In your bones you hear the singing of your sacred ancestors.  You follow in their footsteps.  You go alone, with an empty belly and a bare minimum of equipment, into the heart of the wilderness, for four days and nights.  There you live with yourself, in perfect solitude.  You enter the mansions of nature’s soul.  You drink at the springs of your soul and are filled with self-recognition. What is not important falls away.  The work that must be done lies ahead.

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." Joseph Cambell

VISION QUEST, OCTOBER 7 TO 14, 2006

WHAT IS A VISION QUEST?. 

A Vision Quest is a spiritual adventure, a process of going out into nature, with clear intention, and away from the distractions of everyday life.  It is sacred time of change, a passage into a new and often deeper level of one's spirituality.  It is a time of healing, discovery, joy, and a sense of connectedness with all - four legged, winged ones, trees, stones, sky, stars, wind, and all our relations.

Time can slow down on a Vision Quest, and the stillness can be very powerful. As your thoughts begin to empty out, you can look into the pool of your own being, noticing how you are, what your dreams are made of, what you need to let go of. 

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM A VISION QUEST?

It is a time of fasting - praying - and being in nature. It is a period of solitude in which we seek an inner revelation - a vision -which grants profound meaning and direction to our life.  You leave family, friends and work behind and go off alone, looking within to discover what is calling to you. Vision Quest is done with honor and sacredness.  One learns to hear from the heart the message that Spirit has for the individual quester. Each quester goes out for different purpose or intent such as: Why am I here? Who is my God? What is my purpose?  How may I serve my people best? How can I find meaning in my life? I long to feel connected and loved and how do I achieve this? How do I find joy in my life? How do I hear God? How do I get rid of this pain in my heart?  The vision quester returns to the de-mythologized society powerfully moved by having lived close to the healing power of nature and to his or her own living spirit.

Vision Quest is the process of finding the meaning of life in a supportive, loving, ceremonial way.  So you meet with others like yourself, guided by caring staff, to prepare yourself for the journey. 

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE VISION QUEST?

The staff are guides, serving to mirror and support participants by helping them first to prepare for their solo and then to understand and integrate their experience.

Vision Quest has three stages:

• Severance - that of separating, detaching, letting go of the old;
• Threshold - that of transformation, healing spirit wounds, listening in solitude, beginning again with purpose, "knowing thyself" and the connection with God.
• And lastly, Incorporation - that of bringing your purpose or vision back to your people and community to make the world a better place

The evening of our arrival at the basecamp, we will tell stories and sing songs, and start creating our sacred community. During the two days of training, Questers will go on a hike and determine their solo site and get comfortable with it for a day. On the third morning each person will go to their solo site and be with the Spirit for 4 days. Guides will remain in the base camp during this time holding the sacred space spiritually and to be near in support if needed. On the fifth morning we will return to base camp, community, and food! That afternoon and evening we each will have the time to tell the story of our passage experience. The guides and other questers will sit in council to hear and validate this story. The next morning we will continue to be in. Then we will rejoice in celebration of each person’s rites of passage at base camp. The next morning we will pack up base camp, clean the site, and return to the rest of our lives!

Ongoing support to questers is made available by us through correspondence or personal consultation. We want to know how it goes for you!

FACTS ABOUT THIS VISION QUEST

DATE: Saturday, October 7 to Saturday, October 14, 2006

TIME: 12 Noon October 7 to 12 noon October 14, 2006

PLACE: To be determined

COST: $250 to $350 sliding scale. 

This includes

• Room while at the base camp. 
• Resources to prepare you for your Quest. 
• The location for your personal Vision Quest.
• Some materials needed during your quest. 
• Guides to assist you in your quest. 

Does not include

• Transportation to the sight - though carpooling will be encouraged.
• We will share the cost of food.
• Some materials needed during your quest.  (These items will be explained, discussed and assistance provided following registration).

OUR GUIDE:

Ruth Traut

Ruth was born and lived most of her life in Northern Kentucky.  After providing spiritual leadership to Imago for many years, and organizing four Medicine Wheel Gatherings in the Greater Cincinnati area with Imago, Ruth joined Sunbear and the Bear Tribe in the late 1980’s.  Ruth brings a deep connection to this bioregion: its plants, animals, rocks and minerals and in depth training and work with the Vision Quest through the Bear Tribe.  She has facilitated Vision Quests, here, in this Bioregion