Fireside Lodge London

Weekend of 14/15th October: Drum journey course (Foundation Course Contemporary Shamanism).

Drum Journeying is an amazing tool, that has been practiced by our ancestors all over the world in one form or the other. It is still in use, and a great way to connect to your deepest Essence and the wisdom of the Universe. It is very practical - you can "journey" (visualisation/meditation with a purpose) to find guidance for everyday questions or deeper questions in your life. And you can receive healing and transformative energy.

You will meet your Power Animal (totem) and learn how to work with it. And you will learn how to journey for others, so you can ask your peers for help if you ever need a journey done for yourself that you do not feel like doing yourself.

After the course, you are invited to join our monthly drum journey circle (Sunday afternoons), but you can of course also just journey on your own, using a drum tape or you tube audio.

You don't need a drum to attend this course (it is not a drumming course, we just use the drum for meditation purposes).

For info and sign-up: [email protected]

Drum Journey Course Drum Journeys - a shamanic way of meditating - will give you direct access to your deepest Essence and the wisdom of the universe. This enables you to access guidance and self-healing power.

REIKI COURSE , Hanwell, Ealing, 10/11 June 2023

Reiki is an ancient Japanese meditation and healing system that was rediscovered early last century. Reiki means 'Universal Life Energy', related to ‘Chi” in China, “Ki” in Japan, and “Prana” in India. This energy is in all beings, but it can get out of balance or be weakened. A Reiki practitioner channels and balances Reiki through light touch on or above the body.

Learning Reiki 1 feels like a celebration of yourself: Supported by the lovely, light Reiki energy, you will re-connect to your inner strength, and explore your ability to transform and heal. It is great for stress release, inner balance, emotional healing, general mental and physical health.
This course will allow you to use Reiki on yourself, helping with stress release, and restoring emotional balance, inner harmony, and self-confidence. You will also learn how to use it on friends and family, and on your pets, plants, and food. After the course, you may join our monthly Reiki Share.
Cost: £145, includes handouts. Sign up: [email protected]

Reiki - Level 1 Gain balance, stress release and renewed energy - learn how to use Reiki for self-treatments, meditation, and use on friends and family.

Drum Journey Group last Sunday: we used our "pow wow" drum for community drumming and to awaken our wild and creative side. In this monthly circle, we always take some time to drum together, but usually everybody uses their own drum. Working together on just one drum is very special to us, and it helps us celebrate the beauty of our circle.

After the shared drumming; everybody did a journey with an intention of their own - for example stepping into abundance, receiving guidance from Robin, healing an old issue and letting go of anger. If you would like to learn how to "journey" with the drum - I run another introduction course on 7-8 October in Hanwell, West London. Info on website, and event will be posted here.

A few more places are available at our Winter Solstice celebrations in Hanwell, West London.

Sunday, 11th December, 3.30-6.00pm. With social part and sharing of food, stories, and songs until about 8pm.

No previous experience required, just bring an open heart and an interest in spiritual work and ancient nature wisdom. Costs: £18
Sign up/Info: [email protected]

Winter Solstice Ceremony:

The Winter Solstice is a powerful time; the shortest day – the longest night; and this is also the time when darkness turns into light again. We are a bit “early”, as the Solstice is really on 21st December, however, the process of transformation starts about two weeks before this date, and continues into the New Year. Our ceremony can start this transformation time, and we will also talk about the original meaning of the “12 days of Christmas” of the famous song...., and share some inspiration what you could do with this amazing transformation time.
At the ceremony, we will connect to nature and the power of the new light (candles and fire), look inside, open our eyes to see in the dark, and give some energy to positive change and transformation. It is a good time to look at our shadows as well, release blockages and be reborn! Some parts of the ceremony:
• Giving thanks for the past year -find out what needs to find closure, and how to do this. Asking for forgiveness, including for ourselves.
• Guided drum-meditation
• Outdoors: Connecting to Nature: Giving thanks for the harvest by bringing seeds and food back to nature. Go into the darkness and finding the light. Nurturing the light in ourselves.
• Outdoors: Give-away Fire Ceremony: What do we no longer need/want in our life? We give it to the fire and witness the transformation.
• Rebirth of the light: What would we like to invite into our lives? In a group ceremony, we give power to our dreams.

Our Plant Spirit Workshop will run this Saturday in Hanwell, West London, (19th November, 1-6.30pm) and still has places available. No experience required.

You will first connect to you True Self, then learn a process to connect to the deep Essence of a plant - Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe, Evergreens etc - the traditional plants of Midwinter and Christmas.

When interacting with the plants, you will learn about their general gifts and energies, and you can also pose your own questions and get new inspiration for your transformation needs.

We will also talk about the original meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas, and how they were used as a powerful transformation period (finding closure and creating the new vision for the year to come). So maybe you can use these insights to make your Christmas deeper and more meaningful this year.

Magic of Christmas Plants Winter Solstice and Christmas plants can teach us a lot and support the magical transformation in the famous "12 nights".

Dear End-of-Life practitioners

Two places just got available based on upcoming surgery of participant. If you happen to be free on the weekend of 12/13 November, you are very welcome to join our small, intimate, professional group. The workshop happens in my house in Hanwell, West London (just off the A40 and with free street parking. Close to public transport, including Elizabeth Line).

Shamanic Skills for End-of-Life-practitioners; Level 1
Journey skills, basic Psychomomp, Ancestral connections to support your work.

Here are some of the topics:
Principles and ethics of this way of working - in your general life and while helping clients or friends/family who are dying
Journey skills for self and others (so that you can support each other after the course)
Working with power animals and other spirit guides for guidance, empowerment and positive transformation
Two basic shamanic healing skills
Self-protection skills, creating safe space at work
Working with difficult "spiritual" cases that hinder a peaceful death.
basic psychopomp skills (helping spirits to fully move on after death),
As you might have heard, I have massively reduced the price of this from £270 to only £160. This is a one-off price reduction based on the current cost-of-living crisis. The pricing will be revisited next year. Included in the price is an extensive set of handout.

More info is here: https://www.firesidelodge.co.uk/endoflifepractitioners.html

Would be great to hear from you.
Andrea

Shamanic Skills for End-of-Life Practitioners Basic shamanic skills to access guidance, protection and healing when working with dying people.

I went to get a couple of Fly Argaic for our plant spirit workshop on 19th November: The magic of the traditional Midwinter/Christmas plants. Places still available, if you like to join us. Info on the website. Firesidelodge.co.uk

Don't worry, we won't eat or smoke mushrooms. No need for this, as our path of the Journey with the Drum gives us a way to connect to its wisdom in meditation. And we will also talk about - and journey with - Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe and Spruce.

Fly Argaic's name has two explanations: our ancestors used to put morsels of it in plates of milk to kill off the flies. And Fly Argaic was the classic plant-ally of the Sami shamans, it gave them "good dreams" when they worked with it. Powerful shamanic journeys. Many of these dreams were about flying...

Some people even say that the persona of Santa Claus (in his red and white outfit) was influenced by Fly Argaic - and the Sami Shamans used to wear similar red dresses...so maybe the Christmas folklore got a bit inspired by that?

And then Rudolf - the flying reindeer with his red nose? Well, Reindeer in the North used to feast on mushrooms, and maybe they got a bit tipsy and dreamt of flying as well? One was so tipsy that he ended up with a red nose? So many ancient stories in our modern form of Christmas.

If you are an End-of-Life practitioner (soul midwife, death doula, hospice volunteer, nurse, butterfly, etc), please read on...

I am running the "Shamanic Skills for End-of-Life practitioners" for the third time, and as I hear that many people are under immense financial pressure, I have reduced the price massively to £160 (from £270). If this still does not work for you; Some concessions are available. I feel very committed that these skills are shared and available for practitioners who work with dying people, as they have made such a difference for my own ability to lead a holistic, effective, and joyful life.

The course is on 12/13 November, and the sign up has started. This is a small group of people in the friendly and safe context of my home, so places are very limited. Please get in touch if you are interested: [email protected]

This course equips you with an additional tool set to get direct guidance and support for your work from the universe: When you learn how to "journey" in a shamanic sense, you can access healing, protective energy and new inspiration for your work. Especially when you work with your power animal, you will learn how to keep yourself safe in energetically difficult contexts, such as hospitals etc.
The course also covers two basic methods of psychopomp (leading lost souls/spirits home). This may be relevant for your clients, but also again for the context of your work.
Have a look at the website and read some of the testimonials to gain a bit more insights.

Shamanic Skills for End-of-Life Practitioners Basic shamanic skills to access guidance, protection and healing when working with dying people.

Hello dear Friends

For those of you interested in Drum Journey Meditations, Power Animal Work and Contemporary Shamanism, I am offering an introduction weekend on 8/9 October (in Hanwell, West London). This will help you understand the difference between the traditional shamanic approaches and Contemporary Shamanism as a modern tool for your everyday life. And it will give you solid drum journey skills (you can meditate/visualise with an intention in mind - asking for guidance, new ideas, healing, transformation energy, etc).

This course will also enable you to attend our monthly drum-journey circle.

Based on the financial pressure many find themselves under, I am offering a price reduction. The course is now £135 instead of £160, which includes a extensive set of handouts.

Date:
Saturday 8th (10-6.30pm) and Sunday 9th October (1-5.30pm). Please note: Sunday morning is for quiet reflection, integration, and connection with your power animal. So please do not schedule anything for Sunday morning.

Location: Hanwell W7 3QU

Content:
* History of Shamanism. Principles and Applications of Contemporary Shamanism (or Core Shamanism based on Michael Harner). Ethical Aspects of doing Shamanic Work for Self and Others.
* Drum Journey Skills for use in your daily life (Journey with Intention to receive Guidance, Healing or Energy-Balance). This includes some basic Healing methods, and Journeying for each other.
* Power Animal Retrieval. Working with your personal Power Animal to gain strength and protection in your everyday life
* What is Ceremony and how to use it. Group Ceremony / Initiation

Sign-up: Send me an email to [email protected] and pay the deposit (£40).
More info:

Drum Journey Course Drum Journeys - a shamanic way of meditating - will give you direct access to your deepest Essence and the wisdom of the universe. This enables you to access guidance and self-healing power.

UPDATE: CHANGED DATE
This workshop has been moved (based on people's challenges with travelling in the heat wave).

IT IS NOW ON: Saturday, 3 September, 1-6.30pm, in Hanwell.

Ethno-Botany and Plant Spirit workshop:
SISTER MUGWORT'S MANY GIFTS

Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris) is an ancient healing and incense plant that grows locally in waysides and hedges. Its core healing power is protection, balancing the sacred feminine and masculine, and helping with all women's issues (conception, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, etc.). It also fosters intuition and lucid dreaming. It can be used for tea, dream pillows, room protection or smudging (more ecological and sustainable than palo santo or sage from America).
You will learn how to collect, dry and use it in a respectful way, and connect to Mugwort in shamanic ‘drum journeys’ and outdoor meditations. When working with Mugwort, you can bring in your own questions and transformation needs. Your learning about working with this powerful healing plant can also be applied when working with other plants and trees in a spiritual way.
Costs: £60
Info and Sign-up:
Andrea: 077 66 464623
[email protected]
http://www.firesidelodge.co.uk/sister-mugworts-gifts.html

The first big Mugwort crop of the season is in; harvested in ceremonial ways and now drying on the racks. Artemisia Vulgaris is one of the oldest and most global healing plants (versions of it are used in Chinese acupuncture and by Native American Medicine people).
I use it as tea, in baths, as bug repellent in my house, and most importantly as smudge (cleansing incense burning) for my healing practice. Excellent to integrate yin and yang, clean, purify and new inspiration, treat infections and inflammation, and to "warm up" your heart (that is in the name: mug ... mug of tea).
For those who want to learn more about the ancient and modern use of the plant, and how to connect to its wisdom directly, I run a Mugwort plant spirit workshop on 13th August in Hanwell, West London. Check out the Firesidelodge.co.uk website.