The Animas Vision Quest

This contemporary embodiment of the ancient vision quest is a dynamic wilderness rite for men and women who are seeking greater clarity regarding life purpose and meaning, and/or undergoing the healing and empowerment of a major life transition.
As a rite of initiation or renewal, the quest takes the form of a ceremonial descent to soul, uncovering and retrieving the passion and wisdom of the heart and the nature of the gift that is yours alone to bring to the world. You are empowered to put your life onto a path of both personal fulfillment and genuine service to others. In this way, the quest serves as a modern rite of initiation—not into any social, religious, or spiritual group—but into your own soul and into deeper levels of authentic adulthood. As a rite of passage, the quest facilitates the transition through a major crossroads of life. These crossroads—leaving home, mid-life crisis, career change, loss of a loved one, divorce, a healing crisis, spiritual crisis, and retirement—can be quite disorienting and emotionally traumatic. These times of change and disruption are also unavoidable and pivotal, often being the necessary doorway to all future growth and self-empowerment.

Since 1980, Animas Valley Institute has been developing and enacting this modern counterpart to the initiation and passage rites found in nature-based cultures around the world. The Animas Quest interweaves the practices of ancient traditions with the self-development tools of modern depth psychology and ecopsychology. Although we have learned much from native traditions, our programs are not imitations; they are distinctive and thoroughly modern, and designed specifically for contemporary people of Western cultures.

The Animas Quest facilitates life passages and self-discovery by temporarily displacing everyday consciousness through five primary means: (1) solitude for three days and nights while (2) fasting (i.e., drinking water only), (3) being fully exposed to and enfolded by the forms and forces of nature, (4) enacting a series of ceremonial processes, and (5) employing a set of practices (Soulcraft) that support you in crossing into the mysteries of nature and psyche.
Most quests take place over a total of 12 days, 8 of which are spent in the wilderness. Preceding your time of solitude are five full days of preparation activities and teachings that enhance your ability to benefit from the quest. The first two and a half of these five days are held at a retreat center or car-camp before we journey to our wilderness basecamp (or, on some programs, remain at our car-camp). During the five preparation days, we work with dreams, poetry, deep imagery, ceremonial drumming and dance, dialogues with nature, the way of council, and other practices to help us separate from our everyday lives and access our deeper selves. The heart of the quest consists of the three days and nights you spend alone and fasting in nature, seeking vision, healing, and transformation. Upon your return to basecamp, there are three days of reincorporation activities, guiding you to embody that which you have received on your fast. The last of these three days takes place back at the retreat center or car-camp.

No previous backpacking experience is required (in fact, many of those who have quested with us have never before been camping or backpacking). However, except for the Drive-to-Basecamp Quest you must be able to carry a 45-pound pack 2 or 3 miles.
Reincorporation Mentoring: Following your quest, you face the challenge of integrating into everyday life the gifts of self-healing and soul-connection you've received. This is the key to your further unfolding. To support you in this process, the tuition on your Animas Quest includes a post-quest session with a reincorporation mentor who is also an Animas Guide. Ongoing quester-mentor relationships are available to help you grow toward a soul-centered life of purpose and passion.