This book is a synthesis of the common elements of all the Shamanic or Earth Religion paths.  In writing it I drew upon the deep spiritual wisdom of the primal peoples, combined with the humanistic ideas of the new age.

This book is based on the first session of my six-week class on Shamanism and Nature Spirituality.  In many instances I have included actual dialogues from the class.  Feel free to creatively add to, or change the rituals presented here, in any positive way that has meaning and beauty to you.

A living, dynamic spirituality must always encourage spontaneity and involve our whole selves, but spiritual truths eventually become fossilized into hidebound, recipe-like rituals that lose all meaning.  In this book I attempt to deinstitutionalize the shamanic worldview of Nature Spirituality and re-create it in its original form.  The rituals here totally involve us with poetry, drama, therapy, son, dance, celebration, and joyous worship.

All Earth Religion groups have basic elements in common.  The differences are usually trivial yet many groups tend to insist that their way is the only safe and effective way to cast a sacred circle, or medicine wheel.  This myth tends to perpetuate the leader's power, but has no basis in truth.

This book is written for those of us who seek freedom and spontaneity within a sacred circle.  Therefore, do not take anything I present here as a recipe.  Only as a guideline to start you on your journey...

At the end of this book you will find a summary of the common elements of sacred circles and medicine wheels, with which you can begin to put together your own effective, non-hierarchical circle, alone or with a group.