Date: Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Time: 7:00pm to 9:30pm

Arrive 10 or 15 minutes early to walk to the Pagoda.

Pre-Registration is appreciated. (Form Below)

Country: Canada

Region: Comox Valley

Venue: The Pagoda at Greenhaven Farm

Location: 6265 Headquarters Road

Park in the small lot immediately left when you begin the drive. Follow directions to the Pagoda (about 7 minutes Walk)

A Terrible Crossroads: A Journey through Exile to Finding Home

Confusion seems a constant element of the human condition anyway, and the wrangling to relate, which we cannot let alone, no matter how much trouble it brings, gives some credence to Lewis Hyde's observation that "Trickster Makes this World." But just as Trickster, or Coyote, might be to blame for a certain degree of trouble, mythic knowledge (also left around by Coyote some traditions claim) gives little clues on how to deal with it. Myth is anti-modern in the sense that it is not a worship tool for the ideology of Transcendence—myth says that Immanence is an equal force to be reckoned with, just as the balance between masculine and feminine. The tree is not able to sustain the reaching in one direction only, we find out from the acorn.

For the modern mind, working with an old myth can resonate with the deep bone-knowledge wisdom we still carry inside bequeathed from our "sometimes-not-too-popular-ancestors." It tells us how to "prosper in our own peculiar way," without wanting something so over-simplified as the "moral of the story."

Through working ritually with a traditional myth and some poetry, we will demand a redemption of woundedness, into its mature form of advisory capacity. The ancestral ghosts that are passing down through lineages do know things, have sensitivities, carry intelligence and love. It is when they are left unfed that they become disfigured spectres and vampires that continue to drain life out of the living. Yet these very ancestors are the ones we need to work with to guide us on the unstoppable journey of healing. Redemption is a vital prescription and a necessary action. If this sounds like the medicine for your heart, please join us.

If you've ever been interested in the work of Michael Meade, Robert Bly, Martin Shaw, or Malidoma Somé, this is a gathering that will be filled with the liminal energy that stretches between delight and practicality, between high and low, between possibility and commitment. Bring your desire-stars and your grief-streams for work with this wild tale, in the company of good travelers, leaving the mundane world to its own devices for a short time. Both men and women are all welcome.

OUTLINE

Gather and be present a few minutes early so we can begin promptly. See the detailed directions below. After a short talk about this approach of working with myth and indigenous wisdom, a story will be told, and then we will work with the story in the large group and smaller groups.

WHAT TO BRING

A cushion, and yoga mat and blanket for comfort . . . and a notebook if you wish. Wear clothes that are comfortable to move in. Otherwise, just come as you are!

TUITION

FULL tuition $40

SCHOLARSHIP rate tuition $25 (by request)

FACILITATION

Randy Jones is the author of "Medicine Without an Expiry Date: Indigenous Remedy for Modern Times." He brings a unique “trickster-wisdom” blend of facilitation influenced by the teachings of Malidoma and Sobonfu Somé, Michael Meade, Daniel Deardorff, and David MacMurray Smith, amoung others. In the words of Malidoma Somé, Randy is "dedicated to teaching others by encouraging them to expand their horizons, explore their inner emotional depths and transform their way of being in the world.”