Mark & NickiDear Friends,

I'm finding aging to be somewhat like childbirth. No one ever talked about it in my family or circles, and so it came as a bit of a shock to begin losing my memory and discovering that I am slower with my thought processes. Occasionally that causes confusion for those around me, and, thankfully, when my husband Mark is around, he can usually find a way to make us all laugh at whatever silly situation I have created. I'm reminded of Lucille Ball from the "I love Lucy show whenever Mark lovingly points out the silliness of the moment.

I asked Mark how he does it, kind of assuming that he would be feeling the vibe and looking for a way to interject humor into whatever stressful situation was happening. To my surprise, he thought for a moment, and then replied, "I look for that place in my heart where joy lives, and speak from there."

My surprise was palpable. I wanted to know more, like exactly how he does that. Mark is a remarkable man, gentle, kind, smart, and funny. Sometimes I call him my conscience, because I look at him to catch me when I go off the rails or slip onto the low road, so to speak. I depend on him to make sure that everything that goes out of this office, including newsletters and even books, is read and checked by Mark. He keeps me humble, and I cannot count the times I've removed words or statements that could be construed as self-aggrandizing.

I didn't get a chance to ask Mark my question, we're on opposite sides of the country, so I decided to write this newsletter and present you with a challenge. On the surface it seems a simple, straight-forward concept: look for that place in your heart where joy lives, and speak from there. How would you put that? Would it make a valuable journey? How would you phrase it so that people can find that place in this time of stress, pressure, conflict, fear and the inevitable mistakes that we make every day?

If you can come up with a path or a journey, perhaps we can do a Planetary Healing Call to Action and you can lead it. Or if you are shy, I will lead it. I look forward to your thoughts.

Meanwhile, even as my aging is affecting my memory and my stamina, it has its upside. I have become an elder in the movement in which I was part of the vanguard, the psychedelic warriors who had no teachers or elders to guide us at the time (for me it started in 1964), and I delight in any opportunity to support the next generation and the millennials that are discovering the new (old) medicines that have come forward to be the guides and teachers of our current, equally if not more, chaotic time. As one who has used plant allies to open up visionary states of consciousness, I applaud the work of this new era of explorers like Lorna Liana, whose mission has led her to her career as a new media strategist, helping become visionaries, and visionaries ignite a movement. She has gathered a stellar list of modern-day shamanic practitioners to share their wisdom on how to access visionary states, learn from the intuition as it reveals itself, assimilate those lessons, and cultivate relationships with plant allies and spirit guides, all while fulfilling your soul's purpose in a way that makes a lasting impact in the world. Check out the list of speakers at the link below.

The Modern Shaman Summit with Lorna Liana

November 3-12, 2016

In 2004 my friend and colleague Lorna Li received a message from the Forest while she was living with the indigenous shamans in the Brazilian Amazon. She was told to "leverage emerging technologies to preserve indigenous traditions, so that ancient wisdom can benefit the modern world, and technology can empower indigenous people For those of you that know me well, you know that her guidance and mission is in alignment with my own, and when I was invited to participate in her Modern Shaman Summit, I knew I wanted to be part of it. Lorna's topics include: Mushroom shamanism and mediumship. Kambo – spiritual healing with Amazonian frog medicine and the science behind it. Accessing ancient Egyptian deities as spiritual allies (yes, that's me!) Cultivating relationships with spirit guides and power animals And much more…

I am offering a gift to those who sign up through me for this summit, and Lorna is also giving an extra bonus gift. She is providing a gorgeous eBook called "8 Signs You Are Aligned with Your Visionary Purpose." I'm loving participating in these free summits, because I think the more perspectives we get on the subject, especially of shamanism, the more people will understand how they can use many of the tools, even though they may not be called to be shamans, I also have a strong belief that sacred medicines are coming forward to help the crustiest of us, as they did for me way back when…

My video interview with Lorna will be aired on November 5 at noon. My interview includes a meditation with direct access to Thoth, or whatever Egyptian deity will be there to help you deal with whatever is happening in your life. Although I support and have used various entheogens to assist me in bringing my work, it has always been my commitment to provide the same level of access without the need for divine medicines, for whom many of my students are far too sensitive.

Also, just learned that the Modern Shaman Summit ENCORE is November 13- November 15, 2016. Click here to catch it for free: http://entheonation.com/nicki

Embodied Shamanism, Shape Shifting into Living a Life You Love, with Michael Stone

seven-week class starting November 2

There are so many great summits and classes on shamanism that are happening now, from many quality teachers. The great thing is that you can do all of them, as each has a different perspective, and some are free. My friend Michel Stone, whose work I really appreciate, has a new seven-week live on line course starting Wednesday, November 2, at 5pm called Embodied Shamanism: Shapeshifting into Living a Life you Love. If you want to hear him speak before committing, let us know and we will send you a link to a recording of one of the free calls he did recently. I listened to one of them and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I highly recommend his work.

To learn more about Michael's class and to register, go to https://im332.isrefer.com/go/EmbodiedShamanism/Nicki/

Normandi, Nicki, Mohammed, & SandraShamanic Journeys Egypt Tours, 2016-2017:

My heart is longing for Egypt! It's been way too long since I've sailed the Nile and felt the sands and all that lays beneath, hidden from view yet accessible with an open heart and mind.

Thankfully, there are still people wanting to experience Egypt in a shamanistic way, with access to the mysteries through direct experience, and the great teachers I've been working with all these years are still leading them. There is a tour November 26- December 10 with Normandi Ellis and Indigo Rønlov that still has room for a couple of spontaneous adventurers, and the Spring 2017 Equinox tour is filling, in spite of the "alleged instability in the Middle East. Yes, the Middle East is having its problems, but at this point, where isn't? We are finding the same warm, friendly and welcoming Egyptian people that make Egypt one of the most hospitable countries in the world. And with our luxurious boat, the dahabeya Afandina, we are on the Nile for nine nights, with the freedom to go where the larger boats can't, and can avoid the tourist crowds at the monuments we don't simply rent for private visits during sunrises or at other times when the temples are closed to the public. Our agents there are like family and our safety is more than just a job, its personal.

The following is a note from Sandra Corcoran, who, with Normandi Ellis, will be leading the March 17-31, 2017 Egyptian Mysteries Pilgrimage, Witness the Ancient Ones through Visioning, Dreaming and Writing:

"Falling in love is a magical thing. It is a moment when everything seems to come together and you arrive at a feeling of light and joy and expectation and wonder. I fell in love many years ago with Peru and her people. I continue to take groups there, but never thought I would find myself in another place that elicited equally deep emotions on such a visceral level.

"I was wrong. I traveled with Nicki Scully, Normandi Ellis, and a co-sister, Indigo Rønlov, a few years back, and was led through the sites and rites that Nicki has established for these past 30 years in Egypt. I have been back since as a co-teacher with Indigo, and now have the honor of sharing time and space as a co-leader in March, 2017 with Normandi Ellis.

"Egypt is so grand, so vibratory, so ancient, and so soulful; it is hard to encapsulate so much emotion into words. Whether doing sunrise ceremony between the paws of the sphinx, witnessing the grand staircase light up at Queen Hatshepsut's sanctuary' passing through the causeway of ram headed protector sphinxes that line the avenue at Karnak as you make your way to the grand lady, Sekhmet, or silently walk in darkness to honor Isis in her temple and align your intentions as you watch the sunrise glinting on the waters of Lake Nasser—these moments take you through time, and space and breath. They take your breath away.

"I invite you to touch the wonder that is Egypt with Normandi and me in March, 2017, when we welcome the Vernal Equinox between the paws of the Great Sphinx and walk through the &lsquosands of time' to many sites throughout this land of majesty, mystery and magic. You will not be disappointed, and your soul will thank you.

If you can't move fast enough to make the November tour, and the March one won't work for you, you can still join us on one of our tours in the fall of 2017. There are two of them, including one for couples. Please see www.shamanicjourneys.com for further information, or email us with a request for information.

And finally, regardless of whatever insanity is going on around your own life, make sure that you VOTE!!! There has never been as much at stake as in this election

With prayers for peace and a harmonic resolution to all our personal and planetary challenges,

Nicki Scully