Christina Pratt Explores Rites of Passage with Annie Spencer on February 15 "Why Shamanism Now?"

Portland, OR, February 12, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Streaming live on the Co-Creator Radio Network (www.co-creatornetwork.com) on Tuesday, February 15, at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time, on her show "Why Shamanism Now?: A Practical Path to Authenticity,” shaman and founder of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing Christina Pratt welcomes Annie Spencer, founder of Hartwell Centre for Shamanic & Ceremonial Ways in the United Kingdom, who tells listeners, “Making Ceremony is a way of reminding ourselves that in fact all that we do is sacred.”

In this episode of “Why Shamanism Now?” titled “Rites of Passage,” Pratt and Spencer explore the art and power of creating Ceremony in our contemporary lives. Spencer, a frequent presenter at the UK Society of Shamanic Practitioners Conference and an elder and guide in the practice of ceremonial shamanism the worldwide, explains, “Perhaps it is precisely because we are so barraged by advertising hype, political spin and journalistic license that we need Ceremony now more than ever... Getting lost in a delusional, fragmented post-modern world of virtual reality, we become addicted to adrenalin, throw ourselves out of balance, and then are terrified to discover that one in three of us will contract cancer and need psychiatric help during our lifetimes. Ceremony, and particularly the ceremonies that are rooted in an earth-based spiritual tradition, help us regain our balance, our sense of purpose, and a deep feeling of belonging in the natural world that brings with it a strong sense of joy.”

Spencer talks to host Pratt as part of a series of “Why Shamanism Now?” episodes sponsored by the Society of Shamanic Practitioners (SSP). Throughout this series, Pratt explores how contemporary shamans are meeting the challenge of their world where the relations of things—the living and the dead, the humans and nature, and the technological world and the spirit world—are profoundly out of balance. It is the ancient role of the shaman in all cultures to tend the balance of things, and the question is asked: how are these shamans meeting this extraordinary need today? This week Pratt and Spencer talk to listeners about rites of passage.

Christina Pratt is an authentic, non-traditional contemporary shaman. In practice since 1990, she specializes in mending the soul and transforming the parts of life that feel impossible. A teacher of exceptional clarity, humor, and inspiration, Pratt brings the power of shamanism into the practical grasp of anyone willing to take responsibility for improving the quality of their life. Her well-received book, An Encyclopedia of Shamanism (Rosen), is an 800-page, two-volume set with over 750 in-depth entries that clearly discuss the basic concepts of shamanism, methods, and traditions of over 50 different shamanic peoples. Pratt is the founder of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing in Portland, OR, and New York, NY, creator of the original Foundations of Shamanism and Shamanic Healing course at the University of Minnesota, and a frequent and honored speaker for the American Holistic Medical Association.

Annie Spencer is founder of Hartwell Centre for Shamanic & Ceremonial Ways in the UK. She is a ceremonialist and workshop leader with an Oxford M.A. and a diploma in Humanistic Psychology. Spencer has been running groups and trainings for over 20 years including the groundbreaking Women's Mysteries courses; and was a co-founder of the Shamanka School of Shamanic Studies for Women and of Openings, the Bath-based center for therapies and group work. Her writing on earth mysteries, women’s mysteries and ceremony can be regularly found in many major magazines. Specner is currently involved in the establishment of Circle of Life Rediscovery, which is devoted to bringing earth-based spiritual traditions to young people. Spencer has worked in many spiritual traditions across the Americas over the past 30 years. In addition to studying Guatemalan Mayan teachings for the past five years, she has built up an intimate relationship with the sacred sites of her Cornish ancestors. Spencer’s primary interest is the renewal of ancient ceremonial forms for creating a path of beauty upon Grandmother Earth. For more information about Spencer and her work, visit www.hartwell.eu.com or write to info@hartwell.eu.com.

"Why Shamanism Now?", a live internet talk radio with host Christina Pratt, airs Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/hosts/shamanism/host_bio.htm. Listeners can ask questions by calling (512) 772-1938 or via Skype. Prior episodes from "Why Shamanism Now" can be downloaded for free from the iTunes library (www.iTunes.com). Pratt also talks about Shamanic Healing on You Tube (www.youtube.com).

For more information on Christina Pratt, the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing, and workshops and classes with Pratt, or to order An Encyclopedia of Shamanism at a special discounted rate, visit www.lastmaskcenter.org. Upcoming classes with Pratt “Your Ecstatic Energy Body” February 18-19; Shamanic Journey Circles the third Tuesday of every month; Wisdom of the Shaman talks every third Friday; and Qigong classes every Wednesday, all in Portland. Pratt will also be offering Warrior Medicine on March 11-13 -- a not-for-profit gathering of shamans in Portland. For additional information or to arrange an interview with Pratt, please contact Linda Woznicki, 845-417-8811, lwoz@frontiernet.net.

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