PAN International 88

PAN - Provisional Astroshamanic Network
Ezine of the Sacred Cone Circle, English Edition, 20 January 2009, Issue 88

Cluny Hill College, Forres IV36 2RD, Scotland. +44(0)1309-672289.  PAN@astroshamanism.org.
Editorial Director: Franco Santoro. Editorial Staff: Anna Luna, Astrid Gude, Elaine Silverfire.

© 2009 Franco Santoro. All rights reserved. Permission must be granted by the author for publishing and use on websites. For permissions contact PAN@astroshamanism.org


So, what about 2009? Nine plus two equals eleven, and this is the number of Aquarius, with an inevitable reference to the Age of Aquarius. For centuries there has been a most contentious debate regarding the start of this Age, with dates ranging from 1447 to 3621! I would be almost tempted to claim that the start is in 2009, since this would be a great year to turn up to 11. Yet, this may frustrate expectancy for the next years or cause confusion for those who believe that the Aquarian Age has started already. Hence, I will not go into that, and I will rather embrace an Aquarian holistic individualistic approach by asking you and also asking myself, if you truly want this Age to start and, secondly, and as importantly, when do you choose to let it start? Yes, for out of sheer Aquarian flamboyance if this Age is really worth starting, I suppose it is not something that is going to happen to you and me. It is an age that each one of us can choose whether to acknowledge or not. For some people it began a long time ago, for others it has just started, or is about to start, and for some folks it will do so in the distant future. Yet this is their business, and what counts here is when I, and you, decide to let it start, and also if we are willing to start it again, when we forget about it.
Here perhaps before engaging in starting anything it is legitimate to ask what the Age of Aquarius is about. Considering the bulk of literature written on the topic this is not a painless enterprise. And since I have neither the time nor the desire to consider all the theories, I will just stick to the basics, by highlighting the inescapable conclusion that the Age of Aquarius is merely about Aquarius. Given this vital deduction all I need to do is to get a sense of the characteristics of Aquarius.
As I consider Aquarius, first of all I trust that the Age of Aquarius is meant to emphasise the luminous qualities of this sign, with the dysfunctional elements being released and healed. Some of the most exquisite gifts of Aquarius are truth, honesty, equality, freedom, independence, progressiveness, community, humanity, collaboration, co-operation, helpfulness, inventiveness, progress, friendship and brotherhood/sisterhood. I particularly like the latter, which for me implies experiencing a much wider sense of family where I can reach out with love and kindness to all I meet. I mean an extended family where sisters and brothers are the basic roles, prevailing over all other secondary roles, such as parents, partners, children and other personality masks.
I see the Aquarian Age as the manifestation of a conscious link between individual and global awareness. It is not either one or the other, or the shift of one to another. It is the experiential awareness that individual and global are inevitably bound together. Here there is another quality about Aquarius that I wish to mention, for it sums up all those listed above, and this is synergy.
Synergy (from the Greek synergo “working together”) is a term used to describe a situation where the size or outcome of a system is greater than the sum of its parts. A society with a high level of synergy is one in which there is no conflict between personal and global. It is a culture in which it is rare to cause damage to others or to the environment because it is obvious that what hurts globally would also harm at an individual level.
Aquarius is also associated with change, and is ruled by Uranus, the ultra revolutionary planet par excellence. Hence, an age based on Aquarius is surely about change. Yet, if I am happy about the way things are in life, or I fear that with a change things could get worse, why should I change anything? I may also realise that happiness is not only the result of being happy about things which are obviously good. It is also based on the acceptance of things, which appear rather bad and unhappy. I am saying “appear” because I am not sure whether they truly are, or if it is simply my distorted perception that makes them appear so. I do not know, and yet if I embrace another relevant part in me, well, things at times are definitely not happy at all. They look nasty indeed! And I am determined to change them. Here I know that there is another way, a better one, and I will do my best to find it.
Hence, as 2009 is running its first miles I would like to greet it with the traditional words of the Serenity Prayer:

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Also in this bit on Aquarius I include a quote about another relevant Aquarian keyword, which is community.

We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been — a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free. – Starhawk, Dreaming the Dark

Here I wish to express my gratitude to the Findhorn Foundation community, which is often considered the archetype of the Aquarian Age. In the Findhorn Foundation and the New Findhorn Community Association we share a statement of common values called the Common Ground. This is a living document, a sort of Aquarian manifesto, used as a tool for transformation for ourselves, the community and the world. You can find the complete document of the Common Ground by clicking here.

The last keyword I add about Aquarius is Carnival, which, like its older equivalent Lupercalia, is celebrated when the Sun is in Aquarius. Since ancient times February (from the Latin februa, “tools of purification”) was a period of cleansing and purification, acted out through the provisional suspension of the social order. During this time the reality was upside down and people could let go of their ordinary roles, taking on alternative identities and… body-swapping. It was a celebration of the mysteries of the multidimensional realms, with human beings shape-shifting into any form they liked and possibly entities from other worlds and times sliding into this earth and taking up human shapes. Despite the separation from other dimensions and the loss of the capacity to shape-shift, which followed in more recent times, the original awareness is still currently preserved by the custom of wearing masks and costumes at Carnival.

Personality as such is false. The word 'personality' has to be understood. It comes from 'persona'; persona means a mask. In ancient Greek drama the actors used to wear masks; those masks were called persona - persona because the sound was coming from behind the mask. 'Sona' means sound. The masks were apparent to the audience and from behind the mask the sound was coming. From that word 'persona' has come the word 'personality'. All personality is false. Good personality, bad personality, the personality of a sinner and the personality of a saint - all are false. You can wear a beautiful mask or an ugly mask, it doesn't make any difference. The real thing is your essence. (Osho)

Blessings on 2009,
Franco

Picture: Findhorn Foundation Training in Astroshamanism, 2006 - group picture


IN THIS 88th ISSUE

Invitation to Join the Findhorn Foundation Training in Astroshamanism
Body Swapping: The Greatest Taboo by Franco Santoro
The Journey Begins by Rosanna Ienco
Getting Married under a Rainbow by Valerie Saintot
Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Geline Brunt
First Thoughts for 2009 by Sandra Hughes
The Star – Aquarius: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro
'Cos in this great big universe. We're the stars on earth
Upcoming Astroshamanic Events

UPCOMING ASTROSHAMANIC EVENTS

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 24-25 January 2009, Training in Astroshamanic Healing Methodologies: Course in Sacred Circle Management with Franco Santoro

Worcester (England), 31 January – 1 February 2009, Astroshamanic Midwinter Basic Seminar with Franco Santoro (click here)

Findhorn, 21 February–6 March 2009,
FOUNDATION TRAINING in ASTROSHAMANISM
with Franco Santoro & Astrid Gude (see details below)

Findhorn, 14-20 March 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden (with Franco & Sverre)

Findhorn, 11-17 April 2009, Flowering of Life – A Spring Retreat (with Franco & Astrid)

For further details and workshops see calendar below


Invitation to Join the Findhorn Foundation Training in Astroshamanism

I would just like to invite you to join the upcoming edition of the Findhorn Foundation Training in Astroshamanism, or any other astroshamanic training module or upcoming workshop in 2009.
Among the wide range of workshops available in the healing marketplace, including all the events I offer, the Findhorn Foundation Training in Astroshamanism is the longest and most comprehensive all-in-one astroshamanic course. Since the first edition in 2003, this training has received abundant praises from those who have attended it. The course is always unique and in close alignment with the present, never repeating itself twice. Hence previous participants often take it again, even three or four times.
If you resonate with some of the themes you find in PAN, I can assure you that this training will provide a precious opportunity to explore them experientially. I believe that these two weeks can offer support and clarity regarding your potential, providing opportunities to ground it in everyday life, both for your benefit and as part of your service to the environment. The training is also an ideal opportunity to get to the root of critical issues, healing blocks and energy loops, so that you can step with power into a brighter and more fulfilling experience of life.
2009 has been described by many light-workers and spiritual leaders as a pivotal year for setting in motion major shifts in human consciousness. In particular, this year involves increasing the capacity to master our intentions and taking decisive steps for creating the new reality we wish for ourselves and the world. This implies stepping into the richness of our experience on Earth, letting go of decaying paradigms based on separation and gaining a solid awareness of our connection with the web of life.
I, and the astroshamanic healing network, would be most delighted and motivated to work more directly with you during this training or other astroshamanic training modules this year, such as the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training, or the Operative Training in Astroshamanism.
Please feel free to contact me at info@astroshamanism.org if you have any question or wish to receive more details on any aspect of astroshamanic work. We can also meet or arrange a telephone (or Skype) appointment, if you wish to explore which workshop or course is the right thing for you.

Please find details below regarding the Findhorn Foundation Training in Astroshamanism, including costs. Details of other workshops can be found in the calendar at the end of this PAN.

The Findhorn Foundation Training in Astroshamanism provides an in-depth experience of contemporary shamanism and spiritual healing research in alignment with the principles of inner listening, co-creation with nature and service that characterise the Findhorn community. Participants in the training are encouraged and supported in opening, discovering and implementing the relationship with their inner guidance and soul’s purpose. This also involves releasing blocks and retrieving hidden potentials, learning to use shamanic healing in their life and relationship with others. The training also implies exploring alternative realities, non-ordinary perception, ecstatic realms and spirit guides, yet with a sensible and down-to-earth attitude, aimed at ensuring a healthy integration with everyday life.
The training is designed for newcomers as well as for those who wish to consolidate previous experiences with shamanism or related methods. Franco runs these two weeks not only with the aim to teach you basic and advanced techniques, and how they can be applied according to your individual potential, but also to provide participants with the support thereafter. Hence the training is aimed to allow participants to continue their work autonomously with gained clarity and sense of purpose, while also giving them a solid basis for more advanced work and training options, such as the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training or the Operative Training in Astroshamanism.
A vital benefit of all astroshamanic training modules is that they are designed for you as an individual, both at an ordinary and multidimensional level. The courses also involve one-to-one sessions, aimed at helping to get the most from the healing work. The astrological chart and its experiential applications are another most unique and effective aid in all astroshamanic trainings, and are a constant reference throughout the courses. The group element also plays a central healing role, and if you have attended other astroshamanic workshops you will be familiar with the amazing connections that the group experience.
The training consists of two workshops, which can also be attended independently.

21-28 February 2009, Workshop 1, A JOURNEY INTO THE INNER UNIVERSE
This workshop focuses on the clarification of the life Intent and the connection with the Spirit Guide. Participants will be trained in working with basic astroshamanic techniques for expanding perception and reawakening their authentic purpose. The programme includes: astroshamanic voyages, trance dance, totemic postures, circle positioning, astrodrama, ceremonial sharing, planetary chants, the ritual of the Sacred Cone and various opportunities for integrating shamanic work with ordinary reality.

28 February - 7 March 2009, Workshop 2, THE VOYAGE THROUGH THE ZODIAC
During this second week participants will experience the whole spectrum of astroshamanic archetypes, retrieving and transforming blocked energies, strengthening the relationship with their multi-dimensional self and Intent. This workshop is designed for people who intend to employ shamanism both for themselves and in their practice with others. The previous week (or another one-week workshop with Franco) is a prerequisite for attendance..

This two-week training is held for the 7th time at the Findhorn Foundation, as always in the months of February/March, the time of Pisces, which represents a time of heightened spiritual awareness and completion of the zodiacal cycle, the preparation for facing the shift to a new cycle starting on the Spring Equinox.

Since the first edition of the training in 2003 more than 120 participants have benefited from this workshop (see a selection of comments below).

“A very well crafted programme, beautifully balanced, finely taught out and excellent value for money.”
“It has been wonderful and heart-opening. Doors for me have opened about being in relationship in a new way and also my views on spirit guides have deepened in a very valuable way, and my inner sense of why I am on this planet and what I am to do here has become clearer.”
“This workshop brought me back to my true passion and feeling of being fully alive.”
“I gained a much wider and brighter picture of who I am, which I know I will continue to connect with.”
“My awareness has grown immensely. I have found clarity regarding my true intention on earth and the tools to manifest it”
“Franco is an excellent communicator and facilitator. He tailors the programme according to the nature of the participants, blending group dynamics with astroshamanic processes.”
“Franco is a gifted man with wisdom and sense of humour. He is down-to-earth.”
“Franco is a wise man who knows his work well, dedicated, inspiring, gentle, passionate, welcoming, available and open to questions.”
“I would like to affirm that this has been a mile-stone on my life’s journey. Thank you.
“I worried at first that the course would conflict with my spiritual beliefs. In fact it not only complemented but enhanced my knowing.”
“I found most valuable to learn the techniques and hear the explanations first hand from a practitioner who was open, serious and light-hearted, knowledgeable, and very capable of creating and supporting the environment and energies we were working with.”

COST: he price for each week are: £475 for those with low income. £565 for those with medium income. £665 for those with high income (includes accommodation and all meals). There is a reduced price of £875 if attending both workshops. Bursaries are available.

If you wish to attend please book now or at your earliest convenience.

For bookings: The Findhorn Foundation, Bookings, The Park, Findhorn IV36 3TZ
Tel. 01309-691653 - Bookings@findhorn.org Website: www.findhorn.org

INFORMATION: Franco Santoro, Cluny Hill College, 01309-672289
info@astroshamanism.org - www.astroshamanism.org


Astroshamanic Network in Facebook

I am pleased to inform you that an astroshamanic group, called Astroshamanic Network, has been created in Facebook. Facebook is the most popular, free-access social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves. Groups are one of the features in Facebook. They are a way of enabling a number of people to come together online to share information and discuss specific subjects. In Facebook there is now a group called Astroshamanic Network that you are most welcome to join, if you are a Facebook users. To become a Facebook user is very easy and all you need to do is to visit http://www.facebook.com
Another feature of Facebook are “pages” which allow users to “become a fan” of the service or individual involved. There is also one page devoted to Franco Santoro, and one to Astroshamanism, as an organisation, which I invite you to visit.



Body Swapping: The Greatest Taboo by Franco Santoro

There is one common assumption that lies at the foundation of all human interaction. Our entire perception is based on this assumption. All aspects of human life, regardless of culture, age, gender and race depend upon it. And for our separated reality this is so crucial that if such an assumption were missing all human life, as we have experienced it so far, would not make any sense. This is because this assumption is the sine qua non condition upon which all human culture and behaviour depends. So what is it?
It is the conviction that our physical body, as we perceive it, belongs to us and represents what we are. This is a belief most of us take for granted and do not bother to question. Yet, for those who take at least a moment to shake off their conditioned brain, it is unavoidable to ask something like: how do we know that we are the owners of our heads or feet? How can we truly determine the difference between what we believe to be our bodies and the bodies of others or the environment?
Possible answers to such questions have been explored by shamans and spiritual seekers throughout human history, yet they have also featured as major subjects in scientific investigation. For example, just to refer to a recent research, neurologists from the Karolinska Institute, one of Europe’s largest medical universities, some months ago reported experiments on the induction of "body-swap" awareness, in which subjects perceived the body of another person as belonging to themselves. Using closed-circuit televisions to create illusory perception they made volunteers virtually swap bodies, even making women believe they were in a man's body and vice-versa. Some of their findings are published on their journal PLoS One in an article titled “If I Were You: Perceptual Illusion of Body Swapping”, which is available online if you are interested in getting the full details of the whole experiment. For a National Geography video covering the experiment click here.
Along with the above, a most surprising thing about the physical body, when we look at it from a scientific perspective, is the fact that there is not a single instant in which it exists as it seems to be. There is indeed nothing separate, solid or fixed in the body. It is an aggregation of infinite units moving and transforming themselves at a speed which the ordinary mind and senses refuse to acknowledge. The illusive impression of a static form is the product of our human assumption of being confined to our own bodies, that these bodies belong to us as fixed private properties throughout all our life. As a result of this privatisation of reality, each property needs to be manufactured according to a given form and shape so as to distinguish it from other assets. It also needs to have fences demarcating the borderline between one property and another. Moreover there are copious amounts of legal clauses managing all these ownership agreements, an intricate series of dubious contracts (otherwise called relationships), which have mechanically mushroomed throughout human history. And it is this that has produced, and still produces, our separated reality.
Of course, there is nothing wrong in adhering to the perception of a separated body. Every body is free to believe what it wants, yet when a belief is unquestioned and becomes the reality freedom, an Aquarian vital keyword, is inevitably lost. And since many people continue to suffer and struggle due to this belief, it is legitimate to ask whether it makes sense to keep on stubbornly believing it.
Science today demonstrates that 99 percent of our body consists of empty spaces. Our physical world is essentially a spatial system and the fact that we perceive it as solid and separate is the evident result of cultural conditioning. This is common scientific knowledge. The atom is basically empty apart from some very tiny fragments of matter. Since the entire universe consists of atoms, the physical world that we see and touch is made up almost totally of empty spaces. Also the floor upon which our body stands is essentially empty. I do not fall through it simply because these fragments of matter are spinning at such speed that they give me the illusion of being solid. And I buy this illusion simply in order to preserve the bogus perception of the integrity of my physical body and prevent it from falling apart, shape-shifting and mixing with other bodies, which is what it does anyway, despite my illusion. Yet, it is this illusion that generates the world most human beings believe that they live in.
Again this is all common scientific knowledge and it has also always made sense from most spiritual or philosophical perspectives. And yet how is it that there is such a dramatic contradiction between the acumen of our scientific and spiritual knowledge and the idiocy of our illusory belief systems on separation.
The folklore and mythology of most native cultures are abundant in tales that tell about the start of time, when animals could speak and people could change into animal or plant shapes and back with ease. Then something shifted and all this gradually became taboo. According to many shamanic traditions this shift, which produced our current belief systems, was the result of the activity of unseen predatory beings. They are the ones who manufactured our illusory perception of reality to keep us enslaved and fulfil their rapacious intentions. Awareness of these predatory beings is common in all shamanic and esoteric paths, though the names and the features used to describe them may differ.
Don Juan and the shamans of ancient Mexico, as narrated in the books by Carlos Castaneda, call these entities Voladores (Flyers). They regularly feed on human awareness and appear to be installed at the top of the head, where they operate like octopus’s tentacles, leeching our energy. Castaneda said that according to the shamans of ancient Mexico, Flyers were responsible for the implanting of our ego separated minds, and the related belief systems, which took place about 10.000 years ago. Before this time men were complete and whole beings, then their awareness was split and they were transformed into cataleptic slaves.
Although the above may appear to be a mythological fable or yet another conspiracy theory, what I wish to stress here is that most shamans are fundamentally practical people, unaffected by myths, or any philosophical, religious and social conditioning. They essentially know how the universe works. If you ask them about the reality of this world, demanding an honest answer, they may not speak about a universe founded on freedom, harmony, love and peace, where you create your own reality, fulfil your luminous potential or other spiritual advertising slogans. Of course, if they realise that you are asleep and these are the only things you can hear, they will not interfere with your sedation, and may tell you all the above. Yet, if you are unbiased enough to receive at least a minute part of their experience, they are likely to tell you that things are radically different from the way they appear to be and that most of what you have assumed throughout your entire life is far from being real.
What these shamans would tell us will still sound most appalling and unacceptable, even if we are open to listening to them. And this is why it is very improbable that they are going to tell anything. Their understanding abides outside the domain of ordinary languages. It is based on candid pragmatic experience, devoid of any cultural and linguistic connotation. And this experience is the forgotten language, which ordinary languages regularly obscure. Hence, unless I have a direct experience of that forgotten language, there is no way I can tap into what those shamans may tell me about their truth.
Truth cannot be communicated through languages aimed at promoting lies. Yet with those languages I can still convey strategic stories, which can create a gap in our sedated minds and allow a direct experience of truth. These stories are still lies and do not purport to be the truth. They are aimed at generating paradoxes and destabilising the effects of stagnant lies. This is done with the pragmatic trust that in some exceptional circumstances, paradoxes may cause a breakthrough in our dormant mind, allowing a provisional experience of truth to emerge. The hope is that the gradual accumulation of those provisional experiences will lead more human beings to a conscious understanding of the way the universe works.
In their daily experience shamans are aware of most unsettling and dreadful evidence regarding human life, a cloaked sinister setting that has existed since the beginning of time. Shamans acknowledge a wide variety of beings, some abiding in parallel realities, basically unaware of our world, and others operating in other dimensions, yet in close connection with mankind. Some of these beings seem to behave with dignity, respect and care, while others appear cruel, reckless and ruthless. Yet, what mainly distinguishes shamans from ordinary human beings is the fact of having a spirit guide, or ally, and a firm connection with their multidimensional selves. In their understanding this is the sole way of gaining the force required to move beyond the confinement of the physical body and separated reality.
“The body is a fence the Son of God imagines he has built, to separate parts of his Self from other parts. It is within this fence he thinks he lives, to die as it decays and crumbles”. (ACIM, WII.5.1:1-2) As long as the physical body continues to be considered our own identity there is no way out of separation. The problem is not the physical body per se. It is rather the idea of having “my own physical body” as opposed to those of supposed others. It is this belief that creates a fence in our minds and prevents them expanding into the wider reality of life, including the true nature of the physical world.
Throughout human history shamans have always had an alternative awareness of the physical realm, which has allowed them to use shape-shifting and other forms of body-swapping as a basic feature of their work. The primary experiential notion of shamanism is the interrelation and oneness of whatever exists. This pragmatically implies the capacity of moving beyond the illusory identification with their physical body, and its related personal history, moving or transforming themselves into other physical forms, also at a cellular level. It is our perception of the physical body as separate from the totality of existence that basically causes all the pain and grievances we encounter in life. And it is this perception that needs primarily to be corrected before any healing can take place.
Each one of us has the capacity to shape-shift on a physical level, to swap bodies and become any possible form that exists. Shape-shifting is not a magical skill that one develops after years of practice. Shape-shifting is happening all the time in front of our eyes, whether we accept it or not. It takes place when we drink, eat, breathe, go to the toilet, have sex, etc. For example, when I eat, what was an apple or a fish before becomes me (or I become it?). Extremely palpable acts of major body-swap are occurring in all aspects of our life, without mentioning all those which are harder to detect. While our attention is totally focused on promoting the cult of our personality and its separated body, this body keeps changing all the time and is always linked to the web of life.
Hence shape-shifting is about waking up and getting out of the trance of being in a fixed physical body. It is becoming aware of what is going on beyond our dreaming world. Shape-shifting also implies encouraging the positive parts, allowing them to shine and promoting major changes in our life and the environment. There are many folks who are involved with this process of shape-shifting, which inevitably involves acknowledging the whole planet as our physical body. When we realise that we are physically one with everything, then peace and respect for all aspects of our environment can truly take place. I trust that we can all retrieve our capacity to experience a deeper sense of empathy with others, one that besides allowing us to experience the emotions or state of mind of another being, also enables us to fully become the body of that being. This is the climax of empathy, as it is also the greatest taboo.



Awakening the Divine Soul: The Journey Begins by Rosanna Ienco

In Awakening the Divine Soul, Rosanna Ienco (see details below) takes you on a fascinating journey of spiritual adventure, introducing many strange and amazing people she met along the way and the secret places where she throws herself wholeheartedly into the depths of soul.
From a gathering of Inuit elders in an icy igloo, the journey begins to unfold. It continues with an incredible meeting with a spirit guide who assists her on the trail, to dark caves in Australia where she communes with an ancient teacher.
Her shamanic journeying helps to unravel many mysteries; past lives in Egypt, Atlantis and the Plains of North America, and a lost key that is crucial to her personal empowerment, waiting to be collected in the Cornish village of Tintagel, England.
Before we can embrace our future, we need to understand our own cultural heritage. This book vividly demonstrates how important it is to know where we come from.

What follows is an excerpt from Rosanna’s book.

I could hear the pounding of the drum. I found myself traveling rapidly through a long dark tunnel and I drifted forward, weightless to what seemed to be the lower world. I emerged through the opening of a powerful tree growing in the woodland.
The giddiness ebbed. I came across a small pond and felt compelled to jump into the still clear water. I found myself swimming underneath, leaving the air and sunlight behind me. I was going between worlds—the lower and middle. As I came back up to the surface, I was jolted backwards, discovering it was solid ice. I swam further, until I was met by a polar bear that had pierced the frozen barrier with the strength of his mighty paw. I gently broke through the splintered ice and saw a new landscape—a snowy white plateau surrounded by mountains. It was very cold but, curiously, this did not bother me. I looked up and could see a brightly lit sky with hundreds of stars shining down on the spectacular scenery.
I pulled myself out of the water and was immediately met by an Inuit man. He had chocolate-brown eyes, short black hair, chiseled cheekbones and a wispy moustache. He stood tall and as we looked into each other’s eyes, he smiled warmly at me. There was something very familiar about this man—it was as if I had known him all my life. For the first time, I had met a spirit guide. In the distance I could hear Arctic wolves howling which made me feel comfortable and welcomed by this beautiful barren landscape. My eyes started to fill with tears, as I knew something very special was about to happen. My new teacher gently reached out his hand and led me inside an igloo.
Seated around the shimmering white walls, a council of elders waited to greet us. Two men and two women gazed affectionately at me, a wordless welcome in their eyes. Their faces were old and leathered―each line representing the wealth of knowledge and wisdom they had gained.
‘Do you know who we are?’ asked one of the women. ‘When you looked up to the sky as a child, there was always a star, brightly shining down on you. That was us—we are your guardians.’
Gratitude for their love fuelled the tears that rolled silently down my cheeks. One of the female elders handed me a bundle wrapped in a colourful blanket. As I unwrapped it, I had to catch my breath. Within was a fragile being, the most wondrous sight I had ever placed my eyes upon—a tiny baby boy! His eyes were sharp like a razor, his essence as peaceful as the pristine snow. As I held him, there was an inner knowledge and bond between us that resonated deep in my heart. It was as if he was a part of me. A storm of emotion came over me and I shuddered with excitement. I felt tremendous love for the infant―the kind of love that only a mother would feel for her own child.
After a short while I placed him safely back into the arms of his guardian. I was led back outside by the elders and taken to a small frozen lake. They guided and supported me across the slippery surface and helped me through a hole in the ice that led to a fast flowing river. As I dove down, I could see the lower world again. The calling of the drum signaled it was time to safely return to reality…

Rosanna is an author and certified coach. She is the Founder of Motivational Mentoring for the Soul™ a mentoring program that helps others to find personal empowerment, discover their true passion, life purpose and move towards their mission with clarity so they may live a more fulfilling life.
Having overcome her own personal traumas and obstacles on her own path, Rosanna believes that we all have the power to change our lives for the better.
No matter what the situation is, or where we come from, there is always an opportunity for a fresh start, to heal, grow and blossom into the magnificent person that you truly are. For more than twelve years Rosanna has been inspiring, motivating and assisting others on their journey. As a mother of three, she understands how very important it is to have an inner peace, balance and harmony in your life.
As a student of spirituality and mysticism, Rosanna brings a balance of the spiritual and practical into her coaching and teaching, enabling others to merge the two in perfect harmony.
As a motivational mentor, inspirational speaker and teacher, Rosanna travels throughout the globe, teaching workshops and helping others to make their dreams come true.
Rosanna lives on beautiful Vancouver Island with her husband and three children. She has a healing practice where clients from all over the world are drawn to her many skills. Her intention is to continue to serve others in the best way she can, fulfilling her life's purpose.

“ If you have the courage to step outside of your comfort zone, then you will not only be amazed by the marvel and sights of the world, but also with the wonders that lay deep within yourself, acknowledging their spiritual beauty and the messages they hold.” ~ Rosanna Ienco


Getting Married under a Rainbow by Valerie Saintot

I am born in 1969 in France and I am married to Erik with whom I have a son.
After my legal studies both in France and Luxembourg, I have spent 12 years as a lawyer both at the bar and in-house in Luxembourg and Frankfurt am Main. In 2005, I have changed the course of my professional career to become organisational developer dealing with business processes, corporate culture and change management. I am active in the banking sector.
In addition to this fulfilling working life, I give meditation classes on a weekly basis in my workplace, host with my husband various groups in the field of personal development on a monthly basis and organise and lead a few seminars a year.
Six years ago I co-wrote (with my dear friend Stefania) the below text and it was integrated in the meditation to which we had invited family members and friends to celebrate our wedding. I just found it again while wanting to connect to one dear friend who took an active role during this collective meditation and passed away recently. I thought of sharing it with you through PAN.

In the Genesis, the rainbow emulates the links between God and the human beings. In Greek mythology, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, was said to transmit Zeus' and Hera's instructions on earth. In ancient China, the rainbow is considered to symbolize the unification of the Yin and Yang. While in Peru, it represents the sacred sun. In Buddhist culture, it is associated to the snake with 7 heads and it is a metaphor to express the circulation of universal Energy.
Taking this world-wide cultural heritage into account, one understands the mystery that the sudden apparition of a rainbow awakens in a child’s mind and heart. It must be equal to the mystery that living and dying provoke for an adult.
Our fantasy of a treasure at the end of the rainbow is more an intuition than a fantasy. At each end, if we let ourselves be drown into our inner landscape, where our own rainbows start and ends, we find our deepest selves. This is the part of our being which is filled with divine spirit. It is there before we are even able to become aware of it and which survives after we cannot be rationally conscious of it anymore. This fantastic inner scenery can be discovered when admiring the world around us, those who we love as well as those who we reject. Every time we give ourselves the opportunity to admire the Beauty, often hidden, we access actually our own beauty and increase it proportionally to the intensity of our admiration.
The rainbow makes the link of love visible to others. Look at the colours of the rainbow; they entail everything that is essential in a relation filled with Love:
- the passion of red
- the energy of orange
- the light of yellow
- the nature of green
- the stillness of blue
- the deepness of indigo
- the spirituality of purple
If you are in touch with your inner child you may glimpse at the rainbow that unites us all here and now. You may want to keep wide open your mind eyes. You may want to glide in the mysteries of the rainbow and bathe in the invisible harmony of the web of Love that unites us all beyond will and power into the eternity of our being.


Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Geline Brunt

Every issue of PAN will now feature a long term member of the Sacred Cone Circle or astroshamanic network. The Sacred Cone Circle comprises all committed members of the astroshamanic network, including certified astroshamanic practitioners, researchers in the certification process, trainees in APT (Astroshamanic Practitioner Training) and OTA (Operative Training in Astroshamanism) and other astroshamanic associates.
We continue this series with Geline Brunt.
For information about becoming a member of the Sacred Cone Circle, please contact Franco at info@astroshamanism.org

Name: Geline Brunt
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Moon Sign: Cancer
Ascendant: Gemini
Astroshamanic Trinity System: 8.4.1
Location: Zutphen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
Where are you originally from? I was born 15 november 1962 in Holland but I have always felt more like a Mediterreanean soul. Through the years I lived in Belgium, Germany, Croatia and for 14 years in Findhorn (Scotland).
Tell us about yourself and your interests. I am a proud mother of a 8 year old daughter, motherhood is very sacred to me and my daily spiritual practice. Recently I moved back to Holland to establish my shamanic work. My shamanic roots are mainly from the Mediterranean tradition like the Dionysus culture. Apart from shamanism I have a deep passion for Geomancy (sacred places of the Earth), the mystery of life, sacred sexuality, movement and sound work, Ecological living, the Black Madonna and the Tarantella. Twenty years ago I studied Bio Dynamic farming where I learnt to be confident about my relation with the Nature Spirits and the Cosmos. During a longterm illness I studied and experienced many different ways of healing. It was through these pathways that I found my authentic self as a shamanic practioner of healing the sacral (sexual) inner and outer Landscape Human/Earth Body. I feel very grateful to live in this exiting moment of planetary changes and to serve the individual and collective through my work.
How did you first connect with astroshamanic work? In 2002 there was a evening in the Universal hall in Findhorn with Franco and Alessandra Belloni and I experienced through the music and dance how my heart and soul where connected to my authentic role. After that, a week later, I had a revealing session with Franco before I moved to Germany. A year later my guides "called" me back to Findhorn and I took part in trance dances and started to study Astroshamanism.
Why are you involved with astroshamanic work? I experienced how Astroshamanism has given me various powerful tools to heal and transform myself and I like to serve other people with that too.
What sort of things inspire you in astroshamanism? Franco's mythical stories and the multidimensional power of the Unity work. I feel great respect and inspiration for all the written material, the recorded music and PAN newsletters. The Astroshamanic workshops and open events are accessible on many levels for a large group of different people. The network of people who are involved are very powerful and theres a general openness to evolve the work in many directions.
How long have you been involved with astroshamanism and other forms of spiritual healing or energy work? I have been involved for 5 years in Astroshamanism. Twelve years ago I started to be involved with the Geomancy work of Marko Pogacnic. Also I studied 20 years ago Intiutive massage and worked a lot with the Elemental Kingdom in Nature through Bio Dynamic farming. For the last years I have been working a lot energetically with the Sacral creative powers. (Sacred sexuality)
What types of astroshamanic activities, training and work do you take part in? I studied for nearly three years Astroshamanism and was for five years involved in the Core group. For the last 4 years I assisted with the Trance dances and open events. I gave workshops such as "Mothers , the cruisaders of the Black Creatress" and individual healing sessions. For the last two years I wrote articles for PAN mostly related to sacred sexuality.
What are your favourite astroshamanic practices and experiences? I believe that Trance dance and Astroshamanic touch are very powerful because you can experience such a sacred multidimensional intimacy. The Sacred cone ritual is for me the most sacred and crucial Astroshamanic instrument regarding the connection of any intend and the function.
What is your current intent? My current intent is to set up a successful shamanic practice to serve for the benefit of the whole. Also I like to write a book about Sexual energies in Earth/Human Body.
Do you offer any astroshamanic or other healing services, sessions or events? At the moment Iam working on a website and a workshop program for 2009 in Holland. My wish is also to expand my work abroad. I offer individual sessions. (Distant healing also possible)
What advice would you give anyone who was thinking of training or going deeper with astroshamanic work? Astroshamanism gives you tools to (re)connect with your inner purpose, your authentic role. The study and workshops can help you to reveal, support and activate your special gifts. Its very powerful and also a nurturing and as well a safe way to go deeper into experiences.
Anything else you'd like to say to the group: I have seen for the last 5 years how Astroshamanism evolved and it has become an amazing network where we can learn a lot from each other. Keep on sharing your experiences.
Contact Information: Email: sacralhealing@yahoo.com


First Thoughts for 2009 by Sandra Lee Hughes

Sandra, a former student of Marcel Marceau, has performed in stage productions in 35 states and 10 foreign countries and her video productions have aired on National Public Television and at the American Film Institute Video Festival in Los Angeles. She is the artistic director of Gateway Performance Productions. Sandra Hughes has 2 Programs.

Transformation is imperative. This much is clear. For what purpose and reason this is so I cannot say exactly.
I am a strange bird that stands on the edge of unfamiliar shores. The wind is strong and I am unable to fly across the roiling, red waters. Or perhaps I cannot fly at all. My new form is so unfamiliar to me that I cannot claim any real knowledge of my capabilities. I am a stranger to myself - but not at all uncomfortable with the being I've become. ...There is freedom is this state. A sense of joy pervades and mingles with a new kind of relief -even though I sense that all that lies ahead is not what it seems to be at present. Somehow the division between the conscious and unconscious has evaporated and deep communion with the self is possible. I identify core spiritual practices - essential sounds, movements, thoughts and actions that can be done in any environment and depend only on my own being for their execution. ...I'm a rookie enrolled by unknown forces in some sort of metaphysical boot camp. On every level and in each moment kindred spirits, soul mates and fellow travelers emerge to greet me. At the same time, I have never been so profoundly alone. ... It seems I've been given the privilege of fully experiencing my humanity. ... Gratitude, Peace and Love are all newly defined and known to me. They do not meet my former expectations and, yet, I am nourished. ... I see no boundaries where once there were so many. No wasteland lays claim to me. The past has merged with the present and the future is the seed within the belly of this moment. ... Nothing proclaims this extraordinary state except the rare and wonderful rhythms of my breath and heart - an ecstasy of worlds without end within and without that merge into one great, grand whole to create an eternity and an infinity totally inhabitable by my small, new self.

There are three masks: The one we think we are. The one we really are, and the one we hold in common. J.Lecoq


When all the stars were ready to be placed in the sky First Woman said, "I will use these to write the laws that are to govern mankind for all time. These laws cannot be written on the water as that is always changing its form, nor can they be written in the sand as the wind would soon erase them, but if they are written in the stars they can be read and remembered forever."

(The Sun, Moon and Stars: A Navajo Traditional Story – for the complete story see: www.hanksville.org/voyage/stories/sunmoonandstars.php3)




The Star - Aquarius: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro

Please be aware that the articles in this series are merely an introductory overview on the topic. More plausible implications of the astroshamanic voyage through the Tarot are provided with individual experiential sessions or specific training.

The Star is the seventeenth trump of the Major Arcana, which in most traditional decks is associated with Aquarius. In the Rider Waite Tarot the Star depicts a naked woman kneeling by a pool of water, with one foot in the water and the other on the ground. She holds two jugs: one in her right hand, from which she pours a liquid into the water, and one in her left, which she uses to pour the liquid on the earth. In the background a bird stands on a tree, while above the woman there is a large eight-pointed star, together with seven smaller stars, making a total of eight stars.
From a Gnostic perspective the eight stars represent the eight starry spheres beyond the visible planets, the gateway to Heaven and what lies beyond human awareness. In this respect the naked woman relates to Sophia, a representation of the human soul in its purity, the ultimate and lowest emanation of God, and the mystical Bride of Christ. By pouring water on the land and on the pool the woman shows mastery in the shamanic art of combining polarities, which is what finally allows true ascension to higher realms.
Following the stormy features of the Devil and the Tower, the Star brings a radical soothing shift, which provides an inevitable sense of calm and relief. It heralds the end of a time of turmoil and the return of peace and stability. This reminds me of a famous poem by Giacomo Leopardi (born in Recanati, not very far from Jesi, in Italy), titled La quiete dopo la tempesta ("The Calm After the Storm”). “The storm has gone, I hear the joyful birds, the hen, returning to the path, renews her cackling. See the clear sky opening from the west, over the mountain: the landscape clarifes…..” This is especially because the true calm to which Leopardi refers to in the end of the poem, far from residing in the provisional cessations of pain and troubles, abides in a dimension existing beyond our mortal awareness, which is generally provided only by death. “To be free of pain is our delight. You scatter ills with generous hands: grief appears of itself, and pleasure, that’s so often born of trouble, through the monstrous, and the miraculous, is our only gain. The human race, dear to the gods! Happy enough to gain a breathing space from sorrow: blessed when death heals you of every grief.” (For a video with “The Calm After the Storm” in the original Italian click here.)
Death here is death of the personality, the ego identity based on false perception and separation. It is not a physical death, but rather a moment of epiphany in which what was obscured by the ego finally emerges, providing a sense of unexpected relief, balance and harmony. The storm may come again, and yet the Star brings increased awareness that the space of calm will return and that its presence can be ongoing if we learn to remain connected.
The Star is generally a most attractive card, which most people love, for it provides an immediate sense of healing and peace, suggesting unexpected help, or a gift often coming out of the blue. As a result, it is welcome in readings, especially in times of pain and darkness. Since the Star is far away in the sky, it does not necessarily provide practical solutions to earthly issues, which are likely to remain troubled unless we take pragmatic action. Yet the Star brings the gift of hope, blessing and inspiration, which are surely a most motivating point in order to promote practical actions. Hence when the Star comes in a reading this can be a sign that we are on the right track and also that our intentions are blessed. And yet, in order for these intentions to be manifested we need to move further, embracing the blessing and doing what is needed.
The Star has a deep connection with the mysteries of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also popularly referred to with the title of Star of the Sea (Stella Maris), Morning Star and Queen of Heaven. Mary is often traditionally depicted with a crown of twelve stars on her head (Revelation 12:1) During the recent New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat, we held a ritual on the 1st January, which in the Catholic calendar is a solemnity devoted to Mary, Mother of God. On that occasion each participant established a connection with their own star. According to many legends there is a star that shines for each one of us throughout life and also shows the way back home when life here is over. This New Year ritual was accompanied by the sound of many versions of Stella Splendens, a popular round dance polyphonic song from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat. And since I am writing all this on the day of the Epiphany, with the star energy being very intense in my body, I have had enough, and I cannot write much more!
The connection with the stars abides in the deepest roots of our nature. Our physical bodies are the result of a fusion generated by the explosion of a great star, a supernova that eventually produced all the ingredients of the physical world. As Harvard professor of astronomy Robert Kirshner remarks “supernovas created the elements we take for granted – the oxygen we breathe, the calcium in our bones, and the iron in our blood are products of the stars.” We were born from the stars, and the connection with the starry realms allows us to be linked to our original home, where we come from and our primary intention. The power of the stars is the element of transformation of the whole universe and stars operate as teachers, educating us to move on and renovate ourselves.
In the day of the Epiphany, which is also an ongoing day for the epiphany is a parallel world, I would like to dedicate the song “Stella Splendens” to all the readers of PAN. I devote it to all those who never cease to enamoured of the Star(s) and constantly hold her (their) tender and passionate embrace with the Earth. I also devote it to those who have provisionally lost their love for the Star(s), knowing that this love keeps being available at all times, up in the sky and in the reflection of the stars down on the earth, and inside ourselves. After all, as Des’ree sings “in this great big universe, we are the stars on earth”.
I am so passionate about “Stella Splendens”! Only by listening to a little bit of its music stars begin to vibrate within and without me, spontaneously, with no effort. Yes, because, whether we want it or not, we are made of stars, and no matter if we get trapped in the marshes of our gloomy thoughts, stars continue to shine the light of whom we truly are.
Hence, for God’s sake, let’s enjoy these stars!
And then, if I also dare to dance this music, well, what comes is everything that I have always wanted to write about stars (but were afraid to tell).
Please click here for a video with various versions of “Stella Splendens”, and click here for a version of the German folk metal group In Extremo and click here for a performance of the Catalan group Companyia Elèctrica Dharma.


'Cos in this great big universe. We're the stars on earth

“‘Cos everyone, has a sign. Whether supernatural or divine. Believe or not, if you’re so inclined. ‘Cos in this great big universe. We’re the stars on earth” sings the Chorus in “What’s your sign?” a popular song of the late 90s sung by Des’ree, a British pop soul singer mainly known for her hits “Feel So High”, “You Gotta Be” and “Kissing You”. I heard “What’s your sign?” by chance while I was in a bookshop, reflecting about the connection between Scorpio and Sagittarius, and how it reflected in the relationship that I (with Moon in Scorpio rising) had with relevant Sagittarius people in my life. Hence you can imagine how amazed I was when I heard the first words of this song “What's your sign? Do you know? Let me guess? You're Scorpio? What's your rising? Where's your moon? Scorpios are pretty cool. See I'm a Sag. So they say. I'm a butterfly, I like to play. I'm always aiming into the sky. I point my arrows, extremely high.” For a music video of “What’s your sign?” please click here.

Astroshamanic Trainings:
Franco Santoro and his associates offer a wide range of both basic and advanced training courses on contemporary shamanism, astroshamanism, experiential astrology, spiritual healing, astroshamanic trance dance and bodywork. These also include distant learning training module. For more details please contact info@astroshamanism.org.
For details on some distant learning courses please click here.


Forthcoming Astroshamanic Events: 2008-2009

Please be aware that new events may be added with short notice. For further details or information please contact Franco info@astroshamanism.org or alternatively go to www.astroshamanism.org
To book Findhorn Foundation workshops, please contact bookings@findhorn.org or Bookings, The Park, Findhorn IV36 3TZ, Scotland. Tel. +44(0)1309/691653. To book other workshops please contact the addresses given below.

Jesi, (Ancona, Italy) 23 January 2009, Astroshamanic Practitioner Training

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 24-25 January 2009, Training in Astroshamanic Healing Methodologies: Course in Sacred Circle Management, with Elements of Energy Astrology with Franco Santoro, assisted by Letizia Mocchegiani (in Italian). Next workshop on 28-29 March 2009.
Info: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 or 3489231998 or zone25@tele2.it.

Worcester (England), 31 January – 1 February 2009, Astroshamanic Midwinter Basic Seminar with Franco Santoro assisted by Dave Mountjoy at Wheel of Life Centre, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4LT.

A classic introductory two-day seminar aimed at providing a direct experience of astroshamanism according to the midwinter seasonal cycles. During this experiential workshop, participants will work with core astroshamanic practices aimed at widening their perception so as to become more open to their inner guidance or multidimensional self. Particular attention is given to the shamanic voyage, the connection with the spirit guide or core multidimensional identity, and the integration of the air and earth elements. The programme includes shamanic voyages, trance dance, drumming, chanting, postures, elements of shamanic astrology and cartography of non-ordinary states of consciousness, ceremonial sharing and the healing Basic Ritual of the Sacred Cone Circle. The workshop is meant to introduce participants to methodologies that can be employed in everyday life. The event takes place during the Celtic fire festival of Imbolc, the feast of St. Brigit and Candlemas’ eve. This workshop will be followed by other workshops as part of a one-year course
Cost: on a sliding scale based on income (£119 – 99 - 79). For information and bookings: Dave Mountjoy, davemountjoy@yahoo.co.uk or +44 07532 356703.
Click here for more details.

Findhorn Foundation, 21 February–6 March 2009, FOUNDATION TRAINING in ASTROSHAMANISM:
With Franco Santoro, Astrid Gude & Sacred Cone Circle members
This programme introduces participants to astroshamanism in a practical and effective way. Participants will experience tools for opening, discovering and supporting the relationship with their core identity and essential Intent. They will also focus on releasing blocks and retrieving hidden potentials, learning to bring shamanic healing work in their life and relationship with others. Read more… The training consists of two workshops, which can also be attended independently
21-27 February 2009, A Journey into the Inner Universe.
28 February–6 March 2009, The Voyage through the Zodiac

Findhorn Foundation, 14-20 March 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco). This workshop is an initiatory journey through the transition between Winter and Springs. It culminates with the Spring Equinox on 20 March 2009 at 11.45. Sverre is one of the most shining star in the Findhorn galaxy. Sverre Koxvold spent 18 years in London as the financial director of Hitachi for Europe. On retiring, he spent seven years sailing around Norway, Sweden and Orkney, before stumbling upon Findhorn one stormy night in 2001. He joined the community and since then has worked in Cluny Garden, of which he is the focaliser and also keeper of 120,000 bees. His grace, depth and dedication are widely known to all those who have the opportunity to meet him.
If you wish to attend please book at your earliest convenience, at bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

Jesi (Ancona, Italia) 28-29 marzo 2009, Formazione in Metodologie di Guarigione Astrosciamanica: Le Energie del Cerchio. Corso Base di Gestione Operativa del Cerchio di Guarigione, con Elementi di Astrologia Esperienziale Energetica e Astrosciamanesimo Applicato

Roma, 4-5 aprile 2009, Elementi di Sciamanesimo (seminario di Franco Santoro nell’ambito del Corso di Formazione Triennale per la Comunicazione Multidimensionale a cura di Paola Pierpaoli)

Findhorn Foundation, 11-17 April 2009, Flowering of Life – A Spring Retreat (with Franco & Astrid Gude) In the flowering environment of Cluny Hill College at the climax of Holy Week we will explore spiritual and mystical practices, promoting our inner search for truth and meaning, as well as collective and planetary healing. We will alternate periods of silence and dialogue, stillness and movement, deepening our understanding of our connection with the divine, and how to best support it in our daily lives. The retreat honours both established and innovative practices from various traditions, including prayer, contemplation, quiet and dynamic meditation, dance, rituals, shamanic work, and much more.
Please book early. If you intend to attend please contact. bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

Findhorn Foundation, 2-9 May 2009, Restoring the Fragmented Heart: The Way of Sacred Relationships All relationships are a path to wholeness. Finding fulfilment through intimate love associations may be one of our greatest desires, yet this search can also cause acute conflict and pain. In this workshop we explore relationships from a spiritual and shamanic perspective, tracking and releasing blocks to our capacity to love. When the power of sacred relationships is strong it can bring incredible healing and manifest miraculous effects in our life and the whole environment. We encompass both couples and celibates, the paths of sexuality and chastity.

Findhorn Foundation, 20-27 June 2009, The Original Quest: An Astroshamanic Journey into Space and Time (with Franco & Sverre Koxvold) A unique workshop for healing and transformation, in the mystery setting of Cluny Hill College, offering practical tools for retrieving our most genuine and whole nature. With shamanic journeys, soul retrieval, trance dances, astroshamanic touch, and rituals, we explore the power and depth of archaic roots and original lineages, translating personal stories into universal myths, transforming grievances, revealing potentials and bringing healing in our current life and environment. This workshop draws from ancient shamanic traditions and from energy work.

Assisi, Italy, 3-7 July 2009, Astroshamanic International Summer Retreat (in English and Italian), with Franco Santoro. This workshop takes place in the mountains of Assisi, birthplace of Saint Francis. Its primary focus is the healing connection between Earth and Heaven, body and spirit, through astroshamanism, energy body work, sacred circle, grounded mysticism, meditation, leisure and good food. We will experience how group and individual spiritual practice and deep energy work can lead to profound luminous changes in the outer and inner environment. The event is held in English and Italian. This gathering requires previous participation to an astroshamanic workshop.
Please book early. This workshop is designed for a specific number of people. If you want to attend please contact Letizia (see details below).
Information: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 or 3489231998 or zone25@tele2.it.

Findhorn Foundation, 1-8 August 2009, Astroshamanic Trance Dance, Drumming and Chanting Reshaping the World Through the Healing Dynamic of Sound
In this workshop trance dance and sound are used as transformational tools to open the pathway to expanded states of consciousness and a profound awareness of ourselves and our environment. During the week we employ movement to animate deep emotions and stagnant energies, redirecting them to support highest potentials, empowering our authentic visions and stepping into the healing flow that allows us to reshape the world within which we live. The programme also includes astroshamanic chants, planetary alignment dances, sound healing, shape-shifting rituals, Christian prayers and the exploration of the basic astroshamanic drumming method.

Findhorn Foundation, 15-21 August 2009, Settimana di Guarigione Spirituale (Spiritual Healing Week) in Italian (yet also in Spanish, if required) with Franco Santoro

Findhorn Foundation, 7-14 November 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden in Autumn (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco)

Findhorn Foundation, 28 November 2009 - 5 December 2009, The Blessed Way of Passion: Astroshamanic Healing and Touch.

Findhorn Foundation, 28 December 2009 - 3 January 2010, New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat

Astroshamanism Book I: A Journey into the Inner Universe and Astroshamanism Book II: The Voyage Through the Zodiac feature the core teachings of astroshamanism. They are available, together with various drumming and trance dance CDs, astroshamanic cards from info@astroshamanism.org


Disclaimer: All information provided in PAN is presented solely for inspirational or recreational reading, and it is not meant to substitute the recipient’s direct experience and investigation. The information is also given to strategically exemplify the different features of astroshamanic cosmology and is not intended to reflect Franco’s opinion or astroshamanism in general. Franco does not necessarily endorse any of the ideas and views expressed in this literature, including his own.