Malidoma Somé is a West African Shaman, writer, and inspirational teacher. He holds three masters degrees and two doctorates from the Sorbonne and Brandeis University. The Jung Society of Utah will welcome Malidoma this June 24-26 for a special lecture and workshop to celebrate the Season Finale of year 7. During the Friday evening talk he will offer insight into how we can discover our individual gifts and true purpose, and during the weekend workshop he will show us how we can come into our authenticity by way of facing our grief through ritual.

The Jung Society of Utah will welcome Malidoma Somé to Salt Lake City June 24 – 26.

Malidoma was born into the Dagara people in Dano, Burkina Faso. His own name Malidoma, means “he who makes friends with the enemy/strangers.” Malidoma believes it is his destiny to come to Western audiences and promote an understanding between Western and indigenous cultures, and feels his own calling is to bridge these two worlds together. Malidoma says the Dagara believe that each person is born with a destiny, and he or she is given a name that reflects that destiny. Malidoma champions the gifts of the individual and believes in the power of community and that, “A person’s purpose involves the commitment to search for and find the lost harmony that was once the holding energy that kept village and earth together.” He believes that ritual is necessary for returning ourselves to this original harmonic state of natural community.

“Whether they are raised in indigenous or modern culture, there are two things that people crave: the full realization of their innate gifts, and to have these gifts approved, acknowledged, and confirmed. There are countless people in the West whose efforts are sadly wasted because they have no means of expressing their unique genius. In the psyches of such people there is an inner power and authority that fails to shine because the world around them is blind to it.”

“In the surface world our ability to make things happen is very limited. This limitation is a reflection of the incompleteness of a world without the spirit realm. So Spirit is our channel through which every gap in life can be filled. But the spirit realm will not take care of these gaps without our conscious participation. Thus our collaboration makes us central to the actual happening of a ritual.”

“Ritual is the most functional means by which archetypal energies are dealt with. Indigenous people have been aware of that for eons. In the modern era, we focus too much on psychological counseling. There is a tendency for people to ‘linger endlessly’ in therapy for without receiving significant help. The “shadow” parts of our lives “keep coming back.””

Malidoma believes that dealing with “the things we cannot escape” is best accomplished within the sacred space of ritual.

“Ritual, community, and healing — these three are so intertwined in the indigenous world that to speak of one of them is to speak of them all. Ritual, communally designed, helps the individual remember his or her purpose, and such remembering brings healing both to the individual and the community. The community exists, in part, to safeguard the purpose of each person within it and to awaken the memory of that purpose by recognizing the unique gifts each individual brings to this world. Healing comes when the individual remembers his or her identity — the purpose chosen in the world of ancestral wisdom — and reconnects with that world of Spirit. Human beings long for connection, and our sense of usefulness derives from the feeling of connectedness. When we are connected — to our own purpose, to the community around us, and to our spiritual wisdom — we are able to live and act with authentic effectiveness.”

Malidoma believes that healing can be found through ritual, as well as connection with others.

In our time with Malidoma, we will encounter the help of the ancestral world, and participants will attune to their innate capacities to discover their deepest life purpose and the gifts that flow naturally from within.

Get connected with your community in this celebration on June 24th at Publik Coffee House, 975 S West Temple, from 7:00pm until 9:00pm. Come early to enjoy free tarot readings, music, and a soulful, creative community!

Come and enjoy this unique opportunity to experience the wisdom and insight of a true master… a rare engagement not to be missed!

 

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~Pamela Thompson
Team Host Lead
Jung Society of Utah