CA Month-Long Training
Jun 14th, 2023 - Jul 16th, 2023 | Inyo Mountains - Big Pine, California | Betsy Perluss, Angelo Joseph Lazenka, Petra Lentz-Snow, Meredith Little, Kim Belair
The month-long intensive is designed for those who seek to explore and develop their vocation as wilderness guides within the tradition of the School of Lost Borders. Participants are given the opportunity and mentorship to fully immerse themselves in the ceremonial and practical aspects of modern day wilderness rites of passage that have evolved throughout years of experimentation and practice and have been passed down through the teaching of our elders. It is a beneficial training for those who plan to integrate the vision fast ceremony with adults, youth, and with diverse populations.
Program Overview: The group will camp together in the heights of the White/Inyo Mountains, cohabitating as individuals while respectfully entering the community of the wild beings of this place. Most days will include time together in council, as well as ceremonial solo time on the land, exploring the themes of the day. The apprentice-trainee must play two roles: that of initiate and that of field therapist, naïve participant and knowing professional. The experiences of initiatory activity on the land will inform and illumine the subject matter of the teaching.
Most days will include time together in council, as well as solo time on the land, exploring the themes of the day. The apprentice-trainee must play two roles: that of initiate and that of field therapist, naïve participant and knowing professional. The experiences of initiatory activity on the land will inform and illumine the subject matter of the teaching.
Trainees will have the opportunity to learn from a rotating team of highly experienced guides and teachers from Lost Borders, culminating in a four-day vision fast.
Topics will include but not be limited to:
• the theory and foundations of rites of passage and their pan-cultural universality
• inclusivity and intersectionality in wilderness rites of passage
• the risks of cultural misappropriation, cultural shadows, and best practices in respect to the people who have come before and the lands to which they belong
• the history and lineage of the School of Lost Borders and its continual evolving
• the barebones of our practice including: the four shields of human nature, self-generated ceremony and the role of threshold-crossing, shaping and honing of intent as a foundation for threshold experiences o the practice of story-telling and mirroring, the centrality of nature as teacher and mirror, council practice
• rites of passage as dying practice
• the role of the guide
• specific practices such as the death lodge, purpose circle, and other pan-cultural symbols and practices
• the significance of the symbolic, mythic, and archetypal themes that show up in story, dream, and nature.
• the screening and preparation of candidates
• supporting a candidate’s physical/psychological/mental/spiritual safety
• variations on traditional and contemporary models of wilderness vision fasts
• working with youth and other specific populations
• the all-important topic of incorporation and appropriateness of this work to the challenges of our world today.
Participants are given the opportunity and mentorship to fully immerse themselves in the ceremonial and practical aspects of modern-day wilderness rites of passage that have evolved – and continues to evolve – throughout years of experimentation and practice, and have been passed down through the teaching of our elders. Covering a wide range of relevant themes throughout the month, the essence of the teaching will emerge from our relationship with the land, where the eternal wisdom of pan-cultural rites continues to inform us, reflecting the underlying movement and dynamism of all life. We also recognize that the land is inseparable from its people and that the history of colonization of this specific place must inform our teaching and responsibility to foster right relationship with the people and places we inhabit.
Prerequisite: Participation in at least one guided 3 or 4 day Vision Fast within last five years. The month-long intensive is designed for those who seek to explore and develop their vocation as wilderness guides within the tradition of the School of Lost Borders.
***BEFORE ENROLLING AND PAYING DEPOSIT FOR THE CA MONTH-LONG,
please contact: Betsy Perluss at [email protected]
Submit enrollment form
Please fill out and submit the enrollment form and then pay the program deposit below. Before you pay the deposit, please read deposit section below, all deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. After your enrollment form is complete, please submit all health and liability forms.
Pay program deposit
Deposits: This deposit signifies your commitment to the program and is deducted from the tuition balance. All deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. They cover the work of the specific course you signed up for, including all communication involved as well as the fee that guides pay to the school administration for the course accounting.
Additional Deposit: Some programs require a second deposit to help us affirm commitments. Last minute cancellations make it hard to fill openings and incur a loss of income to the School and the guides.
Tuition Balance: Balance of tuition can be paid before or upon arrival. Simply deduct any deposits made from the amount you’ve chosen on the sliding scale.
Submit Waitlist form
This program is full; however, you may add your name to the Waitlist by clicking the Waitlist button below.
Additional course details & Materials
Please plan to arrive by the afternoon of June 13th. We will complete our training around 12PM on July 16th. Additional information will be provided upon enrollment. ADDITIONAL FEES: Camping Fee of $150 per individual (for the entire month) will be collected at the time of the program. SECOND TUITION PAYMENT FOR THE MONTH LONG PROGRAM: As a sign of your commitment, and to insure we have a full group, we are requesting that you make a second non-refundable deposit of $800 by March 1st, 2023. You will be responsible for bringing your own food and equipment, though we can provide some gear if needed. We ask everyone to come prepared to live self-sufficiently. You will need to bring shelter and clothing suitable for a full range of inclement weather.
You will be responsible for bringing your own food and equipment, though we can provide some gear if needed. We ask everyone to come prepared to live self-sufficiently. You will need to bring shelter and clothing suitable for a full range of inclement weather.
All participants must submit the required health questionnaire and liability form.
If you have questions about the enrollment process contact us at [email protected] or call 760-938-3333.
Required reading for this training includes The Trail to the Sacred Mountain Handbook, which contains information on flora, fauna, weather, emergency procedures and other related information, as well as suggestions for preparing for the vision fast you will be doing the second half of the training. Also, highly recommended is The Roaring of the Sacred River, a training manual for “field eco-therapy”, and the recently published, The School of Lost Borders: A Love Story, a deeply moving account of the history of the School told by Meredith Little. All publications are available at Lost Borders Press.
We will gather in the eastern mountains of Payahuunadü (also known as the Inyo Mountains outside of Big Pine, California). These are the ancestral and contemporary lands of the Nüümü and Newe people.
To learn more about our commitment to regenerative relationships please visit Cultural Relations.
