before the time:

 

each person receives a handbook to begin their own preparation,

This includes information on:

 

• history of wilderness journey's 

• refining your intention - the importance of naming what calls you to do this

• the nature wallk - a solo walk done in nature 1 month before your wilderness vigil

• about the Cederberg mountains - animals, weather, etc

• getting the equipment you need together - e.g. sleeping bag, sleeping mat

• how to prepare for a fast​

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the group also meets 1 week before the vigil where themes such as intention, safety and health are discussed and participants get to meet each other.

 

8 day wilderness vigil outline

 

severence - days 1+2

 

• clarifying your intention in greater depth

• building  readiness: psychological and emotional

• safety, health issues

• self generated ceremony 

• finding the spot that you will call home for your solo time, getting your water there and creating the stone-pile system with your "buddy"

 

threshhold - days 3 - 6

 

• four days and nights solo in the Cederberg Mountains

• all-night vigil on the last night

 

re-incorporation - days 7 & 8

 

• return to base camp after sunrise

• storytelling: deep listening from the group allows us to share our stories. A particular process called mirroring is used by facilitators after each story, to reflect it back so we can hear more fully what is it that we have done.

• re-incorporation - intergrating what we have found in the mountains into our daily lives and taking that into the world.