Way of the Leopard Weekend Ceremony
Trance Dancing the Sangoma Way
John Lockley is coming to the Columbia Gorge for his second year, at Atlan Center in the White Salmon, WA. Mark your calendar for October 7-9, 2016. Price of $300 includes 2 nights lodging (at Kinnectar Cabin or a Campsite plus breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday)
Participants will learn the ancient ‘Xentsa’ or trance dance, as well as ‘ingomas’ or ceremonial chants. The healer’s dance has been performed for hundreds of years in Southern Africa to promote healing in various forms. The Khoi-San have been proponents of this dance. They are known to be one of the oldest indigenous tribe in the world today. The Xhosa tribe (John's tradition) intermixed with the Khoi-San and adopted their ceremonial dance.
Participants will be taught this dancing style. There will be periods during the weekend of ‘free dancing’ to allow the community to ‘feel their spirits’ move. This weekend we will do more than dance…. as we will be setting a sacred container and praying together.
The Sangoma rhythm is a particular heart-beat rhythm and falls into the genre of ‘sacred music’ around the world. The ingomas or songs are chants, sung to invoke the ancestors and healing spirits. It is well known that the sound of the Sangoma drum is enough to help connect people to their spirits and to dream in a mystical way.
People are welcome to bring their own instruments to facilitate learning this new rhythm.
Details:
The Way of the Leopard Training Retreat will take place in our beautiful Yurt in the Forest of Atlan. You are invited to arrive on Friday afternoon between 2-5pm to get set up at our rustic Kinnectar Cabin, where people will be sleeping in our dormitory style accommodation. Camping at Forest Camp will be a secondary option for participants who would prefer to camp out in the forest. On Friday please arrive fed or with food to prepare at the cabin.
We will open the ceremonial weekend with an evening session after dinner on Friday from 7-9pm. A simple breakfast and vegetarian lunch on both weekend days will be provided. If you desire other foods, please bring what you need. There is refrigerator space. On Saturday our sessions will last from 10-1 and 2-5 at the yurt. On Sunday we will follow the same schedule but we will end at 4. You will have the option to visit our nearby town of White Salmon for dinner on Saturday or you can prepare food at the Cabin.
To register:
1. Please contact La to register for this event, and with any questions.
2. To secure your registration, please pay via this PayPal link.
3. Please forward your PayPal receipt to La to secure your registration. Only advanced registration will be accepted, and your place will secured only after payment.
Additional Information:
John’s Background
Sangomas are connected to an ancient world. They represent one of the oldest living shamanic cultures in the world today. I have had the good fortune to have spent over 20 years in training with both Zen Buddhism and Xhosa Sangoma medicine. In 2007, I graduated from my Sangoma apprenticeship as a Senior Sangoma. Since then, with the encouragement of my elders in South Africa, I have followed the guidance and visions from my ancestors to bring these ancient teachings to people in the West.
John’s Vision
My vision behind the Way of the Leopard is to take people on an ancient journey to rediscover their destiny, their heart’s call, their soul’s purpose in this life. I liken this journey to a deep sea voyage fraught with challenges, joy and divine intervention. I see myself as the captain or navigator on this journey: my job will be to guide and encourage participants. Each journey begins with an intention. The more devoted the seeker, the clearer the message will become.
It is my dream that by sharing these ancient ways, we will sow the seeds for establishing communities of people around the world, who together can hold ceremonial space and ground the ancestral energy into everyday life.