

The GATEKEEPERS—Intensive in Ritual Literacy for Practioners
OVERTURE
Journeys | Gatekeepers | Overture
In this section:
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Thank You for Your Work
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Quick facts . . . admission and tuition
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Meet people in depth, heart, and soul
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The case for ritual literacy in all healers
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What is included
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Timing of Classes and Calls

Thank You for Your Work . . .
The highways and byways you have travelled to arrive at the position of a healer or a practitioner is worthy of some respect. Likely you've already mixed some "medicines" of different modalities into your own medicine bag of methods and philosophies. A lot of work.
Yet you are not alone if you are also looking around for more styles and skills—being a life-long learner is a natural way to keep your practice lively and alive.
Practitioners function as "Gatekeepers" to the doorways that enhance our natural abilities to regain wholeness. Ritual literacy is a language to look at holistic work from the perspective of naturally human needs—everyone who walks through your door comes with a need for welcome, a longing to express their life purpose, the personal history of grief they've endured, the legacies of the times we live in, and a desire to balance their powers of reaction and response to create a life they want to live.
"If you want one year of prosperity grow grain.
If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees.
If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people."
Chinese Proverb

Quick facts . . . admission and tuition
This program is for healers, practitioners, ritualists, and therapists that have a current practice, and may be open to other interested students in special circumstances.
Admission by interview.
The course is 13 weeks long, available in two different time slots for a small cohort limited to 12 people . . . next semester is January to April 2023. Students should expect 2.5 hours of zoom meeting times per week and approximately 2 hours of preparation / homework.
Full tuition is CAD $1475 | Euro €975 | AUD $1575
Scholarship Rate is CAD $975 | Euro €685 | AUD $1075
"It left a certain feeling of ambivalence—
Is ambivalence a good thing?—
Well . . . that depends"
Garrison Keillorl
Meet people in depth, heart, and soul
The 13 weeks are structured as a "working studio intensive" format. By that is meant that each participant (the cohort is limited to 12) will come out with a working plan that is beginning to be implemented. The support and feedback from the instructor and peers will strengthen it to a robust deepening. A program to work:
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With the Elements
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With the navigation process of mythic imagination
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With other supportive amazing learners
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With the world of ritual work
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With teachers and traditions
Because there is a methodology to recognize the rich tapestry of client's concerns, the course has the potential for practical expansion of your practice as well, and a chance to "earn back" the tuition fees through designing added-value provisions to your services.

The Case for Ritual Literacy in all Healers
Each visit you have with a client has a beginning, a middle (the session) and a closing. Ritual literacy is a deepening of that basic format that can enrich your relationship with the client—and reinforce better openness to change thereby heightening commitment to follow through.
Ritual also provides a structure for possible work for clients to do in between sessions embedded in the idea of support from more than just their own willpower. It encourages the imagination of enlisting support from their own community and from the elements—challenging the modern paradigm of "improving oneself alone."
The structure of the Elemental energies in the Dagara cosmology gives a kind of checklist for the process. People are arriving with all of their complexities anyway—this process will develop the ritual literacy to make add ons, smaller or larger, to your process.
"All problems are psychological, but all solutions are spiritual"
Thomas Hora

What is included?
The format will be a 13 week course with 2.5 hour classes and work sessions. 7 of them will be classes, and the odd weeks in between will be working sessions to identify the particulars of how to add ritual literacy into your own work.
The process will be lively, both deeply looking at your own medicine, and building a container of like minded peers that can continue informally after the official course completes. We have our own private online forum to facilitate this.
This site provides extensive background material to explain the philosophy and approach of ritual literacy.
"Known and Unknown, and
in between,
the Doors of Perception"
Aldous Huxley
Timing of Classes and Calls
There will be two editions:
WEST COAST Edition:
North America [Sunday eve]| Australia [Monday morn]
CONTINENTAL Edition
Europe [Sunday morn] | Australia [Sunday eve]
The complete series of 13 classes is offered either:
September to December or
January to April.
The first class will begin January 2023.
Exact times are listed below in AGREEMENTS.

SYLLABUS
Journeys | Gatekeepers | Syllabus
In this section:
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Meet the Team and Beginnings
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Earth: Boundaries, Welcoming & Intimacy
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Mineral: Separation, Life Purpose & Initiation
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Water: Grief, Praise & Affirmation
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Fire: Ancestor Healing, Intuitive Guidance & Alliance
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Nature: Reaction, Response & Creating
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Presentations, Goodbyes, Plans
“Tourists don't know where they've been,
Travellers don't know where they're going.”
Paul Theroux
Session 1 + 2 Meet the Team and Beginnings
One of the great values of courses along with the content is the chance to meet other colleagues passionate about the same subject you are. Developing the sense of companionship to enrich each attendance begins with a good "meeting corridor" to begin the process.
The attention to this issue echoes the issues of running a practice—from the invitations you make to the initial meeting.
Come prepared to this session to get to know each other, share where you are at and what you need, and get introduced to the preparation materials for the next sessions.

“I believe we learn by practice.”
Martha Graham
3 + 4 Earth: The Ground of Intimacy
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Introduction to Welcoming and Homecoming
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A Practical Review of Boundaries
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The guile of Intimacy
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Abundance of the Earth
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Online Earth Ritual
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Earth Medicine in your practice
For a preview of the material in Earth Element, see:

EARTH
Boundaries
&
Welcoming

5 + 6 Mineral: Crystalizing Initiation
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Structure of Creating
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Life Purpose, Wounds and Wild Genius
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The Guile of Initiation
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On the Track of a Medicine Name
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Online Mineral Ritual
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Mineral Medicine in your practice
For a preview of the material in Mineral Element:

MINERAL
Separation
&
Life Purpose

7 + 8 Water: Releasing the Flow of Affirmation
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Poetics of Grief and Praise
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A Room Full of Grief and Praise
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The Guile of Reconnection
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The Leadership of Poverty and Blessing
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Online Water Ritual
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Water Medicine in your practice
For a preview of the material in Water Element:

WATER
Grief Listening
&
Praise Talk

9 + 10 Fire: Forging Mythic Alliance
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Power of the Ancestors
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Legacies of Permission and Taboos
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The Guile of Intuition
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Youth, Eldership, and Sustainability
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Online Fire Ritual
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Fire Medicine in your practice
For a preview of the material in Fire Element:

FIRE
Ancestor Healing
&
Intuitive Guidance

11 + 12 Nature: Creating Agility
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The Structure of Ritual
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A Primer on Kinetic Connection and Ringmaster
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The Guile of Eco-logic
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Initiated Knowledge
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Online Nature Ritual
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Nature Medicine in your practice
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For a preview of the material in Nature Element:
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NATURE
Reaction
&
Response

Session 13 Presentations, Goodbyes, Plans
In this final session, each participant will present their learnings / report on implementations / share their unique offering in a creative way that will be unique for each person.
We will also have to face the grief of ending, and consider finding new beginnings of friendship and possible future collaborations!
“Grief expressed out loud, whether in or out of character, unchoreographed and honest, for someone we have lost, or a country or home we have lost, is in itself the greatest praise we could ever give them. Grief is praise, because it is the natural way love honors what it misses.”
Martín Prechtel
AGREEMENTS
Journeys | Gatekeepers | Agreements
In this section:
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Participation Commitment
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Technical Logistics
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Tuition Requirements
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TIMES—Continental Edition | Europe | Australia
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TIMES—West Coast Edition | Canada | Australia
“Together, we form a necessary paradox; not a senseless contradiction.”
Chris Jammi
Participation Commitment
The workload is estimated to be less than a single semester university course . . . meeting times are 2.5 hours per week, and homework is estimated to be about 2 hours per week.
There may be specific times that are unavoidable to miss classes or meetings, class content will be available in those circumstances.
During the classes and team calls, a supportive and encouraging attitude is expected toward other participants.
Go here for a full description of ETHICS
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way
W.H. Murray
Technical Logistics
Some technical considerations:
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proficiency in English speaking and writing
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a computer and internet for the Zoom call
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a cell phone with Signal App for our group messaging
Bring your best Zoom game:
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5 minutes early for calls
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frame your camera for head and shoulders
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enough light to make your image visible
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mute and unmute as appropriate
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stay present and attentive

Tuition Requirements
Tuition is as follows:
Full Tuition
$ 1475 CAD | € 975 EURO | $ 1575 AUD | $ 1075 USD
Scholarship Rate
$ 975 CAD | € 685 EURO | $ 1075 AUD | $ 725 USD
Due one week before the first class, unless special arrangements have been requested and approved.
“Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
TIMES—West Coast Edition
Examples listed for Vancouver Canada and Perth Australia
Other times can be converted at
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html
Dates & Times North America [Vancouver]
Community Support Calls in Dark Blue
5:30 pm to 8:00 pm [Changes due to DST March 26]
Begins |Sunday 15th January 2023 | Introductions
Sunday | January 22 | Teamwork Support Call
Sunday | January 29 | Earth
Sunday |February 5| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday | February 12 | Mineral
Sunday |February 19| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday | ebruary 26 | Water
Sunday |March 5| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday | March 12 | Fire
Sunday |March 19| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday | March 26 | Nature 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday |April 2| Teamwork Support Call
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday | April 9 2023 | Concluding Presentations
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Dates & Times Western Australia [Perth]
Community Support Calls in Dark Blue
9:30 am to 12:00 noon [NO Changes in times]
Monday | January 16 2023 | Beginning Introductions
Monday| January 23 | Teamwork Support Call
Monday | January 30 | Earth
Monday|February 6| Teamwork Support Call
Monday | February 13 | Mineral
Monday|February 20| Teamwork Support Call
Monday | February 27 | Water
Monday|March 6| Teamwork Support Call
Monday | March 13 | Fire
Monday|March 20| Teamwork Support Call
Monday | March 27 | Nature
Monday|April 3| Teamwork Support Call
Concluding Presentations |Monday 10th April 2023

TIMES—Continental Edition
Examples listed for London United Kingdom and Perth Australia
Other times can be converted at
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html
Dates & Times Europe [London]
Community Support Calls in Dark Blue
8:30 am to 11:00 am [NO changes due to DST]
Sunday | January 15 2023 | Beginning Introductions
Sunday |January 22 | Teamwork Support Call
Sunday | January 29 | Earth
Sunday |February 5| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday |February 12 | Mineral
Sunday |February 19| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday |February 26 | Water
Sunday |March 5| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday |March 12 | Fire
Sunday |March 19| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday |March 26 | Nature
Sunday |April 2| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday| 9th April 2023 | Concluding Presentations
Dates & Times Western Australia [Perth]
Community Support Calls in Dark Blue
4:30 pm to 7:00 pm {Changes on March 26 to 3:30]
Begins |Sunday 15th January 2023 | Introductions
Sunday |January 22 | Teamwork Support Call
Sunday| January 29 | Earth
Sunday |February 5| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday| January 12 | Mineral
Sunday |February 19| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday| February 26 | Water
Sunday |March 5| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday| March 12 | Fire
Sunday |March 19| Teamwork Support Call
Sunday| March 26 | Nature 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Sunday |April 2| Teamwork Support Call
3:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Sunday| 9th April 2023 | Concluding Presentations
3:30 pm to 6:00 pm

REGISTRATION
Journeys | Gatekeepers | Registration
Registration Details
If you would like to chat before registering, feel free to reach out.
To register, and pay tuition, go to our Ticket Tailor secure gateway:
“Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
