“Seeing in the Dark” workshop offers an introduction to Gay Shamanism

By Paul Browne

When looking into the history of shamans and their ritualistic places in society, one would find an abundance of stories of spiritual healing and traversing the world axis to seek and gain knowledge from the heavens. A shaman sees things differently. He (or she) is deemed a walker between worlds, a wounded healer who combines self-knowledge, vision and service to become a link in the continuity of life. Shamanistic practices are believed to predate all world religions and go back as far as the Neolithic period. Their mystic and symbolic customs later permeated the world of organized religion and have influenced every culture thereafter. Shamans tend to the soul of their community with a special focus on the renewal of both the individual and the tribe. In order to bring the shamanistic consciousness and practices to the gay community, the West Hollywood-based Gay Men's Medicine Circle (GMMC) will be holding a workshop over the course of four Sundays in June called, “Seeing in the Dark: An Introduction to Gay Shamanism.” Facilitated by GMMC founder Don Kilhefner and Mack Gilliland, the workshop will focus on the spiritual healing and renewal of gay men and of the gay community from which they come.

“I had been interested in shamanism practically all my life, certainly since my late teens,” says Kilhefner. “It was only when I first came out back in 1969, because of Stonewall, that I learned that most shamans in cultures throughout history were usually gay or lesbian.” Kilhefner has been active in the L.A. gay community for the past 40 years, becoming founder of the Gay & Lesbian Center, the Gay Liberation Front, the Van Ness Recovery House, and most notably, the Radical Faeries, which is directly informed by the traditional rituals of shamanism. Beginning Sunday, June 18, Kilhefner and Gilliland will be engaging a group of gay men in basic and healing shamanic practices, including how to restore power to somebody who has experienced power loss. Other focuses will be given to the shamanic tools of dreaming (“vision of the night”) and journeying (“riding the drum”), which increases one's sense of inner power and aliveness contributing to a richer, more meaningful life. The workshop will be held in the Glendale area in an unadvertised location (only available to registered attendees). Though the workshop costs $180 for the entire course, Kilhefner insists that “nobody is turned away due to an inability to pay. We'll always be able to work something out.” A pre-registration interview is required, however, which consists of a mere 30-minute discussion with Kilhefner so he can give a brief introduction of the course as well as provide necessary literature.

Once the workshop attendees complete the four sessions, they are eligible for membership in the GMMC, which practices shamanism in the L.A. gay community. Since its establishment in 1999, GMMC has been holding shamanistic workshops and conferences all across the country with its primary purpose being to create a physically healthy, politically aware, creatively alive, and spiritually awake community. GMMC will be sponsoring a special event on Sept. 9 at Barnsdall Art Park called “Rise Up and Shout!: Voices of the Next Gay Generation,” in which young members of the LGBT community are encouraged to participate.

“Seeing in the Dark: An Introduction to Gay Shamanism” runs on four consecutive Sundays from June 18-July 9, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $180. For more information, see www.gaymensmedicinecircle.org or contact Dr. Don Kilhefner at (323) 874-8297 or donkilhefner@sbcglobal.net.