|
The Standing Bear Center for Shamanic Studies 52 Bear Springs Lane 
P.O. Box 272 Surry, Maine 04684207-667-4772 1-877-225-5928
|
 
|
|
 |
Standing Bear Mythic Press
Standing Bear Mythic Press was recently created to publish, distribute and sell books written by Scarlet Kinney. Her first two books are now available, and can be ordered through Standing Bear Mythic Press by phone or email: 1.877.664.0752 ~ scarlet@thestandingbear.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Stone Heart Turtle People A collection of ten short stories about life in Downeast Maine, into which is woven an original shamanic creation myth. Written and illustrated by Scarlet Kinney. 133 pages, 8.5 x 11" format. $24.95 plus $8.00 each shipping and handling and 5% sales tax for Maine residents. Checks, Money Orders, Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted. (For wholesale ordering, please contact Standing Bear Mythic Press: 1.877.664.0752.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Overview Indigo Shaughnessey has always had visions. Animals, birds and trees, not to mention ancestral spirits, communicate with her. A fifth-generation Irish American Catholic growing up on the Downeast Maine coast, she is discouraged from speaking of her magical world, which she shares during her youth with her cousin, Little Deer. As an adolescent, separated from Little Deer by distance and their changing worlds, she begins writing down her experiences of coastal life, which are rich with conflict, adventure, and mythical undertones. Fighting to maintain her sense of feminine power in a world that seems to want to crush her, she becomes feisty and rebellious. The crux of her dilemma is that she feels like she belongs to a long lost race and has somehow stumbled forward in time to the life she is living on the Maine coast. When she rereads her journals many years later, she learns the secret meaning of her life, and discovers at last who she really is. EXCERPTS My name is Indigo Shaughnessey...my own troubles, some of which I am about to share with you in the stories that follow, started very early on, on the playground, where I first encountered bullies. After being called Messy Blue, Inky Jeans, and several other such ridiculous names, and after being knocked down a few times by boys twice my size, I realized something that has stood me well throughout my life: the very first time a bully even looks cross-eyed at you, hit him. Don't try to reason. Don't try to explain. Don't try to appease or manipulate. Above all, don't try to charm your way out of the confrontation. And for God's sake, don't run! Just hit him, with all the magnificent fury of a female insulted beyond endurance. If he's really too big for you to take on physically, then hit him with words that cut like knives, the age-old weapon of females everywhere. Otherwise, before you know it, you'll find yourself face-down in a giant mud puddle, your knees skinned, your pretty pink hair ribbons floating blearily before your eyes, your glossy black pipe curls transformed into wet, muddy strings, thinking about the trouble you're going to be in when Nana Deer sees the rips and tears and streaks of mud on your very girly, beautifully starched and ironed dress.From the Prologue: I Say It's All True From Chapter One: The Cave in the Burren I had been in the forest for some time before it happened, walking in silent reverie on the thick cushion of pine needles beneath my feet, inhaling deeply of the fresh combination of scents peculiar to Maine's coastal forest. Made up of many fragrances - sweet fern, cedar, pine, spruce, balsam fir, and countless small mosses and creeping plants - the scent of the woods near my home was intoxicating. I breathed deeply of the soft night air, imagining that as I inhaled all those fragrances, every cell in my body was being infused with the essence of the forest's mysterious power. As I quietly moved into its depths, I listened to the sounds of the forest settling itself for the dark night that was coming. Night would slowly rise up, I knew, from deep within the earth, from far beneath the tangled, intertwined web of roots that supported and fed the forest's lush vitality. A mourning dove sang its melodic evening song, and my sense of peaceful relaxation deepened. Squirrels chattered quietly here and there. Ravens flew into the woods from all directions, calling to one another as they fluttered through the forest canopy like shadows, gathering in restless groups to seek their evening roosts. Small rustling sounds gently punctuated the general atmosphere of settling energy as the creatures of the day crept into their hiding places, seeking safety before the creatures of the night claimed the forest. Listening to it all, I breathed deeply again. Feeling completely at one with my surroundings, I ventured deeper into the forest, the world outside its borders forgotten. The first indication that something was amiss was a sudden tug of fear deep within my belly... From The Birth of Aina Macha After the Moon had taken her place with the Milky Way in the Midnight Sky, the Potential for Becoming who had dreamed the Moon into Being began to awake from her long dream. She floated just above the seas in the dark, moonlit, starlit night. She looked like a tiny spark that flashed briefly, then disappeared into the Midnight World that was her home, glowly brightly again a few moments later. Slowly, she grew brighter and brighter. She grew larger and larger, until at last she became a great, numinous sphere of transparent light. Then the great transparent sphere of numinous light that she had become began to throb and pulse. At first the pulse was infrequent and erratic. Then that infrequent and erratic pulse slowly became a strong, steady beat. If you had been there, you would have heard the first heartbeat the earth had ever known. From Chapter Eight: The Autumn of my Revenge ...Before long, complete pandemonium reigned. Every single girl in the school, with the exception of primly proper Amber and me, had gone completely berserk. They poured down off the bleachers and out onto the floor in droves, screaming and crying, heading straight for the band. Freddy, with a look of absolute horror on his face, dropped his guitar and ran, followed by the four other members of the band. But the girls were fast on their heels, tearing off their clothes, begging for autographs on thighs, arms, and breasts. I watched in fascination as Dolores actually pulled her skirt up and her panties down, and presented her backside to Freddy, demanding that he autograph it. I don't know what possessed them. Perhaps they had gotten caught up in the whirlwind of feminine hysteria that was following them, no matter where they ran, but Freddy and the other band members actually began signing autographs on the girl's bodies. I was in heaven. No other revenge could have been sweeter. Just let them try and talk about me now, after what they're doing, I thought. Then it occurred to me to check up on what the boys were doing. There they were, stuck like slugs to the back bleachers, looking stunned and befuddled, as though it was impossible for them to grasp what was happening. Dark anger was shadowing the faces of a few of the older boys, though. It was at this point that Mr. Brooks, who had initially been as shocked into stunned silence as all the boys had been when the girls went wild, got himself together, took Amber and me by the arms, and ran with us straight into his office. "Call the police!" he yelled at Mrs. Partridge, who had barricaded herself behind her desk, and was quivering with fear, her face bright red. "NOW!" He practically threw us into his private office, slamming and locking the door on us, trying to keep us safe, I imagine. Actually, truth be told, we were scared stiff. It's one thing to imagine such a thing happening, but it's quite another to actually be in the middle of it. The band members were running wildly up and down the halls, crowds of screaming, half-naked girls after them. Every few moments, they were briefly cornered by groups of girls who bared thighs, breasts and bottoms for autographs. I'm sure the band members were just trying to stay alive by signing the proffered body parts whenever the girls managed to corner them, as they took off running again as soon as they could get away, looks of stark terror on their faces. "YOU GIRLS, I ORDER YOU TO STOP IT!" boomed Mr. Brooks' enraged voice over the loudspeaker. "STOP IT RIGHT NOW, I SAY! COVER YOURSELVES AND GO TO YOUR HOME ROOMS! THE POLICE ARE ON THE WAY! CEASE, I SAY!" He might as well have been whistling in the wind for all the impact his words had on the chaos outside the office. By now, realizing we were safe from the melee, Amber and I were rolling around on the floor, laughting hysterically. From Chapter Nine: Dancing in the Shadows It wasn't until the little dwarf, sobbing hysterically, hobbled up the aisle of the chapel after viewing the urn containing Daddy's ashes at the memorial service that I began to understand the full otherness and richness of the world in which Daddy had finally found his place. There had been a sweet, raven-haired little person in his life who had perhaps loved him as much during her childhood as I had loved him during mine? How had I never known about her? What other secrets about his life in that world so distant from mine were now hidden from me forever? But it was during the reception afterwards - when I realized that that world, the world that had welcomed him with open arms, had perceived him kindly, had loved him in ways that the world of his youth had not - that the whole event began to take on a surreal flavor...The reception was hosted by a very nice and kindly, but strange group of women, members of the town's hospitality club...They were strange to me, first, because they were all dressed identically in beautifully starched and ironed pink baby-doll blouses with white ruffles down the fronts, navy blue skirts, and the whitest sneakers and rolled-down socks I had ever seen. Add to that that they all wore matching pink and blue and white floral aprons of a type I had not seen since the days of my youth in Ma Maddie's kitchen at the inn. If the hall made one feel that a journey back into the previous century had somehow miraculously taken place, these women looked like they had just stepped out of the early fifties. Their hair was shiny, wavy and perfectly groomed, which lent them the look of aging beauty queens trapped in their memories of what once had been but was no more - except perhaps during special occasions like this one, when they stepped forward as one to be of service to their community. ...The finishing touch to this tableaux from another time was the group of red-faced, plump, perspiring, obviously deliriously nervous men dressed in their Sunday best, who were sitting in an anxious cluster on the stage opposite the buffet. They had brought along their fiddles and trumpets and clarinets and now were attempting to accompany a tall, lanky chap who was earnestly doing his best to coax a big band sound out of a disastrously out-of-tune piano. Another fellow was singing. The whole scene reduced me to tears. Who were all of these kindly people, trapped in a consciousness belonging to past decades, to whom my father had obviously been so important that they would go to such lengths, make such an effort, to honor his passing from their lives? Turtle Soup A companion book to The Stone Heart Turtle People, Turtle Soup contains eight annotated soup recipes related to the tales in The Stone Heart Turtle People. Written and illustrated by Scarlet Kinney. 35 pages. 5.5 x 8.5" spiral bound format. $13.95 plus $4.00 each shipping and handling and 5% sales tax for Maine residents. Checks, Money Orders, Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted. (For wholesale orders, please contact Standing bear Mythic Press: 1.877.664.0752.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Overview As the tales in The Stone Heart Turtle People evolved, it became clear that the making of special soups was an important part of their content. After much experimentaion, I created recipes for each of the soups mentioned in the tales. They have been put together in Turtle Soup along with illustrations and explanations of the mythic meaning of each soup.
EXCERPT from Turtle Soup
The Earth is Your Mother Good Earth Cream of Mushroom Soup Good earth Cream of Mushroom Soup duplicates very closely the sensuous, dark, mysterious flavor and texture of the earth I loved to eat as a child, as though I had inherited a longing for the taste of it in the very genes that made me female. This soup is a celebration of the fertility, sensuality, and power of the divine Feminine. It is as rich and earthy and utterly delicious as each one of us actually is, whatever our shape, size, age or personal spiritual beliefs may be. Gather a group of women friends together to prepare and eat this soup in affirmative sisterhood and acknowledgement of everything you are as women. Serves. 4-6. Ingredients 3 TBS salted butter 4 cups coarsely chopped Portabella mushroom caps
2 cups large white mushrooms, peeled, and sliced 1/4" thick
4 TBS fresh chives or green onions, finely sliced
1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 to 1- 1/2 pints cream or half-and-half
2 cups beef broth or bouillon sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Preparation ~Melt butter in heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until they are golden brown. This can take some time to accomplish, but is worth the wait, as it enhances their flavor considerably. Add half of chives or green onions and saute a few minutes more, just until they become slightly transparent. Remove pot from heat. ~Remove half of the mushroom-chive mixture from the pot and set aside. Place remainder of mixture in blender with cream cheese and 1 pint cream. Blend until the mushrooms, cream cheese and cream have become a thick broth, adding more cream as needed to achieve desired consistency. ~Pour about one-third of this mixture back into soup pot, and return pot to stove. Stirring constantly, reduce to half over high heat to intensify flavor of pan juices. ~Add reserved mushrooms and beef broth or bouillon, and bring quickly to a boil, stirring well. ~Reduce heat to medium and add remainder of mushroom/cream cheese/cream mixture from blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat just to boiling. To Serve Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with remaining chives or green onions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 2009 Shamanic Foundations Intensive will be held in August at the Center in Surry The first four and a half days of the intensive are for advanced apprentices only. The last three and a half days, beginning mid-day on day four, are open to the general public, incoming apprentices, counseling clients and others who want to learn the basics of depth shamanism. During the Intensive, you learn how to achieve the deep shamanic states of consciousness conducive to personal growth and healing. You also learn how to become a contributing member in a women's depth shamanic circle and drumming group. The basic fee for the open three and a half day Intensive will be $545, with additional costs varying according to the arrangements you make for lodging, etc., plus a catering fee, which will be determined in June 2009. Pre-registration with non-refundable deposit of $150 is required. It's not too early to begin planning for the 2009 Intensive, as we will be accepting a limited number of women into the open part of the Intensive. You can begin the registration process leading to acceptance into the Intensive by calling Scarlet at 207.664.0752 or emailing her by using the link at the bottom of this page. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Depth Shamanic Counseling: What is it? Depth shamanic counseling is unlike other kinds of counseling, in that the guidance offered clients is retrieved directly from shamanic reality on many levels and can have a beneficial influence on your life at many levels of experience. Depth shamanic counseling is distinguished from other types of shamanic counseling in the following ways: ~ Depth shamanic counselors undertake a thorough mapping of shamanic reality and are required to learn to heal themselves using depth shamanic methods prior to attempting shamanic healing for others. This develops empathy for their client's healing process and empowers them to know precisely where to go within shamanic reality to seek accurate guidance for clients. ~ Depth shamanic counselors are trained to correctly scan and interpret the shamanic archetypal energies informing your issue. Based upon the content of the scan, the depth shamanic counselor will know precisely which shamanic archetypal energies are available to offer guidance and healing for your particular issue. She will also know how to engage those archetypes as helpers in facilitating your healing. ~ As a result of her thorough mapping of shamanic reality, the depth shamanic counselor gradually develops a strong internal shamanic compass that can be counted upon to guide her in her shamanic healing efforts and in maintaining a sound ethical stance at all times. Depth shamanic counseling can help you deal with personal growth issues such as: ~Restoration of feminine self esteem and personal authority ~Achieving genuine feminine empowerment ~Spiritual and emotional growth ~Healing grief, loss, depression, sadness or fear ~Discovering and following your true path in life A depth shamanic counselor can also offer you many traditional shamanic services, such as: ~Power animal retrievals and integration of your power animal's medicine ~Soul Retrievals and integration of the retrieved soul part ~Removal of psychic intrustions and instruction in how to psychically protect yourself ~Healing ceremonies for various conditions and situations In addition, your depth shamanic counselor may invite you to take part in depth shamanic meditation and drumming groups, or various workshops that will help deepen and enrich your experience of depth shamanic counseling. Scarlet is available for depth shamanic counseling by appointment at the Center, and also offers distance consultations, which are done by phone and email. To schedule an appointment with Scarlet, you can email her at scarlet@thestandingbear.com or call her at 207.667.4772. If the 207# is busy, call 1-877-225-5928 and follow the prompt to enter the 207 number to leave her a phone message on her computer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We are pleased to announce that Nancy J. Rehm has completed the first three levels of training offered by the Center. She has been certified as a Depth Shamanic Counselor, and is continuing on into advanced levels of training. Nancy was called to a shamanic path at seventeen, when she unknowingly ingested a psychotropic drug and experienced a complete breakdown of her usual way of perceiving reality. It took her twenty-five years, however, to realize that her ego-shattering experience had in fact been a shamanic initiation and for her to embark on her shamanic path. In the meantime, she married and had a son, became a teacher, divorced and remarried, and adopted a daughter. It wasn't until she was in her forties that she felt powerfully drawn to shamanism and began her three-year apprenticeship with Scarlet, which culminated in her certification as a Depth Shamanic Counselor. Nancy has opened a depth shamanic counseling and teaching practice in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Her practice is associated with the Gettysburg Holistic Health Center. Nancy is fully qualified to do depth shamanic journeying and counseling for personal issues and to do Power Animal Retrievals. She is currently offering a monthly meditation and drumming circle for clients and others interested in learning shamanic drumming techniques. To schedule an appointment with Nancy for depth shamanic counseling, or to register for her monthly meditation and drumming circle, you can reach her by phone at 717.372.9675, or by email at njr1162@yahoo.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please take your time and browse the remainder of the site in a relaxed way, as it contains a great deal of information. As you scroll down this page you'll find a statement of the Center's philosophy regarding its teaching methods; basic information about the services and study opportunites offered through the Center; general information about the Center and its Mission Statement; and biographical information about the Center's founder and director, Scarlet Kinney, MA. For additional information about the Center, please click on the various options listed on the sidebar. To view Scarlet's profile under Teachers/Elders on the ShamanPortal web site: http://www.shamanportal.org/display_details.php?id=1042 To view Scarlet's blog, go to: http://thestandingbearMaine.blogspot.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Teaching Methods & Philosophy Depth shamanism was developed over many years of study and practice by Scarlet Kinney. It can best be described as a deep shamanic approach to psychological and spiritual growth. This approach is based upon Scarlet's understanding of the teachings offered by the shamanic archetypal energies inhabiting shamanic reality. When filtered through one's ordinary consciousness, the guidance and teachings received from these shamanic archetypes can function as a stable psychological foundation that may enable one to correctly interpret and successfully move through the many challenges and obstacles we face in our daily lives.. Scarlet takes the position that the teachings arising from the Earth upon which we walk belong to all who have the heart to hear, regardless of cultural affiliation or ancestral background. North America's pre-colonial tribal cultures were conscious of the energies inhabiting both the earthly and the spiritual realms. Members of such cultures gradually developed what might be thought of as a kind of "internal compass", which served as a lens through which they could perceive and interpret events occurring on both physical and spiritual levels of consciousness. Perhaps more importantly, this "internal compass" served to help members of such cultures who were called to serve their people as healers to tolerate and psychologically integrate the sometimes dangerous physical and psychospiritual experiences and insights that are part of one's initiation into such a calling. It also helped other people within these cultures to tolerate and integrate the sometimes intense visionary experiences resulting from such trials as vision quests and other aspects of initiation into the realities of the spirit realm. These early cultures, evolvoving as they did upon the geography of North America, were solidly rooted in what we would today probably characterize as esoteric teachings arising from the earth upon they walked...the earth upon which all of us living in North America now walk. Furthermore, quite probably without exception, these cultures were gynocentric, which means that their women, with their women's spiritual and practical ways, were at the very heart and center of community life. They were afforded the highest respect, and they provided guidance for the community regarding all aspects of tribal life. Unfortunately, in today's world, gynocentrism no longer exists in tribal cultures in the old sense, except in small pockets of still-intact tribal cultures who were not completely destroyed by colonization. Nor is gynocentric consciousness to be found in mainstream culture, except in small pockets of awakened women. As a result, in both cultures the abuse of women, children and elders is escalating daily as the patriarchal values brought to this continent by the colonizers continues to influence every aspect of both mainstream and tribal cultural and personal experiences. (For a brilliant exposition about the gynocentric consciousness of pre-colonial tribal cultures and how the values they held were systematically destroyed by the patriarchal tactics of the colonizers, we highly recommened the book "The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions" by Paula Gunn Allen, published by Beacon Press.) The Standing Bear's Apprentice Training and Counselor Certification programs are designed to prepare contemporary women from all cultures and ancestral backgrounds to heal the psychological and spiritual wounds we carry as a result of the patriarchal abuse driected at us over the past several centuries. These programs are designed to facilitate women's ability to create and psychologically integrate the kind of nature and spirit-based moral and ethical internal compasses our ancestors naturally enjoyed. The Center advises women who are actively seeking spiritual and psychological growth through a study of shamanic ways to work exclusively with female teachers until they have learned to become their own personal, intellectual, spiritual and psychological authorities. The Center takes this position because even in these times, the patriarchal paradigm under which we all continue to live very effectively teaches male superiority, placing women beneath men and subject to their authority. For this reason, most women beginning shamanic practice are disadvantaged psychologically as regards the above issue, and may find themselves either becoming disempowered by or spiritually and psychologically damaged by a male teacher, whether intentionally or not. Another danger is that she may become dependent upon her male teacher to do for or to her what she is perfectly capable of doing for herself if given the right training and opportunities combined with the support of a solid women's sacred circle. The Law of the Mothers regarding this issue states that no woman should allow a man to teach her his views of spirituality or his shamanic ways until or unless they have both completed training in women's ways. This law also states that no man may be taught women's ways, but that if he wishes to learn them, he must become humble enough to seek such teachings from a woman in the right way. Once fully trained in women's ways- the Ways of the Earth- a man then becomes qualified to teach a woman men's ways- the Ways of the Sky...provided she herself has also completed her training in women's ways. The Center's methods of achieveing its goals of enabling women to achieve spiritual and psychological growth and evolution leading to a strong sene of personal, intellectual, psychological and spiritual authority as womenare based upon founder Scarlet Kinney's understanding of the North American Medicine Wheel as a sacred mandala. The Medicine Wheel Mandala is worked with as both a map of the shamanic level of human consciousness and as a guide to psychospiritual wellness. The experience and study of the Medicine Wheel Mandala and its multifaceted meanings is characterized by a gentle and gradual process. This process begins with work in nature, learning to drum properly and to relate correctly to the Medicine Wheel in both physical and shamanic realities. It continues on to include learning to become a stable, contributing member of a solid women's sacred circle. At the heart of such work is one's participation in a thorough mapping of the entire shamanic content of the Medicine Wheel Mandala using special shamanic journey methods developed by Scarlet, and the nurturing of positive, healthy relationships with the archetypal energies residing there. The goals of this training- which may take anywhere from three to ten years, depending upon the individual- are to facilitate the apprentice's or student's capacity to achieve psychological and spiritual stability, and to thereby become able to psychologically tolerate and successfully integrate the often intense spiritual events they may experience when they later are exposed to advanced shamanic experiences. In short, depth shamanic practice, and especially one's integration of the "internal compass" of the Medicine Wheel Mandala into one's sense of Self, provides one with a "safe place to land" when confronted with deep shamanic experiences. Those taking part in the Center's Apprentice Training and Depth Shamanic Counselor Certification programs are required to actively participate in their own healing process as part of their training. Such healing is generally facilitated by one's depth shamanic teacher or counselor using depth shamanic methods. However, it may also include referrals to psychotherapy or treatment for addiction when necessary. The reason for this is simple. The perceptions, thoughts, feelings and behaviors of people suffering from such conditions are all too often informed and/or driven by these conditions rather than by the integrated and healed psyche, which can lead to distressing lapses of judgment that may be harmful to onself or others. Because of her personal experience in dealing with such misuses of shamanic skill that have been directed at her, it is Scarlet's opinion that advanced shamanic skills should not be taught to people struggling with psychological issues or addictions. Because of who Scarlet is, she has managed to survive such unhappy experiences. However, those who are not trained in shamanic self-protection methods may have a very difficult time dealing with such misdirected uses of shamanic skill. Therefore, only the most basic of shamanic skills are taught in the first year of training, which is open to all. Those completing depth shamanic counselor or apprentice training are required to sign and abide by the Center's Code of Ethics. By the end of one's first year of training, both the teacher and the apprentice candidate will have become aware of such issues. At that point joint decisions are made regarding whether or not the candidate should continue on into deeper levels of training and/or whether outside help should be sought by the candidate before continuing with her training. Your comments and questions about depth shamanism are welcome, and will be carefully considered. Please feel free to Email Scarlet using the link provided below, or to call her at 207-667-4772. If this number is busy, which it may be if she's online, you can leave a message for her by calling 1-877-225-5928 and following the prompt to enter 207-667-4772. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Services Shamanic VisionaryReadings & Depth Shamanic Counseling You can schedule your in-person visionary reading and depth shamanic counseling session with Scarlet Kinney at the Center in Surry. Counseling sessions generally last 90 minutes, but a strict time limit is not imposed upon your session, as once the work is begun, we enter "shamanic time", which follows its own natural laws, rather than following "clock time". Scarlet's fees for such sessions are $90 for the first session and $75 for additional sessions.
Also available are distance consultations which are conducted by means of an initial phone interview, followed by Scarlet's undertaking a shamanic journey on your behalf based upon the results of the shamanic "scan" she conducts during the phone call. You receive a written transcript of the journey, which we discuss during a final phone consultation. The fee for distance consultations is $150. Other Services Include: Power Animal & Soul Retrievals Removal of Psychic Intrustions Psychic Protection Instruction Shamanic Portraiture and Healing Images Study Opportunities Include: Apprentice Training Program Upon successfull completion of the program, apprentices who so desire are certified by the Center as Depth Shamanic Counselors. Both local and distance training is available. Annual Shamanic Foundations Intensive Held every summer at the Center in Surry, participation in the Intensive is required for apprentices. Parts of the Intensive are also open to the Center's clients and the general public. Workshops, Retreats, Healing Ceremonies & Drumming Circles with Scarlet Kinney & Guest Teachers Such events are scheduled as the need or interest arises and can be held either at the Center in Surry or at other locations. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please scroll down to learn more about: The Standing Bear Center for Shamanic Studies The Center's Mission Scarlet Kinney, MA, the Center's Founder and Director News Flashes Native American Considerations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Standing Bear Center for Shamanic Studies  The Standing Bear Center for Shamanic Studies is located in a quiet forest setting only a short walk or drive from the rugged Downeast Coast. The Center’s Mission 1. To contribute to the rebalancing of Feminine and Masculine energies 2. To restore respect for and affinity with the Feminine principle 3. To contribute to the psychological and spiritual healing of contemporary women 4. To train women who possess the shamanic talents and skills 5. To awaken women's genetic/ancestral memories of pre-patriarchal women's ways, 6. To offer the larger community a full range of shamanic services, 7. To train advanced students to participate in the Center's 8. To offer basic workshops, retreats, drumming circles and storytelling events ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Updated/Edited March 17, 2007 As a young girl growing up in Maine’s coastal forest, Scarlet experienced many openings into shamanic reality, all of which seemed to occur under the protection and guidance of unseen, but powerfully felt bear spirits. These experiences culminated in a profound shamanic vision at the age of sixteen during an encounter with a large black bear in the Maine woods. Because Scarlet belonged to an Irish-American-Catholic family living in a distinctly small-town culture, there was nobody she knew of with whom she could talk about such experiences, or from whom she might seek understanding or guidance about them. Because of this difficulty, she attempted to repress her memories of these kinds of events. Just out of high school, she married and began creating a large family. The memories would not be repressed, however, and continually appeared and reappeared to her as images that seemed to be asking to be expressed. Having known she was an artist from a young age, she periodically attempted to paint these images, but lacked the technical skill to do them justice. When her children were old enough so that she could be away from home for periods of time, she began her formal art training, with the goal of eventually being able to express such images. She began her training at the University of Maine, Orono. She later transferred to Goddard College, Plainfield VT, where she earned a BA in studio art. She also completed several graduate-level studio courses at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. It wasn't until 1988, however, that Scarlet was fully reacquainted with the Bear Spirits of her youth and became shamanically empowered enough to accurately depict the images that had haunted her throughout her adult life. During a propane explosion in July of that year, in which she was severely burned, she was initiated into a shamanic path by members of the Bear Spirit Clan. As she went through the physical experience of her injuries and the healing process that followed, the five Bear Spirits remained with her, facilitating her recovery, which was remarkably fast, given the extent of her injuries. As soon as she was physically able to paint again, the images that had always haunted her, and were now coming endlessly in a wild ecstatic rush, demanded to be painted, and her creative work took an entirely new direction. Over the next ten years, she experienced frequent ecstatic visionary states and dreams of a distincly shamanic nature as the compressed images Standing Bear had transmitted to her during her initiation gradually opened and fully revealed themselves. As there was nobody Scarlet knew of in her own culture who could guide her regarding the meaning of her initiation experience and the visionary states that followed it, she realized that she would need to turn to Native American culture for guidance. A series of dreams and visions led her to a Mohawk shaman woman with whom she studied women's shamanic ways for three years. During that time she learned how to manage the energies and powers that had come to her during her shamanic initiatory experience. News Flashes!!! |
|
|
