Sacred Mask Camps and Workshops
Plaster-Mask Construction and Theater Play for Self-Empowerment
Empowerment Through Mask Work
What does your most vibrant, powerful, visionary self look like? What would it be like inhabit the persona of your most sacred self daily? Throughout history, cultures have used masks to manifest the divine within collective rituals of dance and theater, incarnating powerful energies and sharing mythic awareness of our human abilities, challenges, and place in the universe.
Our Sacred Mask workshops and camps provide a modern context for the powerful manifestation and self-realization work of our ancestors. Vision journeys (meditation ;) mask-making, theater, improvisational dance, toning and song-writing, with other compassionate individuals outdoors, surrounded by the natural world, assists each individual in tapping into their own unique challenges and powers to remember the role they are powerful enough to play in this lifetime.
In the course of envisioning, designing and fashioning your own sacred mask, you will acknowledge your unique desires and abilities, manifesting your powers through your artwork as you strengthen your feeling of connectedness with others (including the stone/plant/animal/water/wind energies around us humans). As your awareness of being enmeshed in this web of being is heightened and rekindled, responsibility towards our local natural environment and each other and ourselves can grow as well. What do you have to offer? What are you fearless to do? Come on the journey with us!
Typical Workshop Flow
Day 1: Your mask and your place within the traditions of encarnating divine power
Binding a journal for notes, drawings and reflections
Stories of traditional culture’s uses of masks
Group creation of movement and sound sequences to connect with the natural world
Constructing a sacred space to enter our vision journey and invite in the sacred self
Day 2: Group trust-building and exploration
Trust acro exercises
Drawing our masks and working in 3D workshop
Brainstorming power songs and dances
Mask casting: applying latex head-coverings, castor/beeswax jelly, and plaster gauze molding on our faces in partners
Day 3: Journey inward to cleanse, release, and empower
Touch up and gesso masks
Sharing group power songs and dances
Vision journey to reconnect with past and future selves offering us lessons and strength
Earth Purification Ceremony: group walk to construct herb bundles and gather stones representing aspects of ourselves we ask the earth to transform, wrapping our masks in fabric and burying them with the herb bundles in our sacred circles, face up, looking up at the stars, to be cleansed and re-energized by Mama Gaia and Father Sky
Day 4: Manifesting your mask of power
Unearth our masks, finding our obstacles charged with energy to make them our strengths
Teach our power songs and dances to each other
Paint and decorate our masks (acryllic paints, crystals, feathers, beads, fabrics, personal items of significance)
Day 5: Putting on our masks of power
A journey—either hiking through the local environment, or if in Orange County, kayaking to Pimu through Newport Back Bay, across the waters of our minds and subconscious, to return ready to wear our sacred masks in a ceremony honoring the power and strength we have (re)found.
Closing circle: wearing our masks for each other, seeing others from within your sacred place and feeling their reactions to you
Group celebration (public or private, as decided by each group): Sharing of our sacred songs and movements, wearing our masks, as we perform the power and integrity of our sacred selves in a collective final dance.
Adult workshops for gatherings and weekend retreats booked on first-come, first served basis.
2023 Summer Children's Camp dates coming soon!
Email crystal@mothertreesanctuary.org to book.
Muya Drop-in Children's Events
RSVP here
Once a month, visitors are welcome to join us for an Artisan Day to create something magical with the Muya children's community. Friday naturalist days and field trips are also open for drop-ins!