Run by Shenoah and David face to face

Information that was circulated
At this meeting we will explore the wonders that Kew Gardens has to offer by working with different ways of connecting with nature. As we open ourselves to the wisdom of the plants and trees we will deepen our connections to receive guidance as to how we can work in reciprocity with nature

1st Journey – walking journey
Walking journey to meet the Spirit of Kew Gardens to ask what I need to know about working in Kew Gardens.

2nd Journey – at the Treetop walkway
For those who go to the top of the walkway – ask the top of the trees for a teaching
For those who don’t want to go to the top – find a tree that is showing roots and ask for a teaching from the roots of the tree

3rd Journey – connection / walking journey to the lake crossing and down the Syon Vista
Journey to the spirit of the cold to ask for a teaching about the transition from winter to spring

4th Journey – connection journey in the palm house
Connect to a plant you do not know and ask for a teaching about itself

5th Journey – Princess of Wales conservatory
Find the zone / area you feel most connected with and ask either the place or a plant within the place for a teaching to support you at this time

6th Journey – Walking journey from Alpine area to the front of the lake to find a tree
Asking a tree for a teaching to support you in the coming season (spring)

7th Journey – connection journey – under the trees next to the palm house
Connect to the gardens and ask for a blessing from the gardens for yourself, offer a blessing from yourself to the gardens

run by Shenoah on Zoom

Information Circulated
There is much written and discussed about the power of forgiveness. At this meeting we will ask our spirits what power forgiveness holds for us and how, if at all, coming into a different relationship with ourselves and others can support us in our lives

1st Journey – Drum journey free journey style
I am going on a journey to see the power of forgiveness and the effects of not forgiving through my teachers eyes

2nd Journey – Drum journey free journey style
I am going on a journey to ask my spirits what would be in my highest good to forgive and to ask for my next steps to move towards a place of forgiveness

3rd Journey – short rate journey
Journey to be shown a personal Ceremony of forgiveness
can be a general one or for what you were shown on the previous journey
collect together if there is anything needed to do the ceremony

4th Journey – journey drums play while everyone does their own ceremony – which could be on a journey or in ordinary reality or a mixture of both

run by Shenoah & David face to face

Information circulated
Wassailing is an ancient tradition that promotes a good harvest in orchards by blessing the trees for the coming year. It is a few years since we were able to wassail the fruit trees in Vauxhall Park and we look forward to honouring them with song, cider soaked toast and general merriment.  As well as supporting the fruit trees to bear fruit we will also ask for help to bring our own gifts into fruition by exploring the gifts we carry to bring into the world in the coming year. 

1st Journey – Partnered Journey – drum journey but can also support self with a rattle
Going on a journey to ask what gifts does (insert partners name) carry to bring into the world in the coming year?
One person did the journey out loud as it happened so their partner could hear.
swap over

2nd activity – Wassailing Ceremony blessing the fruit trees in Vauxhall Park
You had to be there but there was singing, rattling, blessings and waking up and putting cider soaked toast in trees and apple juice and warm mulled cider to drink. The song we used was Who Will Stand.
Who will stand, who will stand for the bees and the trees and the spirits and the land?
We will stand, we will stand for the bees and the trees and the spirits and the land!

3rd Activity – Personal Journey
Journey to ask what would stop me bringing my gifts into the world. Then asking for a healing for what stops me.
Other intentions were used where you don’t ask to find out what stops you
What needs to happen for me to be able to bring my gifts into the world
A healing for what stops me bringing my gifts into the world

4th Activity – Blessing for the gifts
Everyone wrote down the gift/s they were shown on a small colourful tag. These tags were attached to a ‘prayer doll’ which was placed in the middle and we all offered blessings for the gifts. The doll and tags will be put on an altar for the coming year.

run by Shenoah on Zoom

Information circulated
As we approach the end of the year we can look back on a wonderful year of meetings. They offered new ways of working, deepening connection and meeting friends old and new both on line and face to face.

In our final meeting of 2022 we will come together to work with the spirit of the winter to ask for help to be in the flow of the season. This is not the commercialised season that has become the norm, but seasonal flow of nature and the gifts that deepening our relationship to it can bring.  We will also be having our annual winter feast. 

1st Journey – drum journey
Going on a journey (with a known helper) to meet the spirit of winter to ask for insights into the essence of this season

2nd Journey – in pairs – rattle or drum self on journey
I am going on a journey to ask my spirits for a journey to help ….. deepen into the natural flow of the winter
Practitioner rattles or drums themselves on the journey. Once journey is completed they sing or sound (without words) the essence of each part of the journey to their partner who listens and receives. Client shares, practitioner shares. Swap over
format of journey inspired by the work of Daan Van Kamenhout

3rd Journey – acted out drum journey
Journey to the lodg altar to take part in the winter feast and to receive a gift that will support me through the winter  (receive something from altar  and put something on it)

4th activity
Thank you song to spirit of Winter, each other, our helpers

Face to face on 12th – run by Shenoah and David face to face
Zoom on 13th – run by Shenoah on Zoom

Information circulated
November will be our annual meeting working with Seidr.  Seidr is an oracular tradition that uses the staff, the song and a raised seat as key elements in its ritual.  It is a Viking shamanic tradition which was practised in this country so also belongs to the ancestors of this land. Journeying on song with a staff is a focussed and power filled way of working that offers a different experience than journeying with the drum.   At this meeting we will explore how to use the song and the staff in our personal practice. We will also work together in a community seidr ceremony. Although the seidr tradition uses song being able to sing in tune is not important.  

1st Journey – singing self on journey with staff

If you have not journeyed with a staff before – go with one of your known helpers

Going on a Journey to ask who will be my teacher in seidr – ask how the staff and I can work together
or
If you have journeyed with a staff before and have a seidr teacher choose from below
Journey to ask to be shown what has previously been hidden from me about working with seidr
Journey to the spirit of song to ask how to work with it in seidr work
Journey to the spirit of the first volva to ask for an insight into the qualities of the seidr hjel
Journey to the world tree to ask for a deeper understanding of the staff in seidr

2nd journey in pairs – the client sings the seidr worker on the journey at the start and back at the end of the journey then swap
Going on a journey to ask for the help (insert partners name) needs at this time

3rd journey – community seidr – 3 seidr workers took the hjel to answer a question agreed by the community and then answers personal questions
face to face seidr –How can we make seidr relevant for the modern world
zoom seidr – How do we make seidr practice relevant for our modern communities

Run by Shenoah on Zoom

Information circulated
Imagery in all its forms can play an important part in healing. At his months meeting we will be receiving healing images as well as exploring how imagery can support the healing process and deepen our understanding of our shamanic landscapes and helpers.

First Journey – Acted out journey
Going on an acted out journey to experience the healing images in my shamanic landscape that I have not yet fully received

Second Journey – Drum journey
Going on a journey to ask my spirits what in my life to I need to transmute and to receive the healing image
Once what needs to be transmuted and the healing image has been received come part way back so you are between the world back and draw the image.

Third Journey – partner work – rattle and sung journey
Journey to ask for a healing image my partner needs at this time.
First person rattles themselves on the journey and describes the journey and the healing image out loud while their partner listens and perceives the journey as it is happening.
Swap.

Run by Shenoah and David face to face

Information circulated
The full Moon is often seen as particularly potent and magical and this months LODG coincides with the September full moon which is often called the Harvest moon. We will explore how the qualities of the moon can deepen our connection to the cycles of nature and support our own cycles. We will also be doing some work in Vauxhall Park.

First Journey – drum journey
Journey to the moon to meet its spirit to ask for a teaching about its cycles.
Spend some time connecting to the energy of the moon

Second Journey – connection journey in Vauxhall Park
Connect with the moon to ask for a personal teaching about the autumn
Share the teaching with partner
Partner does a walking journey to find an object to help keep connected to their teaching

Third Journey – drum journey
Journey to the moon to ask for help to be in balance with the cycles of nature

Group Blessing
In two groups – first group sit in the centre facing out. Second group ask for a blessing from the moon for those sitting in the centre and deliver it. Swap over.

Finish with a song – By the light of the moon.

Link to ‘The Ways of the Moon’ article by Annette Høst including a moon cycle diagram https://www.shamanism.dk/article-ways-of-moon

run by Shenoah on Zoom

Information circulated
As the year continues to turn the start of August brings the festival of Lughnasa which celebrates the start of the harvest season. At this meeting we will look at the reciprocity between the harvest and ourselves and what within ourselves may be ready to be harvested.

First Journey – drum journey
Going on a journey to ask my spirits to show me the reciprocity between the harvest, abundance of nature, and myself

Second Journey – acted out embodied journey
Journey to ask my spirits what is ready to be harvested in myself 

Third Journey – Blessing in partners
I am asking for a blessing for what  …….  (Insert partners name) is ready to harvest (can also put what it is that they are ready to harvest from the previous journey)
One person received the blessing and one receives then swap over.

Run by Shenoah & David in Kensington Gardens

Information Circulated
Saturday 16th July is our first face to face meeting since March 2020 and a celebration of 25 years of LODG. We will be meeting outside in Kensington Gardens and the meeting will be run by Shenoah and David.  We meet under a grove of trees which gives some protection from the sun and have an alternative sheltered place to work if it is wet. Connection and learning from Nature is one of the foundations of shamanic work and even in the city nature is all around us and we can connect with and receive wisdom from the spirits. At this meeting we will connect to and work with the spirits of nature and the land in Kensington Gardens.

We will be having a celebratory picnic so bring food to share.  There will also be a give away so you are welcome to bring anything shamanically or spiritually focussed that is ready to be passed on. Everything will be put on a blanket for others in the group to take. If anything you bring is not taken you will need to take it home with you. 

First Journey
I am going on a walking journey to meet the Spirit of Kensington Gardens to introduce myself and ask for a teaching about Kensington Gardens

Second Journey
I am going on a walking or connection journey to ask the sun for a teaching about joy
(this journey was also done at the very first outside meeting 25 years ago)

Third Journey
I am going on a walking journey to meet the spirit of something in Kensington Gardens ( eg tree / water / bird / plant) to ask what it is important for me to pay attention to this summer / or this season

4th Journey – partner work
I am going on a walking journey to find an object to help keep my partner connected to (insert what it is important for them to pay attention to)

End with song of thanks

Run by Shenoah on Zoom

Information Circulated
Trusting the flow of life can help us to live more fully in the world. If we trust life, if we trust ourselves, if we trust others and the spirits all can be well but life experiences can get in the way of us trusting.

At this meeting we will explore what trust means for us, what stops us trusting and receive help to support a deepening so we can be more in the world from a place of trust.

First Journey – drum journey
Going on a journey to ask my spirits to show me the source of what gets in the way of my trusting and living fully in the world 

Second Journey – partner work – rattling self on journey
Going on a healing journey for (insert partners name) Heart and soul so they can live fully in the world in balance and trust

Third Journey – This was not journeying out as we would normally done with drums but opening to receive. The intention was to ask my spirits for help to trust all I need will be received.
We used the track ‘Transmission of Healing for Information from an Enlightened Spirit’ from the CD ‘Soul Journeys – music for shamanic practice’ by Sandra Ingerman. The track uses gongs, chimes and bells.
https://sandraingermanbooks.com/product/soul-journeys