Wisdom University                            April, 2005 Intensive NC      

Doctor of Ministry Degree/Certificate Program     April 18-22, 2005                   

 

Art-as-Meditation:   Kindling the Celtic Spirit: Ancient Wisdom to Illumine the Soul- # 61043

Instructor:                Mara Freeman

 

 

Faculty Bio:  Mara Freeman, M.A., British author and storyteller, is a keeper of the ancient Celtic Spirit. Her life is dedicated to reweaving the ancestral traditions of the British Isles and Ireland for today’s world. She is the Honorary Chief Bard in the international Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and an Archdruidess in the Druid Clan of Dana. She has led workshops internationally for 15 years and is also a psychotherapist and seer who carries on the Celtic tradition of anamcara, or soul-guidance work at The Chalice Center, Carmel, California. She is author of  Kindling the Celtic Spirit: Ancient Traditions to Illumine your Life through the Seasons, (Harper SanFrancisco, January, 2001). Her website is at www.celticspirit.org.

We will relight the mystical flame of the Celtic spirit and discover the rich legacy that this ancient wisdom tradition has to offer us today. Myths, music, sacred dance and shamanic journeys will illumine a secret world that lies at the heart of Celtic mystical teachings – a place which reveals the order and harmony of the cosmos. Here we will uncover a treasure trove of spiritual insights for our own modern world. Through artwork, we will explore the Celtic Mandala, a tool for the integration of the Self. We will encounter the mysteries of the Well of Wisdom and Tree of Life, dive deep into the inner waters of the soul and reconnect with our own sacred Source.

 

There will also be plenty of opportunity to spend time outside to deepen our connection with the natural world and to foster a richer sense of kinship with the Self and with the Earth. We will learn ways to communicate with the spirits of the Sacred Grove -- the trees, water, animals and faeries -- through ancient rituals, chanting and prayer.  Music and movement will waken our bodies to a radiant world where Nature and Spirit dance together in perfect rhythm. Finally, we will learn how to bring the harvest of these ancient teachings into our daily life for personal and planetary renewal.

 

Learning objectives:

Monday:

To learn about creating sacred space and orienting oneself to the sacred cosmos in the Celtic tradition, particularly:

To explore sacred space through movement, sound and artwork

To create an altar as template of the sacred cosmos

To learn how to do inner journeywork

To experience the four elements as found both in the self and in nature

To connect with the four functions of the psyche and express this through artwork as a mandala

 

 

Tuesday

To enter into the mysteries of the Goddess as expressed in Celtic tradition, particularly:

To understand the power of the feminine face of the Divine and her importance today

To learn and take part in moving meditations and rituals that invoke aspects of the goddess

To enter into the mysteries of the Goddess through chanting, dancing journeywork

To develop a deeper connectedness with the earth through work in Nature

To learn more about the Earth Goddess through clay modeling

 

Wednesday

To learn the art of connecting with the tree kingdom, particularly:

To learn the spiritual significance of trees through Druidic lore of the forest

To experience simple ways of connecting with the spirit of trees outside in Nature

To take part in the Flowering Tree Ceremony

 

Thursday

To experience walking the spiral labyrinth as a way of connecting with the Self

To become familiar with the theme of the spiral as life-death-rebirth

To create and then ritually walk a spiral labyrinth

To learn and take part in Celtic spiral dances

 

Friday

To learn about the sacred wheel of time and celebrate the festival of Beltaine, particularly:

To learn the festivals of the Celtic year and their significance

      To understand and learn how to align one’s life with the spiral of time

To learn the meaning of Beltaine and explore its portent in our own lives

To explore themes of releasing and the emptying out of the soul at this season

To create a Beltaine altar

To take part in a Druidic Beltaine ceremony