buffalo-webWe in the Circle of Life Rediscovery team welcome opportunities to learn, and be challenged to think outside of the box.  We are working alongside experts in their fields that bring a depth of knowledge and perspective that offer hope and practical solutions.

Salvatore Gencarelle, weaves together the teachings of the 8 Shields, founded by Jon Young alongside a life-time of mentoring within the Woptura Lineage from his father in law, a recognised Lakota Spiritual Interpreter and healer, based in South Dakota.  He is part of a living story of hope, that began long before he was born.  For 27 years he experienced an immersion into ancient connection practices and witnessed impossible healings.  This depth of experience and knowledge now takes him around the world as a Helper motivated by the commitment to a future that looks after all the living world, seen and unseen.

It is exceptionally rare, in my experience to find someone who has given over his life to these teachings and who is doing his best to make it possible to have a healthy future.  Our work in this organisation is to support people of all ages and backgrounds to build a mature relationship with nature.  Sal provides a glimpse into an ancient understanding of this relationship, that makes sense and is part of what is needed to be truly sustainable and regenerative.

He has the ability to guide us to a new framework of understanding, providing the necessary healing journey to access a more complete way of being.  In the talk below, he offers an short glimpse into his personal journey, how this links to key people, who are more familiar to us in the Nature movement and ways in which ceremony, deep nature connection can provide life changing experiences.  His understanding of how human law is intertwined with natural law and held within sacred law provides a profound rediscovery of our place in the circle of life!

Over the next 12 months Sal’s Life Initiation & Rites of passage Training will take us on a  journey together. On this journey we will explore the foundations of connection and relationship. From there we will walk the path that has developed into processes which re-vitalize connection, which I call the Advance Connection Practices. We will examine the trans-cultural aspects of Rites of Passage, various cultural expressions of these practices, and immerse in Rites of Passage from specific lineages. One of the main lineages we will focus on is that of Woptura of the Lakota Nation. Through this journey you will develop new and potent connections to all of creation and how to use these techniques to lead other to a more holistic state of being.

The gatherings will provide attendees an opportunity to participate in various Rites of Passage, including Purification Rites, Rites of Competency, Rites of Initiation into Womanhood/Manhood, Grief Healing Rites, Elder Initiations, Rites of Death.

We welcome people of all backgrounds and professions and believe this work is applicable to a diverse range of people. (Leaders of organisations, Group facilitators/Teachers, Nature/Youth Facilitators, Parents, Cultural creatives). Enrolled members of Native American Tribes may attend at a minimum rate (that covers food/particular items).

Summary of Life Initiation and Rites of Passage Training Outline Year One: 

  • 4 gatherings over one year – Feb, May, Sept, Dec (each gathering for 4 days each)
  • 8 pre-recorded talks on Life Stages and rituals which honor each stage
  • Exclusive text and media
  • Introduction to the Advanced Connection Practices – rituals of Life Initiations and Rites of Passage including an oppportunity to Vision Quest and Inipi (Sweat Lodge).
  • Gender specific course material and teachings
  • Support to implement concepts into personal and community life

Outcomes:

  • Immersion into practices which honor life stage and enhance personal and community development
  • Deeper understanding of the Map of Life, and how to read this map
  • Understanding the Universal, Natural, and Human Principals of Connection
  • Simple and effective ways to incorporate concepts and honoring rituals in everyday life
  • Opportunity to become a caretaker of Connection Rites (limited responsibility)
  • Introduction of Advanced Connection Practices
  • Enhancement of Nature Connection Core routines
  • Application of Life Stage Honoring in the context of community (case by case basis)
  • Development towards a facilitator of re-connection and connection optimization
  • Placement on the path of the Visionary Trailblazer

We will be offering a ‘kids nature-programme’ alongside the Spring (Part 1) and Summer (Part 2) trainings during the weekends and have a small group mentoring programme on the week day part for a small group. Please contact for further details.

Complimentary Downloads:

Listen to full audio track of Salvatore Gencarelle talking  about the Woptura Lineage under which he was mentored including reference to Gilbert Walking Bull.   This talk refers to the qualities of leadership, connected relationship, seven sacred attributes and songs. 

Listen to Sal on an mp3 recording talking about Rites of Passage

A snippet of Sal talking about the training on the last Transformative Learning Course

“This work is like fuel for the soul and has given me more strength and resilience at work, more peace in my life as a whole and a deep respect for these ancient teachings and the Lakota lineage they have been passed down through” (Life Within Participant 2014)

Background:

Historically cultures around the world had ways of honoring life stages – ways of helping infants grow into well grounded, completely connected individuals. It was through the honoring of life stages, sometimes called Rites of Passage that people grew into adults and eventually elders which were able to fully access their unique gift and share it with the community for the good of all.

These cultures had a deep understanding of the life stages each human being goes through as well as how a culture can meet the challenges and possibilities that come with these life stages. They also knew how to facilitate the transitions between the stages. This knowledge and understanding was necessary in order to prevent people from stagnating in their personal development and get stuck in loops of adolescent behavior, something we can often observe in modern societies. Instead individuals were enabled to unfold and blossom their own personalities and gifts to their fullness, with responsibility, aliveness and deep joy.

“I highly recommend this and any future classes with Sal as the experience that he has is direct from almost two decades of mentoring which creates such a wealth and depth of understanding which I feel is very much needed at this time.” (Heart and Song Training Participant 2015)

Do you wish for yourself and others:

  • To understand the stages of life and thus will be able to live them to their fullness?
  • To understand life transitions and the challenges that come with them, for boys/men as well as for girls/women?
  • To undergo Rites of Passage that you have missed in growing up, so that you can access your full power as an adult?
  • To learn to facilitate transitions for others
  • To learn about the traditions of Life Stage Honoring as applied by Native American peoples
  • To experience ancient, very alive and very powerful rituals and see where they will take you and how you can integrate their power into your own life and work?
  • To find an access to your own cultural roots?
  • To strengthen your intuition and ability to receive vision of what is coming and what is needed?
  • To get to know and unfold your personal gifts and qualities?
  • To immerse yourself in an intensive process of learning and discovery that will help you to grow beyond limiting ideas of yourself?
  • To experience mentoring, learn about it and eventually give it on to others?
  • To support social change?
  • To support a healthy and happy future for the unborn generations and all of creation?
  • To experience vibrant, healthy community with other participants, full of mutual inspiration and support

If you can answer one or several of these questions with “Yes”, then this training might be a great programme for you!  This training will continue beyond Year one for people that are willing to commit further. Each Year focuses on different skill sets and connection techniques and is built on the previous year’s experience.

Download Booking Form Here

Marina Robb (Author, Founder, Circle of Life Rediscovery CIC)