The Way of the
Wounded Healer
Making Meaning of Malady
A 10 Week Intensive
combining Myth and Storytelling,
Grief Work and Ritual
Jan - March 2022
“There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
- Leonard Cohen
If our wounds separate us on personal islands of misery, our capacity to heal gathers us back into the circle of community. Ideally, we return stronger, fuller, deeper, more capable of serving others.
It’s in the archetype of the healer to be wounded. Through tending our own wounds, we develop the capacity to tend those of others.
There’s no roadmap, and society gives us precious few tools for the job. But we can learn from myths and legends and from one another. We can reclaim age-old patterns of relating to our plant and animal kin, to our own ancestors, and to powers older and bigger than us. We can share our stories and the wisdom they contain.
This course is a circling of the wounded and resilient, those determined to transmute the poison of their wounds into medicine.
We gather for 10 weeks starting in the depths of winter, just as the days begin to lengthen. We gather to immerse ourselves in story, both personal and mythological; we gather for expression through movement and writing; we gather to meet plant allies and ancestral guides, and to access healing through ritual arts and grieving.
Together we’ll wade into the seas of myth and mystery in hopes of returning with renewed understanding of our own stories and struggles, and the makings of a more meaningful life in service to collective healing.
This course is for those who:
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Desire, regardless of career or certification status, to put their bitterest experiences to use helping others
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Are prepared to both give and receive, to speak and to listen, and be vulnerable in a group setting
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Are interested in models of medicine beyond the western rationalist/materialist paradigm
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Are curious about the ways our narratives shape us, individually and collectively, and impact our ailments and health
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Feel called to storytelling (both personal narratives and big stories / myths) as a healing path
Participants will:
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Go deep with a supportive group dedicated to deep, soul-level healing
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Become familiar with several healing narratives and therapeutic myths
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Come to know two herbal allies / plant teachers
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Learn techniques for relating safely and well with the ancestors
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Be immersed in practices that foster healing and reconnection, such as writing, movement, grief work and ritual
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Have a chance to access grief, rage and other intense emotions
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Explore both masculine/linear and feminine/circular styles and stories of healing
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Emerge with new tools, strengthened community and an awareness of resources both inner and outer
Ten weekly 2.5 hour classes (25 hrs total class time)
Wednesdays 6.00pm - 8.30pm EDT
Jan 5 - March 9
via Zoom
Limited to 15 participants
Sliding scale Tuition - 3 tiers
Subsidized: $450
Sustaining: $675
Generating:: $900
Tuition includes 12 weekly live calls and two one-on-one sessions with course facilitators Julia Hartsell and Jonathan Hadas Edwards.
Contact us to discuss rate flexibility beyond the subsidized rate.
Application Process:
Write to info@heartwardsanctuary.org with answers (brief is fine) to the following questions:
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What speaks to you in the course description, and how do you see yourself in relation to the wounded healer?
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Are you prepared to commit to showing up for weekly classes and engaging 1-2 additional hours per week on homework assignments including writing, reading, and elements of ritual?
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Do you need a (partial) scholarship to attend? Please understand that scholarship funds are limited but we will do our best to accommodate.
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Anything else you’d like us to know as we consider your application?
Registration closes Dec 10. Early application is recommended for those who feel called to this offering, as the course is expected to fill.