Wild Sacredness offers a modern version of the ancient, traditional vision quest practiced by many different cultures. Our vision quest is a spiritual journey, a window for transformation—a chance to reclaim and bring forth the power and joy of your authentic self. If you sense a calling to make a major shift in the way you live your life, our vision quest offers that opportunity in a dynamic way.
"A precious chance to retreat from our hectic lives…"
Sacred Vision Quests
Why go on a Sacred Vision Quest? The following section addresses that intriguing question. If you’re curious about who you truly are beneath all of the roles you currently play...if your own mysteries are clamoring to be revealed…and if you want to embrace your most authentic vision of yourself and begin to live from that vantage point – read on.
Our vision quests were launched to provide an experience of profound personal transformation. Based on the premise that each of us is perfect in our own right and blessed with distinctive gifts to share, Sacred Vision Quests serve as the spark to re-ignite our passions and draw forth what lies within us.
At certain points in our life journeys, we may sense a transition approaching – a pull toward a new career path, a change in personal relationships, or a fervor for a more authentic way to live. It might simply be time to heal wounds that are blocking our growth.
This juncture offers a precious chance to retreat from our hectic lives and turn inward to gain a deeper understanding of who we really are...and what we need to do.
Our transformational tool is the vision quest, adapted from an ancient rites of passage ceremony. For millennia, people from many different cultures – Native American, Aborigines, and Basque, to name a few – have left behind familiar surroundings and withdrawn into nature to gain greater insight into their lives. In line with this traditional sacred practice, our vision quest is a way of confirming and celebrating a passage from one phase of life into the next. We in the modern era can benefit greatly from this ceremony, woven into the context of our contemporary lifestyles. The quest is not necessarily about receiving a mystical vision, but rather about a new way of seeing and moving through the world.
Essentially, our vision quest is an empty framework – a circle drawn in the dirt. The ceremony is bestowed with meaning when you step into the circle with authentic intention, bringing with you your values, your spiritual and cultural heritage, and your life experience. You are the co-creator of your own journey. The quest draws you to the place where your life and Spirit intersect.*
"You have a unique message to deliver; a unique song to sing, a unique act of love to bestow. This message, this song, and this act of love have been entrusted exclusively to the one and only you."
JOHN POWELL
In order to let go of old patterns and give birth to a new way of being, participants in the vision quest spend time alone in the wilderness. This immersion allows questers to reconnect with their own place in the cycles and rhythms of nature. Journeying solo into the wild with a chosen individual intention, you have an opportunity to address limitations, realize strengths, and ponder your own mysteries.
Upon returning from the quest, you will be empowered and transformed by a new vision of yourself—ready to serve your community with the gifts of your journey.
We now offer four distinct vision quest journeys. While they all share the essential components–immersing one's self in solo time on a fasting retreat in the wilderness, guided by an intention that you have created–each has a particular focus and challenge. They include:
*To get a taste of the inner exploration that the quest involves, we suggest you purchase a copy of the booklet Wildness Within: Experience the Power of Your Authentic Self. It contains exercises that help you begin to love and honor yourself deeply, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and experience the power of the natural world to offer transformational insights through an intentional hike known as a “day walk.”