Blue Mountains Vision Quest

"Before the ego can triumph, it must master and assimilate the shadow."
(J.L. Henderson)

All nature lives in polarity - light and dark, creation and destruction, up and down, male and female, etc. It is not surprising that we find the same basic laws functioning in our psychological structure. Bringing balance to the psyche is one of the key tasks of all the indigenous cultures and major mystical traditions. Balancing the psyche is one of the major requirements in moving beyond the confines of the ego and experiencing wholeness.

The SHADOW lurks in the space opposite to what we know, it is the invisible reflection of the conscious mind. The shadow lives in the unconscious and is made up of all the repressed aspects of our personality. We are born whole, pure, full of innocence and without judgment. As we become more aware of the world beyond our own existence, we learn to divide our experiences into good and bad, generally putting away any characteristic that is considered anti-social and bringing forth only the culturally accepted aspects of ourselves. We do this simply to satisfy the need to belong, to ensure that we fit somehow into our human community. Without the feeling of fitting in we suffer from resentment, loneliness and anger, however the aspects of ourselves that are pushed down into the subconscious don’t simply go away, they hang around and accumulate, building up a dark intensity that can grow as powerful as the ego itself. These aspects need to be owned by bringing them into the light of consciousness.

The ego and the shadow are always in conflict. If we choose to repress some aspects of our personality, like playfulness for example, we will inevitably PROJECT this shadow of ourselves onto others. Because we haven't owned this particular aspect of ourselves it is cast out onto others as something that you dislike about them. However, the reality is that it is not their playfulness that erks you but your own which you hid away in your unconscious as a child because it got you into trouble. Relationships are made, fought and lost on the unowned aspects of ourselves, however it doesn’t have to be this way.

The more our shadows are owned the more aware we become around our own projections and the projections of others. This growing awareness enables us to stay out of the ‘game’ and remain true to ourselves. As these shadows were created in the first years of life it is our inner-child that causes us to react automatically to the things that annoy us in adulthood. In this workshop you will begin (or continue) to heal the hurts of the wounded child. By dropping these old 'games' the ego will begin to mature, becoming the conscious path the soul needs to rise.

The BMVQ Shadow & Projection Weekend Intensive will give you immediate experience and practical take-home skills in shadow work. Everyone from beginners to experienced shadow-workers are welcome.

We will work with you to:

Recognise your shadows and projections
Face your fears
Develop forgiveness

...All whilst immersing yourself in nature, enjoying great food and making new friends.

This workshop can be used on its own for personal development work or for increasing your Questing skills to get the most out of the longer wilderness based Vision Quest Programs.

Location: Blue Mountains
Guides: Gary, Yeshi
Dates: TBA
Duration: 2 days 2 nights, arrive Friday, depart Sunday 5pm
Accommodation: TBA
Cost: $450