INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
We know that the work of reintroducing rites of passage in nature speaks to people on an international, pan-cultural basis. We have always guided people of diverse ethnic, social and religious backgrounds, and in the past few years, we’ve worked with people from many countries, including Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Japan, England, Argentina and Australia. In the past five years, we’ve presented our program in countries on three continents: South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic. Our work proved itself to be adaptable and relevant–representing that which is essentially human across diverse cultural (and physical) landscapes. For 2014 we plan to visit Canada and Australia.
We’ve made four wonderful trips to Australia to present trainings and the Vision Quest program. We plan to return to Australia in October, 2014, to present the Vision Quest in New South Wales:
A co-ed Australia Vision Quest, October 17-25: This program will again be co led by Mike Bodkin, the Director of Rites of Passage, and Robert Boyle, Ph.D., a shamanic practitioner, artist and group leader who trained with Rites of Passage and brings a deep consciousness of the Australian land to his work.
In July 2012, we guided six Canadians on the Vision Quest we held in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. They drove down together from Edmonton, Alberta, helping create one of the most closely bonded and spirited groups we’ve ever led. In July of 2013 we were invivited to Edmonton to help train some of these folks and others in our work, and to hold a Vision Quest in Canada. This was our first visit to Canada, and we were excited about it. We’ll be returning to Canada in July 2014 to hold a Mirroring and Guiding Workshop from July 11-15, then a Vision Quest from July 18-26. For those in Canada or the American Northwest, this is a great opportunity to train and/or quest with Rites of Passage.
On August 19, 2009 we returned to South Korea to present training and supervision at Soop Chae Won, the country’s foremost environmental education and nature healing center. It was an amazing and inspiring experience to work with Korean guide-apprentices, especially the young adults who want to do this work. We stayed at Soop Chae Won for almost a month, making many new friends and reconnecting with those who quested with us 2 years ago.
In September 2007, we traveled for two weeks to present a Vision Quest and training to a group of staff members of Soop Chae Won, a South Korean forest retreat center serving youth and adults, and of the Korea Forest Foundation. The result was a rich cross-cultural learning for both the Rites of Passage staff and for the South Koreans. We’re delighted and honored to have been a part of the inauguration of the new forest center, and we hope for continued collaboration in the future.
