Invitation to the Sacred Masculine 
Friday 2/8 i Tingshuset, Örsundsbro [see Festival Program]
• with Gary Kendall

The sacred feminine and the sacred masculine are woven into the heart of our most ancient spiritual traditions. And while we might have heard many of the ancient stories, in order for us to take in the deeper significance of the sacred masculine, we will need to step beyond our ordinary world and into the domain of the mythic gods. We will create a sacred space for the stories just as the ancients did. And like the ancient people, we can embrace the sacred masculine as a necessary part of true balance to our world. We can seek to reawaken the deep wisdom that is part of our human inheritance. We will use meditation and visualization in a ceremonial way to connect deep within ourselves. We will ask for the assistance of Osiris and Isis to embrace regeneration in our lives. We will ask Horus and Set to bring balance to our lives. We will invite in the presence of Apollo to connect us with the light of the human creativity. And we will see the faces of all of these gods reflected in the Christian sacred traditions. The deep knowledge has been passed down through the cultures even if the names in the stories have changed.

We enter the space of the sacred masculine to become more fully empowered men and women. For what purpose does our knowledge of ancient stories serve if it is not to enrich our lives today. The sacred masculine is missing from the lives of most men and women.  Its absence means that the masculine/feminine balance in the personality and in our everyday endeavors is always tilted off axis.  The resurgence of the sacred feminine in our world has revealed a void: is it only the feminine that is sacred?  The masculine and the feminine are two sides of the Divine and essential io finding wholeness in our lives.

Waking up the King 
Saturday 3/8 i Tingshuset, Örsundsbro [see Festival Program]
• Mia Verbeelen and Jeroen de Jong

We live in a time and a culture where true kings are hard to find. But courage, compassion, selfless leadership – all kingly qualities – can be found in our day to day lives. Instead of pointing to our leaders and blaming them for misuse of power or lack of vision, we can turn to ourselves and look for the king in us. The more we dare to show the king in ourselves by being willing to step out of the shadow and tell our own stories about bravery, leading by example and doing the right thing, the more permission we give the people around us to do just the same.

In mythology and fairy tales the king is often mean, evil, sick, away, wounded, dead. Or he is asleep or under a spell like Theoden in The Lord of the Rings. Theoden sits on his throne, tired, with limited sight. Grima, a servant of the dark powers, provides a constant whispering of half-truths and convenient lies that cloud the king’s mind. It takes a wizard in full glory – Gandalf – to wake Theoden from the fog that surrounds him and reach him his sword. With a clear mind, Theoden sees what needs to be done and summons his people to take action before its too late.

Just like Theoden our inner king is often asleep. Somewhere deep inside we know what needs to be done, but we let ourselves lure to sleep by being busy, procrastinate important tasks, giving in to our small or bigger addictions or worry endlessly about all the things that might happen.

But that’s not the whole story. Every now and then we experience moments of great clarity or courage and we rise above ourselves. In those moments our inner king is fully awake and in charge. We help others. We take the lead. We inspire the people around us. We create a movement. We become the difference we need to see in the world. In those moments we become the king.

In this workshop we will acces our inner king and telling stories about those moments when we acted like a king, even if we didn’t feel like one. We will explore different virtues, emotions, qualities to create a picture of what our inner king looks like. We will dive into important questions that define what the purpose our inner king serves. And of course we will put all of these ingredients together to create a story that is both personal and transcendent.

Participants will experience guided meditations, inquiry, vocal exercises and more to access and tell their personal story about the ‘inner king’.

Trace the Story 
Sunday 4/8 i Tingshuset, Örsundsbro [see Festival Program]
• Mats Rehnman

What stories are hidden in our memory or imagination. How do we find them, shape them and give them life? During this workshop you will learn the tricks and create several storylines to bring home and develop further.