Letter from the President – June 2013
by Paul Robear
This week we are celebrating the Summer Solstice at Cuyamungue. I took the above photo at sunrise this morning. This is the time the sun is at its highest point in the sky. The beginning of summer is a time for purification, renewal and healing. It was significant to many early cultures; honoring the sun is nearly as old as mankind itself, as a source of light, life and sustenance. Hunter-Gatherer societies saw the sun and moon moving across the sky as animate beings and an extension of themselves. Worldwide, our ancestors viewed the summer solstice as a time of great spiritual importance. Prehistoric art found in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, Americas often includes the sun.
The Egyptians honored Ra, the sun god. The Greeks honored Helios. In Native American cultures the sun is recognized as a life-giving force. The Sun Dance is a ceremony practiced by several North American Indian Nations, using dancing, singing and drumming to renew the bond man has with life, earth, and the growing season. The ancient Maya, highly accomplished astronomers, documented the Solstice and other celestial events with astounding accuracy and charted the positions of planets and other celestial bodies well into the future. Early Persian societies celebrated the rising of the sun each day. The Celts and Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with dancing and bonfires to help increase the sun’s energy. The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light.
Here at the Cuyamungue Institute, Felicitas Goodman, our founder, began each day by walking to a nearby ridge and welcoming the Sun at sunrise. For more thirty-five years, we have continued this tradition.
How ever you choose to celebrate, do celebrate! And may this Summer Solstice bring you the joy, warmth, new beginnings, and the power of Spirit!
Blessings,
Paul Robear
President / Executive Director
Please take a moment to review the news, articles and experiences shared below:
In this issue:
- Article: Felicitas D, Goodman Autobiography – part 2
- Article: Exploring the Ancient Mystery of Easter Island by Belinda Gore
- Article: Stones of Panama – Traces of America’s most ancient shamans found by Igor Bukker
- Men’s Conclave Update: The Druids and the Vikings are coming!
- Certification Training – Ki Salmen, certification training of instructors
- Workshops and Events: Note updates, additions, and changes to our schedule.
- Centennial Conference: June 2014 – early registration is now beginning.
SCROLL DOWN for Articles and Links
Felicitas D. Goodman Autobiography – Segment two
Belinda Gore is preparing monthly segments of Felicitas’s Autobiography. Thanks Belinda!
I remember my Oma. My father was her sixth and youngest child. Oma was tall and slender, always wearing black. In fact when in 1937 I first came to know elderly women in Urbana, Illinois, I was shocked to see them wearing gaily-patterned dresses and they even had colored ribbons in their hair! Oma used to mislay her glasses and would promise us children extravagant rewards if we would locate them. We would usually locate them stuck in her hair which she would comb up into a bouffant, in pre-World-War-One fashion, with the bun in the middle. Our reward was pineapple torte, “Ananastorte,” which were crusts of bread which she could not chew. She spread them with margarine and seasoned with some crumbs of sugar. It was decades later when I got married in America that I discovered what pineapple were actually like! … Continue to Full Article
Exploring the Ancient Mystery of Easter Island by Belinda Gore
On her recent visit to Easter Island, Belinda Gore shares her impressions and perspective on the hundreds of giant stone statues that dominate the island’s coast, and that remain a mystery to this day. Polynesian in culture, Chilean in nationality, this volcanic archipelago in the southeastern Pacific Ocean remains a vibrant center of unique Polynesian culture.
Easter Island has always seemed a remote and mysterious place, home to giant heads embedded in a grassy hillside facing the sea. Surprisingly, the island is part of Chile even though it is 2800 miles from the mainland and is much more Polynesian than Chilean. Last year when I was invited to return to Chile to teach again, I began to see articles and photographs about Easter Island everywhere. Then there was the National Geographic article revealing that the heads were attached to bodies that when unearthed exposed a precise posture unlike other ritual postures we know. Continue to full Article
Stones of Panama – Traces of America’s most ancient Shamans found
by Igor Bukker
Archaeologists say unusual stones found in Panama represent the earliest material evidence of shamanistic practice in lower Central America. Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama said the placement and unusual composition of a cluster of 12 stones, dated as at least 4,000 years old, suggests they were used by a shaman or healer. This cache of stones recovered at Casita de Piedra may represent the earliest material evidence in Central America of shamanistic practice.
In the Isthmus of Panama, in the archaeological mound of Casita de Piedra, a group of a dozen of stones was discovered. The discovery became the earliest evidence of practicing shamanism in Central America. About 4,000 years ago, the stones were brought here in bags or baskets, which eventually turned into ashes. For which purpose, though? Continue to Full Article
Men’s Conclave – The Druids and the Vikings are coming!
We are pleased to have two additional CI Certified Instructors joining us for the Men’s Conclave:
James Lawer – Provost for the Druid College of North America, for which he is facilitating rituals, year-long apprenticeship programs, and writing course material for students. James has trained with indigenous elders and teachers in North and South America, and Europe. James will present the Druid connections to our ritual posture work and lead us in a direct experience.
Nick Brink Ph.D – Nick is the author of an upcoming book on connecting Norse mythology and Ritual postures. At the Men’s Conclave, Nick will share an introduction to his research into the return of Baldr, a figure in Norse mythology. Using a Nordic posture, we will have a direct experience. He is board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology, on the board of directors of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, and a past president of the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery.
Who Can Attend The Men’s Conclave? This is an open event, embracing men of all beliefs, colors, walks of life, economic, social, political, sexual orientation, and religious backgrounds. Space is limted to 15 participants.
Here is more information on the Men’s Conclave.
Certified Trainer – Ki Salmen, Institute Certification Instructor
Ki Salmen has been studying the Trance Postures since 1992. With a degree in education and 30 years practical experience, Ki works as an alternative therapist in private practice. She is trainer and teacher in Germany and the Cuyamungue Institute in the USA. An important area of her work lies in the combination of classical therapy methods with ancient trance techniques and shamanic knowledge. Ki is the founder of the Lichtraum-Praxis and more recently the Bluebird Institute, where her individual and group work is concentrated. She is the author of a book about the Trance Posture Work which is published in Germany under the title “Mohnfrau” — Poppy Pod Woman. She lives with her husband and daughter in Germany in a small town near Dortmund. She conducts on-going workshops and provides certified training for those who wish to become a certified instructor. You can find more information about her work on her website www.dream-visions.de
Solstice Celebration – June 16th – 22nd, 2014
Felicitas Goodman, founder of Cuyamungue Institute
2014 marks the 100th anniversary of Felicitas’ arrival on this planet. We want to mark the year with a special, international event at Cuyamungue to honor her life and work, welcoming all cultures, languages and including all those around the world who are carrying on her legacy. We will come together, both in person and via the Internet, to share stories of Felicitas and what her work means to us. This event is open to all, and we would your encourage your participation. Space is limited… continue to more Information
Invest in yourself! Here is the 2013 workshop schedule at the Cuyamungue Institute.
June 20 – 23: Solstice Celebration: Initiatory Training Workshop – Paul Robear and Laura Lee. A powerful, compacted introduction to this work. You will be introduced to a succession of trance experiences and initiation. Enjoy the power of the group experience. More Information
July 6: Cuyamungue Explorers Club – This is an afternoon gathering for those who are familiar with the practice of the Cuyamungue Method and want to participate in new posture research and verification. Hosted by Paul Robear and Laura Lee. Contact Paul Robear
July 18 -21: From Spirit through Art: Express Your Creative Genius.: Jackie Haworth, Stephanie Stephens, Rae LeCompte. The need for ecstasy is as imperative as the need for food. Civilizations of antiquity were aware of this and the postures seen in ancient art are doorways into ecstasy. This workshop will use those postures to open a creative avenue from deep within each of us. Write a poem, sing, dance draw, sculpt, act…explore, following whatever path the postures reveal for you. Then we will come together and weave a tapestry of art acknowledging our place in the universe. Join us for what we know will be a powerful experience. Through art, we acknowledge the vision and gifts received from Spirit, enjoying the flow of bountiful creativity. More Information
July 24 -28: Cuyamungue Board of Directors Meeting
August 28 – September 1: Masked Trance Dance – Paul Robear, Laura Lee. Adventure into the depth of inspiration and intuitive guidance as we make masks, costumes, and our experiences will create a mythic story and end in a creation a sacred dance . Contact Paul Robear
September 4- 8: Instructor Training and Certification – Belinda Gore and Paul Robear. How to teach the safe and simple six-step process, known as the Cuyamungue Method. Contact Belinda
September 12 – 15: Gathering of the Grandmothers – Susan Bannister. A retreat for the “Grandmothers” (60 and up) of Cuyamungue. Following in the footsteps of Dr. Goodman, this is an opportunity for us as grandmothers to gather to share in the wisdom tradition of women elders. Contact Susan Bannister
September 19 – 22: Ancient Egyptian Body Postures – Meredith McCord and Jill Schumacher. Delve deep into Egyptian ecstatic body postures, healing postures and Ancient Egyptian Teachings. Their website is http://www.egyptianhealing.com/
October 3 – 6: First Annual Men’s Conclave – Paul Robear. The time has come for the men of the institute to gather and share the power of the Cuyamungue Method as a group. This will the first time in the history of the Institute that an all male event will be conducted at the Institute. Email me directly at paulrobear@cuyamungueinstitute.com for more information.
Want to more information? Email us and we will answer your questions and connect you directly with the workshop instructor(s).
We need your support! The Cuyamungue Institute, like many non-profit organizations, has limited resources. We are proud of the scope of work we have already accomplished, but this is just the beginning — there is much more to do! Here’s how you can participate:
- Be a Volunteer – Ask about existing, on-going projects you can help with. Or suggest projects that you can work on, fund, or both!
- Attend workshops at the Institute – Bless yourself and the Institute. CI Workshop fees directly support maintenance of the land and buildings.
- Personal Donations – 100% of your donations and gifts go directly to the Institute, and are tax deductible.
- Corporate Donations – Your company can have a tremendous impact. Ask us how we can bring our work to your visionaries and leaders!
Also consider making a donation by clicking here. Ongoing research and new applications of this work is only possible with donations made by people like you. Laura Lee, our Director of Outreach and Development, is available to answer your questions and to provide more information. Contact her at lauralee@cuyamungueinstitute.com
Thanks for reading! Please forward this to your friends and acquaintances who will enjoy learning more about us — and please let me hear from you! I am most happy answer andy and all questions about the Institute or the Cuyamungue Method. We welcome all correspondence. Email me directly at paulrobear@cuyamungueinstitute.com .
Blessings,
Paul Robear
President / Executive Director
Cuyamungue – The Felicitas D. Goodman Institute
Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter