Classes focus on:

• History of Traditional Shamanism & Shamanic Practice
• Plants of Shamanic Practice
• Spirit Guides & Teachers
• Drumming Circle & Council Fire
• Gateways into the Spirit Realms
• The Medicine Wheel
• Journeys with the Directions & Elements
• Chanting & Song
• Guided Meditation & Self-Guided Journeying
• Ecstatic Movement & Dance
• Tools of Shamanic Practice
• Ritual Healing, Cleansing, and Blessing
• Developing relationships with Ancestors & Spirits
• Animal, Plant, Stone, Tree, and Elemental Spirits
• Spiritual Ecology & Earth Spirituality
• Rituals with nature

        This course is intended to build the foundation for shamanic practice and work in the spirit realms. The focus will be on developing relationships with the spirits of the physical realm (spirits of nature), and is intended to help support those on a path of deeping their relationship to the earth. This course can be taken alongside the plant medicine apprenticeship in order to support a deeper connection to the spirits of the earth. This course is not intended to create shamans, it is intended to teach shamanic practice to those living in modern day society in order to help build stronger relationships between the realm of the spirits, the earth, and human communities.


         The cost for the 6 month course starting May 31st, 2012 is $600 - $750 (sliding scale) for 17 three hour classes. Payment plans are available at a sliding scale of $25 per class (after initial $200 class deposit). A $200 deposit ($100 is non-refundable) is required to register for the course and is subtracted from the total cost. Full payment is due by the first class meeting unless a payment plan has been arranged in advance. Once the course has begun, those with payment plans must pay the full tuition by the end of the course whether or not the course is completed, unless the student withdraws by July 12th, then half the course tuition is due.

         To register, fill out the registration form and send it to the address provided. Each student should only miss 2-3 classes during the course, as it can disrupt the circle if people can not make classes regularly. The course will be limited to 10 people. Please feel free to contact Sage with any questions, at thegaiaschool@gmail.com, or call (617)-838-8094.

         This course is open to anyone interested, regardless of their gender, belief system, or past experience. We have had both advanced students and beginners as students, and both men and women. Though the course does often stress the energy of the Mother present in the earth, both yin and yang energies present in all things is honored. Women tend to be the majority in our courses but green men are welcome and greatly appreciated in our circle.

         Before the start of the course you will receive a welcome packet via email with your course syllabus, booklist, course information, and beginning readings. Solitary study and practice for the course are optional (with occasional exceptions) but are highly encouraged.

~ Student Quotes & Pictures ~




Course taught by Sage L. Maurer
Shamanic Herbalist & Practioner

         Sage is an independent practitioner and teacher of traditional healing practices, plant spirit medicine, shamanism, deep ecology, and ethnobotany. Sage has been practicing shamanism and plant spirit medicine for the past 15 years, and has begun training advanced students in the past few years in the ways of shamanic practice. Through personal journeying and spirit work Sage has developed strong relationships with the spirit realms, and has helped to guide people into relationship with the spirits of nature for the past 10 years. Sage holds a degree in anthropology, and has continued to study and learn from shamanic cultures around the world. This is the first course Sage is offering to anyone interested in learning to practice the roots of shamanic healing and journeying into the realms of the spirits.