Shamanic & Spiritual Training

We can all learn the shamanic arts to assist us in restoring health, harmony and well-being to ourselves, our families, our communities, and Mother Earth and her children. These ancient practices can also help us grow, transform and deepen our connection to all of Creation.

Cynthia Greer offers workshops in introductory shamanism and mesa work, and the Heart of the Healer Community’s apprenticeship program, The Pachakuti Mesa Tradition: Cross-Cultural Shamanic Arts for Personal and Planetary Renewal. This is a 5-weekend series of workshops designed to offer a deep experience of the Peruvian shamanic tradition. Cynthia also teaches Despacho-Making, Creating Sacred Space, Working with Your Power Animals, The Shamanic Journey, Past Life Regression and Reiki. Please see below for more detailed descriptions of these workshops. To register for a workshop near Asheville, NC, to sponsor a workshop in your area, or for more information about these workshops, please email Cynthia at cbagreer@bellsouth.net.

Introduction to the Peruvian Shaman’s Mesa: The Pachakuti Mesa & its Lineage Tradition
The Pachakuti Mesa is a sacred altar and a powerful tool for self-exploration, empowerment and transformation. It creates sacred space, honors the directions and connects us to All That Is. The mesa and its wisdom tradition are used for manifestation, connection to the spirit world, healing self and others, honoring Mother Earth and the Unseen World, and much more. During this half-day workshop, you will create your own mesa, engage the energies of the 5 directions and practice the shamanic journey to meet one of your power animals and enlist its assistance. 1 pm -5 pm.

The Pachakuti Mesa Tradition Apprenticeship Series

Receive profound wisdom teachings and powerful initiations into Peruvian shamanism in a 5-part series of intensives in the shamanic arts of restoring harmony, health, and Earth-stewardship. The Pachakuti Mesa Tradition: Cross-Cultural Shamanic Arts for Personal and Planetary Renewal apprenticeship series aligns the ancient shamanic practices and wisdom teachings of Peru with the needs of today. In this apprenticeship with this lineage tradition, you cultivate a deeper relationship with Nature, Mother Earth and the Unseen World, and receive multiple opportunities for self-exploration, empowerment, and profound personal growth. Whether you are a long-time mesa carrier or new to the tradition, this powerful program is open to all people who desire to be of service to themselves, their families, their community and Mother Earth.

We invite you to attend the first workshop of the series to experience the wisdom teachings and power of the sacred circle for yourself. Then you can decide if you want to participate in more of the series in which each weekend intensive builds on the other.

Weekend I, The Call to Heal (Releasing the Past)
This apprenticeship weekend initiates you into a sacred and powerful altar, the Pachakuti Mesa, and its lineage tradition. You create your own mesa and work with it for self-empowerment, growth and helping others. You learn how to create sacred space and be in sacred reciprocity with All That Is. By exploring the three worlds of the Andean cosmovision, the core ingredients of ceremonial mastery, sacred sound and ritual language, healing and curanderismo, you are empowered to create your own sacred ceremony with your mesa so you can transform your life. Through shamanic journey and visionary states of consciousness, you explore the inner or lower world of the ukhupacha. This helps you release the parts of your past that no longer work for you so you can move into a more joyful & purposeful life. The Call to Heal is open to anyone. There is no prerequisite for this weekend.

Weekend II, A Balance of Power (Transforming the Present)
During this weekend intensive, you apprentice in the center of the mesa, traditional Peruvian healing practices, and the kaypacha, the middle world. You explore the kaypacha’s elemental matrix and magico-spiritual power. You learn about the sun and moon’s presence in the middle world, mapping the cosmos on Earth, and celestial death and rebirth. This helps you align your ceremonies with the larger cycles of life which greatly increases the power and efficacy of your ceremony. You also experience initiatory processes to help you live in greater harmony, balance and higher vibration

Weekend III, The Condor’s Quest (Creating the Future)
This weekend’s apprenticeship is an initiation into the paqokuna, the Andean Shaman/ Priesthood mystical path, the lineage of the sacred mountains, and the five virtues of the mesa. You journey to the hanaqpacha and experience the upper world beyond the physical. Working with the Unseen World there, you deepen your connection to your own spiritual resources. You learn more sacred ways to be in right relationship with all of Creation which helps you mirror heavenly conditions in your life on Earth.

Weekend IV, The Hummingbird’s Ascent (Living the Mystery)
During this weekend intensive, you experience the upper world more deeply and learn about the lightning bolt of mystical illumination and the flow of kamasqa, the power of Creation. You work with forces of the Universe, the elements and the body of Mother Earth. Apprenticing in the four healing powers, you practice using them on yourself, each other and others from a distance for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. You prepare for a paqowachu, a sacred pilgrimage. With gratitude you create a despacho, a mandala-like offering honoring Mother Earth, the sacred mountains and the spirit world. This reestablishes balance and right relationship with All That Is. That balance and harmony is reflected in greater mastery of yourself, your life and your world.

Weekend V, The Shamanic Self (Serving the Earth)

In this apprenticeship workshop, you harmonize Nature, Culture and Self within and honor them without through sacred ritual process. To support the emergence of the prophesized global, eco-spiritual shamanic culture, you perform sacred site ceremony including the ritual creation, activation and care of an apacheta. Working with the Power of Creation in the middle world, dimensionality and time, you evoke both seen and unseen sources of "good medicine" into our planetary seq’e matrix. You, your mesa and your artes will receive transmissions of power and sacred vision to help you create the life and world you desire and to powerfully serve others, the planet and all of Creation.

Advanced Pachakuti Mesa Training

Advanced Pachakuti Mesa Tradition Wisdom Teachings: Empower Your Artes, Your Mesa &  Yourself 
Through the Arte Declaration Process you will consciously enter into deep, sympathetic relationship with each of your medicine pieces and create a magical pact with them. Engaging with your artes through ritual and sacred agreement wakes up their virtue, evokes their sacred power, harmonizes them and makes them work together in a higher, better and more cohesive way. This increases the efficacy of your mesa work, your medicine in the world and your power as a mesa carrier. You will also charge and consecrate a staff and learn how to use it for healing limpia (cleansing), suspendida (deeper clearing) and florecimiento (flowering), as well as for karpays (initiations). You will be asked to bring a specific set of artes from your mesa and a piece of a sacred malki (tree) that you will later make into a staff.
Prerequisites for this weekend intensive are completion of the 5-part THOTH apprenticeship series and/or a long history as a mesa carrier.

Other Shamanic Training

Food of the Gods: The Despacho as Ritual Expression of Gratitude and Reciprocity

A despacho is a mandala-like offering to Mother Earth, the mountains and the Unseen World that is prayerfully created by placing small objects in a beautiful pattern on a large piece of paper. Then with love, gratitude and reverence, the despacho is folded into a bundle, wrapped like a gift and ritually offered to sacred fire, water or buried in the Earth. In gratitude and sacred reciprocity for the many gifts we have received, we offer the Spirit Realm a magnificent feast of various “foods”. They may include cookies, candy, fur, incense, sand, flowers, seeds, herbs and more. This is also an opportunity to offer our prayers for the health of Mother Earth and her children, the animals, plants, minerals and people. We may also create despachos to ask the Spirit Realm for its power, support and wisdom for healing, guidance, assisting a departing loved one to cross over into the next life, and many other intentions.  1 pm – 5 pm
 

Enchanted Ground: Creating Sacred Space for Healing and Holding Council

We all have a sacred space within ourselves yet an external sacred space helps us to slow down, become quiet and be fully present in the moment. A sacred space helps us to connect on a deep level to what is sacred within us, to our Higher Selves and to the Divine. In this half-day workshop, you learn how to create a sacred space and how to come into communion with it through offerings, ceremony and meditation. You use the Council Process in sacred community to honor the seen and unseen realms while providing the opportunity for everyone involved to express themselves. You learn to use a talking piece to help speakers speak their truth from the heart and listeners to witness with respect and listen with full attention. 1 pm – 5 pm.

Working with Your Power Animals

We all have animal spirits who have chosen to work with, teach and protect us. They can help us understand ourselves, our abilities, our worlds and more. Our power animals also help us go beyond the usual state of consciousness so we can experience other realms and deeper spiritual connections. In this one-day workshop we will  encounter at least one of our power animals and ask for its wisdom and assistance. We'll honor our spirit animals in sacred movement, creation and ceremony, and journey with our power animals to understand and experience what we most need to experience. 10 am-5 pm.

The Shamanic Journey 

We can all learn the ancient practice of the shamanic journey. We do this by moving into an altered state of consciousness usually by listening to rhythmic percussion from a drum or rattle. In this shamanic state of consciousness, we retain control of our “ordinary consciousness” while journeying to and experiencing realities beyond out normal perception outside of time and space. In these non-ordinary realities, the Spirit World, we can interact with spirit helpers for healing, guidance and information. These spirit allies are available to help everyone and to assist everyone in helping others. 10 am – 5 pm.

Other Spiritual Training

Past Life Regression

Past life regression often helps people understand more about themselves, their life purpose and their opportunities for growth. In this one-day workshop, you explore at least two of your past lives in a safe and sacred environment. This powerful process may give you insight into how you react to the world, shed light on your current relationships and assist you in resolving any unfinished business you have here and now. Here you journey to connect more fully with your Higher Self, visit at least two of your past lives, spend private time integrating your experiences, and share your regressions, if you wish, in a supportive circle. You also discover ways to honor the lessons of these journeys and learn how to allow their gifts to unfold in your daily life. 10 am – 5 pm. 

Reiki I, II, III and Mastership

Reiki is a warm and gentle hands-on healing method. It can facilitate physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health and well-being. It can also reduce stress, relieve pain and create relaxation. A Japanese word meaning Life Force Energy, Reiki is a soothing energy that flows through a practitioner’s hands into the person receiving Reiki. The recipient sits or lies down, fully clothed and relaxes. Because Reiki is so gentle and non-invasive, it can work alone or with both traditional and alternative medicine. 

Anyone, even children, can learn Reiki from a Reiki Master. In a one-day First Degree Reiki class you receive attunements that enable the Reiki energy to flow through you. You learn the history of Reiki, traditional hand positions and you practice giving and receiving a full body Reiki Session. You leave class with an illustrated handbook, fully trained to give Reiki to yourself, others, animals and plants. Second Degree Reiki, Third Degree Reiki and Reiki Mastership classes are also available. (Cynthia Greer has been a Reiki Master since 1996.)

To register for a workshop near Asheville, NC, to sponsor a workshop in your area, or for more information about these workshops, please email Cynthia at cbagreer@bellsouth.net

See the Calendar page of this website for the workshop schedule.


Prerequisites & Apprenticeship Hours

Weekend I, The Call to Heal (Releasing the Past) of The Pachakuti Mesa Tradition apprenticeship series, is open to anyone. There is no prerequisite for this first weekend in the series. Weekends II - V have the prior weekends as prerequisite.

The hours for all apprenticeship series workshops are:

     Fri. - 7:00pm - 10:00pm

     Sat. - 9:00am - 9:00pm

     Sun. - 9:00am - 1:00pm 

Hours for other classes are listed with each class description.

To register for a workshop near Asheville, NC, to sponsor a workshop in your area, or for more information about these workshops, please email Cynthia at cbagreer@bellsouth.net.