"So I had first heard of Native American vision quests in the early 90s.  I knew really nothing of them from the few books I found at the time.   The Web was not developed to anything resembling what we have today.   Nonetheless, I did try venturing on my own vision quest at that time.   It was less than successful but it did certainly confirmed my desire to reach into a spiritual foundation for understanding and experiencing life. 

I'm here at Rising Fire because I'm still on that trek that can easily be traced back 35 years. 
I first came to Rising Fire like about exactly a year earlier, in November 201,5 at an intro to journeying (the upper world) class.   I had no idea what it was.  I don't even recall exactly why I went, but I do recall a certain anticipation despite all the dead ends I have already explored. I feel like I approach each new idea with an open-minded skepticism, like let's wait and see.  It's like... I know there's something real somewhere.   I just have to keep turning over every unlikely stone till I find it. 

Anyway, so. ... I was led on a journey up the world tree down into the ground and into the roots, up the trunk into the branches and out onto the leaves.   Then we were to wait for a bird to fetch us up into our journey.   And, son of a bitch, one showed up.   It was a blackish brown with a large wingspan.   I wondered if it were an eagle or a falcon, but I was like that can be revealed later.   Let's go for a ride.  God, it was so bïtchin.   I was riding on its neck.   I was a little nervous asking frantically, 'Are you my friend?'  I could easily continue on with this story, but this is a Vision Quest Testimonial. 

Suffice it to say, there was paydirt here after so many years of digging dry clay in search of something to give meaning to this life of grief and distress. 

Well getting to the essence of this 'thin', I continued bumbling around here n there and did more of the Rising Fire program along with others and basically concluded that while there is spirit here, I think I can do better than tapping into a system that breathes into rocks and venerates sand, stone and creature.  That ideal is likely a hanger on of 'Take dominion of the earth and multiply', which is nothing more than Western society's excuse to rape n pillage both people and planet. 

It was at this point, in early June, that I saw the Vision Quest flyer, and it lit up like fire in my hands.   I knew instantly this was for me.   I signed up and paid in full within the day, no question. 
Odd, it was only a month ago. It could have been a decade as the fine details fade from my mind.   The purpose and the effect still plow through; to what yet remains to be seen.   There is no doubt that something within has shifted and changed.   The sense of change is the only constant at this point."

   

Moto - Portland, Oregon ~ Vision Quest 2016