Courting the Living World - 2012    

Nurturing a Sacred Intimate Connection with Planet, Spirit and Self through Creativity and Ritual.                      

A Five-Month Apprenticeship Program through the University of the Wild at Earthlands         

This five-month apprenticeship is a heart- and earth-centered personal transformation process that is geared towards bringing participants into intimate connection with their own bodies, earth, nature and spirit by tapping into their imaginative, creative, and aquatic memory.  In this time of great shifting, as we stand at the threshold of the birth of a new era moving up the spiral of evolution, we are called to re-evaluate, deeply connect, and shift into the vibration of infinite love and joy to midwife all of creation through the changes.  The apprenticeship is designed to deepen our relationship with the living world that is an expression of the divine in constant communication with us.  We slow down to listen to the natural world riddled with treasures and riches we barely comprehend, and that consists of complex intelligent systems which respond to what we bring to it.  Deep inside the intelligence of our own system and the memory of our bones, we hold a knowing that goes beyond survival but taps into the exquisite and life affirming qualities that allows us to court the sacred.  As we awaken and tend to our spiritual seeds of self-expression, creativity, and imagination amidst the beauty, vibrancy, and richness of ritual, the sacredness of all living and non-living beings can be restored and fed.

Creativity feeds the soul, as well as spirit particularly in the context of ritual and intention.  In this program, participants are given tools to enter into a vibrant relationship with self, spirit and planet as they engage in a sacred creative and listening process utilizing breath, sound, movement, rhythm, and various art forms.  The program draws from Indigenous Wisdom to create transformational rituals that address the stories we carry, grief, gratitude, healing, community building, ancestor work, and connection with the natural world.  Each weekend builds on the previous one to bring the participants deeper into the process. The five weekends are focused around the five elements of fire, water, earth, nature and mineral, from the tradition of the Dagara people of West Africa.  The training encompasses a broad world-view of the many Indigenous Traditions, contemporary visionaries and most of all, Katja’s personal creative abilities and gifts. 

 Central  to the program are:

• Healing our relationship with our Ancestors
• Diving into our Aquatic Ancestry - fluid resonance within and without
• Creativity and self-expression as a doorway to Spirit
• Embracing the Magical by entering the Library of Nature
• Honoring the way of the Earth - Abundance, Nurturance and Reciprocity
• Transforming our stories

The first weekend opens the door to healing and deepening our relationship with our ancestors.  We work in community that is supported and guided by a community of Ancestors.  We spend time in deep ritual, heart centered prayer, elemental understanding and nurture our allies in the spirit world.  The second weekend brings us into the mystery of water and our aquatic ancestry that we carry inside which transforms and informs us in innovative ways allowing us to shift our relationship to our environment at a cellular level.  We immerse ourselves in the healing vibration of water, explore some of its astonishing qualities and its integration in our lives.  The Third weekend brings us deeper into connection with our bodies and the body of the Earth.  We address issues of nourishment and abundance linked to our relationship with the Earth.  We celebrate the Earth’s creative abilities with our own creativity.  We look at the planet as a whole moving through its initiatory journey.  The fourth weekend brings the elements we have laid out to nature where we enter the magical, the play and the call for authenticity.  Forms of self expression, to allow spirit to touch us, are explored in a variety of ways to mold us and engage our ability to shapeshift and receive messages from nature’s realm.  The final weekend brings us to mineral, the bones of the earth that holds the story of our planet and our own bone knowing.  We tap into the ancient planetary memory, utilizing the tools and intelligence of systems we have explored to transform our story and allow our soul to evolve so we may experience our deepest purpose. 

The program runs for five weekends in 2011, starting Friday evening till Sunday afternoon.

June 29 – July 1, July 27 - 29, Aug. 24 - 26, Sept. 14 - 16, Oct 12 - 14

This apprenticeship takes place in a rustic setting in an off-grid cabin and a 24’ fabric yurt within a large protected forestland.  To assure affordability, participants sleep in the cabin or tents and share assigned meals.  Part of the program is conducted out-of-doors.  The program takes place at Earthlands in Petersham just East of the massive Quabbin Reservoir in central MA

 Katja Esser is a multi-disciplinary artist who inspires through self-expression. She has run annual seasonal rituals since 1992 of which Summer Solstice at America’s Stonehenge is most well known.  Her singing and her extraordinary elaborate masks and costumes bring forth beings from another world.  Katja has facilitated drumming circles, workshops in sound, continuum-based movement, ritual, and maskmaking.  She studied with Emily Conrad, Malidoma Somé, ALisa Starkweather, Eric Bornstein and Saruah Benson.  She serves as a senior instructor and advisor to the University of the Wild at Earthlands.  Katja comes with her passion for ritual, a deep concern and caring for our planet and its inhabitants.

Contact Katja for more info at 617 365 4024 or email: katjacreates@ritualexpressions.com or visit Katja’s website: http://www.ritualexpressions.com/and www.universityofthewild.org

Cost for the training: $1250
Payment plan affordable to all.
There is also limited financial aid available.

What people and participants have said about Katja’s work:

“…You gave me back my soul…” Doug

“…You inspired the group with your grace, love and style...” Mark

 “...I am moved by your creative fury and your deep connection to Mother Earth.  A splendid combination with a bright future…” Dagen Julty

“…Katja is walking, breathing, dancing art....” Ina Moffett

“…I remember opening my eyes and transforming into a child again with a heart bursting with glee and excitement as I saw before me something I always new to be true. A living, walking and talking tree. I couldn't move, my mouth full with an huge smile, my eyes shinning as bright as bright can be, and all the while being in awe that one of my dreams had manifested right in front of my eyes." Selena Goldberg

“…It was challenging weekend for me, as I found myself working in medium I am not familiar with, painting with acrylics, brushes, etc. Most challenging was to find the source of freedom of playing / creating. So much of my past was about "tell me what to do and I will do it".
Some bright results; everyone including myself created awesome masks in short time allowed, learned new techniques, working with pliers and wires was fun, putting finishing touches was fun...”. Leon Chaban

“…Experiencing nature from a spiritual point of view has been extremely grounding and helpful on my journey to feel at home in the world. Now I am comfortable in the forest, the dirt and the rivers, they feel more like home.

Katja was able to honor my truth and inner difficulties. I was exposed to many new ideas and tools that are very helpful. I learned more about inner listening, trust, faith, nature, and myself. With Katja’s guidance this initiation has brought me more inner peace and a feeling of the nature-spirit connection”

 Alison B Levy

“…My favorite part of each weekend was the ritual. Of course, I realize everything pre and post the ritual added a lot. I think you have a very worthy gift around ritual...For me each ritual had an ‘original’ quality….there was always the ‘surprise’ element making each one new and fresh...Participants were held in an embracing energy that allowed one to go as deep as one wanted in meeting the challenge presented within the ritual. It was all exquisite..” Susannah Wolfe

"Courting the Living World is really an amazing program... I have participated in many workshops and trainings over the years, but this one, Courting the Living World, shook the very essence of my being and moved me to a new level of understanding my own spiritual and career path.  Katja, with the experience and wisdom of a mentor, shaman, ritualist, and teacher, elegantly guided each participant safely through the ever deepening journey of Ancestral Connections, Spiritual Insight, and practical "everyday" empowerment. … Katja is at home...she meanders the seasonal changes, the energetic fluctuations, and the wise teachings of the Ancient Ancestors and the modern teachers, alike…  " Dr. Larry Buell,  Founder and Senior Advisor, Earthlands and the University of the Wild.