The pace of modern life is fast, frenetic, and fragmented. Too easily we become disassociated and disconnected from the living earth, from Soul, Source, God or Spirit and ultimately from our very purpose. For millennia native peoples, mystics, and seekers of spiritual truth have undertaken vision quests to find wisdom and direction, to experience authentic and profound encounters with the God or Spirit, and to attain spiritual guidance to help them through unique challenges and transitions. This 3-element Vision Quest is designed to arouse deep physical and emotional transformations and awaken dormant states of consciousness and creativity — returning participants to intimate contact with the Original Source.
The solo experience at the core of a vision quest includes three elements:
1 Fasting
2 Solitude, and
3 Nature, usually wilderness.
With preparation before along with instruction and integration after, a quest is designed to create a deep change in the participants… in their bodies, emotions, minds, and imaginations.
3. Nature A vision quest happens in nature, usually wilderness, where one lives within the larger ecosystem. If “my home is my castle,” then being outside that home removes me from my sense of power and self-centeredness. I become part of something larger, a strand in the web, not the ruler or purpose of the web itself.
We can’t “meet our Maker” by staying inside the world that we (humans) have made. Leaving behind roads, houses, televisions, — the human-created world — requires entering an older world — Nature — that created us.
We’ve evolved through millions of years of interactions with the living Earth. Returning to intimate contact with it awakens forgotten senses and atrophied ways of perceiving. Our wild, authentic, and natural selves are discovered only through reconnection with Nature herself.
Although often associated with Native Americans, vision quests have been undertaken by people in diverse cultures for millennia. In 500 B.C. Buddha went into the forest and fasted underneath the Bodhi Tree. Christ and the Biblical prophets fasted in the desert… Moses climbed Mt. Sinai; Mohammed retired to a cave. These, as well as numerous Native Americans, mystics, ascetics, and seekers of spiritual truth have undertaken quests to find their direction and purpose; come close to God or Spirit; or have an authentic and profound encounter with the Source of life to guide them in the challenges of their times.<
Enrollment, Costs, and Cancellations
The cost of a vision quest program is $1395 if a participant registers and completes the required forms and paperwork 60 days or more in advance, $1595 thereafter. Advance registration with a non-refundable deposit of $400 is required, with the balance due 60 days prior to the start of the program.
Upon receipt of your registration and deposit, you will be sent a Welcome Letter detailing the requirements for registration and attendance. This letter will be part of a packet containing a guidebook on vision questing, information related to transportation and equipment, instructions for preparation – including how to write a letter of intention – and a health questionnaire and liability release form.
Think seriously about whether you are ready to do this before you commit. Indecision and anxiety — especially as the quest dates approach — are a common experience, and the choice to act from our purposes and intentions rather than our fears is an important and empowering decision.
Deposits mark your commitment to the program, and they cover a portion of the work involved in the program you signed up for. This includes office tasks related to enrollment, registration, and record keeping, our communications with you and other participants, as well as the logistics involved (purchasing airline tickets, renting vehicles, campsites, etc.) in putting on the program itself. Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Should unexpected circumstances make your participation impossible, and you notify us at least 60 days prior to your scheduled starting date, your registration deposit may be applied toward another program taking place within a year of your registration. We cannot provide any refunds for cancellations or postponements received less than 60 days before a program starts. You will receive a full refund for any courses canceled by Circles of Air and Stone, although this happens rarely.
If your intent to undertake a quest is sincere and you cannot currently afford the full cost of the program, payment plans and/or scholarship assistance can sometimes be worked out depending on need, circumstances, and available funds — please inquire by emailing the office. The world we live in has huge disparities of wealth and income, and people have very different perspectives on what is inexpensive, affordable, or extravagant. We offer this option for up to two participants on each program.
Scheduling
The experience of a vision quest is profound, and it has the potential to be a pivotal point in major life transitions. We highly recommend declaring your intention early to allow for a thorough preparation. Early enrollment facilitates scheduling, since courses often fill up; makes travel arrangements simpler and more economical; and it prevents any unnecessary cancellation of programs.
Vision quests or other programs may also be scheduled to meet the needs of already-existing organizations. These may range from a weekend to extended stays or pilgrimages into the wilderness, and they can be focused around various purposes. Existing groups — friends, work companions, support groups, etc. — may choose to undertake a quest or other program together to deepen their relationships to Spirit and each other; focus on their vision, mission, or core desires; or accelerate a healing process. Costs and logistics can be worked out between the parties involved. Inquiries are welcome.
