PAN International

Astroshamanic Books

2010-12-19T09:22:00.002-01:00

Astroshamanism (Book 1) A Journey into the Inner Universe
By Franco Santoro
Findhorn Press, ISBN 1-84409-009-4, Book (Paperback)

In this book, the first of two, Franco Santoro provides an overview of the basic principles and practices of astroshamanism: a spiritual system of healing aimed at expanding human perception through the integration of shamanism with experiential astrology and the contemporary revival of archaic mystery traditions.

The author examines astrology and its close relationship with shamanism, showing how to employ different tools to facilitate the exploration of non-ordinary dimensions and help create a bridge with conventional reality. In this context the birth chart is used as a Sacred Circle to access information on the geography of shamanic states of consciousness and to allow their safe exploration, knowing where to find guides, spirits, allies, power, grievances, blocks, etc. Here the horoscope is not interpreted or analysed, but it reveals itself through emotions, movements, dances, sounds, rituals, images and situations aimed at extending the awareness of reality and supporting strong transformational processes.

Contents: Experiential astrology, shamanic cosmology, vertical and horizontal axis, the 12 Sectors, intent and function, the ego system, forgiveness, practices and rituals, the astroshamanic voyage, spirit guides, power animals, totem spirits and demons, spirit medicines and sacred tools, astroshamanic chants, trance postures and dances, astrodrama, astrological language, shamanic forms and derived houses, non-ordinary traits, the Sacred Cone, and more.

You can order a copy of Astroshamanism Book One and Book Two directly from info@astroshamanism

REVIEWS

"The principles of A Course in Miracles® underlie those of astroshamanism, which integrates shamanism, experiential astrology, the archaic mystery traditions and ACIM®. [...] Forgiveness is the major function of astroshamanism in letting go of limited identification and expanding the scope of awareness. For those interested in these seemingly diverse disciplines this, possibly the first-ever integration of its kind, is a 'must read'" MIRACLE WORKER, Magazine of the Uk Miracle Network, [excerpt from Issue 55, Nov/Dec 2003]

"[...] As an astrologer you are either at home with chants and rituals and inner guides or you are not. This book certainly gives plenty of information about how to get safely on to this path and there is a wealth of material here, to be continued in the second part of the book.. " THE ASTROLOGICAL JOURNAL, London [excerpt from Number 5, September/October 2003]."

"This is an excellent must read book that we would highly recommend, not only for those on their own shamanic journey through life, but also for anyone on a spiritual path of self discovery. An interesting and helpful read from start to finish full of no nonsense, practical facts and good advice." www.SPIRITLINCS.com

"I find your book interestingly conveying wealth of information, systematically presented and very well articulated. You encourage creativity and discourage dogmatism, and this approach is something I really appreciate in people. I especially found the chapter on Totam Spirits very instructive and inspiring. I give workshops in Astro-Tarot that have to do with these ideas about the sectors etc, and I can surely enrich these classes with ideas that popped into my head while reading this chapter. The advantage of your book is that you do not put it aside after reading it - you can use it constantly as an effective tool for self-improvement.Thanks for sharing this material." RUTH AHARONI, astrologer, author, yoga teacher (Israel)

"In 'Astroshamanism - Book 1', Franco Santoro generously transmits his shamanic knowledge and experience through the language of astroshamanism: a method that he has developed by expanding the connections between shamanism and astrology. Astroshamanism has been one of the most significant healing tools and experiences in my life. This method allows the integration both of the personal and collective unconsious, through the relationship with the deities (planets) that refer to each zodiac sign. This rapport, which develops through the connection with the Spirit Guide, primarily serves a healing function. True healing, both physical and psychic, can only be of a spiritual nature, and this is what happens during the workshops and sessions lead by Franco Santoro" PAOLA PIERPAOLI, astrologer, author, channeler (Italy).

"Developed by the author over the last quarter century, Astroshamanism is a system of spiritual healing that integrates experiential astrology with the basic principles of shamanic traditions from around the world. It covers sacred rituals and tools, voyaging, spirit guides and power animals, totem spirits and demons, trance dance and more. The birth chart becomes a sacred circle. However, the horoscope is not interpreted analytically but expressed by using shamanic techniques to expand awareness. New transformative perceptions are facilitated by a direct connection with Overall the emphasis of the book is more on the author's personal shamanistic approach, with the astrology offering a language to clarify the processes." PILGRIMS UK Reviews, Gloucester (England)

"When first coming upon the term astroshamanism my reaction was a rather puzzled one. I was familiar with various shamanic practices, mainly from the native American tradition, knew a little about shamanism as practiced in the East and had on several occasions experienced astrology as a tool for self-exploration and counselling, but it would never have occurred to me to bring these two ancient systems of wisdom and healing together. So upon reading Franco Santoro’s book Astroshamanism, A Journey into the Inner Universe I was indeed entering new territory, gradually moving into a fascinating multi-dimensional world into which not only astrology and shamanism are incorporated but also archaic and contemporary western mystery schools as well as Jungian psychology and general aspects of modern culture. The theory is at times challenging in its complexitiy and the author underlines that, as with all mystery traditions, ultimate understanding can only be the result of direct personal experience, which in turn will lead to the discovery and unfolding of one’s inner potential and, as part of a spiritual journey, to an end of the illusion of separation and a perception of unity. What impressed me and greatly supported me in my understanding of this approach is that in addition to the theoretical parts, which provide a mapping for the territory in which the journeys take place and which are based on Franco Santoro’s research work, his own long-standing connection with Guides and exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness, there is a huge amount of practical information presented in a systematic and even didactical way that helps to actually step into the exploration of the astroshamanic world, to begin the astroshamanic voyage. This includes, for example, a very detailed basic introduction into shamanic journeying, followed by the procedure of establishing a connection with the Spirit Guide. A central practice in astroshamanism involves working with the Sacred Circle, which in this tradition is structured along the twelve zodiacal signs, each sign seen as a place for experientially encountering essential archetypal energies. Many tables provide factual information, especially with regard to the astrological side and a variety of tools, practices and rituals are presented in detail, ranging from ways of working with altars, power points, drums and rattles to the introduction of exercises using the voice and the body in chants, trance postures and dances. By interweaving episodes from his own search, presented in a most lively and passionate way, Franco Santoro illustrates some of the principles of his work and shares parts of his personal journey with the reader. What I appreciate foremost is that he emphasizes over and over again that experiences vary from one individual to another, that there are numerous ways of working with these powerful energies and that his teachings by no means represent an absolute truth. On the whole I perceive an enormous scope in the work described and am convinced that, if it is dealt with in a way that is adequate to a person’s individual learning capacity on all levels, it does initiate and support deep transformational processes." ASTRID GUDE, educator (Germany) From the Introduction:

FROM THE INTRODUCTON:

This book is the first of two volumes aimed at providing a brief introduction to the principles and practices of astroshamanism. The term astroshamanism identifies a spiritual system of healing aimed at expanding human perception through the integration of the basic principles of shamanism with experiential astrology, the revival of archaic mystery traditions and their application to contemporary western culture. Its present form is the result of researches developed since 1976, thanks to the contribution of shamans and teachers of various cultures and dimensions. The intent of this work is to stimulate the awareness, the exploration, the acknowledgment and the retrieval of one’s inner potential. As its structure is based on the circle, what is not immediately understandable will be clarified as the readers proceed with their experiences.

This text is aimed at supporting the spiritual path of each individual, not at becoming a substitute of that path. The present volume introduces some of the theoretical aspects and practical tools on which astroshamanism is based. First it considers astrology and its relationship with shamanism. Then it provides details about the Sacred Circle, the concepts of Intent and Function, a series of astroshamanic basic practices and rituals, the astroshamanic voyage, the Spirit Guide, the Totem Spirits, the Spirit Medicines and Sacred Tools, and further shamanic techniques. This volume ends with a brief description of some aspects of astrological language, as it is employed in astroshamanism, and a coda featuring a compendium of one of the basic myths to which the astroshamanic tradition refers.

The second volume is devoted to the exploration of the Sacred Circle and consists of sections dealing with each of its 12 Sectors and 4 Directions. Information on the characteristics and correspondences of the various energies of the Sacred Circle is provided, together with specific practices, rituals and experiential reports of astroshamanic voyages. Astroshamanism can be applied in the context of any culture or tradition. In the way in which I have developed it, this work refers to the following basic models: the Sacred Circle, the work on release or forgiveness and the Epic of the Sacred Cone.

The Sacred Circle and its various applications - astrology included - represent the general structure of astroshamanism. Its purpose is to achieve balance, integration and unity through a process of circular learning that refers to the subtle cycles of the Earth and the universe. Each lesson and experience is repeated in different ways and from various perspectives until it is totally learned. When this occurs, a passage to a new level of perception takes place: the circle ceases to rotate along the same circumference and opens up to a spiral movement to start a new cycle of transformation. The work on release or forgiveness represents the major function of astroshamanism. This is the attitude that allows me to let go of my limited identification and expand the scope of my awareness.

References include here: the Western Mystery and Hermetic traditions, basic shamanism, A Course in Miracles ®, etc. The Epic of the Sacred Cone constitutes a mythic and strategic transposition of the former models. It includes information - in the form of messages, visions, rituals and practices - derived from the work with a specific shamanic lineage that I identify here with the term Sacred Cone Circle or ProvOrdo Etnai. The above teachings represent the original reference tradition of astroshamanism. Their basic intent is to foster the process of release of grievances and reawakening of our original memories through a relationship of exchange with multi-dimensional realities. In this context initiation is not about receiving outstanding powers and radically shifting my perception of life, although this at times may also happen. It is a process that involves implanting a seed, which will stimulate my potential and grow in accordance with my investment of energy and natural disposition. This development stems from the essence of all mystery traditions (mystery from the Greek myein, to keep silent, and tradition from the Latin tradere, handing down, surrender, transmit). The principal trait of these mysteries is that they cannot be communicated by one human being to another. Although esoteric teachers or shamans can at times provide the tools and itinerary to access basic information, the actual mysteries are revealed to the initiates only by direct experience and connection with their multi-dimensional nature or Spirit Guides.

The image of the cone includes both that of the circle and the triangle. It describes a spiral circular movement that, starting from an original emanation point, creatively develops ad infinitum. This represents the progressive demanifestation process of this universe, the ascentional movement of matter toward the reality of spirit, the abandonment of the illusion of separation created by the ego and the journey back to unity. This process does not occur by escaping or transcending the physical dimension, but through using it as a teaching device to fulfil your true purpose in this plane of existence. The present text is a tribute to this vision.

The information given in the book covers a large amount of material. According to your level of experience, your understanding is likely to be different. Sometimes the information will be very familiar and obvious, while at others you may find yourself unclear or overwhelmed by what is presented. Some of the ideas contained in this book could cause different reactions. You may find them hard to believe, weird, obvious, naive, startling, revealing, glamorous, absurd, fascinating, meaningful, inspiring, etc. You do not need to believe or accept what is written. What I am trying to express relates to experiences, which are not defined or symbolically represented by ordinary human languages. In this attempt I employ a limited perspective of observation and this implies that I use expressions that are understandable according to the partial visions and experiences of a human being. These are not absolute truths. They are just pieces of a puzzle that is waiting to be completed by your own experiences and visions.

Astroshamanism (Book 2)
The Voyage Through the Zodiac
By Franco Santoro
Findhorn Press, ISBN 1-84409-013-2

In this second volume, Franco Santoro takes us through an initiatory journey into the multi-dimensional universe that thrives beyond the limited boundaries of our ordinary perception. The book is devoted to the exploration of the zodiac as a Sacred Circle and consists of chapters dealing with each of its 12 Sectors and 4 Directions. Extensive information on the shamanic and astrological characteristics of the Sacred Circle is provided, together with a wide range of practices, insights, approaches and experiential accounts to suit different people and situations. It includes detailed explanations that allow the reader to have a direct experience of their authentic potential and ground it in their daily life. Both visionary and pragmatic, this book aims at accessing the shamanic realms of the zodiac to gently release the illusion of separation and gradually reawaken the original power of our divine nature. Contents: astrological signs, houses, planets and related shamanic connections, Totem Spirits and basic archetypes, astrological correspondences (animals, plants, minerals, qualities, grievances, etc.), healing tools, chants, dances, rituals, techniques, myths, reports of shamanic voyages, more.

REVIEWS

Dell Horoscope Magazine December 2003 [excerpted] Astroshamanism Book II by Franco Santoro is one of those far-out books that can change the way you perceive reality. Astroshamanism leads the reader through the process of making a sacred circle, keeping an astroshamanic journal, going on a shamanistic voyage, and having a series of practices and rituals geared toward each of the twelve houses. Unlike most basic astrology texts, this book will touch your soul by introducing a life-affirming worldview completely different from anything most people are taught through the standard educational system. If you want a magical, transformative, mystical experience, Astroshamanism is your ticket.

I first read the original draft of this book when a group of us at Findhorn were doing the training in Astroshamanism offered by Franco. As we met each month Franco would give us the literature for the relevant sector, along with some of the material that now forms part of Astroshamanism Book One. The material in Book Two is closely based on those early notes for each of the sectors that Franco so generously made available to us then, and we readers of this edition are privileged to receive a lot of previously unpublished original material in this volume. Book Two forms a major source of reference to return to time and time again, and can offer clues and pointers in many situations. A lot of the information contained here I have never come across anywhere else, and it has provided the key to understanding some aspect of my experience on many occasions. I personally find the minutiae as fascinating as the broader picture and am deeply appreciative of finally having all of this information in a book. Whilst working on the draft Franco was driven by the need to get all of the information for each of the sectors down on paper and consequently out of his head (or wherever it comes from!) leaving him free to develop his practice, research and teaching of astroshamanism. This volume, along with the guidance contained in Book One, also forms a practical course to follow with some valuable and original exercises to undertake during each sector. The themes of each sector are explained in the text, and become the subject for extended meditation, journeying or other exploratory practices. Franco is an articulate and erudite writer and teacher, and this book contains many flavours to savour – abundant and hard to find information on varied aspects of spirituality and astrology. Franco’s personal stories, ideas and inspirational material of many kinds. Even after reading it several times its magnificence still has the power to take my breath away. JUDY WYLD

In Astroshamanism book 2: The Voyage through the Zodiac Franco Santoro focuses on the practical side of the work with his unique approach of blending astrology and shamanism, inviting the reader to join him in an experiential exploration of the 12 Zodiacal Signs (the Sectors), the four Directions and the Centre that in this tradition form the Sacred Circle. For a deeper understanding and a genuine exploration previous reading of the first volume is definitely required, but for those wanting to get an overview of the scope of the work and its methodology a clear and concise introduction to basic principles is provided at the beginning of this sequel. Since the world that gradually unfolds will certainly be experienced as complex, multi-layered and possibly deeply challenging old belief systems, the clear structure which the book follows provides orientation and grounding. Each direction and sector is introduced with a lot of attention to detail, providing factual information, correspondences, characteristics, and guides the reader into the specific energy that expresses itself in this particular area. In addition to some recommended basic practices a variety of healing tools are offered that support and encourage an individual path within this voyage, which on the whole will lead towards an expansion of human awareness. With a lot of openness, depth and humour the author contributes reports of his own journeys and other shamanic experiences. I greatly appreciate the thorough didactic approach that characterizes this second volume, the respect Franco Santoro shows to various traditions, the way he honours individual experiences, the joy and passion that shine through. I see the book as an exciting and inspiring invitation to go on a deeply transformative journey on which you will meet yourself and Spirit in whatever form He/She appears to you and where you will move towards a healing of the illusion of separation. ASTRID GUDE, educator (Germany)

You can order copies of Astroshamanism Book One and Book Two directly from info@astroshamanism.org or provordo@gmail.com

Other Astroshamanic Books:

For our Astroshamanic Shop with many recommendations on books, music and movies on holistic awareness and astroshamanic topics see:

http://astore.amazon.co.uk/astroshamanis-21

PAN is now available on Facebook

2009-10-01T21:12:00.003-01:00

From August 2009 PAN will be available on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism) or by e-mail on request (contact: pan@astroshamanism.org)

Astroshamanism on Facebook

Please visit our page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism) for the latest issues of our eZine, PAN

2009-07-31T13:20:00.003-01:00

Please visit our page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism) for the latest issues of our eZine, PAN

PAN, Issue 94 is at:
http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism?sid=272892504eeb5c739891815e4cb3a0f7&ref=s#/note.php?note_id=120667378328&ref=mf

PAN 94

2009-07-27T17:04:00.000-01:00

Provisional Astroshamanic Network

Ezine of the Sacred Cone Circle, English Edition, 1 August 2009, Issue 94

Cluny Hill College, Forres IV36 2RD, Scotland. (+44(0)1309-672289. + PAN@astroshamanism.org

Editorial Director: Franco Santoro. Editorial Staff: Astrid Gude, Elaine Silverfire, Dave Mountjoy. Celia McKenna

Edizione italiana: Anna Luna. For astroshamanic links in Facebook click here En español aqui. In italiano qui..

© 2009 Franco Santoro, PAN (Provisional Astroshamanic Network). All rights reserved. You are most welcome to use short extracts from PAN provided you give mention in the credits. Feel completely free to quote, yet please drop us a line to inform us about it. If you wish to reproduce a more substantial amount from PAN, including images, or use this material for commercial purposes, please contact us at PAN@astroshamanism.org.

What is Astroshamanism?

Welcome to this summer issue of PAN provisionally reaching you on the approaching eve of Lughnasadh.

Lughnasadh, or Lammas, is one of the eight so called Celtic festivals, traditionally associated with the first of August. It originated as a feast celebrating the Irish deity of light, Lugh, later encompassing all harvest godheads, honouring the beginning of the reaping season with community gatherings and markets. This is the climax of warmth and luminosity, exuberance and performance. It is as well the funerary feast of the god of light, which also involves acknowledging cold and darkness, the other polarity of the cycle. When life appears to be at its peak on one side, death is thriving on the other. Hence at Lughnasadh, as in all truly holistic celebrations, all polarities are encompassed, with everyone and everything, holy and profane, finding their sacred space on the wheel of existence. Our completion feast in the main square of Assisi during the Astroshamanic Summer Retreat may stand out as an example, with friars and nuns blending with trance dancers and men in pink tutus (see photo above, and video by clicking here)

Death and life, day and night, light and darkness, all pairs of opposites engage simultaneously at all times. While the northern hemisphere is in the midst of summer, in the southern hemisphere winter reigns supreme, as the sun rises in one part of the world it sets in another. With our limited perception we experience life as linear, getting used and attached to one polarity, while neglecting the other until with time, often to our discomfort and disbelief, what is ignored inevitably takes over. We may even work hard to prevent the opposite side from emerging, denying and repressing it, obdurately holding onto a separate reality. We may be dead, and yet we believe we are living, or we may be living, though we assume we are dead.

Just as there is a part in us thriving with life, another is dead. While a side is joyful, another is sad, one is dark and the other luminous, poor and rich, ill and healthy, and so on. All opposites live within us, constantly interacting and merging. Some shine on stage, while others lurk behind the wings, waiting for their turn to come. Yet they keep all being here at the same time.

At the heart of ancient ceremonies and gatherings, shamanic rituals and events, as well as their contemporary equivalents, lies the awareness of life as a vast multidimensional theatre production. These events were and are times of deep reunion, with all actors and characters coming together and being acknowledged, while also providing opportunities for swapping roles, exploring new stories, establishing novel connections or releasing old ones. And, most importantly, these gatherings also draw the directors and producers, those who manage the entire comedy or drama of life.

Leo is the traditional sign of theatre, drama, actors and of all those who shine in the limelight of life. It is associated with royal power, the alchemical gold and the Sun. Yet, with all respect, this is not the sun that comes and goes, drastically changing its effects according to seasonal or daily shifts. Nor it is solely the sun of monarchs and show stars, academic awards and political leaders. It is a deep inner Sun, capable of bestowing generous gifts at all times.

We may find this ongoing Sun by retrieving our hidden and denied parts, by acknowledging what was formerly eliminated from our consciousness. Surprisingly, in order to find the veritable source of light we need to travel into the darkness, facing all apparent areas of anguish and distress. We need to suspend our judgments and truly getting to know the areas we find difficult to accept, ceasing to act as if they don't exist or to regard them as horrible or nonsense.

What if the bits that we find harder to accept in ourselves end up being our best qualities and gifts?

We may be so frightened by true light and life, so full of shame and prejudices about our authentic treasures that we bury them away, displaying instead our worst bits to the world, paradoxically believing that they are the best. Many of us strain to express what is dead in their life, while repressing what is alive, serving a world obsessed with conventional appearances and missing the brightness of their inner Sun.

Yet, no matter how we try to conceal it, this light regularly returns and shines upon us. It glows upon all the crucial cross-roads on our path. It encourages us to let go of our decayed scripts and roles, of what is dead and long to take its course. It shines upon the blooming parts we are truly meant to play and dance in the theatre of life.

I wish you a most fruitful ripening of all the treasures generously available for you to enjoy and share with your beloved ones.

Franco

On the astroshamanic front of events and workshops the main feature in August is the Astroshamanic Trance Dance, Drumming and Chanting at Findhorn from 1 to 8 August 2009, followed by an Italian week on spiritual healing from 14 to 20 August.

In September the most prominent and recommended event is the Course in Astroshamanic Healing Touch and Energy Work at Malvern (Worcester) from 12 to 13 September 2009 (see details below).

For information on these and other events (including some dates for 2010) see details in the calendar below.

IN THIS 94th ISSUE

Scenes od Death and Life by Astrid Gude

Mystery Play in Assisi

and The Great Sperm Race

The Sun: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro

Shamanic Art for Sale by Christine Connelly

Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Beate Schneeberger

Cosmos and Psyche (review by Astrid Gude)

Where the Heart Is by Elaine Silverfire

Upcoming Astroshamanic Events & News

Astrological Data: Please click here for Moon's ingresses in 2009. Click here for planetary ingresses.

PAN welcomes assistance with transcription of recent workshops in English, Italian and Spanish. If you would like to help, please contact pan@astroshamanism.org

Scenes of Death and Life by Astrid Gude

This year's Astroshamanic Summer Retreat took part at the beginning of July, for the second time in Casa Faustina near Assisi in Umbria, the heart of Italy. In the astroshamanic cosmology the summer is the season of the element Earth and also the season of the child with the qualities of play and playfulness. Out of this emerged gradually and spontaneously, according to Franco, a new approach in astroshamanic work: the "shooting" of a film that comprised scenes of archetypal quality around procreation, gestation, birth, life and death. This method opened wide experiential spaces for participants to deepen their journeys within a held energetic and archetypal context, intense, yet transcending personal drama and trauma since the different stages could be experienced simultaneously on an individual, collective and universal level, additionally comprising multi-dimensional changes of perspective due to the assignation of roles related to signs of the zodiac and directions and thus providing opportunities for healing to occur on many different layers.

In the caption of the movie documentation published on Facebook Franco refers to the continuum work we did over three days during the Assisi summer workshop as a mystery play. When, more than 20 years ago, I did some inner work on a vision for my life, a central statement of intention was: "I want to explore the mysteries of life and death." This exploration has happened on many different levels through various paths, remaining an ongoing theme of my journey through life and it feels as if it is happening in stages, presenting a new level of experience and awareness when I am ready for it.

The specific set-up that was created: "shooting" scenes for a movie, where the action was not necessarily sequential, allowed for a very healthy level of detachment in my perception. I did feel fully involved, yet at the same time, due to the collective process, the archetypal element that was involved and the "movie making" I maintained a perspective of some kind neutrality or of understanding with compassion that was beyond the personal.

Practices that prepare us for death are part of many shamanic and spiritual traditions. My experience this time was of a light-filled beauty and grace yet unknown to me, containing lots of archetypal elements. All I consciously did at the beginning was call for assistance and it was the presence of a light-being that guided me through the following stages: a process of forgiveness and release of burdens still in this realm, entering a boat that took me over a dark river towards a brightly shining mountain on the other side, and, before reaching the mountain, an ascension into the light and a condensation of energy that turned me into pulsating, radiant light feeling breathed by the universe. We do come from the stars.

Birth, entering into life, a challenging and traumatic experience in my life. Often when re-living it in a healing context, there was also the re-occurrence of a no-exit situation and the resulting despair and hopelessness. The work we did brought a radical change of perspective, since, due to the role I was assigned, I was part of the womb, the uterus and experienced it as my task to provide the contractions that eventually allowed this new being to enter the world. And I felt I was "just doing my job" not more, not less, and that it was the natural way to happen, with no emotions or judgments attached, whereas, when on the "other side" I had often experienced a threatening or even evil quality. I believe this set a huge process of liberation and reconciliation into motion, an experience on a deep inner level that expressed itself in following practices as more freedom from old concepts in the mental realm and more fluidity and openness in the physical and emotional.

Within the cycle of procreation and creation that we went through as a group, these were the two stages that stood out for me. All in all, during this well-orchestrated workshop, mixing playfulness with depth, and in the stunningly beautiful environment of Casa Faustina that brought us into a very fruitful connection with all the elements, I feel a lot of healing and transformative seeds have been sown for my journey.

Mystery Play in Assisi

In the following Facebook links you can find a selection of scenes from the mystery play we created at Casa Faustina (Assisi) during the Astroshamanic Summer Retreat from 3 to 7 July 2009. The event developed into a spontaneous shamanic representation of the conception, gestation, birth and upbringing of our multidimensional nature. Each participant (actor) interpreted one of the zodiac signs and directions (characters).

The mystery play involved several scenes, and in the links below we have included only some fragments recorded with a mobile phone.

All actors went into deep inner spaces which are impossible to grasp from the perspective of the spectator. We share these images trusting that they will be treated with respect, while also bearing in mind that the participants operate as actors playing specific roles, and that this is a mystery. These scenes are suitable for viewing only by a mature and initiated audience. Please watch solely at your own risk

Void 1 - Part 1: In this scene all the elements of life, still unconscious, are preparing for conception. Before Life there was no consciousness, but the elements existed for Life to begin...

http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism?sid=272892504eeb5c739891815e4cb3a0f7&ref=s#/video/video.php?v=1133692996966&ref=mf

Void 2 Part 2: "The elements of life become aware of the Void and interact..."

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1133614915014&saved#/video/video.php?v=1125165743790

Anticipation Part 3: "Spirits touch and get involved at the prospect of Unity..."

http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism?sid=272892504eeb5c739891815e4cb3a0f7&ref=s#/video/video.php?v=1133599794636&ref=mf

Critical Mass Part 4 a healing climax leading to an eruption of energy...

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1133614915014&saved#/video/video.php?v=1125169823892

Explosion Part 5: "All the elements of life force are released and blindly move to reach their natural goal.

http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism?sid=272892504eeb5c739891815e4cb3a0f7&ref=s#/video/video.php?v=1133614915014

Intermezzo: This is a spontaneous dance in Piazza del Comune, Assisi's main square, built on the site of the Roman forum and dominated by Santa Maria sopra Minerva, a church dedicated to Mary built over a Roman temple to Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. Following an afternoon of healing work in Assisi, in which the whole group moved as a 12-sector grid throughout the town, with each participant exploring a different area of Assisi, we scheduled our reunion at 6 pm, in the main square. This is what happened when we met.

http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism?sid=272892504eeb5c739891815e4cb3a0f7&ref=s#/video/video.php?v=1134201009666&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/francosantoro.uk?ref=profile#/video/video.php?v=1124245280779&ref=mf

For our provisional album see:

http://www.facebook.com/Astroshamanism?sid=272892504eeb5c739891815e4cb3a0f7&ref=s#/album.php?aid=92629&id=44471338710&ref=mf

And the Great Sperm Race

This, as Channel 4 describes it, is "the most extreme race on earth - a contest with 250 million competitors, only one winner and relentless obstacles thrown in for good measure." Guided by top scientists and funded by the Wellcome Trust, The Great Sperm Race was broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 March 2009.

This is how Channel 4 features it:

"The Great Sperm Race tells the story of human conception as it's never been told before using helicopter-mounted cameras, world-renowned scientists, CGI and dramatic reconstruction to illustrate the extraordinary journey of sperm.

With the microscopic world of sperm and egg accurately scaled up by 34,000 times, we see the human-sized heroes negotiate some of the world's most striking landscapes when the epic proportions of the vagina become the Canadian Rockies and the buildings on London's South Bank symbolise the intricacies of the cervix.

With the female body designed to repel and destroy invaders, from acidic vaginal walls to impassable cervical crypts, the sperm face unremitting obstacles. 'The battle that sperm have in order to find and fertilise an egg is just immense,' explains Dr Allan Pacey. 'Everything is working against sperm and they're not really given a helping hand by the female reproductive tract.'

Huge swathes perish and only one will reach the ultimate goal - fertilisation of the egg and the beginnings of new life.

Made in conjunction with the Wellcome Trust and consulting the world's leading reproductive scientists, The Great Sperm Race demonstrates the extraordinary intricacies of our bodies and the giant lottery of luck that is our reproductive process."

See trailers at http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-sperm-race and

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Achievements-and-Impact/Initiatives/Public-engagement/Broadcast-media-strategy/WTX055247.htm

The Sun: 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. For a complete list of Astrology and Tarot correspondences according to the model used in these articles please see: http://www.astrologyweekly.com/astrology-articles/astrology-tarot.php

Before you read what follows please close your eyes for a while and imagine the Sun standing before you. Sense its presence and power. Be aware of how you feel as you face it. Notice if/how it looks at you and how you feel about it. Pay attention to whatever you perceive. Allow the Sun to express if it has something to tell you or show to you. If there is something you want to say or ask, please feel free to do so, and be aware of its response or silence.

The Sun is the nineteenth trump of the Major Arcana and is obviously associated with the astrological Sun and Leo. In the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck, the card portrays a naked child riding a white horse and holding a red flag, while in the background there are sunflowers and a large shining sun.

In the voyage through the Tarot, the Sun follows the Moon and exemplifies the shift from unconsciousness to consciousness. Hence the card portrays the shift from darkness to light, yet in a way that acknowledges the venture through the Moon as the essential step of the process.

The Moon is the counterpart of the Sun, what allows it to emerge and shine in its full glory. The lunar spirit has the power to reflect the deep hidden power of the Sun. She mirrors terrific forces, whose function is to drastically dismember the conventional self, our inadequate notion of light and whatever is regarded as conscious in consensus reality. The principle here is that in order to access true consciousness we need to let go of bogus consciousness. This is a most controversial process within reach only to those who are willing to expand beyond the limits of ordinary human configurations. When this is the case the dark path of the Moon lays the foundations for authentic light to glow at its best, together with all the generous and creative gifts of the Sun.

The Moon stirs terrific amounts of energy. which can either devastate or empower us. This mainly depends on whether we are capable of holding the connection with the seed of our intention, no matter what the Moon appears to do, and this seed must be surrendered to the Moon in order to mature, just as the male semen surrenders to the female womb.

The Sun is what follows once the Moon has done its labour. It is the birth of the radiant and innocent child, the luminosity within the darkness brought into light. Darkness and luminosity, Moon and Sun are major areas of paradox where things appear different once unveiled. Common to all mythologies is the awareness that the Sun comes from darkness, which is also the place where it returns every night. This has been written in the sky throughout the ages, teaching us that the light belongs to darkness, just as darkness pertains to light. Hence there is no way we can reach light by refusing darkness.

The Sun is merely the other side of the Moon, the daylight as opposed to the night. Both are essential in life, though since most people sleep at night, the realm of darkness ends up being relegated to the distant periphery of our awareness, if not virtually repressed. As a result also the nature of the Sun is affected, becoming a fake representation of light, based on denial and deceptiveness. Indeed, the Sun in this card unveils a far more authentic source of luminosity.

A.E. Waite, the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, describes the Sun as signifying "the transit from the manifest light of this world, represented by the glorious sun of earth, to the light of the world to come, which goes before aspiration and is typified by the heart of a child." This is a liberating experience, the release from the captivity of consensus awareness or bogus light, and the emergence of true illumination. It is the end of the gestation time and the final birth, a sudden rupture of vitality and joy out of a dead placenta. Here the Sun portrays the innocence and exuberance of the restored child, the retrieval of the original unity in its basic simplicity and purity. The child releases the obsolete sense of a separated identity, triumphing as a glorious unexpurgated part of the whole.

It is 'the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone." (Acts 4:11)

A major teaching in the voyage through the Tarot is that we can uncover authentic creativity and power only by facing and coming to terms with areas of darkness. Enlightenment is paradoxically the result of embracing darkness. The general tendency is to believe that we can achieve success, happiness and our full potential only if we lay aside what we don't like about ourselves, our dark zones. This journey, as well as all major myths, tells us instead that our most precious gifts abide in the darkness, and this darkness is merely the place where we meet our ongoing dramas in life. Whether the dramas are based on illness, abuse, addiction, depression, difficult relationships, sexual frustration or any other major grievance, this is the very darkness from which the Sun will emerge.

In tarot readings the card of the Sun brings an inevitable sense of delight and beauty, providing abundant elements of joy, splendour, optimism and power in any situation. It is therefore a most welcome trump, bringing wonder, contentment and assurance. On a deeper level the Sun indicates a radical shift in perception, the capacity or potential to look at life in a completely different way, to move beyond apparent grievances and acknowledge a deep loving light longing to be unveiled. The pictorial impact of the card itself is able to transmit its profound message, coming as a surprising blessing of unconditional love.

When the Sun hits we are bound to experience the bright side of life. Grievances and gloomy memories burn away, disclosing clarity, trust and even the startling manifestation of the dreams we most wish for. Its power is all-encompassing, shining with its rays of abundant bliss and vitality. Indeed with the Sun everything comes up roses! This is surely a state in which we would like to dwell forever. And yet the main lesson here is that although the Sun continues to be there at all times, at a certain stage it will appear to vanish again from our narrow sight. The presence of the Sun is steady, as the Earth circles around it, yet from our perspective it comes and goes, bringing an unavoidable end to all worldly joys and powers. When the outer Sun shines in our life, it points to the inner Sun, the one that stays with us wherever we go, including darkness.

Where the Heart is by Elaine Silverfire

continuing the series on the Five Elements in Chinese Philosophy

"The heart is the home of the Spirit (Shen), and the Blood houses the mind."

"Senseless babbling and disjointed thoughts are the outcome of...homelessness of the Spirit"

from Between Heaven and Earth: a Guide to Chinese Medicine by Beinfield and Korngold.

Summer is the Season of the Heart and Fire is the element associated with the Heart and Fire can easily become unstable. Peacefulness of Spirit, tranquillity of mind, calmness, clarity, love and compassion are all positive qualities of the Heart and the negative qualities of impatience, hate and jealousy can injure the Heart as much as Heat damages the Heart. There can be a pull between the desire for unity, fusion, merging and the desire for separation and withdrawal from the world. A secure, peaceful environment and a regular routine will balance the expansive tendency of the Heart and finding time and space for solitude will help to restore inner calm.

Suggested Fire Practices for Summer:

The Three Fold Flame Meditation: Create a golden flame at your heart, will and intend a beautiful golden flame and, with your imagination, step inside this golden flame and find yourself in the golden temple of your heart.

Look around you and see to your left a pale pink and magenta flame and pull this flame towards you and draw it into your heart.

See to your right a pale blue and electric blue flame and draw this flame into your heart.

Create one single flame from the golden flame, the pale pink and magenta flame and the pale blue and electric blue flame and have it burning in your heart and through your heart and around your heart.

Place a clear quartz crystal around the flame and allow the colours to filter through the crystal, filling your aura with gold, magenta and blue.Take the crystal away and allow the flame to grow higher, filling your entire body and your aura with colour.

Bring the flame back to the size it was.Give thanks to the universe for the blessing of this ancient meditation.

With Thanks to Anne Ward: www.worldbridger.biz

The Unity Breath Meditation

Unify with The Mother: Breathe and allow yourself to consciously relax the jaw, the shoulders and the body.Closing the eyes and opening to a most beautiful place in Nature, see as much detail as you can and open to the FEELING of being there.

Begin to Choose LOVE for this place, for the Earth, then open to Feel the Love for this space.

Continue to grow into this feeling of love, feel your heart beat and let it beat with the rhythm of the earth.

When the time feels right,, Send your Love into the Earth, to the centre, the core. Use INTENTION that the Mother Earth may feel your love streaming to her heart. You may want to imagine a beautiful Sphere of Light that you fill with your love and send that to her core.

Then wait like a child, with no expectation, wait in peace.

Wait until The Mother Earth sends her love back to you. Open to this, let yourself feel it... allow it... receive it with gratitude. Feel this beautiful Love that The Mother has surrounded you with, holding you and remain in this union with Her until it feels complete.

Unify with The Father: When the right moment comes to you, without breaking the Love Union with The Mother, Look to The Father, The Heavenly Father, look to the rest of Creation beyond the Earth. Open to The Love for The Father, Feel your Love for the Heavenly Father, Remember your deep love for Spirit. When this Love is real and felt then send you love to the Father. Again you may wish to put your love into a beautiful Sphere and send it to the Heavens.

Once your love has been sent, again you wait, wait until The Father sends his love back to You. Be still and know you are loved.

Become aware of God, God emanates out from this place and at the same time is everywhere and within everything. Simply OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

With Thanks to Drunvalo Melchizedek and Sri Yukteswar.

Shortened version of this meditation taken from: www.sionone.com/inspirations.htm

PAN Review Centre:

Richard Tarnas, Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View, 2006, Viking Books, 596 pages

(Review by Astrid Gude).

I came upon this book when reading "When the impossible happens", the autobiography of the famous pioneer into the research of altered states Stanislav Grof. Grof, in his long professional life open to exploring the most unusual non-ordinary states and realms of consciousness, writes that he had been very skeptical about astrology for a long time and that it was mainly his personal and professional connection with Richard Tarnas that made him discover and subsequently confirm through research the impact of the archetypal influence on the individual and collective level, connections "which are so complex, intricate, creative, and highly imaginative that they leave not doubt of their divine origin".

In a three weeks' holiday in January I dived into "Cosmos and Psyche", merely scanning in that time the more than 500 pages that are the result of 30 years of research, and fully agreeing with what it says on the cover, that the book "opens up a new cosmic horizon that reunites science and religion, intellect and soul, modern reason and ancient wisdom."

On many pages, especially in the first part, I had this feeling of: "Oh, this is what we deeply explore in Astroshamanism. Astroshamanism is one of the pathways that experientially allows us to move through this 'enchanted universe' in which we bridge the individual and the collective."

This is far from a comprehensive book report which would take me probably some more months to write. I would just like to highlight some aspects that made it very inspiring and educational reading for me and that make me believe that it might be of similar value to others in the astroshamanic environment, mainly to those who are mentally inclined.

The book opens with contrasting the primal world, which was ensouled and in which "participation is multi-directional and multi-dimensional, pervasive and encompassing" to the modern Western world view that has become "disenchanted", "void of any spiritual, symbolic, or expressive dimension that provides a cosmic order in which human existence finds its ground of meaning and purpose." This is traced back through the history of the Western mind, which over a long period of time has led to more and more alienation and fragmentation. In a beautiful parable called the "Two Suitors" the reader is invited to move into the place of the universe and asked who, as the universe he/she would open up to, reveal its authentic nature: to the suitor: the one who denies your interior dimension and wants to control you or the one who values you, wishes to unite with you and seeks a "responsive and empowered participation in an co-creative unfolding of new realities" and opens to a "process of mutual discovery".

The soul started to re-enter modern academic awareness through Jung's research into archetypes, seeing them as "innate symbolic forms and psychological dispositions that unconsciously structure and impel human behaviour and experience both at a personal and a collective level" and subsequently studying the ancient cosmological perspective of astrology which establishes symbolic correspondences between planetary positions and events in human existence. The archetypal cosmos, known in ancient cultures, was rediscovered by the modern world.

The chapter "Through the Archetypal Telescope" introduces the celestial bodies as "possessing an intrinsic association with specific universal principles."

A quote by Plotinus in this chapter: "The stars are like letters which inscribe themselves at every moment in the sky... Everything in the world is full of signs... All events are co-ordinated... All things depend on each other; as has been said, "Everything breathes together."

The names assigned to the planets that were known in antiquity reflect an intuitive knowledge of their archetypal qualities - the chapter on archetypal principles describes their multidimensionality as well as their multivalence - whereas the outer planets, discovered in modern times, were named by scientists. Tarnas explains why he thinks that Uranus has mostly Promethean features.

The bulk of the book is devoted to an analysis of planetary cycles and aspects throughout

Western civilization as they affected science, politics, cultural phenomena, the world view, an immense accumulation of data, yet written in a very approachable, sometimes poetical way, also including a lot of evidence how transits manifested in the lives of people whose biographies are well known. The focus is on the aspects Uranus, Pluto, Saturn and Neptune form in interaction with each other.

The planetary forces are not solely determining powers. We have a choice. In the epilogue, cosmos and psyche are described as a mysterious marriage, mutually interpenetrating each other and representing a fertile tension of opposites.

Explore the book: Table of Contents; Preface; The Birth of the Modern Self; The Dawn of a New Universe; Two Suitors: A Parable

Shamanic Art for Sale by Christine Connelly

I am a healer and a textile artist who works in shamanic ways. I live within the Findhorn community. A piece of my art work, dedicated to my experiences of Astroshamanism, is looking for a new home.

The piece depicts a particular crop circle pattern that featured in my art during my training years. That pattern kept on talking to me about community from a prehistoric point of view. Back in 2005, I spent several weeks focused on rituals involving that crop circle pattern just before I attended a November Astroshamanism workshop with Franco. That crop circle strongly contributed its presence to my personal healing process. It was a powerful culmination of my week's of focus.

However the workshop also led me into a week-long altered mental state, greatly stressing my poor husband and really shaking up our relationship. I had experienced one before when my healing work became focused on sacred geometry. I was disturbed now about continuing the shamanic path and maintaining my mental balance and my relationship. Rather than back off the shamanic path I made a commitment to gain full control over any future altered mental states. This involved attending the next two workshops. The first had a New Year focus (most appropriate) and then another to consolidate my continued path as a shamanic person. This was followed up with a year of focusing on the phases of the moon as it moved through the various sectors and studying Franco's books. The whole 13 months was a time of disruption leading to greater peace.

Around this time I was invited to enter the Henry Foyle national competition for completing Textile Art students. The theme for the exhibition was 'Maelstrom', the name of a major oceanic whirlpool off the coast of Norway. This theme spoke to me of spiralling galaxies and whirlwinds of emotions set off by messages from benevolent alien beings. I decided to base my art piece on my Astroshamanic experience and dedicate it to a process of grounding myself.

Several features were important. It had to be big for this was a big issue for me. It had to include lights to emphasise the crop circle pattern. It had to be complex and present me with a big challenge. It was dedicated to the art of healing.

The making of the piece drew my husband into my art work. We worked together on the complexities of the design of the background framework, the mounting of a bank of fairy lights, the safety features so that it wouldn't overheat or burn fabric and the complex geometry involved in depicting the pattern. Malcolm constructed all the timber framing, drilled numerous holes to support the lights and provided places to attach the fabrics, and did the electrical wiring. He helped me find mathematical support to create the pattern.

The machine embroidered centre represents a spiralling galaxy. The crop circle pattern was superimposed by cutting it out of the acrylic fabric with a soldering iron. Translucent fabrics were laid underneath through which the lights would show. The pattern was then stitched in numerous spirals to depict the way that plants in the crop circles are laid down. Finally a swirling border of velvet fabrics set off a series of medallions depicting the signs of the zodiac. Finally, we added an interactive element to the art work - a control box holding a timer switch which automatically turns off the lights. The geometry was so complex, and the construction required so much practical problem solving that it kept me really grounded for several months. It got me through my fear of going public about my shamanic path.

The final result was worth all the work. Entitled 'Order and Chaos', it won a prize for technical excellence in the 'Maelstrom' competition and set my husband and I on a far more interactive path together, each contributing to, and supporting the creativity of the other.

Why does it want a new home? We are moving to Australia next year to be with family. It is too big and heavy to go with us as it is, and I don't want to take it apart. I would like it's spirit to live on.

The artwork is more purple in colour than the photo depicts. It measures 49 inches/1,250 mm across the octagon, has a depth of 3in/75mm, and is quite heavy. There is also a control box for the lights measuring 22mm x 13mm x 13mm. We are asking £500 for it plus packing and transport but are open to offers.

If you are interested my phone number is: +44 (0)1309 676 994

email: christineconnelly0@googlemail.com

Love to all in the Astroshamanism world.

Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Beate Schneeberger

Every issue of PAN features a 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.

For information about becoming a member of the Sacred Cone Circle, please contact Franco at info@astroshamanism.org

Name: Beate Schneeberger
Sun Sign: Pisces

Moon Sign: Sagittarius

Ascendant: Leo

Astroshamanic Trinity System: 12-9-5

Other relevant features in your astrological chart: Jupiter in conjunction to Pisces, Mars in Leo, Medium Coeli in Aries, Sun, Jupiter, Mercury, Chiron in Pisces, Uranus, Ceres, Pluto, Juno, Vesta,

Location: Berlin

Where are you originally from? Munich

1.Tell us about yourself and your interests.

I am interested in singing, walking, travelling, cycling, making a pilgrimage, meditating, taking pictures, creativity, children, nurturing relationships( for both sides), connecting to nature itself and our true nature, to develop my healing, creative, loving, wise qualities and to retrieve my heritage and potentials to fulfill my life purpose and to help other people, energetic work, shamanism, healing, finding truth

2. How did you first connect with astroshamanic work?

4 years agon during my experience week in Cluny Hill College, when I experienced a summer solstice with Franco and knew, I would like to work with him. The first workshop was in Göttingen/ Germany.

3.Why are you involved with astroshamanic work?

Because I am interested in coming into an experimental contact with astrology, it`s real meaning and I feel very attuned to shamanism. So I have found a wonderful combination of these two interests.

4.What sort of things inspire you in astroshamanism?

- getting known spirits and to build up a good relationship through shamanic voyages,

- getting into contact with my natal chart in an playful, experimental way and to recognise, how to

handle this different kinds of energies,

- getting known spirits and to build up a good relationship through shamanic voyages and daily contact

in meditation,

- unveiling more and more the layers to feel the deep unity of all,

- to recognise more and more that my subtle perception isn´t weird, but rather my true nature,

- this wide range of tools,

5.How long have you been involved with astroshamanism and other forms of spiritual healing or energetic work?

- The first workshop with Franco was in autumn 2005, 2007/8 first level of the operative training in Astroshamanism, from June 2009 intermediary level, 2002: Metamorphic method, 2003 :Osho meditation-leadership-training, 2008: Reiki, third degree, 2004/5: masterclass with Dr. med. Brenda Davies to improve the ability of intuition and transformation, 2005/6: introduction spiritual-energetical healer on shamanic foundation, 2005/6: training in terminal care, 2005/6: training in sacred dances with Gabriele Wosien, since 2005 Zen-meditation, 2007 till now: masterclass TriFormBalance - vibration, 2008 MET:Meridian-energy-technique, releasing blocks through tapping. Out of this has been created a very individual method; my hands move to the bodypoints that need support, intuitively. I denominate mental blocks sometimes or get visions of events in former life. The process can be supported through a little instrument like Kalimba or singing bowl or a healing stone.

6.What types of astroshamanic activities, training and work do you take part in?

education see above workshops.

7. What are your favourite astroshamanic practices and experiences?

the Astroshamanic Basic Ritual of the Sacred Cone, working with my Guide/ Totems, using the chants, singing vowels, trance dance, smudging,

8. Why are they your favourites?

the ABR is a powerful tool even for individual practice, nurturing, self-empowering, taking on self responsibility, chants, vowels are very energising, if you really open up to Trance Dance, you can get deep insights or even healing, great effect with " low costs"

9. What is your current intent?

I want to develop my multidimensional being more and more, to experience and live my life purpose.

10. Do you offer any astroshamanic or other healing services, sessions or events? If yes, what are they?

Energetic healing (see5), TriFormBalance sessions, MET, meditation

11. What advice would you give anyone who was thinking of training or going deeper with astroshamanic work?

Be a curious, playful child, but never forget to take regularity

12. Anything else you'd like to say to the group:

Astroshamanism is a powerful, rich healing device. Let´s help to spread it out over the world!!!

Thank you, Franco, for your love, wisdom and knowledge

13. Contact Information

Beate Schneeberger, D-10829 Berlin, Tel. 0049-30-78712085, sterntaler1703@web.de

Forthcoming Astroshamanic Events

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. All Findhorn Foundation workshops held by Franco take place in the amazing campus of Cluny Hill College.

All events are held by Franco Santoro, except where otherwise indicated.

Findhorn Foundation, 1-8 August 2009, Astroshamanic Trance Dance, Drumming and Chanting Reshaping the World Through the Healing Dynamic of Sound
This is one of the most popular events in our calendar. 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 and the exploration of the basic astroshamanic drumming method. Please book early. Income related price (click here for more information) £495 / £625 / £735. Bursaries may be available if you book early. If you wish to attend please book at bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

For a video with an example of an astroshamanic trance dance click:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lPKyvriQ8

Edinburgh (Scotland), 1 August 2009, Astroshamanic Celebration of Summer, with Celia McKenna, Salisbury Centre (10am- 5pm): A day to acknowledge and embrace all aspects of ourselves and our lives; the parts that bring joy and the parts that present difficulty, accepting all of these as part of our journey. Working with the planetary energies of summer, we will develop our connection with our spirit guides, and deepen our understanding of our life intent. The workshop will conclude with an astroshamanic trance dance. To book, please contact: Salisbury Centre, 2 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5AB. Tel. 0131 667 5438. Cost: £ 40/30.

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

Malvern, Worcs. (England), 16 August 2009, Leo with Dave Mountjoy. Click here for more details

Malvern, Worcs. (England), 30 August 2009, The Essence of Service, with Dave Mountjoy. Click here for more details An Astroshamanic afternoon and evening exploring the theme of Service and opening to a multidimensional experience of the period of Virgo. Includes shamanic journeys, interaction with the local territory and trance dance. Weather permitting, the event will be held in a beautiful outdoor location, including working in a large tipi and sharing round a fire.

Hereford (England) 31 August 2009, Introduction to Astroshamanic Healing and Trance Dance, with Dave Mountjoy Click here for more details

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 5-6 September 2009, Sacred Circle Management - Formazione in Metodologie di Guarigione Astrosciamanica. Corso Base di Gestione Operativa del Cerchio di Guarigione, con Elementi di Astrologia Esperienziale Energetica e Astrosciamanesimo Applicato (in Italian)

Malvern (Worcestershire, England) 12-13 September 2009, Multidimensional Portals of the Senses: Introduction to Astroshamanic Healing Touch & Energy Work with Franco Santoro. For information and bookings: Dave Mountjoy, davemountjoy@yahoo.co.uk or +44 07532 356703. Cost: £ 119 99 -79

During this seminar participants are initiated into basic astroshamanic healing touch. The programme includes a complete experiential introduction to the three stages of shamanic healing and aims at defining and deepening the relationship with one's inner core and its connection with the outer reality. This is the first introductory seminar of the One-Year Course in Astroshamanic Healing Touch & Energy Work. It is possible to take part also if you are not attending the Course.

The assumption of energy work is that our body consists of energy fields, all deeply connected with the web of life. There are many techniques that allow us to become aware of these energy fields. These tools, besides promoting health, well-being and spiritual growth at an individual level, vigorously contribute to create major positive changes at a collective and planetary level. Energy work is the basic feature of the oldest therapeutic systems, which all involve the use of astrology and shamanism. This workshop will integrate methods of the Eastern and Western tradition into a pragmatic and healing whole.

About the One Year Course in Malvern: Astrology and shamanism demonstrate that our reality is a smaller scale duplication of a vaster universe, from which we appear to have separated themselves. Astroshamanic Touch is an energetic bodywork application of astroshamanism meant as a tool for bridging the physical with our multidimensional nature. During the Course we will discover ways of employing the physical body to foster expanded states of consciousness, retrieve soul parts, reawaken healing talents and integrate them in everyday life. Through healing practices derived from various traditions we will receive visions and insights to deepen the work. We will also explore the multidimensional features of relationships, sharing ways to release intense feelings, promoting forgiveness, transformation and unconditional love. The Course consists of four week-end workshops. Each workshop deals with a particular aspect of astroshamanic healing touch as applied to the elements and the astrological wheel.

Palma (Majorca, Spain), 10-13 October 2009, Sacred Relationships Intensive with Franco Santoro (in Spanish). In an old monastery near Palma. Contact: chemamier@gmail.com or +34 985265465 Inma Alcina inma.alcina@hotmail.com 34 616182499

Findhorn Foundation, 17-24 October 2009, Spiritual Practice and Manifestation

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. (click here for more information)

Findhorn Foundation, 29 December 2009 - 5 January 2010, New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat

Findhorn Foundation, 13 26 March 2010, FOUNDATION TRAINING in ASTROSHAMANISM

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. The training consists of two workshops, which can also be attended independently

13-20 March 2010, A Journey into the Inner Universe.

20-27 March 2010, The Voyage through the Zodiac

Findhorn Foundation, 17-24 April 2010, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco).

Findhorn Foundation, 15-22 May 2010, Spiritual Practice and Manifestation

Findhorn Foundation, 26 June 3 July 2010, The Original Quest: An Astroshamanic Journey into Space and Time (with Franco & Sverre Koxvold)

Findhorn Foundation, 31 July 14 August 2010, FOUNDATION TRAINING IN ASTROSHAMANIC TRANCE DANCE & DRUMMING. The training consists of two one-week workshops, which can also be attended independently

Findhorn Foundation, 2-9 October 2010, Restoring the Fragmented Heart: The Way of Sacred Relationships

Findhorn Foundation, 23-30 October 2010, The Blessed Way of Passion: Astroshamanic Healing Touch

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.

Astroshamanism Book I: A Journey into the Inner Universe and Astroshamanism Book II: The Voyage Throuh the Zodiac feature the core teachings of astroshamanism. Our newly published CD, Astroshamanic Basic Ritual, provides an excellent support for astroshamanic trance dance and rituals. Books, various CDs and the Provisional Astroshamanic Cards are available from info@astroshamanism.org

The Operative Training in Astroshamanism (OTA) is a certificate course in core astroshamanism which allows you to study at home as part of an ongoing interactive training. Participants will learn a wide range of techniques, exploring all aspects of their soul, individual and collective, as they are reflected in the astroshamanic cosmology of the 12 Sectors, the 4 Directions and the 3 Worlds. They will receive initiation into specific healing and ceremonial practices according to each zodiac sign, integrating shamanic experiences with information drawn from astrology and other esoteric sources. The OTA can ideally be integrated with the One Year Course in Astroshamanism and the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training. For information contact: info@astroshamanism.org

We warmly encourage our readers to comment on the articles in PAN. If you wish to write a comment or share your experiences related with the themes of our articles, please contact pan@astroshamanism.org.

PAN on-line: You can find an abridged edition of the latest issues of PAN on-line at http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&suggest&note_id=94765108328&id=44471338710#/note.php?note_id=94765108328&ref=mf and http://panissue.blogspot.com/. The abridged Italian edition is at http://panitalico.blogspot.com/, while the full edition is available on request. The abridged Spanish edition is at http://panhispano.blogspot.com/ and the full edition is available on request.

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.

PAN International 92

2009-05-18T13:47:00.003-01:00

Provisional Astroshamanic Network

Ezine of the Sacred Cone Circle, English Edition, 20 May 2009, Issue 92

Cluny Hill College, Forres IV36 2RD, Scotland. (+44(0)1309-672289. + PAN@astroshamanism.org

Editorial Director: Franco Santoro. Editorial Staff: Elaine Silverfire, Dave Mountjoy. Celia McKenna

Edizione italiana: Anna Luna. For astroshamanic links in Facebook click here En español aqui. In italiano qui..

© 2009 Franco Santoro, PANPAN, including images, or use this material for commercial purposes, please contact us at PAN@astroshamanism.org. (Provisional Astroshamanic Network). All rights reserved. You are most welcome to use short extracts from PAN provided you give mention in the credits. Feel completely free to quote, yet please drop us a line to inform us about it. If you wish to reproduce a more substantial amount from

What is Astroshamanism?

Welcome to PAN in Gemini, the realm of wholehearted communication and distribution of healing thoughts, upon which we indulge a wee bit in the Editorial. This PAN also features Geminian flavours in our reports on recent astroshamanic corporate developments in Scotland, articles on the astroshamanic zodiac and the "access to marriage room", our regular features on the Tarot and the member of the month (Letizia).

Gemini is the magical time of preparation for Summer, marked again this year at the Findhorn Foundation by the traditional Summer Solstice workshop The Original Quest: An Astroshamanic Journey into Space and Time from 20 to 27 June 2009. Then there is the Astroshamanic International Summer Retreat, in Assisi (Italy) from 3 to 7 July 2009, and the Astroshamanic Trance Dance, Drumming and Chanting at Findhorn from 1 to 8 August 2009 followed by the first introductory workshop to the Course in Astroshamanic Healing Touch and Energy Work at Malvern (Worcester) from 12 to 13 September 2009.

For information on these and other events see details in the calendar below.

Also I am delighted to inform you that Celia McKenna has recently produced a video featuring one of our astroshamanic trance dances. We will cover in details this topic with our next issue, yet in the meantime you can see the video at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Forres-United-Kingdom/Astroshamanism/44471338710?sid=272892504eeb5c739891815e4cb3a0f7&ref=s#/video/video.php?v=1098219750157&ref=mf or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lPKyvriQ8

There are other nuggets, which you can find in this PAN. Please also bear in mind that we are always open to welcome anything you feel inspired to contribute, comment and suggest.

Blessings, Franco

Editorial

Humankind has been plagued by many diseases, famines, recessions, swine-flu and other disasters, and yet the most crucial and ongoing pestilence continues to affect our mind rather than our body. This is the scourge of separation, the incapacity to truly relate with other human beings, genuinely expressing ourselves and allowing others to do the same. And yet the major consequence of this plague, far from being communication with others, may rather be an inability to truly communicate with ourselves, to connect with whom we truly are.

Throughout human history many healing tools have been used to cure the above plague. Astrologically there is a tool for each zodiac sign, which applies to all human beings regardless of what their sun sign or ascendant is. Here Gemini plays a major role, for it is the keeper of the circulation of thoughts, information and all types of communication or mental activities.

Words and thoughts cause substantial effects in the environment and generate most of our human experiences, and the way we perceive them. Communication is an ongoing process, regardless of whether I'm absorbed in my own thoughts or I express them with others. And yet, although there seems to be a large variety of communication, in the end there are simply two categories, one based on the separation and the other on unity. We are communicating at all times, and in any second of life, we have the opportunity to choose between these two.

As human beings we are affected by an ego mind, which constantly promotes separation, employing a huge assortment of devices aimed at sidetracking our perception. As a result it is inevitable to experience negative thoughts or emotions, and all types of grievance. Yet the problem is not experiencing grievances, the issue is what we do with them. Since we live in a consensus reality based on separation, we are bound to come across harmful emotions and thoughts. Getting rid of them completely is beyond doubt a forlorn enterprise. Yet we have the capacity to be aware of those thoughts, while tenaciously being engaged with the healing network of life. This entails employing practical ways to transform infected thoughts and emotions instead of dumping them on others or ourselves. In this way although we still experience grievances, we do not get stuck with them, nor do we forward them to others. On the contrary we convert grievances in healing thoughts and distribute them through the web of life.

In our forthcoming workshops and trainings we will explore pragmatic ways to transform emotions and thoughts, using a large variety of tools according to the seasonal cycles and the topic of the courses.

The challenge of Gemini is to steadily transmute toxic thoughts and emotions into blessings, up to the original toxic thought, which is also the gateway into the ultimate blessing.

Photo: a group meditation at the Universal Hall, Findhorn Foundation (photo by Sverre Koxvold)

IN THIS 92nd ISSUE

Scottish Government Workers Treated to Astroshamanism

Working with the Rhythm of the Big Corporations by Celia McKenna

The Astroshamanic Zodiac: Retrieving 12 Sectors of the Soul by Franco Santoro

Restoring the Fragmented Heart: Report on the Workshop by Dave Mountjoy

Keep Clear – Access to Marriage Room – Road Ahead Closed by Franco Santoro

Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Letizia Mocchegiani

The Magician - Mercury: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro

Homecoming Scotland 2009: A Big Year for Caledonia

What is Home to Me

The Singular Adventures of Mandarino Kid by Sergio Di Martino

Upcoming Astroshamanic Events & News

Scottish Government workers treated to Astroshamanism

This is what the Edinburgh Evening News, the Scottish capital evening daily newspaper on 13 May 2009, (see also:http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/9am-Briefing-Sea-search-goes.5260551.jp) and other newspapers reported:

Government staff get courses

SCOTTISH Government workers are being treated to courses in new age "astroshamanism", papercraft and Tai Chi, it is reported today.
More than 60 classes are being laid on for civil servants at Victoria Quay, St Andrew's House and Saughton House this week.
Other lessons included in the Learning at Work week include light-aircraft flying, adventure motor-cycling and line dancing.

In a country where the issue of politicians' lavish allowances and bizarre expenses has been for weeks the major focus of debate, the above seemed to imply further controversy. The following day on The Firm, Scotland's only independent legal magazine, a more measured article titled "Meditation time… meditation time" appeared, which also included an official response from the Scottish government (see below and also at: http://www.firmmagazine.com/news/1493/%22Meditation_time..meditation_time%22.html

"Meditation time...meditation time"

Workers at Scottish Government offices - including the three main sites of Victoria Quay, St Andrew's House and Saughton House- are being given the opportunity to take part in transcendental meditation-style astroshamanism as part of 'Learning at Work' week.

Astroshamanism classes are available to the 2,000 workforce at Victoria Quay. Sources who disclosed emails sent to staff said the course was described as "a system of healing and empowerment that uses shamanic techniques in conjunction with experiential astrology to enable people to develop connection with their inner sources of strength and achieve balance and harmony in their life".

Other skills on offer include jive and line dancing, Tai Chi, snooker, bowls, adventure motor-cycling and light-aircraft flying.

St Andrews House is offering aerobics and a two-hour line-dancing class. Gaelic lessons, anger management classes and guided walks through Holyrood Park are also available.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We are leading by example in encouraging employers to develop skills at work. This is about staff offering to share skills from outside of work with their colleagues, at no cost. These events are predominantly run in-house so that we do not incur costs for venues. No costs are incurred in relation to trainers — activities are run by staff for staff. This is a very low-cost learning opportunity and the total cost is approximately £200."

See: http://www.firmmagazine.com/news/1493/%22Meditation_time..meditation_time%22.html

Working with the Rhythm of the Big Corporations... by Celia McKenna

For some time I have been seeking a way of introducing the principles of astroshamanism within my work setting; a world that lies very much on the mental plane, concerned with matters of organisation, administration and leadership. There is a week held each year, dedicated to employees expanding their horizons and skills and learning from one another. For the second year I offered to run something on the programme, and this time I was a little more courageous and boldly proclaimed the title of the course "Astroshamanism"! I knew well that this would certainly get people talking and raise some eyebrows far beyond the hairline. To my great delight it appeared on the front page of the internal website and I was not unduly surprised that it made it from there onto the pages of the Scottish press. On the whole I think the coverage has been quite positive, although I am a little glad that I am away at conferences for a couple of weeks.

The event itself proved quite small in the end. But a full Ritual of the Sacred Cone took place; intents were set, grievances were released and blessings were received by participants. My drum echoed through corridors unaccustomed to noticing the beat of the human heart. The processes of the three stages were stimulated by some of my favourite pieces of Italian music that Franco has introduced me to over the years. You probably know which ones. I imagined the sounds seeping up through all the floors of the grand and sedate building... and inched the volume up just that little bit more. I felt a sense of joyous, glorious freedom and personal release.

It may well be the last time that a course entitled "Astroshamanism" takes place in this particular location! But the processes will continue. They will use different names and visible forms. Maybe the music won't even be Italian. And maybe I'll relinquish the drum... But translating this work into forms accessible to people at large, who occupy corporate as well as "spiritual" locations is very important. The work is just as relevant here as anywhere else and has the potential to have far-reaching effects. I have learnt that people are receptive everywhere. Where they appear not to be, we are just not explaining it right.

Blessings and keen to hear all your ideas and experiences.

Celia: celia@astroshamanism.org

The Astroshamanic Zodiac: Retrieving the 12 Sectors of the Soul by Franco Santoro

In the previous article ("Towards an Energetic Use of the Zodiac Circle", PAN 91) we have touched on how in astroshamanism astrology is used as a strategic system aimed at expanding our perception and moving beyond the parameters of consensus reality. The basic experiential assumption here is that everyday reality, or life as we conventionally know it, is merely an interpretation that has been hammered into us since we were born. This interpretation is so intransigent that the experience of alternate realities and paradigms is not regarded as a factual possibility, and can only be demoted in the realm of fiction, fantasies or what are generally considered superstitions, such as astrology.

Astrology in astroshamanism is merely a didactic device designed to remove the blocks to our expanded perception. In this respect while it starts off from our limited awareness of reality its aim is to lead us far beyond, yet if we are not ready it still provides our regular cup of tea. In other words astrology first employs a language familiar to our ordinary mind, working with the issues of everyday life, strategically appeasing all major fears, wishes and needs of consensus reality. Yet, as it does so, it gradually unveils other possibilities, which mature seekers can detect and assimilate through direct experience.

Astroshamanism is not interested in arguing about the existence of other realities, nor does it seek to desert the schemes of everyday life. Its aim is to offer tools aimed at expanding our awareness and to provide a direct experience, devoid of interpretations, trusting that the experience will ultimately speak for itself. Nevertheless, astroshamanism also includes a vast body of categories, structures and analytical options. Their function is merely provisional and strategic, helping the seekers to move through different stages of experience and assisting them in the process of integration.

The astroshamanic zodiac circle, or circle on the floor, is one of the main strategic structures used in astroshamanism. The astrological chart is grounded on the floor in a wide circle where the person sits, lies, stands or moves, directly experiencing the energy of the astrological signs. In astroshamanism the zodiac signs represent 12 energy centres, which strategically make up the complete make-up of our multidimensional identity. In other terms the zodiac signs embody the entire configuration of our original nature, with all its possible realities, which is meant to be recovered and restored.

A rather common shamanic term used to describe this recovery process is soul retrieval. This is a traditional practice based on the premise that our soul was once whole and then it fragmented. Some or most of its parts left, went astray, or perhaps were stolen or even borrowed by other beings. The task of the shaman here is to travel into alternate realities, which also include the past or parallel universes, in order to locate the missing parts, and then find a way to retrieve and restore them to where they originally belonged. This is basically a strategic metaphor aimed at describing a far more complex issue, which is essentially inaccessible to our contemporary minds. Yet ordinary people can resonate with this metaphor and make some sense of the whole process.

Many people experience something missing in their psyche, and this may often cause great pain. Psychologically this is mainly regarded as the result of traumatic events that overwhelm those involved, preventing them from facing or integrating what happened and being unable to cope with their lives. Such traumas can be caused by a large variety of factors, and yet the common trend seems always to imply an infringement of the individual's familiar ideas about themselves and the world, causing severe confusion, insecurity and upheaval. In this respect, from a multidimensional perspective, these traumatic circumstances have occurred to all human beings during childhood when they were trained to perceive the world according to conventional reality.

At a more ordinary level the traditional psychologist and the psychologically oriented shaman both operate so as to allow the client to properly function in everyday reality. Then once the emergency is over, and as long as this fits with their, and their client's, intention, they may work at a deeper level so as to retrieve more vital parts of the soul. In traditional shamanism various techniques are used, and they generally involve the client being passive and basically unaware, while the shaman carries out the retrieval work.

In astroshamanism the client is the active protagonist of the soul retrieval and the "shaman" operates as a facilitator. His aim is to help clients identify an area of power and, once they have had a direct experience of this, gradually support and fortify its expression in everyday life. Once the client has gained sufficient awareness and mastery of this area of power, the second stage involves facing more troubled zones, the critical missed parts of the soul.

Each part of our soul is strategically identified in astroshamanism with one of the twelve zodiac signs. According to various traditions, which are astroshamanically exemplified by the so called Epic of the Sacred Cone (for some fragments see: Franco Santoro, Astroshamanism – Book One: A Journey into the Inner Universe, "The Abridged Compendium of the Game of the Sacred Cone"), our separate reality is the result of a primal stage of fragmentation involving 12 pieces, consisting of six binary pairs, which then fragmented in further 144 pieces, and so on, until you reach the total number of individual beings that inhabit this reality. Hence no matter the enormity of this number, everything originated from a set of 12 primal fragmented pieces, which are portrayed by the zodiac signs.

These 12 pieces, which in astroshamanism are called the 12 Sectors, constitute the original matrix or, again in astroshamanic terms, our Core Multidimensional Identity. The strategic aim of the 12 Sectors is to make our Core Multidimensional Identity understandable for minds conditioned by the illusion of separation.

Often during individual or group sessions a deck of 12 cards or stones is employed to represent the 12 Sectors. Additional pieces can at times be used to identify the directions, planets and astrological houses. It is not at all necessary to know astrology to be involved in these sessions. The intellectual or cultural understanding of signs and planets is irrelevant, and can even be a hindrance, to the effective outcome of the work. What counts is instead to be open to contact that part, within us, that has an innate and authentic awareness of these energies. Usually, only a few moments of silence are enough, and it is amazing how significant emotions and experiences come out and easily take form, without the need of descriptions or interpretations.

For example, in the position of Mars or Sector 1, most people feel a great force, connect with their basic drives, find the courage to be themselves, manage to express what they feel, release anger, take the initiative and become self-assertive. Yet, they may also feel something totally different and this does not matter, for what counts is to have a direct experience and not to manipulate it according to intellectual understanding.[i]

We will provide further information on this astroshamanic approach in other articles in PAN. A lot of things can be written on this topic, yet in the end they are totally ineffectual if a direct experience is missing. All the writing about astroshamanism and similar topics serves mainly the purpose of stimulating an experience, and there is no way in which anything in this realm can be grasped intellectually. In this respect a major arena for experiences are the astroshamanic workshops, trainings (see calendar below), and individual sessions.

Photo: some members of the newly open astroshamanic healing centre, Provordo, in Jesi (Italy), using the astroshamamic cards.

Restoring the Fragmented Heart: Soul Retrieval and the Way of Sacred Relationships - Report on the Workshop by Dave Mountjoy

A very quiet Cluny Hill College hosted this astroshamanic workshop dedicated to soul retrieval and an exploration of sacred relationships. After registration on the Saturday afternoon, a brief outline of the possible structure for the week was given by Franco. Particular attention was given to the fact that the week would be shaped by the intentions of those present, who had been drawn in some way to participate. Why had we come? What did we want to achieve? What, most importantly, was our intention in regard to relationships and the fragmented heart?

So there we had it, right at the very beginning, from the horse's mouth so to speak. A clear message from the multidimensional broadcasting company that nothing is fixed. The structure is provisional and spontaneity a guiding force. The subject of death was also introduced during the initial stages. What relationships did we wish to give life to? To which ones could we give the kiss of death?

Yet another major focus for the week was the exploration and practice of recapitulation – the deleting of unnecessary folders full of file upon file of flotsam and jetsam. Such data continues to be recycled and replayed on the screen of everyday life until the moment of physical death. Practices such as recapitulation can provide opportunities for breaking this vicious circle and in so doing, creating space on the inner hard drive for a more authentic experience of life.

The richly laden banks of personal memory were trawled for human and non-human encounters which were then deposited into three differing categories: those that provided empowerment; ones which continued to create tension and finally, those that produced a neutral response. Twelve memory lists were thus created, with a loosely chronological structure. Each list could be seen as a folder, with the name of each person involved in the memory representing a file. After using the zodiac circle to discover which astrological sector of Cluny gardens to connect with and use as a home base, each of the ten participants embarked on a voyage of recapitulation, moving from sector to sector, until a complete circuit of the physical and energetic landscape had been made. In each sector and part of the garden, one file from the relevant list was chosen to represent the whole folder. An object was also gathered from each piece of the zodiac pie and used to create and altar back at home base. By bringing awareness to the event through conscious breathing and employing a recapitulation technique, it was possible for both file and folder to be deleted.

Such intense work, which continued outside actual group meeting time with various practices and 'homework assignments', was balanced with periods of silence and rest. Franco encouraged us to be aware of how much energy we invest in maintaining what we might see as our social identity. Abstinence from such interaction and the temptation to tell one or all about personal feelings and 'the life story' can lead to the redirection of energy towards the Intent and the gaining of clarity regarding our essence and Function. During one such period of silence and the subsequent recycling of energy, it became apparent to me that the hidden forces populating the environment of Cluny dining room wished to create some sense of balance. The whole room had been invited to eat in silence, to honour and support a group engaged in a Findhorn Foundation programme, who were in the midst of a silent retreat. After some minutes of silent calm, I sensed a slight disturbance in the atmosphere and looked up from my food to see several of the astroshamanic group wearing the most joyfully nonsensical grins upon their faces. Before long, it appeared as if the whole table was about to erupt with a spontaneous volcanic outpouring of molten mirth. A few snorts escaped and I prayed hard that I was blessed with an enormous fart, but alas it was not to be. When the mischievous energy subsided, I felt that somehow, the process of recapitulation had simply continued and that further space had been created on the hard drive of the Main Computer.

A trip to the coast [sorry, no buckets and spades] provided an opportunity for more silence and connection with the landscape. The wind blew and the sun really shone. Perhaps a time to begin to integrate some of what had happened in the earlier stages of the week? Perhaps an opportunity to wander with the waves, sit deep in the caves and relate with the shimmering beauty of nature? Perhaps, perhaps, a chance to question just what would be worth dying for? To what cause would I give my life, the breath and blood and bone? If death awaits and die I must, what deeds can be done before I rust? Such can be thoughts at the seaside.

As usual in most astroshamanic workshops held at Cluny, Thursday evening was reserved for trance dancing. On this occasion, participants were encouraged to share any ideas regarding the format of the dance, its possible structure and contributions they could make. Most chose to dance, some were called to assist and yet others to make music. Several versions of God Save the Queen [hinting at Franco's deepening relationship with this Great Britain] interspersed with spontaneous outbursts of live piano contributed to the atmosphere. More recapitulation. More space.

And so came completion and the official end of the workshop. Each member of the group chose their own way to express what had been experienced, achieved and discovered during a week of retrieval, restoration and recapitulation. And the work continues... (D.Mountjoy)

The songs Mi fido di te (I trust you) and A te (To you) by the Italian singer-songwriter Jovanotti were major hits during the above workshop. You can find A te online with English subtitles at: http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=jovanotti&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#q=jovanotti+english&hl=en&emb=0&client=firefox-a

Keep Clear: Access to Marriage Room – Road Ahead Closed by Franco Santoro

This is what I saw (see photo) a couple of weeks ago in front of the access to the marriage room at the Moray Council Building. This may not be the most welcoming scenery for a couple about to get married. Yet it has the advantage of dissipating the conventional glamour and confronting the bride and bridegroom with the pragmatic implications of their intention.

On that occasion I was there for a ceremony, though it was not a marriage in the conventional sense. It didn't involve a woman or a man. It was a wedding with the spirit of a land. Well, you may find more details towards the end of this ezine, yet now let's consider Gemini.

This entrance to the marriage room reminds me of Gemini, the master of free circulation and movement. Gemini is Air at its best, thriving through unconditional viability and despising stagnation or blocks of any kind. In the art of Tarot, Gemini is the sign associated with The Lovers: a very glamorous card, featuring a handsome couple standing in blameless nudity, with the sun shining upon them and a radiant angel dispensing blessings.

The Lovers and Gemini convey the idea of a couple far beyond standard romantic or social connotations. Gemini immediately suggests a light, innocent and playful rapport, rather than a traditional relationship or marriage. It is brotherhood and sisterhood that the angel appears to bless. This is also the essence that emerges out of deep relationships, when the outer layers are stripped and the couple can finally stand in authentic nudity.

The Lovers teach that love is primarily an act of sacred communication and alignment with the web of life. It is about responding to one's life authentic calling and to what or who we are truly passionately drawn, regardless of whether this fits with a conditioning or belief system. It means courageously standing by whomever and whatever deeply motivates us, be it a woman, a man, a country, an ideal, a vision...

The Lovers are an invitation to trust the heart, no matter how irrational or paradoxical it seems to be. They exhibit the access to a gateway, gently inciting to go for it. Yet, there is deep purity and responsibility at work here, which can easily be misled by conventional implications of the term "heart" and cause confusion. What inspires the Lovers' heart is not a romantic, sexual or earthly orientation. It is a state of pristine transparency, a graceful and natural surrender to infinity, through which the Lovers spontaneously blossom.

The nakedness of the lovers is a sign of multidimensional transparency. This implies an alternate commitment having often little to do with what lovers or couples traditionally do or are expected to do. Since this commitment rarely receives official acknowledgment in our ordinary reality, those who experience it may easily feel confused or out of place. And yet it is this unlabelled bonding that continues to inspire and generate true love throughout all ages on this planet.

The Lovers illustrate a multidimensional connection, which on one hand is beyond human understanding, while on the other is profoundly anchored in the quality of the human heart. It inevitably triggers a conflict between two parts of our nature and yet its function is to encourage them to communicate and finally join in their original wholeness. The association with Gemini emphasizes sacred communication, the profound need of the soul to get in touch with her twin, retrieving the fragmented self in the evident awareness of its immaculate original conception.

And most of all Gemini here stresses the need to keep the access clear, while also having the power to leaving the road ahead either open or closed.

Now some words of Osho on marriage:

"Love marriage' came into existence but is not going to survive, for the simple reason that love comes, happens, and one day suddenly goes. It was not in your hands to bring it; neither is it in your hands to keep it. The old marriage failed because the insistence was that you should love your wife, you should love your husband. It was a `should'. And you could not even conceive how you could love; at the most you could pretend, you could act. But love is not a pretension, is not an acting. You cannot do anything. You are absolutely powerless as far as love is concerned. The old marriage failed.

The new marriage is failing because the new marriage is simply a reaction to the old marriage. It is not out of understanding, but only out of reaction, revolt -- `love marriage.' You don't know what love is. You simply see some beautiful face, you see some beautiful body and you think, "My God, I am in love!" This love is not going to last, because after two days, seeing the same face for twenty-four hours a day, you will get bored. The same body... you have explored the whole topography; now there is nothing to explore. Exploring the same geography again and again, you feel like an idiot. What is the point? This love affair, this love marriage is failing, it has already failed. The reason is that you don't know how to wait so that love can happen.

I am not against marriage -- I am for love. If love becomes your marriage, good; but don't hope that marriage can bring love. That is not possible. Love can become a marriage. You have to work very consciously to transform your love into a marriage. Ordinarily, people destroy their love. They do EVERYTHING to destroy it and then they suffer. And they go on saying, "What went wrong?" They destroy -- they do everything to destroy it.

There is a tremendous desire and longing for love, but love needs great awareness. Only then can it reach its highest climax -- and that highest climax IS marriage. It has nothing to do with law. It is a merging of two hearts into totality. It is the functioning of two persons in synchronicity -- that is marriage.

But people try love and because they are unconscious...their longing is good, but their love is full of jealousy, full of possessiveness, full of anger, full of nastiness. Soon they destroy it. Hence for centuries they have depended on marriage. Better to start by marriage so that the law can protect you from destroying it. The society, the government, the court, the policeman, the priest, they will all force you to live in the institution of marriage, and you will be just a slave. If marriage is an institution, you are going to be a slave in it. Only slaves want to live in institutions.

Marriage is a totally different phenomenon: it is the climax of love. Then it is good. I am not against marriage -- I am for the REAL marriage. I am against the false, the pseudo, that exists. But it is an arrangement. It gives you a certain security, safety, occupation. It keeps you engaged. Otherwise, it gives you no enrichment, it gives you no nourishment."

Image: Access to Marriage Room at the Moray Council Building in Elgin (photo by Astrid Gude)

The Magician (Mercury): An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro

Before you read what follows please close your eyes for a while and imagine a Magician standing before you. Sense his presence and power. Be aware of how you feel as you face him. Notice if/how he looks at you and how you feel about him. Pay attention to whatever you perceive. Allow him to express if he has something to tell you or show to you. If there is something you want to say or ask, please feel free to do so, and be aware of his response or silence.

The journey through the Major Arcana meets here the Magician, associated with Mercury, ruler of Gemini and Virgo. This is one of the most alluring trumps within the customary idea most people have of the tarot, for it may conjures up references to Merlin, Gandalf, in The Lord of the Rings, Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, Don Juan Matus, the sorcerer in Castaneda's books, or other wizards throughout history, fantasy or both. Well, there is also a famous French tennis player, F. Santoro, nicknamed the Magician, yet that's another story.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Magician stands in front of a table, on which are placed the four suits of the Minor Arcana, i.e. Cup, Pentacle, Sword, and Wand. His right hand is raised heavenwards holding a magic wand while the left hand points downwards to the earth. This personifies the Hermetic concept set out in the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing.", which is also the essential principle of astrology.

From the Magician's perspective Heaven and Earth reflect each other, so that whatever exists at any level constitutes the replication of the same system. The basic experiential notion here is that through the unbending awareness of opposites, with their apparent separation, it is possible to grasp and even accomplish the miracle of unity. In contrast ordinary human beings, while also being aware of opposites and separation, end up remaining only at that level, even promoting further opposition and separation. The Magician sees separation as a strategic game, in which he plays with focused intention, juggling the pawns on the board and directing them accordingly. Ordinary people instead are merely pawns, at the mercy of conditioned emotions and thoughts, moving within the board, yet unable to acknowledge the board itself.

The Magician is the official starting point of the Major Arcana, the first trump, number one, and the formal entrance into the mystery voyage through the Tarot. It is a card of primary initiation. Its basic teaching points to the awareness that the access into the mystery occurs at two levels: the above and the below, the invisible and the visible, the inner and the outer, the physical and the multidimensional. On one side there are the external tools, such as the tarot cards, with their images, details and meaning. There are also books, teachers, courses, schools, orders, traditions and communities, providing tangible teachings and implements to facilitate the shamanic journey. On the other side there is your own connection with the unseen features of the initiation process, your inner guide, the core multidimensional identity and the vast spectrum of alternate realities. It is in this realm that the real understanding and power of the initiation is meant to emerge, and it is here that the apprentice is required to engage once he moves through the first gate.

The Magician also portrays the power of unity through manifestation, the capacity to use the basic ingredients of creation (the elemental emblems of the four suits) in order to give form to one's intention, yet in accordance with a vertical and multidimensional alignment, which his pose immediately conveys. Hence he represents the faculty to go beyond separation by putting together different ingredients and giving shape to a coherent unit, so as "to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing."

It is a card of magical skills, authority, refined persuasion, implying the power to influence people and their environment. The quality of this power is neutrality, which includes the capacity not to be drawn by confrontation and duality, keeping an unbending intent that transcends the limited perception of our separate world. When this quality is absent the Magician can easily become an avid manipulator, operating beyond the curtain so as to achieve personal gains or promote those of alien forces. And yet, from a human limited perspective, it is impossible to judge where the Magician stands, whether his aims are low or high, and what is truly behind his activities.

There are elements of unavoidable contradictions in his perceptible behaviour: illusionist-genuine, trickster-liberator, misleading-trustworthy, demonic-angelic… He is a champion of duplicity, always bringing awareness to both sides of the coin, yet with the aim of unveiling the ultimate unity beyond oppositions, which also involves the transformative power to shift from one polarity to the other. This allows him to face any challenge and convert all adversities to his advantage.

The domain of the Magician is the one of shamans and sorcerers, lying far beyond ordinary human awareness. "To be a sorcerer doesn't mean to practice witchcraft, or to work to affect people, or to be possessed by demons. To be a sorcerer means to reach a level of awareness that makes inconceivable things available. The term 'sorcery' is inadequate to express what sorcerers do, and so is the term 'shamanism.' The actions of sorcerers are exclusively in the realm of the abstract, the impersonal. Sorcerers struggle to reach a goal that has nothing to do with the quests of an average man. Sorcerers' aspirations are to reach infinity, and to be conscious of it." (Carlos Castaneda, The Active Side of Infinity, p. 69).

The symbol of infinity, the Lemniscate, abides above the Magician's head exemplifying the nature of his unbending intention. There are only three cards in the tarot deck that shows the symbol of infinity and these are the Magician, Strength and the Two of Cups, three basically different cards, constituting a trinity through which infinity can express. The Magician stands here as infinite creative willpower, the unifying factor of all possible aspects of creation and the massive force of adamant focused intention. When this card appears in a reading it brings awareness to these elements either in ourselves, as we project them on other people or as they exist in the universe.

The emergence of the Magician in a reading emphasises the potential for an empowering new course of action and abundant energy to take creative initiatives according to the intention of the person involved. It can also mean that someone else is exercising this power, perhaps in a manipulative and controversial way, and yet this person may simply be strategically there as a mirror to show us what we need to acquire and integrate within ourselves. Whether we feel it within or perceive it through other people, the lesson here is how to incorporate the power of the Magician and use it in accordance with our intention, possibly connected with the wider function of this universe at its best.

Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Letizia Mocchegiani

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.

For information about becoming a member of the Sacred Cone Circle, please contact Franco at info@astroshamanism.org

Name: Letizia Mocchegiani

Sun Sign: Virgo 4th House

Moon Sign: Scorpio 5th house

Ascendant: Gemini

Astroshamanic Trinity System: 6.8.3

Other relevant features in your astrological chart: Uranus alien power, Neptune alien vessel

Location: Jesi – Ancona (Italy)

Where are you originally from? I was born in Senigallia, yet I've always lived in Jesi.

Tell us about yourself and your interests. I am a graphic designer. I have always loved design and creativity, since the primary school I expressed my passion drawing imaginary symbols and pictures, then translated in spiritual themes.

How did you first connect with astroshamanic work?

A special event when I was 4 years old marked the beginning of my journey. My childhood was full of unusual and uncommon situations, mainly at night, which brought me far from reality, with moments of loneliness and detachment. These experiences with "other dimensions" have increased through time and now as an adult woman I understand the importance of expanding my perception and seeking for knowledge. After many practices of meditation, reiki, crystal therapy and psychological counseling, the unceasing need for knowledge inspired me to participate in a workshop where I met Franco and astroshamanic work, my most important teacher and mission.

Why are you involved with astroshamanic work?

I need to seek freedom from the illusions of this world. Astroshamanic work can help me in this respect.

What sorts of things inspire you in astroshamanism?

My Intent is to go beyond the appearances, harmonizing Heaven and Earth, maintaining the relationship of exchange between multi-dimensional and ordinary reality, and creating balance between worlds.

How long have you been involved with astroshamanism and other forms of spiritual healing or energy work? 22 April 2005, is when I met Franco Santoro and astroshamanism. Previously I was dedicated to the knowledge of spiritual disciplines and meditation techniques.

What types of astroshamanic activities, training and work do you take part in?

I'm concluding my third year of training, following three years of courses with Franco in Jesi, where I actually organize regular astroshamanic meetings. I helped to create and manage FLY, a Google group to share experiences and opinions on astroshamanic work. I give healing sessions on astroshamanic touch and core astroshamanism, using the circle on the floor and shamanic journeys. I designed the astroshamanic cards inspired by the energies of the Totem Spirits. I hold basic astroshamanic courses, events and rituals.

What are your favorite astroshamanic practices and experiences?

The Sacred Cone Ritual is my favourite practise. Initially I explored the Sacred Cone alone, now I refer to the cycles of Full/New Moon, and use group rituals to boost the energy of the practice, promoting exchanges between the multi-dimensional worlds. I am available to help those who are on their way and need support and encouragement to continue.

Why are they your favourites?

The Sacred Cone brings me back to ancient knowledge on the existing relationship between Heaven and Earth. The Sacred Cone solves my ancestral problems with the world differences and distances. I believe in a world of love and unity, where the truth is manifest, and finally the veil of illusions raised and I think that these Rituals can help me.

What is your current intent? becoming a competent astroshamanic facilitator, through Franco's coaching

Do you offer any astroshamanic or other healing services, sessions or events? If yes, what are they?

I offer a service and support for astroshamanic healing and release work, as an individual and collective, for the recovery of lost parts of the soul and to develop hidden potential.

What advice would you give anyone who was thinking of training or going deeper with astroshamanic work?

Join the game, and find your multidimensional self. It is essential to trust your energy, your experience. The change is absolutely possible, and depends on you. Thanks for the infinite beauty of life and thanks all those who live it with me.

Anything else you'd like to say to the group:

There is a divine plan that we don't understand and if we look only at our feet, we will not see it. Open your heart, mind, eyes! Only by saying it, it feels good. Try it!

Contact Information: Letizia@astroshamanism.org zone25@tele2.it

tel.+ 39 (0)731.206687 +39 348.9231998

Homecoming Scotland 2009: A Big Year for Caledonia

2009 is a big year for Scotland, for it marks the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the national poet. Yet more pragmatically it is a special year because the Scottish Government and local tourist organisations have designed a spectacular series of events aimed at attracting many visitors. This programme called Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrates the first ever Scottish Homecoming year. Organisations all over the country are holding Homecoming events and are eager to invite visitors. From Orkney to Aberdeen, from Oban to the Scottish Borders, there will be a packed calendar of events and activities to choose from, covering all main aspects of Scottish life and culture. The programme is particularly addressed to people of Scottish descent all over the world and to whoever simply loves Scotland. Hence, this is great year to visit Scotland and also to attend some of the astroshamanic workshops at the Findhorn Foundation. And please be aware that this year is very easy and cheap to get to Scotland (click here to know more).

For the occasion various Scottish stars are featured in a television advert as they sing the Caledonia anthem (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pszgxCKz-0s)

For more information see the official website of the programme: www.homecomingscotland.com.

What is Home to Me?

The place that feels familiar both in my dreams and in everyday life.

The place where I feel welcome and accepted,

the place that makes me happy,

for which I can live and die for,

and most of all,

the place where my deepest calling,

provisionally

and strategically,

leads me to be….

.....while beyond the playing shadows on the screen of death and life

at all times and spaces

the supreme abode keeps on being,

vanishing any trace of I

into infinity

A Memorable Time,

the vision of a life span, which I greet with an elfin tribute, yet without hesitation
for it deeply stirs in my vein.

I will not go into the details of this event, and its profound connotations, though I may perhaps one day articulate more.

As for now, I move into a reverent silence, allowing the picture to speak for itself, and the words to do so as well, conveying what they mean for me, and also what cannot be conveyed, what the pictures and sounds fail to unveil, what is most intimate and can only be grasped, when the eyes that look, with the ears that listen to, fade away, and the eyes that see, and the ears that hear,
finally emerge….

With all the very best of love, AFS

The Singular Adventures of Mandarino Kid by Sergio Di Martino

I'm not really sure what this photo blog is all about… Mandarino Kid was initially meant as a showcase for pictures of plants and gardens I would take quite casually while at work in gardens. Soon I realized there were more pictures I was going to show that would reveal quite a lot about me as well as the subjects I was trying to portray.

And who was this character slowly emerging through my pictures? With his own personality, similar but slightly different from my own, and his own way of relating with people… It's all been very interesting, this photo blog turned out to be a wonderful tool to explore personal issues, recover long forgotten aspects of myself and release old stuff.

I was not alone on this journey since a photo blog is designed to share our pictures and bear witness of whatever is meaningful and important to us, like the days I spent in Findhorn, attending Franco's and Sverre's workshop "Being with the Spirit of Cluny Gardens" http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandarinokid/sets/72157616820940962/

Forthcoming Astroshamanic Events

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

All events are held by Franco Santoro, except where otherwise indicated.

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. If you have never been to the Findhorn Foundation this is your chance to deepen your connection with the original principles of our spiritual community. 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. Income related price (click here for more information) £475 / £565 / £665. Bursaries may be available on request. If you wish to attend please book at your early convenience: bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

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. This gathering requires previous participation to an astroshamanic workshop. The workshop is in English and Italian.

Income related price: Euro 496 - 466 - 436. The cost includes half-board (breakfast and dinner), accommodation in two or three-bedded rooms with bathroom and kitchen. The Gathering starts at 2 pm on Friday 3 July and ends in the early afternoon on Tuesday 7 July. Please book at your earliest convenience with a non-refundable deposit of Euro 90. It is also possible to stay additional nights. The event takes place at Agriturismo Casa Faustina (see www.casafaustina.it).

If you wish to attend please contact Letizia (see details below).

Information: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 or 3489231998, zone25@tele2.it.

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 11-12 July 2009, Sacred Circle Management - Formazione in Metodologie di Guarigione Astrosciamanica (in Italian)

For a video with an example of an astroshamanic trance dance click:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lPKyvriQ8

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

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 5-6 September 2009, Sacred Circle Management - Formazione in Metodologie di Guarigione Astrosciamanica. Corso Base di Gestione Operativa del Cerchio di Guarigione, con Elementi di Astrologia Esperienziale Energetica e Astrosciamanesimo Applicato (in Italian)

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. (click here for more information)

Findhorn Foundation, 29 December 2009 - 5 January 2010, New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat

Astroshamanic Trainings:

PAN on-line: You can find an abridged edition of the latest issues of PAN on-line at http://panissue.blogspot.com/. The abridged Italian edition is at http://panitalico.blogspot.com/, while the full edition is available on request. The abridged Spanish edition is at http://panhispano.blogspot.com/ and the full edition is available on request.

[i] To help the above experiences a deck called Provisional Astroshamanic Cards has been recently designed. This is a simple and powerful tool that efficiently condenses the essence of astroshamanic cosmology and astrological language. Created by Letizia Mocchegiani and Franco Santoro, their purpose is to set up and operate the basic structure of the astrological circle, or circle on the floor, for shamanic journeys, experiential astrology, healing and rituals, with individual or group work. The deck consists of 19 cards incorporating the 12 astroshamanic sectors (encompassing zodiac signs, houses and planets), the four horizontal directions (East, South, West and North, each associated with an element and season) and the three vertical directions (Higher, Lower and Middle World). Each of the 12 zodiac card depicts the traditional astrological glyph and references, together with the icon of the totem spirit and an astroshamanic seal, both aimed at supporting deep trance work and incorporation of the spirit and soul's essence of the sector involved. For further information see: http://astroshamaniccards.blogspot.com/