Rainbow Warriors

A 3-year course in practical shamanism from a Celtic perspective with Elen Sentier.

Shamans are WALKERS BETWEEN WORLDS. As such they enable healing in other beings, creatures, people, plants, the land itself. Walking between the worlds can be difficult and dangerous; it requires total commitment.

Rainbow Warriors is a training in practical shamanism, done via the Internet and a 14-day workshop at the end of the 3rd year. It is based in, but not exclusive to, the Western and Celtic magical and shamanic traditions, and gives a solid grounding in and knowledge of shamanism. Students work to a rhythmic cycle, using the eight seasons of the Celtic year. The three years are worked as Apprentice, Journeyman and Master.

YEAR 1 - is your Apprentice year – finding your inner king and queen; making your relationship to sovereignty and the Land; journeying; taleweaving; storytelling; poetry; making deep relationships with your Familiar, Teacher and Totem.

YEAR 2 - is your Journeyman year – learning and practising biodynamics; healing; beginning shapeshifting; building your Dreamweb.

YEAR 3 - is your Mastery year – practical shapeshifting; dreamweaving; far-seeing; the healing and biodynamics work continues at a deeper level.

THE WORK is largely experiential but also includes …

  • Celebrating the Season and writing this up
  • Doing the Journey for the season
  • Taleweaving the journey into a story to demonstrate the lore
  • Reading the lore for the season from course-notes and books
  • Listening to a story
  • Reading a book (fiction)
  • Watching a film
  • Distilling what you have come to know from the work above into a brief outline of the lore for the season
  • Creating a triad-poem around some words given in the lore notes

Making paraphernalia …

Year 1 : Rattle, Crane Bag, Mask, Wand
Year 2 : Drum, Silver Branch, Cloak, Knife
Year 3 : Gwyddbwyll Board, Cauldron, Mirror, Sword

THE WORKSHOP
The third year culminates with a two-week workshop in Britain. The work includes ...

  • Ritual
  • Shamanic Dance & Voice
  • Sweat Lodge
  • Biodynamics in Depth
  • Working at Sacred Sites
  • Working for Others - healing, power & soul retrievals
  • Work with the Dead
  • Oracular Work

WORKSHOP VENUE
The first week is at Elen’s home in the Welsh Marches, where you can discover the spirits and elementals of the land with whom Elen works. It is very peaceful, the nearest road being 3/4 mile away in any direction. It is set in ancient country, full of sites and legends of Arthur and Merlin, who is said to have been born in the river just a couple of miles away. Accommodation is in the Old Dairy at Elen’s home; food is organic and biodynamic, some home-grown.

The second week is on Exmoor, an ancient, magical place and where Elen grew up. She knows it in her bones and can transmit this knowing to students. Sites visited include a stone circle on top of a hill sacred to Brighid; a hill where Gwynn ap Nudd rides and which is also sacred to Bran; an ancient well sacred to the goddess which cures cataract and is said to give second sight; a river crossing sacred to the Light-Bringer; a wood where Elen of the Ways is known; and a standing stone in an ancient druid grove with the mark of the Earth on it. Accommodation is an old farmhouse in the middle of the moor, very quiet and beautiful; food again is organic and biodynamic.

DATES
The course begins at 31st October, and applications by 31st July, each year.
The workshop is held at the end of September/beginning of October each year.

COST
Tuition is £400 per year
14 day Workshop is £1260 including tuition, accommodation and full board

Numbers are limited to a maximum of 4 students intake per year to ensure full support by email and phone over the three years, and an intimate and rewarding experience on the workshop. There is also a private e-list for students and graduates.

Elen Sentier has been an active, practising shaman all her life. She is also a writer, Druid, artist and biodynamic gardener. She gives presentations at international biodynamic conferences, show and water gardens at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, and her garden has been featured in the BDAA calendar. Her books include OWL WOMAN; the shamanic workbook DREAMWEAVER; NUMEROLOGY: THE SPIRAL PATH; and the book of alchemical stories TOAD IN THE SHADOWLANDS. Until she retired to write, Elen was a transpersonal and shamanic counsellor. She now lives on the Welsh borders with her cats, a host of wildlife and her husband, Paul. She is currently working on her next novel as well as with the Rainbow Warriors.

If you'd like to apply for the course, visit Rainbow Warriors.

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