VISION FAST NATURE SOLO
Sept 10th-17th 2024
The Vision Fast is a cross-cultural ceremony that is at the basis of every religion. Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed all spent time alone, fasting in nature to nurture their visions. Among Native Americans, this tradition is a rite of passage. In the Lakota language, vision quest translates as “Hanblecha,” which literally means “crying out,” referring to crying out to the Great Spirit for help with your vision. It is a traditional and sacred ceremony where one makes an offering of fasting and prayers in order to experience one’s true self and deepest nature with the help of the Creator and Creatrix, the Earth Mother, the Sky Father, and all of nature including the sun, moon, stars, winds, spiritual guardians of the directions and the spirits of the land where you are sitting. Through this process we can often find clarity about our life’s purpose and the things that may be in the way of realizing it. Ultimately we hope to come away with how we can be of service in this lifetime to all of our relations.
The actual vision quest part will be over four nights,
During quest time you will be refraining from food completely but you will have the option of drinking water should you choose to do so. If you choose not to drink water that is fine too but it will be there if you feel you need it.
During the time you are questing we will be holding space for you around a sacred fire. There will be other supporters that will be coming and going as well to sit and hold space by singing songs and making prayers and offerings to the fire on your behalf.
When we Quest alone on the land in contemplation and prayer, we ponder the place where our individual dream weaves with the Dream of the Earth, says Doug Van Houten of Animas Valley Institute. We sleep on the land to remind ourselves that we, too, are nature, and to ask that Her dream starts to infuse our own. Without phones, food, or other humans, our bodies begin to slow to “primal reality,” as my teacher, Sparrow Hart of Circles of Air and Stone calls it, Our heartbeats coming into alignment with the rhythm of the Earth.
Schedule
Hosted in The Berkshires, MA
Sandisfield, Ganesha Mountain Otis woods
Tues, Sept 10th
10am~arrival
11am to 1pm~set up at base camp
2pm lunch
3pm Opening introductions &
and intentions for your vision fast
6pm dinner
Wed, Sept 11th
9 am breakfast
10am Prep for quest
1pm lunch
2pm prep for quest
6pm dinner
Thurs, Sept 12th
9am sweat lodge
12pm silence & solo begins
Fri Sept 13th
Solo
Sat 14th
Solo
Sun Sept 15th
5pm Solo comes to a close, we will come and get you from your spots in the forrest
7pm Dinner - Break the fast
Mon Sept 16th
9am breakfast
10am integration insights reflections and dreamworks
1pm lunch
integration insights reflections and dreamworks
5pm closing feast
Tues Sept 17th
9am breakfast, rest of day is yours to have-
snacks & free time for lake swimming, resting listening journaling and taking care preparing for a smooth transition back home
Departures at 5pm
Without any distractions, we can begin to tap into our souls, which are the deepest nature within us, the part of us least affected by culture.
We begin to contemplate our place in the cosmos in a way that we humans —who live in air-conditioned houses and sleep on comfortable beds— rarely do. We see our place within the vast web of life more clearly. Our awareness floats outward to encompass the reality of what we are—a strange mixture of stardust floating on a planet in a solar system in a vast unknowable universe.
During a quest, time slows down so we can be with ourselves and be present, be stil. There is nowhere to go and nothing to do. Each moment stretches on and on but it’s all really one moment, set against a backdrop of the Sun and the Moon and the Forest.
On a vision fast, we leave the modern world behind for a time to sit with ourselves and the land and Great Spirit in the hopes of understanding what we were born in this lifetime to do. What is our calling? What will benefit not only ourselves but the whole cycle of creation? In the Four Shields Medicine Wheel teachings, the North is the direction of adulthood. As adults of the North, adults of this world, we see beyond ourselves and understand that to be part of the Great Cycle of life, we must take part in the Great Giveaway. As adults in the North, we begin to think more about giving than getting. We ask ourselves, “What gifts do we have to give our people?”
According to Sparrow Hart, the Great Giveaway is explained like this: Grass feeds deer, deer flourishes. Humans eat deer, humans flourish. Humans care for the grass, and then die, feeding the grass, so grass flourishes. The idea is that by giving the best of our nature to the Great Cycle, we all flourish. When the cycle is healthy, explains Sparrow Hart, all flourish by giving away that which they came here to give.
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On Fasting:
The fast itself is a ritual in that it changes one’s consciousness on a deep level. It is also a sacrifice that says to Spirit that we are willing to give something up in a ceremonial context in order to deepen our relationship with the Great Mystery. You are asking your spirit to be fed.
During a fast awareness expands, It produces dream-like, fluid states of being.
In fasting and questing, we give up the needs of the three lower chakras in order to fill the higher three chakras. Our senses are fed, heart, soul, imagination, We are filled with insight, beauty, presence, place, and spirit’s will for us.
The body becomes more hollow as we stop giving in to its daily functions contained within the digestive system. We empty, open, and humble ourselves.
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Ritual & Ceremony Rites
Ceremony and Ritual are languages that speak to the oldest parts of the human brain, where language does not penetrate.
Language, words and rationality are how the conscious part of our psyche speaks. Symbols, imagery, music, and creating sacred experiences through the portal of ceremony are the language of the old brain, the subconscious part of us, our souls. Ceremonies have the ability to affect our psyches in a deeper way than language can.When we want to make real change in our lives, we want to access the subconscious. When we perform ceremony, we create a bridge between the material world and the world of the unseen. The unseen thoughts and beliefs in our minds and spirits spin out into the material world to create form. Ceremony is a powerful tool to create and transform the world of form. By opening to the power of the Spirit World, having a strong intention, and staying focused and engaged during the ceremony, we create a powerful collective field of energy where the threads of creation manifest into form.
Registration
You have made it to this stage of the Vision Fast Solo process! Congratulations. If you're nervous, we get it. This is one of the most powerful ceremonies of transformation we know, and in our experience, all the parts of us that are about to grow start making themselves felt, and its natural to feel all the feels. It’s also exciting at the same time :) To continue on this path, we need a few things from you.
If you do feel the call to join (and it usually is a call, a deep tug inside) and you wish to register, please fill out this application form. It's quite extensive. Your participation is dependant on this section being completed. Your answers mean we are able to meet your needs during your Vision Fast. If you have any queries, just get in touch and we can walk you through it.
We will be holding our next Solo in June or July of 2025 for those interested in making Quest a part off their lives.
You're already starting a deep exploration into your story, and deeper than that, into the expression you truly are. This is an essential part of Vision Fast; sifting through your own deep material so that whatever is ready to move has a clear pathway to do so. We will support you in this journey, but ultimately, the beauty of Vision Fast is that your own heart and wisdom is your truest guide. We can open the door for you, and watch it with vigilance, but the decision to go through, and whatever happens there, is your own perfect journey.
The early registration fee for this program is $1395, applicable if you complete the required forms and paperwork 30 days or more in advance.
After that, the fee is $1595.
This is including all food before and after the solo, all preparation and integration, and tending fire and Protection during your solo time.
To secure your spot, a non-refundable deposit of $400 is required upon advance registration, with the remaining balance due 30 days before the program begins.
Once we receive your registration and deposit, you will receive a Welcome Letter containing important information. This letter, along with a comprehensive packet, will include a vision quest guidebook, transportation and equipment details, preparation instructions (including writing a letter of intention), and a health questionnaire with a liability release form.
Before committing, take thoughtful consideration to ensure your readiness for this journey. It is common to experience indecision and anxiety as the quest dates draw near. Making the choice to act based on our purposes and intentions rather than our fears is an empowering decision. If unforeseen circumstances arise and you inform us at least one month before your scheduled start date, your registration deposit may be applied to another program within a year of your initial registration. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide refunds for cancellations or postponements received less than 30 days before the program starts. In the rare event of a program cancellation by us, you will receive a full refund.
If you have a sincere intent to participate but are unable to afford the full program cost at this time, we may be able to arrange payment plans or scholarship assistance based on need, circumstances, and available funds. Please reach out via phone or email to explore these options.
We are very much looking forward to providing you with space, heart and tools to support your unfolding journey.
With Love and blessings,
Antonia & Roger and all of your Sentient friends here on Ganesh Mountain.
There is simply nothing more fundamentally authentic than being in direct, prayerful relationship with the land, surrounded by its power and beauty, face to face with the fears that come when we strip away the distractions between us and the spirit of life, and open to the communications and healing we receive.
Feel free to reach out with any queries. We look forward to hearing from you :)
