(Frequently Asked Questions)
Below are questions that people may have regarding our Oracle 2000 gathering site. We have tried to give you answers that will be helpful as you make plans to participate.
These are short descriptions and may not convey the actual beauty of this place. Two of us (Lori Levine and Carol Proudfoot-Edgar) were involved in two previous gatherings at Oracle. At the first, we had 126 women of various ages and from different 'walks' of life. This gathering was so successful that we had another one two years later. The facilities were more than adequate for our needs at these gatherings. And people in the cabins developed close relationships that continued beyond the gathering. The places where the cabins are located and/or where people can use tents, are very lovely - either perched on beautiful mesas or lower down the hills within wooded areas. So, as you read this FAQ, remember that we are gathering at a place that has held large groups and blessed us with its beauty.
We are inviting circles and individuals to participate from all around the world. We will have a mix of experience levels and backgrounds. Some people will be very knowledgeable and some new to shamanic practice. But this is the first Shamanic village for all of us, so we'll all come to Oracle as beginners.
Anyone can register as a single participant. You certainly do not need to be part of an existing circle to fully enjoy your time in the village.
Space is limited so if you wish to participate in Oracle 2000, we recommend you send in your registration and deposit soon
Each person in a circle will register individually. Make sure everyone in your circle takes the initiative to register. You may request to room together or may choose to set up a campsite for your whole circle. We will also establish clans as an opportunity to integrate the entire village. These will be different from the circle you arrived with. You may choose to make an offering to the village as a circle.
Each person at Oracle 2000 will become part of a clan of 5-9 people. This is a way for you to connect with others more closely and integrate the village. There will be time set aside each day for the clans to gather. You will be given your clan affiliation when you arrive.
Oracle 2000 will be an ever-changing village. Some people will have ideas for offerings that they want to share ahead of time and will post these on the Oracle website. Some will arise spontaneously. Not everyone will want to lead or offer a service. Many of us will participate in other ways. When you arrive at the village you will find things being offered and groups of people to be with and learn from.
We ask that all participants arrive in time for the opening ceremony on Wednesday night. This is the moment of creation for the village and will set the way for the next few days. It's important that we all share in that moment. If you need to leave early, please let Lori Levine know when you register.
We have kept our costs extremely low to enable people to participate in this gathering. The cost is $235.00 per person. ($275 for late registration after Feb 1). The cost is the same if you come as part of a circle or as an individual. It is the same if you stay in a cabin or camp in your own tent. It is the same if you eat all the meals or none of the meals or if you have to leave early.
The cabins are very rustic and hold 6 to 10 people in bunk beds in a dorm-like room. The cabin clusters are spaced in different areas around these desert grounds. Each cluster of three of four cabins has a bathroom facility nearby with sinks and toilets. There is a centrally located building that has several shower areas for showering. Since the cabins clusters are located in various areas, this building is more distant from the cabins than are the toilets and water outlet/faucets. We encourage people to bring solar showers.
Each participant will need to bring their own bedding (including pillows, sheets, blankets or sleeping bag) and towels. We recommend warm bedding. The cabins are unheated. Spring at Oracle can have variable weather - usually the weather is mild but the nights might be chilly.
For those individuals coming from overseas, if you need help, we will try to provide you with sleeping bags, and towels. If you need these, please contact Pirkko Miller at Pirkkobear@aol.com. Since our resources are limited, these services are only being provided to those coming from other countries.
You can request to room with another person or group or let us assign you so you can meet some new people. Most of the cabins will be single sex; however, we can set aside some cabins to accommodate couples circles which would like to room together - remember, these are open dorm rooms. Each participant will receive a cabin assignment upon arrival at Oracle.
This is a large area and there are many places to camp, close to and farther away from the cabins. If you want privacy you might consider camping. There will be some firewood available for group fires and there are several firepits near the cabins, but fires are not allowed out of these areas.
We'll be offering basic scout camp meals. A menu will be sent to you ahead of time. If you have minor special needs such as soy milk which need refrigeration, there will be some refrigerator space available. We have one refrigerator for the entire gathering, so you need to keep your own needs minimal. If you want to cook or bring more food you will need to bring coolers and Coleman stoves and keep this independent. There are no facilities for individuals to cook inside as the kitchen is being used by the group caterers.
To enable us to become a cohesive shamanic village in a short period of time we are establishing a policy of offering and sharing only. We are asking all who gather to honor "no selling" at Oracle 2000. We envision individuals and groups offering their instruction and services to each other without charge, whether this is crafting, soul retrievals, providing morning shots of coffee, or leading an early morning tai chi session.
If you offer crafting which involves a substantial cost to supply, such as leather, you may ask participants to reimburse you for the cost of the materials. The cost of these materials should be stated ahead of time. Our knowledge and skills are offered freely.
We will have many of these offerings posted ahead of time on the web site and if you need to know definite numbers, people can email you ahead of time with interest. Otherwise, just bring as much as you can reasonably provide and manage to share, and participation will be first come first served. If you want to offer drinks or fruit or popcorn to the whole village and you want others to help you, we can post it on the web with your email address and you can see if others are interested in helping. As the time for our gathering approaches, we can post the approximate number of people participating.
Most of our activities will take place outside. We intend to have some open tents set aside for things like healing. There are a couple of indoor halls available. We can arrange for tables if you need these for crafting. Participants might want to bring their own back chairs or folding chairs.
You can let us know your interests and we'll post these on the web so that others will know of your interests. If you want us to post your email address to make connections ahead of time we can do so. Also, there will be bulletin boards and announcements at a town meeting every morning at Oracle and you can use these to connect during our gathering. If you wish to see the type of services being posted, go to village offerings page.