The Anam Cara Program

We have lost  much of our humanity in the Western consumer culture. That loss expresses itself in isolation, alienation,  addictions, too much busyness and too little time. The Anam Cara Program offers a way to reclaim that humanity,  and the skills that will prepare us for living together well in sustainable communities.   It is a community of people healing together through deepening their personal relationship with Spirit, understanding their own individual indigenous tradition and developing the self-knowledge and skills to be of service to families,  community and the Earth in this time of profound change. It is a transformational program grounded in Celtic tradition, an indigenous tradition of the European people. Its curriculum blends instruction in spiritual practice, personal growth and human development, intuition, indigenous ancestry and healing. 

To be  a real human being, as indigenous peoples worldwide say, we must understand and live the following Anam Cara principles:

• know yourself: your needs, gifts, responsibilities and how to maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.

• know how to support strong loving relationships with family and community.
  

• know your place in an interdependent, sentient, ensouled creation.
  

• know your responsibility to the Earth as the Great Mother of all life, who must be protected and sustained so that She will sustain us.

• know the power of Spirit to heal,  inspire and co-create in your life.
  

Celtic tradition is rich in the values that support this way of being:  the importance of family; our interdependence with all things; sacredness of all life; the wisdom of natural rhythms and carrying capacities; the ceremonies that mark them; shared responsibility of the welfare of the clan; the importance of one’s word; respect for the elders and ancestors; and the indivisibility of body, mind and spirit.

The Anam Cara program will use the Celtic Tradition as a  pattern of reconnection while supporting each student in  discovering his or her own indigenous culture. Indigenous knowing is a part of all of us. It is our heritage, no matter what race or place of origin.  In my work, I have found that many people feel guilt about the decimation of indigenous peoples and the environment as a result of Western conquest and industrialization.  The great tragedy is that, as a result, these people feel they have forfeited the right to be in sacred relationship with the earth.  They believe that relationship is reserved for the the indigenous peoples of the earth. 

Our sacred relationship to all creation is an inalienable spiritual birthright that cannot be lost.  Indeed, the remedy for the excesses and alienated lifestyle of Western culture is to reclaim the sacred relationship once again.  Once we realize that we are part of a creation that is alive, intelligent, interrelated and interdependent, we will, as Janine Benyus, author and founder of Biomimicry Institute, says, “make decisions conducive to life.” 

The Anam Cara Program

Offered in 10 weekends over 2 years.

Classes can be taken at your own pace in the order that makes sense in your life. It is by far the best choice to take the entire program in sequence until completion. There is flow and continuity that brings the greatest power to the transformative potential of the Anam Cara Program this way. However, Life may have other ideas, so you may take classes one at a time as time allows.

The Energy Healing Option: this element is an  ancestral skill that has proven to be most valuable in healing old wounds, patterns and physical conditions. However, while all students appreciate receiving healings, not all students want to invest the time to develop the skills of energy healing. Therefore energy healing  is offered on Friday afternoons as an optional element of the program.  Energy healing  classes shall be taken in order unless there is specific permission from the instructor.