Joan Forest Mage

JOAN FOREST MAGE is a shaman, educator and shamanic performing artist. She has studied shamanism, energy work and healing ritual with numerous teachers, including the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, and works as a Shamanic Practitioner at Healing Earth Resources in Chicago. Joan has over thirty years of professional performing and teaching experience as a dancer, singer and theater performer, and two music CD’s to her credit. She has a Master of Arts Degree in Applied Professional Studies from De Paul University’s School for New Learning, with the focus area “Creating Healing Ritual Through the Arts: A Contemporary Paradigm.”  Joan has taught workshops and training programs in the arts since 1985, and in shamanism since 1996.  She is the founder and director of the School for Creative Community LIFE FORCE ARTS CENTER FOR SHAMANIC ART AND CULTURE Life Force Arts Center will host shamanic and spiritual visual, literary and performing art. We define shamanic as "working with spirit guides". Our Center will present dance, theater, music, performance art, authors and visual artists who work in such traditions as shamanic, Goddess, Earth-centered, visionary, angels, or any spiritually uplifting forms. The Center will have shamanic and spiritual workshops and individual healing sessions. The 1500 square foot performance space will be available for rentals to such groups as spiritual organizations, healers, dance or theater rehearsals, etc. There will also be a gift shop to sell artwork, music CD's, books and other products of the artists, teachers and healers who present at our Center, as well as a limited amount of general spiritual merchandise (sage, incense, candles, etc.). We have located a beautiful space in the Lakeview area of Chicago, at 1113 W. Belmont that we are currently negotiating to rent. Become a Member of Life Force! A Center like this arises because of the need of the community. We need Members to join us! Your Annual Membership is especially important at this time, since it will help us pay initial costs of opening the Center, and show that there is a base of support in the community for the spiritual work that the Center provides. Our goal is to raise $10,000 by August 1 and have 100 members by August 19. You can join on our website at: http://www.lifeforcearts.org/Pages/Membership.html Members receive discounts on performances and workshops, gifts of appreciation, a free session with an energy healer or reader, and more: Annual Memberships $25 level - (Friend) 10 % discount on performances and gift shop purchases  one free gift of appreciation (notecards, small art work, CD, etc.)     $50 level - (Donor) 10 % discount on performances and gift shop purchases one free gift of appreciation (notecards, small art work, CD etc.)   4 free guest passes to performances   $100 level - Supporter 10 % discount on performances and gift shop purchases one free gift of appreciation (notecards, small art work, CD, etc.) 4 free guest passes to performances 1 free healing session with healer who has donated his/her session   $250 level - Benefactor 10 % discount on performances and gift shop purchases one free gift of appreciation (notecards, small art work, CD etc.) 4 free guest passes to performances 1 free healing session with healer who has donated his/her session 10 % discount on workshops Have questions? Want to contribute in other ways such as donating time, in-kind goods, etc.? Please contact me at mageworkshops@yahoo.com or 312-642-1811. We appreciate prayers and good energy for the total success of this new Light Center in Chicago! Thanks so much, Joan Please visit Joan's other websites:  www.magelife.com  School for Creative Community www.4creativecommunity.org   listen to/purchase her music cd's at www.cdbaby.com   HOLISTIC HEALTH PRACTICE I have started seeing my individual clients at a wonderful holistic center near  called Holistic Health Practice, located 1 E Superior. At Holistic Health Practice, I am on staff with many types of holistic practitioners, such chiropractors, reiki masters, accupuncturists and intutive counsellors! I usually see clients on Tuesdays, by appointment.  Come for a soul retrieval or one of the other individual sessions that I offer (please see my website at www.magelife for a list of the sessions.)  A 90 minute session is $120.   NATIONAL EXPRESSIVE THERAPY CONFERENCE On January 29, I will be presenting a paper I wrote at the National Expressive Therapy Conference in sunny St. Petersburg, FL.  My presentation is entitled "The Good and the Beautiful: Western and Indigenous Aesthetics". It is based on a paper I wrote for my master's degree work at School for New Learning, DePaul University. I became a Certified Expressive Arts Therapist in 2005, and I'm pleased to be presenting at this annual national conference on expressive arts therapy. If anyone would like to join me and the many other expressive therapists at this event, you can find complete information by visiting the website of the National Expressive Therapy Association at www.expressivetherapy.com.   Healing Ritual Training Program   Healing Ritual Training Program 2 year program of the School for Creative Community (CSS)       The School for Creative Community(SCC), founded and directed by Contemporary Shaman Joan Forest Mage, promotes shamanically-based, artistically oriented Healing Ritual based on the Creative Community Model. Healing Ritual aims to create healing, wellness and empowerment of the soul in individuals, human society, the spirit realm and nature. SCC offers Healing Ritual events to the general public, as well as the three-year professional Healing Ritual Facilitator Program (HRFP), which includes training in shamanic practice, body wisdom, and expressive art healing modalities. THE SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE COMMUNITY (SCC) is an educational and research organization which promotes the shamanically-based, artistically oriented Healing Ritual work developed by Contemporary Shaman Joan Forest Mage. Healing Ritual aims to create healing, wellness and fitness of the soul, improving relationships within and between the individual, human society, the spirit realm and Nature through Healing Ritual events, which include interdisciplinary art, group interaction, spiritual practice and mind-body movement exercises. SCC offers Healing Ritual events to the general public, as well as various levels of training, including a certificate program for Healing Ritual Facilitators with a master’s degree option through De Paul’s School for New Learning. SCC also carries out research projects which contribute to the theory and methods of Healing Ritual. The Healing Ritual Training Program (HRTP) is a two-year professional program for training facilitators of shamanically-based, artistically oriented Healing Ritual. It is offered through the School for Creative Community (SCC),, a school founded and directed by Contemporary Shaman Joan Forest Mage. The Healing Ritual Training Program offers training in shamanic, somatic, group dynamic and artistic healing modalities. The program includes supervised clinical practice. Graduates receive a certificate as a Healing Ritual Facilitator. Shamanism is an ancient form of spiritual healing, practiced for at least 20,000 years in virtually every culture of the world. Your image of shamanism may be of indigenous peoples drumming, singing and dancing to create healing. Contemporary shamanism combines shamanic techniques from many cultures.  It is not from any one ethnic or religious tradition: it connects you directly to the spirit realm of angels, ancestors, totem animals and other helpful spiritual beings for gaining wisdom and healing.  Many people regard shamanic work as a spiritual technology that does not conflict with other religious or spiritual beliefs they have.  Healing Ritual Facilitators use both performing and visual art to create safe, effective and powerful Healing Rituals. Healing Ritual Art is any visual or performing art (dance, theater, painting, singing, drawing, writing, storytelling) that is inspired by and/or related to the spirit realm. It is not based in a particular type or style of art, but rather explores the interface between artistic technique, spiritual presence and healing power inherent in all forms of art. The goal of Healing Ritual is mainly spiritual, emotional and psychological healing, but physical healing as well can sometimes result.  We explore the potential for healing through many levels of existence: within the body, with nature and the spirit realm, through improving interpersonal dynamics and communicating through the arts.  In addition to shamanic practice and interdisciplinary art, HRTP trains students in somatics (mind-body connection) as well as a specific theory and practice of individual and group dynamics (Creative Community) to facilitate healing, wellness and fitness/empowerment of the soul. The theoretical basis of the Healing Ritual Training Program is spiritual, metaphysical and shamanic, rather than psychological.  As such, it provides an alternative to psychology-based therapist training programs. HRTP is based on a theory called Creative Community that Joan Forest Mage has developed over a period of 20 years. The theory and practice of Creative Community has shown many positive results for students and clients.  Each Course in the HRTP teaches students to facilitate one or more of Seven Healing Processes. Healing Ritual Training is valuable as a basis for or a complement to many types of professional work in art, healing, education and other fields, as well as for personal development and healing. While all HRTP students take the same Courses, each student is treated as an individual who has a mission in life that he or she will discover and unfold.  Students are expected and encouraged to apply what they are learning to various types of work they might do.  For example, some graduates of HRTP work with individuals, some with groups.  Some work as artists, others as bodyworkers, others as psychologists, or in a variety of other meaningful work in the world.  HRTP training is accepted as a major component of the work towards a Master of Arts Degree in Applied Professional Studies from De Paul University School for New Learning. HRTP students are also eligible to apply for certification as Expressive Arts Therapists through the National Expressive Therapy Association, and to join the Society for Shamanic Practitioners. Three ways of attending HRTP There are three ways of attending the Healing Ritual Training Program. Students may: 1.      Register for courses individually 2.      Take the 2-year CCI Certificate Program, which leads to the Healing Ritual Facilitator Certificate 3.      Enroll in the master’s program at De Paul in conjunction with the 2-year CCI Certificate Program. You will receive both the Healing Ritual Facilitator Certificate and an MA degree Individual courses Take the Course that is of most interest to you –Shamanic, Somatic, Artistic or Group Dynamic.  If you are interested in practicing shamanically-based art, you may want to take only the Artistic Course.  If your goal is to be an energy work healer, the Shamanic Course would be for you.  Bodyworkers can benefit from the Somatic Course, and psychologists from the Group Dynamic Course. Cost: each Course is $1000.   Certificate Program This is a two-year professional training program, similar to technical schools such as hairstyling or auto mechanic schools. It trains you to facilitate Healing Ritual for clients and students. The Healing Ritual Training Program includes training in: Shamanic work Somatic work Group dynamic work Artistic work Activity practicum - regular activity outside of class meetings in one of three areas: physical exercise (yoga, tai chi, somatics, swimming, sports) artistic practice (singing, dancing, painting, writing) and Nature connection activities (bird watching, hiking, gardening) to be practiced during the program. Type of exercise is student’s choice. Synthesis - deciding how you as an individual practitioner will combine the various modalities you have learned Supervised clinical practice Certification Project (thesis) The cost of the entire HRTP is $8000. Note: Graduates of HRTP are qualified to practice this artistic shamanic healing work as non-licensed spiritual/energy healers.  This course does not qualify graduates for any license in the state of Illinois. See “What This Program Qualifies You To Do Professionally” section below for more details.   Master’s Degree Program   HRTP training is accepted as a major component of the work towards a Master of Arts Degree in Applied Professional Studies from De Paul University’s School for New Learning (SNL). The School for New Learning is an independent studies program, in which students design their own course of study.   How the master’s program works. In addition to being enrolled in the HRTP, you also enroll at De Paul University’s School for New Learning (SNL) master’s degree program.  (Note: as an adult education program, the School for New Learning requires students to be 25 years of age to enroll in their program.) In addition to the HRTP courses, you will need to take seven seminars that are required in the SNL program.  Adding these to the eight HRTP courses gives you enough credit hours to complete the SNL master’s degree.  For more complete details on how the courses at HRTP and SNL interface, please contact Joan.   Payment to SCC is separate from payment to SNL.  The SNL program cost is approximately $20,000, in addition to your CCI tuition of $8000.   Advantages of master’s degree study   Having the master’s degree makes you eligible to apply to the National Expressive Therapy Association (www.expressivetherapy.com) for certification as an Expressive Arts Therapist. Expressive Arts Therapists are qualified in some states to collect health insurance money for treating clients.   With a master’s degree, you may also be qualified to teach various courses at the high school, college or university level.  You will need to check with the learning institution at which you are planning to teach to determine if they will hire you based on your master’s degree in Healing Ritual Facilitation.   Many people find that enrolling in a master’s degree program can be the perfect venue for making a change in their career, or in other aspects of life. Master’s level study can provide the stimulation of learning new subjects, as well as an opportunity for contemplation, personal process and evaluating new direction in life. With their respect for individual creative process and unfoldment, the HRTP and SNL are particularly good programs for such transformative work.   Finally, master’s level study is ideal for anyone seeking new levels of intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth.      Financial Aid   Students in the masters program at SNL are eligible for financial aid through De Paul.  At a future time, students who are in the CCI Certificate Program without taking the SNL master’s program will be eligible for financial aid through CCI itself.     What This Program Qualifies You To Do Professionally   All graduates of HRTP are qualified to practice artistic shamanic healing work as non-licensed spiritual healers.  Students of HRTP may apply for membership in the Society for Shamanic Practitioners (www.shamansociety.org).  The Society does not certify practitioners, but serves as a networking organization for professionals in the shamanic field.   Certification General Description: A certification is awarded by a professional association, and is given to practitioners in that field who have demonstrated competence according to the standards of excellence required by that professional organization.   As a graduate of HRTP, you are qualified to apply to the National Expressive Therapy Association (www.expressivetherapy.com) for certification as an Expressive Arts Therapist. To apply, you must have a master’s degree, either through the School for New Learning or through another master’s program.  Expressive Arts Therapists are qualified in some states to collect health insurance money for treating clients. Please contact the National Expressive Therapy Association for more details.   Licensing General Description: A license is given by a government agency (usually the state) and gives permission for a practitioner of a discipline to legally practice that discipline in that state.  The practitioner takes a state board examination in order to be licensed.    The HRTP does not qualify you to be licensed for any profession.  None of the states currently license shamanic practitioners. The HRTP does not qualify students to be psychologists, counselors, massage therapists, or other professions which are currently licensed.  In order to be licensed in these professions, you would need to take courses in psychology, anatomy, etc. which SCC does not offer. The Master’s Degree program at School for New Learning does not qualify you to be a licensed psychologist or counselor.   Since HRTP is spiritual/energy healing, another possibility for gaining legal recognition as a professional facilitator of Healing Ritual is to become a licensed religious minister.