Group Process

The groups meet once a week, for a two hour session, at Divisadero St, in San Francisco. Ritual work is done eight times per year, most often in Golden Gate Park. In the western mystery and earth-based traditions, a-year-and-a-day has been viewed as a significant period of study and commitment following which a significant change and initiation may occur. This involves having completed a full year or cycle of the 8 seasons (Celtic) and having an awareness of the Archetypes of the year. Members of our groups who have completed a-year-and-a-day become group elders and we feel they have greater accessibility to the inner worlds and temples. A person must complete this year-and-a-day in order to be initiated in the older traditions. Group members will undergo an initiation within their circle when they have completed their year-and-a-day.

1. Drumming circle
   We hold a drumming circle for about 15 minutes at the beginning of each meeting in order to: Enter a light trance state, engage in communal creation, and facilitate group bonding through the creation of group energy.
   
   
2. Creation of sacred space
   We create sacred space by calling upon the seven sacred directions which are East, the element of air, South, the element of fire, West, the element of Sea and water, and North, the element of Earth and Stone, the Underworld Below, the Middleworld that surrounds us, and the starry heavens above. In the celtic tradition, we always begin in the east, and circle clockwise. The sacred space is released at the end of group, reversing the process and beginning in the East and going counter-clockwise. Generally we are using R.J. Stewart's elemental calls (chants) to create sacred space.
   
   
3. Prayers for our beloved
   After sacred space is created, the group stands around the central flame of the altar and share prayers for self, others, the world, etc.
   
   
4. Heart Circle
   Each person in the circle shares with the group for three minutes. In the Heart Circle, the only requirement is that one speaks from the heart. We speak from a transpersonal spiritual place, rather than from "he said, she said. Speaking about life with perspective and meaning-seeing events in their relationship to ones issues and patterns rather than "dumping."
   
   
5. The Work
   This varies from week to week, from teaching of different meditations, breath work, dream work, guided Shamanic journeys, sharing of poetry or creative pursuits, psycho-theatre and Gestalt work, work with Jungian Archetypes, like the Shadow, work with books, such as, Singing the Soul Back Home by Caitlin Mathews and Healing the Wounded King: Soul Work and the Quest for the Grail, by John Matthews.
   Click here to read more about the methods we use.
   
   
   
6. Closing Sacred Space
   In closing the circle, we release the directions in the opposite direction from the opening invocation (i.e., we begin in the East and close in a counterclockwise direction)