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April 2013 Newsletter
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Shamanic Journeys & Alchemical Healing Monthly Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Care to join me as I rekindle my optimism in these strange and troubled times? Instead of buying into Chicken Little's frantic fear and dismay, I choose to honor the heroes in Boston and Texas. Instead of bemoaning the dark shenanigans in our country's capital and corporate citadels, I choose to salute those brave lawmakers who stand up to the lies Big Money is promoting.

Having returned from an exquisite journey through Egypt and Jordan, and in the comfort of the crook of Mark's shoulder, I find myself attempting to turn the passion of crisis and loss into an opportunity to make more healing happen. (see announcements below)

Tales from the road—Egypt and Jordan

I keep thinking and saying that I'm going to slow down, and then I go back to Egypt again and realize that I just can't stop. Egypt, and the ancient Egyptian mysteries in particular, is my passion. From the first day I landed in Cairo in 1978 with the Grateful Dead family, I was captivated with the synchronicities and magic that permeated my experience; yet I didn't have a clue where it came from or where it would lead. I just knew I had in some way come home, and that I had to return—again and again.

It was on the Nile in 1979 that I found myself committing to becoming a healer, although I had no real idea what that commitment would entail. We fit right in…I met with many magic synchronicities along the way, and through studying healing I came to know my spiritual family, including the natural world of plant, animal, and mineral totems as well as ancestors and deities of many pantheons, especially the neteru of Egypt. It was those developing and deepening relationships that inspired me to begin taking groups to Egypt. At the core of my physical family in Egypt are Mohamed Nazmy, the president of Quest Travel and the "surgeon" that makes it all happen, and Emil Shaker, our "magician" Egyptologist who shares Egypt from his heart, their families and staff, and the many friends I've made over the years.

I soon realized that taking groups to Egypt was a way to go to school to study with these great teachers in their temples and sanctuaries, and to share the joy and the feasts of magical experience with my friends and students. The wonderful thing about the mysteries is that the more you probe, the deeper you get—and there is no end to the journey. And the more I get to know the neteru, the gods and goddesses to whom those monuments areMartina & Nicki with Sekhmet dedicated, the more familial they feel, so it's like going to hang out with friends who know how to throw a party. I have yet to find a more joyful way to do this important personal and planetary transformational healing work than traveling through Egypt in the way our tours have developed.

During this latest tour while co-leading with Martina Hoffmann, when we were serenely floating down the Nile on our luxurious private dahabeya, we tied up on islands for the night, and painted and visited villages and temples during the day. We would gather in circle to share our experience, and one evening we practiced "goddess karaoke", a hilarious way to learn the myths of Egypt by acting them out, as taught to me by Normandi Ellis. It was easy to forget the unrest in the world, and yet global healing is at the forefront of the Egyptian Mysteries work we were doing. Please note that we felt safe, nourished and welcomed during every moment of our time in Egypt. We had the temples to ourselves most all of the time, with ample opportunities to complete Ammarin Bedouin Campour ceremonial work without interruption. I will post an album on Facebook that captures the joy, beauty, and depth of our experience. There are a number of tagged posts already there with lots of photos.

In Jordan we stayed at the Ammarin Bedouin Camp, located in an exquisite valley right next to Little Petra, from where we could hike to the top of the mountains and gaze enraptured over the Great Rift Valley. To our left we could see Egypt; straight ahead was Israel, and to the right was Saudi Arabia. I have yet to see a photo that captures the magnificence of that particular view. Petra speaks for itself—it stands as one of the greatest marvels of the world—however our journey out of the park through the mountains to a Bedouin village by donkey was a highlight of our time there.

The next day, when we visited one of the last remaining nomadic herding women in the mountains near Petra, many of us saw for the first time what it means to be fully reliant on the land in a place of scarce resources. Clinging to the old ways, this hospitable woman shared tea with us her staples of dried yoghurt, goat butter, and delicious fresh flat bread. Her land supports approximately 150 goats, a couple of horses, and a young orphaned camel, plus her children and a new grandchild. Her tent is a bit raggedy, but roomy and warm around the fire. Her smile was unforgettable (see photo) as she enjoyed our appreciation of her offerings.

At the end of the Jordan extension, as my group made their way to the airport, I stayed in Amman and taught a class in Alchemical Healing and the Anubis Oracle to ten Jordanians for a day and a half. What a lovely surprise to be welcomed by a group of well-prepared, sophisticated women (+ one man), all of whom have previously studied various meditation and healing forms, allowing for deep and meaningful interactions all around. I look forward to returning to Jordan and continuing to nurture the seeds that were planted there. (Please note: Jordan is added as an extension for groups that are interested and when the weather is right for staying at our beautiful Bedouin camp.)

Brad and Indigo

Seeing Egypt and Jordan, through the eyes of new and repeat participants year after year never grows old, and the explorations of the mysteries is never boring. Each tour has its own dynamic, it's unique character and characters, and a new ancient alchemical process that brings unimagined surprises for our circle that we hope radiates out and brings needed transformation to each participant and peace and healing to the hearts of all sentient beings.

Now that I am home, the joy and the love still lingers. It wraps around the sordid current events like a soothing balm and seeps into my prayers for those in Boston and Texas, Syria and all places of terror, tyranny and violence, and hopefully into the hearts and minds of all those who continue to perpetrate fear and hatred.

Please join me as I continue sharing the tools in my continuously growing medicine bag. We've got lots coming up right away and in the next few months. Please keep reading and sharing these opportunities with all those you know that might be interested.

With love, blessings, and joy,
Nicki Scully

Planetary Healing Call to Action
April 25 6pm Pacific

For Mark and me, the next action is our upcoming free Planetary Healing Call to Action in hopes of transforming the flames of grief and anger over recent events into a powerful healing ceremony. I'm not sure yet how that will translate, but our intention is to engage in a ritual with our ever expanding circle, hopefully including you, that will direct our energy and intention toward the roots of the misguided hatreds that lead to tragedies such as the Boston Marathon bombings, the Newtown massacre, and the ongoing violence and misogyny plaguing our country and our planet. It's a powerful time to bring our tools and all that we have learned and been gifted with into these visionary experiences in order to lift our spirits and find our unique directions to help change things. Please join us in making this magic happen. When you register, please offer any suggestion you might have regarding what this ritual might include. In the meantime, we will consult our oracle for further direction regarding our ritual. If you have not joined one of our Calls to Action in the past, please check out our website, PlanetaryHealingBook.com, and the new Planetary Healing Facebook Group. Register online here.

Alchemical Healing Levels I and II Tele/Web/Skype Seminars with Nicki
All classes held from 5:30 to 7:30pm Pacific time (8:30 to 10:30pm Eastern),
Monday and Thursday Evenings
Level I: April 29, May 2, 6, and 9
Level II: May 13, 16, 20, and 23

It feels imperative to reach more people with the tools of Alchemical Healing., especially in light of my experience teaching in Amman, Jordan a couple of weeks ago. I sometimes wonder if the synchronicities of timing are pre-ordained or accidental, however the opportunity has been set into place, with a lot of work from my staff while I was gone to learn the new tele-Skype-webinar program that we will be using in our upcoming Alchemical Healing I and/or II seminars throughout the month of May. (Level I is prerequisite to Level II.) You can participate from the comfort of your own home. Each session includes empowerments, demonstrations, and discussions. You will be able to practice, virtually, with me and other participants both online and with predetermined partners between classes. Whether for a tune-up for previous students, or for the tremendous leap in personal empowerment that these Alchemical Healing courses offer, both for self-healing and the healing of others, this will be a startling adventure into the comprehensive form I've created and published in Alchemical Healing, A Guide to Spiritual, Physical, and Transformational Healing, which is a required text. We will also be using Power Animal Meditations, Shamanic Journeys with your Spirit Allies. These and other relevant books are available at our online store. Students who order any three books published by Bear & Co on our HathorsMirror.com site will get a 30% discount on them. For more information about Alchemical Healing and the classes, see our Classes Page at ShamanicJourneys.com. You can register online here.

It occurs to me that if enough folks are ready, I would like to make my annual summer Alchemical Healing Intensive retreat for advanced students only.

This year's retreat is tentatively planned for eight days again, perhaps August 29-September 5. We're still honing in on our exact dates and subject, as things are still somewhat fluid. I'd like to hear from you whether you would like this retreat to be Level III and beyond.

For a face to face class with a wonderful friend and collegue, please join Debbie Clarkin for

Alchemical Healing Levels I and II
with Debbie Clarkin at Serenity Yoga in Southwold, Ontario, Canada
Level 1 : April 26- 28
Level 2: May 3- 5

Meals included, and some accommodations available. Please visit www.debbieclarkin.com for more information.

Upcoming Egyptian Mysteries retreat and Tours

Normandi and I will be doing several days of the Egyptian Mysteries during Summer Solstice weekend this year:

Exploring the Great Work: An Egyptian Mysteries Retreat
Co-Created & Led by Normandi Ellis & Nicki Scully
June 20 - 24, 2013 in Eugene, Oregon

Normandi Ellis (author of six books, including Awakening Osiris, Dreams of Isis, and Feasts of Light) and Nicki Scully will be co-leading this intensive exploration of the ancient Egyptian teachings in a new, modern context. Under the guidance of Thoth, the lunar god of wisdom, and Isis, the Great Mother Goddess, we will learn how the ancients worked with natural laws that enhanced their abilities to create opportunities for magic to happen, and how that work can prepare us for the next stage of our evolutionary process. Here is a brief quote from Normandi's latest book, Imagining the World Into Existence:

"Regardless of the degree of initiation, spiritual celebrations, and communion still have a profound psychic effect on the individual. The mysteries always call upon us to turn inward and to face the unknown with strength. There was an outer ceremony for nearly every Egyptian, but there was an inner articulation of the mystery for only a few. That's not surprising. Religion is probably the most misunderstood concept of all—primarily because religion is a subcategory of a larger concept, which is spirituality and unity with the Divine.

"…In death initiations one contacts the sorrowful mysteries, but the joyful mysteries lie beneath them. The sarcophagus in which the body is placed bears upon its coffin lid the image of the sky goddess bending over the dead. Literally the word sarcophagus means "sacred eating." At the end of the day, the goddess ingests the sun, and it travels through her dark body in the same way that the soul of light is swallowed by death and returns to its source. There, in the dark and stillness, one gestates a new life. The tomb is the womb of the goddess—‚an entrance and exit. In the words of the hierophant Hermes Trismegestus, "There where everything ends, all begins eternally.

"Such was the way of mystery initiations performed under the veil of night. Moving beyond the dark night of the soul, one may burst forth into ecstatic states of poetry, illumination, and wisdom. It is the darkness that provides new meaning for the light."

This retreat will be held at Nicki's home/center, the Lyceum of Shamanic Egypt, located in the hills near Eugene, Oregon. The retreat begins with an early dinner on June 20 (allowing people the early part of the day to arrive and get comfortable), and finishes in the late afternoon, depending upon people's flight needs on June 24. Most meals from Thursday dinner through Monday lunch will be catered.

For more information/to register please visit Hathor's Mirror.

My October tour with Sandra Corcoran is full, however with this much time before the trip I suggest that if you are interested, sign up for the waiting list. The next Shamanic Journeys Egypt tour is:

The Goddess Tour of Egypt: Weaving a New Dream
with Normandi Ellis and Gloria Taylor Brown
September 19 ~ October 3, 2013

To learn more about this amazing oppotunity, please join us on our free introductory tele/skype conference call Wednesday, April 24th at 6:00pm Pacific

Two of my favorite Egyptian Priestesses and authors, Normandi Ellis and Gloria Taylor Brown, will be presenting an amazing tour in September. To fully comprehend the value of traveling with these magical women, I suggest you look up their writings. Normandi is an acclaimed scholar and award winning author. Awakening Osiris should be in every spiritual library, and her latest book, Imagining the World into Existence, an Ancient Egyptian Manual of Consciousness, according to Jean Houston in her foreword, "Quite simply, this is a masterpiece." For a taste of the flavor of Normandi and Gloria co-leading a tour, I recommend Invoking the Scribes of Ancient Egypt, the Initiatory Path of Spiritual Journaling, which follows that last sacred journey of self-discovery they led two years ago. (Both are available at www.hathorsmirror.com), where you can learn more about their writings.

Please join us for the introductory free call

While the primary purpose of the call is to talk about Egypt and what Normandi and Gloria plan to do during their tour in September, I plan to be on the call to introduce them and say a few words about the upcoming Egyptian Mysteries retreat.

Register for this free conference call here…

For more information regarding the tour, please visit wwww.shamanicjourneys.com

The 12th Annual Global Light Conference
June 12 - 16, 2013 in Las Vegas

Nicki will be doing a keynote address and ceremony June 12 including her friend, singer and songwriter Alexa Macdonald. For further information, please contact the Conference Coordinators David Bungert and Jane Hennessy: conference@circlesoflight.net

The 7th Annual Women's Visionary Congress
June 14 - 16, 2013 in Petaluma, CA

The seventh annual Women's Visionary Congress (WVC) will take place June 14 - 16, 2013 at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) Earthrise Retreat Center, near Petaluma, California. The WVC is a gathering of visionary women healers, scholars, activists and artists who study consciousness and altered states. The gathering supports the transfer of knowledge among women who apply the insights of their research and spiritual path. The WVC welcomes interested women and men to join us as we talk, dance, eat and participate in a series of conversations with wise women. Presenters at the 2013 WVC include anthropologist Beatriz Labate, alchemical healer Nicki Scully, and philosopher and psychologist Ralph Metzner. The WVC is a benefit for the V Fund that makes grants to support the work of visionary women. Tickets are $350 which includes delicious food, lodging and a $75 membership to the Women's Visionary Council, the 501(c)3 nonprofit which organizes the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Natalie Engber at info@visionarycongress.org.

What Our Friends are Up To: 3 Nights of Ceremony

Illumination : The Sacred Fire Gathering A Peak Experience Production in collaboration with the Beloved Festival August 1-4 in Tidewater Oregon

Johnny Dwork is once again producing this alchemical fire circle retreat with the McBrides and crew. If you love drumming, singing, dancing, and conscious celebration; if you love ritual culture and want to participate in a unique ceremonial experience… your heart will find a home at Illumination—a modern renewal of the original human technology for self-actualization: The Sacred Fire Circle.

For three nights in a row, at a beautiful forested Oregon camping retreat, we light a fire at midnight and create a vision quest journey of flowing music, dance, spoken word, ritual and empowerment all through the night, until the fire sees its shadow at sunrise. These fires of transformation trigger profound insight, ecstatic wonderment, and meaningful connection with like-minded peers from across our interwoven communities.

Tickets are on sale now at: http://www.illumination.org.in/

www.shamanicjourneys.com

planetaryhealingbook.com

theanubisoracle.com (free readings available)

becominganoracle.com (sample journey available)

Private phone or Skype sessions with Nicki

For updated events and a full schedule, please go to our schedules page.

Shamanic Journeys, Ltd.
(541)484-1099

email: office@shamanicjourneys.com

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