxiety, and the permanent state of liminality that is modernity, we must turn within and realize that we are here to become the magician of our own lives and help others do the same. This course is a map to awaken our inner magician by reconnecting deeply with our elemental nature in order to move into sacred partnership with life. To do this, we must look to the 4 tools of the magician and explore our relationship with each one of the elements which are mirrors for the four major aspects of human life. They will show us the path where there is work to be done, and where there is a natural connection that can be nurtured. Recognizing the elements within one’s own nature is the first task. The second task is to explore, befriend and heal the relationship if there is disconnection. Only then can we devise a ritual that connects us to one or more of the elements for we cannot invoke what we do not know. Ritual is what relates you to the geography of Spirit and the elements are the medium. Ritual has been used throughout the ages as a way to heal and connect with Soul in a deeply personal way. Committing to daily practice is what changes things.

What you will Receive:

• 4 Live Webinar Sessions with Q & A
• 4 Links to the Recordings
• 4 CECs

 

This Course is ideal if:

• You are a therapist and need to create a deeper temenos in your daily life to offer to your clients.
• You are a student of life’s mysteries and understand that to live a life of balance and harmony is essential in a time of dis-harmony and liminality.
• You are interested in developing a meaningful ritual for your life that changes things.

Course Overview:

Introduction to the course: Awakening the Magician

Exploring the nature of Magic, Synchronicity, And the I-Thou relationship to Life through mindfulness and rituals in daily practice. Includes two Handouts: The rainmaker story and Malidoma Some’s encounter with the Spirit of Nature.

 

Week1— Identifying our relationship to the elements

We are born from water and blood, from Fire and Earth. Some of us identify with one of the elements in a more immediate and natural way. In this module we explore how to re-connect and know the nature of the elements. We look at our preferences and our disconnection.

Creative prompt and reflection:

Inquire into your connection with the elements. Explore where does the affinity come from? Where does the connection falter and why? Is there a bias? Includes guided meditations.

A prompt: Describe a personal experience of the world when you entered an I-Thou relationship. Who is The Magician: he who is connected to Mystery and guides the initiate to his or her magical nature. An archetypal expression of Inner Wisdom. Exploring the archetypal nature of the Magician through the image of the Tarot. Recognizing the 4 elements/directions within one’s own nature.

Assignment: Write a response to the rainmaker story and to Malidoma’s story.

 

Week 2—Relationship to Earth and Water

In this module we are Invoking the relationship with Earth, the body, the physical world, through the coin of the Magician. We also connect to the emotional life, the flow of the waters of life, through the cup. Guided meditation and personal writing exercise.

Creative prompt and reflection:

Inquire into your connection with Earth and Water: How do you connect with planet Earth? Are you grounded in presence? Do you cultivate your sense of belonging? What is your relationship to water? To the ocean, to river, to the water from your shower or your tap? Does your life flow like a river or is full of boulders and tree branches?

 

Week 3— Relationship to Air and Fire

In this module we are Investigating the intellectual realm, our capacity to discern truth from falsehood, through the sword of the Magician, the element of Air.

We also explore the realm of imagination and intuition, and our connection to spirit, through the wand. Relationship to passion, creativity, spirit. How are you related to Fire?

Do you need to make peace with Fire? What is your story with Fire?

Guided meditations followed by personal writing exercises.

Creative prompt and reflection:

Inquire into your connection with air and Fire: Are your thoughts soaring like a hawk or trapped in the valley of memory, fear and worries? How do you experience your relationship to Air, to your own breath? How does the spirit of Fire make itself known in your life? Do you leap into action fired by imagination? Are you a passionate and instinctual person?

Week 4— In this module we are putting it all together and applying what we have learned to Ritual Practice

The basic elements of ritual are intention and quality of attention or awareness. Almost anything can be turned into a ritual. Walking, eating, washing dishes, any creative task. But here we will concentrate on the four elements, returning to our primal connection as earth beings. Steps include remembering our personal relationship to the sacred, how to create an altar as spatial liminality, a bridge between worlds, and seeking the primary image from a dream or from nature. Dialogue with the image, trusting the image to reveal which element to connect to, which aspect of life needs tending at present. Allow the element to guide the ritual. Remember that the ritual is an offering from Soul to Psyche.

Creative prompt and reflection:

Meditate on the nature of the Magician Within and the nature of ritual best suited to them in daily life.

 

Learning Objectives (for CECs):

• Participants will be able to apply four key principles of elemental wisdom and their correspondence with the four aspects of life.

• Participants will be able to list four techniques to connect with the Magician Within.
• Participants will be able to describe five ways to evaluate their personal connection to ritual.
• Participants will be able to explain four steps to creating a ritual.

Course Addendums:

Bibliography, Reading List, PDFs, Creative Prompts/Reflective Questions, Films to Watch:

Bachelard, G. (1987). The Psychoanalysis of Fire. Beacon Press.

Buber, M. (1996) I and Thou. A new translation with prologue and notes by Walter Kaufmann. Touchstone. (Original work published 1923)

Buber, M. Healing and the Western Practice of Medicine. https://peh-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1747-5341-4-11

Burning the Coliseum: a video art installation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4fo2N15cgg&feature=emb_rel_end

Ilumina-art Heart-powered Sculpture. http://ilumina-art.com

Malidoma Patrice Somé. (1995). Of water and the spirit: ritual, magic, and  initiation in the life of an African shaman. Penguin.

The Water of Life Tale. http://www.authorama.com/grimms-fairy-tales-51.html

Turner, V. (1969). The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Routledge.

Water Song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC2FHciQ0sU