West African shaman Malidoma Somé teams with psychotherapist Francis Weller to offer a six-month training in the healing wisdom of Spirit Medicine. From OPEN EXCHANGE MAGAZINE, July-September 2000:

There is a growing interest in the "old ways" of traditional cultures. This interest reflects a deep longing to connect meaningfully with one another through ritual, community and the sacred; experiences that are often all too shallow in our culture, or completely absent in many cases. At root, the value that these ancient cultures offer is one of inclusion, belonging to a sacred cosmos. It has become clear that many of the troubles we face in this culture stem from a feeling that we do not belong. While traditional societies have developed elaborate "technologies of belonging" we have rallied behind the flag of individualism. Now, after several centuries of loyalty to this banner, the fissures are appearing and the rich memories of another way of living are rising from the earth.

In truth, we all come from this heritage. If we go back far enough, each one of us comes from a culture of the earth, of community and a knowing of the world as richly imbued with a sacred presence. Now, at this time, the core of our work is to restore the fabric of remembrance and reclaim the indigenous soul. It is the indigenous soul that carries the memory of this time and the ways of living that were in keeping with the sacredness of Life. But it also contains what is emergent in this time and place. We are being challenged with the awesome task of recreating the village, of remembering how to bring forth our "deep story" while all about us we are being encouraged to be good consumers. The further task that we are each being called to is to go deep into the ancestral pool, into the haven of the imagination and revision our collective response to violence, meaninglessness and isolation. We cannot simply mimic another culture, cannot simply adopt their patterns of ritual to find our answers. We must create the new forms in order to heal the tears in the tissue of our land. We must become indigenous ourselves, come to know and love this place and learn its stories, moods, and myths. We must come to learn the rhythm of the rivers, hills, fox and salmon. We must gather together all that has been made not sacred. This is the challenge of the new millennium.

Our survival depends on seeing in one another our healing. We must move beyond fantasies of private salvation and into a communal celebration of mutual dependency that will open the heart of gratitude.