Plant spirits have a consciousness and the ability to bring forth spiritual, emotional, and physical healing. Wisdom keepers, shamans, and medicine people have known secrets of plants and used them as healing allies. Touch, connect, and commune with plants, flowers, and trees in a prairie reserve near Infinity Foundation. Experience practices of deep connection to the plant spirits and their healing abilities as we take a spirit walk and commune with these nature realms. Please bring a journal and a pen to write your response to the deepening connection of the wisdom of the nature spirits. You may also bring something to sit on if needed and water. Please dress for walking in the prairie, rain or shine. No experience necessary. Meet at Infinity. The prairie is a five minutes from Infinity.

Course 082129
Date Sunday, July 27
Time 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Cost $40/30 payment 10 days advance

John Lionberger, MSJ, MDiv, WFR

For well over 4,000 years, people searching for a deeper and more authentic connection to their spiritual core have left the city to go to wild places where the trappings of civilization don’t interfere with their quest. Tapping into that same strong, almost DNA-embedded drive to experience God in places that are so obviously of God’s making, you’ll spend five hours in-and-around the Skokie Lagoons. Your first hour will be talking about the critical role that natural places have played in the formation of nearly all of the world’s religions. Then you’ll spend the next two hours kayaking around the Lagoons (expert instruction will precede being turned loose), seeing the astonishing abundance of wildlife, and getting away from the barnacles of civilized life that complicate and diminish your life. You’ll move quietly and at nature’s pace.

At the end of your time on the water there will be an hour of solitude and silence, where you’ll have the opportunity to reflect and to journal about your experience and what it raised for you. This is also a chance to further the experience of simply being part of nature. Your last hour will be spent sharing with the others what your afternoon has been like, followed by a closing ceremony. We go rain or shine. The only thing that will keep us off the water will be lightning or exceptionally high winds.

Please bring: a good hat, sunglasses, sunblock , a journal and pen, several water bottles, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes, energy snacks if needed, and rain gear, just in case. Simple plastic ponchos should be fine, a fanny pack or other small pack, lined with a zipper-type plastic bag, and a flexible attitude. No experience is necessary.
Suggested reading is John Lionberger’s book Renewal in the Wilderness: A Spiritual Guide to Connecting with God in the Natural World. Space limited.

Meet at the boat landing off of Tower Road in Glencoe. The entrance is just east of the Edens, Hwy 41. Look for a Northwest Passage vehicle. If you’re coming from the north you can exit at Tower. If you’re coming from the south exit at Willow Road East and turn left, go north on to Forest Way, then turn left at Tower and left into the parking lot, which is just over the bridge across the lagoon.

Course 082138
Date Sunday, August 17
Time 12:30 - 5:30 PM
Cost $80/70 plus an additional $22/person for double kayak or
$40/person for a single kayak. Payment must be received by July 30.

Atala Dorothy Toy, AM, PP

Join this popular annual prairie walk at a local wildlife preserve. There is an ongoing relationship, established three years ago, to work with these nature beings. They lovingly welcome us back each year for our joint efforts to clear environmental issues at the preserve. This is the best way to learn about these folk, who are very task-oriented—to serve the common community. In this field trip, you will practice how to connect to and communicate with nature spirits, including plants, trees and rock spirits; elementals, faeries, and devas. We assemble at Infinity then drive as a group to the preserve. Bring a hat, good walking shoes, long pants, water, and a camera. Dress for rain or shine.

Course 082157
Date Saturday, September 13
Time 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Cost $45/40 payment 10 days advance