Shamanic Drumming Circle
In the Autumn of 2001 The Rock was blessed with the opportunity to gather a group for a Shamanic Drum Circle - to be able to work together on our own healing and the healing of our planet for peace on earth. Pirkko Miller is a Shamanic path walker and Coordinator of Shamanic Circles Organization, who came at the perfect time, led by the Spirit - to bless and to teach us. She was born in Finland, where she lived in an incredibly beautiful, natural setting with deep, wilderness forests as her 'backyard'. She became aware that all that surrounded her was alive and that she was never alone. She felt love and protection surrounding her. When she was about twelve years old she said to herself "…aha…this must be what God is: Love, and not an angry and punishing Being that the church/state school was teaching." Pirkko came to the United States in 1953 with her parents and younger sister and entered school to become a Registered Nurse. In the mid' 80's she joined an all volunteer community Hospice, training Hospice Volunteers in Active Listening and visiting the dying and their families. They covered fifty two communities, around 250,000 people and growing. When the AIDS epidemic brought many people home to die, she became aware that the people with HIV had no support and many doctors did not want to care for them. In the medical facility where she worked the staff was afraid and even rude to these patients. So, she decided that something had to be done. She gathered people from all areas of society and established an AIDS Hospice - and a support group for HIV positive people was an outgrowth of this as well. She has traveled to Ecuador many times to bring eyeglasses and donate medicines and medical care to the poor of that country. She retired from her professional life in 1995. Twelve years ago she was introduced to the shamanic path. She has completed an intensive training of Advanced Shamanism with the Foundation of Shamanic Studies. Her teachers were Dr. Michael Harner, Sandra Ingerman and Carol Proudfoot-Edgar. She has studied with Siberian and Lapland shamans and is an ordained minister of the Circle of the Sacred Earth, Inc. She was conducted workshops in the Chicago area on shamanic methods for physicians and workshops abroad. She is currently assisting and coordinating Carol Proudfoot-Edgar's Bear Shamanism Retreats/Workshops and is part of a non-profit organization whose purpose and mission is to aid in the formation, linking and sustaining of shamanic practice and circles around the world. Their website is www.shamaniccircles.org . This organization coordinates International Gatherings, among other things. We are truly blessed that Spirit has led Pirkko to be with us. Shamanic journey is an ancient, time tested method of a trance state which goes well beyond 'visualization' or 'guided imagery'. Those wishing to understand more about shamanic practice are encouraged to contact us.
