Sparrow Hart

Sparrow Hart began his deep exploration of nature and wilderness in 1971 with a 5-month solo pilgrimage through the Cascades and Canadian Rockies — and undertook his first vision quest in 1980. Over the last 30+ years he has studied with a variety of native and non-native “medicine teachers” in the United States and Mexico, and taught and practiced both modern and indigenous approaches to healing.In 1986 he apprenticed in the art of the vision quest with Steven Foster and Meredith Little (authors of The Book of the Vision Quest), who called him “the best we’ve ever had.” S ince the he has led over 150 vision quests in Vermont and the American Southwest, and undertaken over 30 quests of his own.He is the author of Letters to the River: A Guide to a Dream Worth Living, creator of the Mythic Warrior Training; founder of the annual Men’s Wisdom Council at the Rowe Conference Center; a proud father; and a frequent workshop leader around the country. His work stands firmly in the tradition of “joining Earth and Sky” — bringing spiritual life out of the heavens and into the nitty-gritty issues we face daily — and affirms the importance of the emotional, imaginative, and sensual landscapes (our non-rational capacities) on our individual soul journeys. He is currently in the process of completing two books: one on The Medicine Wheel and the other on The Vision Quest.Although well-versed in mythology and the sacred traditions of the world, Sparrow’s work comes out of his own experience. His personal journey includes a wide range of shamanic practices; apprenticeship with the Native American teacher, Sun Bear; dream exploration; the twelve steps; psychodrama; inner child work; and a long immersion in the Toltec and Castaneda tradition. His life experience includes a stellar academic career as well a being a building contractor, father, massage therapist, and factory worker.He’s recognized as having a unique ability to bring ancient wisdom into the present, to translate the perennial spiritual teachings about the connectedness of all life into terms relevant to our modern and personal worlds. In the spirit of “reducing self-importance,” he aspires to embrace the shadow and light of our full humanity, which — coming from the same root as “humus” — means, in both simple and profound ways, to joyfully be a person of the earth.His work is featured on his website: http://www.questforvision.com