Calling the Ancestors
The Healing Power of Ritual
A workshop with Malidoma Somé

Session Times:
Friday, January 12, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Saturday January 13, 9:00am-9:00pm
Sunday January 14, 9:30am-12:00pm

$325 General Admission
$275 Special Admission
(Full-Time Students, Pacifica Alumni, and Seniors)
$250 Active Pacifica Students

Fees include Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, & Sunday breakfast; Sunday lunch is optional for an additional fee

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Phone: 805.969.3626 ext 103
Email: publicprograms@pacifica.edu
Click here to register online

“It is possible that we have been brought together at this time because we have profound truths to teach each other. Toward that end, I offer the wisdom of the African ancestors so that Westerners might find the deep healing they seek.  From an indigenous perspective, the individual psyche can be healed only by addressing one’s relationships with the visible worlds of nature and community and one’s relationships with the invisible forces of the ancestors and Spirit allies.

The spark of this ancestral flame, which I have brought to the land of the stranger, is now burning brightly. Increasingly, I have been and will be encouraging westerners to embody these traditions as a testimony to the indigenous capacity to assert itself with dignity in the face of modernity. In this way the ancestors will know that this medicine has found a true home—that it is more than an honored guest.”  —Malidoma P. Somé

Before his birth, in 1956, the elders of Malidoma’s village knew that his purpose in coming into this world was to carry the message of indigenous technology and spirituality to the western world, a place where modernity was growing increasingly hungry for a reconnection to ancient wisdom. For more than 20 years, Malidoma Somé has shared the wisdom of his ancestors and tribal elders, awakening a deep knowing in the hearts and bones of those who have recognized in his name, his books, his voice, the spirit world inviting the renewal of a powerful and abiding relationship with all beings on earth.

Virtually every ritual work and ceremonial event Malidoma has conducted began and ended with the ancestors. This is because nothing in the ritual tradition of Dagara people can happen without involving the dead. From simple ritual practices such as sprinkling ashes to focus one’s intention, and pouring water to invoke peace, to the several-week-long initiations, the names of the dead are invoked, implored and/or simply called on.

In this workshop, participants will journey through Dagara wisdom, remembering that we are, each of us, going somewhere purposeful in life. Through the healing interaction of ritual we will open ourselves to the desires and insistence of the ancestors. Participants will learn the practice of “Calling in the Ancestors”, and experience a deepening of that connectedness with the spirit world. Such practice is appropriate for anyone who, for whatever reason, and in whatever way, calls upon spirit for intervention in their lives.

To assist participants in living more harmoniously in the natural world and in relationships with the spirit world, Malidoma Somé will be available Sunday afternoon and Monday for private and personal divination for an additional fee. More information will be included in your confirmation materials.

Malidoma Patrice Somé, Ph.D, is an initiated elder in his village in Dano, Burkina Faso in West Africa. He travels throughout the world bringing a message of hope, healing and reconciliation through the powerful tools of ritual and community building. Through his lectures and the introduction of ritual in a way that the western psyche can embrace, Malidoma offers life-altering medicine and the opportunity to explore the meaning of purpose within one’s community. He has earned two Ph.D’s, from the Sorbonne in Paris and Brandeis University in Boston. He is the author of several books, including Ritual: Power, Healing and Community, Of Water and the Spirit, and The Healing Wisdom of Africa. For more information, visit www.malidoma.com.

Location
The workshop will be held at Pacifica Graduate Institute at Ladera Lane. Located on 35 acres in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this residential retreat center provides a unique and peaceful environment for this event. The center has lodging and dining facilities as well as a swimming pool and hiking trails.

Accommodations
A limited number of rooms are available at the Ladera Campus for participants on a first-come, first-served basis at a special rate of  $75 per night single occupancy, $110 per night couple occupancy, and $120 per night double occupancy, plus 10% occupancy tax. Accommodations are simple, retreat-style rooms with shared bath and shower. Reservations for rooms must be made through Pacifica’s Public Program office. Please reserve your room on the registration form. Other accommodations in the Santa Barbara area may be arranged by calling one of these services: Coastal Escapes at 800.292.2222 or Hot Spot Accommodations at 800.793.7666.

Meals
Organic meals are provided to encourage ongoing dialogue and community exchange throughout the weekend. Included in your registration fee is Friday dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and Sunday breakfast. Sunday lunch is available for an additional fee of $15.

Travel
Major airlines provide service into the Los Angeles International Airport located 90 miles south of Santa Barbara. Some flights are also available directly into the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. Both airports have shuttle service between the airport and Santa Barbara. Information on ground transportation will be included with your confirmation letter.  

Registration and Cancellation
To register, please complete the form and return it with your payment to Pacifica Graduate Institute, Public Programs, 249 Lambert Road, Carpinteria, CA 93013; fax to 805.565.5796; e-mail to publicprograms@pacifica.edu; or call 805.969.3626, ext. 103, on click here to register online.

To obtain a refund on your registration fee, send a written cancellation request postmarked no later than December 12. Tuition less a $50 processing fee will be refunded. No exceptions will be made. For refund on accommodations, cancellation with full refund will be accepted up to 5 days before the event. Cancellations made 1-4 days before the event will receive a 50% refund. There will be no refund for cancellation on the day of the event.

Scholarships
A limited number of partial scholarships are available to those who find it prohibitive to pay the full cost of the workshop. To apply, send a letter of request with your registration. Please be specific regarding your financial circumstances. You will be contacted, and if accepted, payment arrangements will be made.    

Continuing Education Credit
Eleven hours of continuing education credit are available for RNs through the California Board of Registered Nurses (provider #CEP 7177), for MFTs and LCSWs (provider #PCE 2278) through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, and for National Certified Counselors (provider #5436), through the National Board of Certified Counselors. Pacifica adheres to NBCC continuing education guidelines.

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