Luminata Books & Gifts presents Transforming Darkness into Light: A Talk and Guided Shamanic Ritual on Friday, December 22 at 7:30pm. The event is free; love offerings are accepted.

Christmas and the festivals at the time of the winter solstice symbolize the birth of the light out of the womb of darkness. Trials and difficulties become the furnace in which our souls turn darkness into the living gold of the spirit. Turning challenges into opportunities is the essence of the the alchemy of transformation.

Popular local shaman Jon Rasmussen will talk about finding light and hope in challenging times. He will draw on the shamanic perspective of seeing external trials as catalysts for inner growth. He will share keys for remaining positive, light-filled, and in touch with our inner spirit. Jon will lead us in a traditional shamanic ritual to draw down blessings for ourselves and the world.

Jon Rasmussen is a local shaman and author of Dreaming Your World into Being. His studies include apprenticeship with world famous shaman Alberto Villoldo, and tutelage in the Andes with the Q'ero Indians of Peru. Jon has a national reputation as a carrier of the authentic shamanic tradition of the Americas.