The path of quest and pilgrimage has been a part of our lives for a long time and it is an honor and joy to share this version of the vision quest tradition with you during this critical time in history, a time you were born into because you matter and there is a reason you are alive today.

The phrase "vision quest" is closely associated with Indigenous Native American peoples of North America, referring to a traditional spiritual practice that involves giving thanks and seeking guidance, insights, purpose, and/or power through a solitary experience in nature.

The concept and practice of vision quests is though, also found among ancient wisdom traditions around the world and anchored in an archetypal initiatory rite of passage. Time on quest allows for attunement with the wisdom power of the universe.

Quest is modeled on archetypal, initiatory rite of passages sometimes referred to as the Hero’s Journey.  Moses on Mt. Sinai, Christ in the desert, the Australian “walk-about”, and Indigenous Native Americans on Vision Quest, are but a few examples of this ancient pathway for those seeking deeper guidance, insight, power and renewal for their lives. The quest is an active seeking with the visible and invisible through vision, dreams and communion experienced in nature that can open a doorway to spiritual power and wisdom guidance. 

On quest, you get to re-experience your original heritage; what it means to be a natural being in a natural world.  Ritual and ceremony, along with backpacking into base camp, act as purification  to help slow down enough to see and feel the beauty and grandeur of creation, and the numinous presence beneath it all.  You may discover real power, the power it takes to walk your heart path in all the steps of your life.  

But first you must leave the comforts of home to travel into the unknown. As you hear the ancient call, alive within you, you may be seeking deeper vision of who and what you are; of why you are here on this Earth; to listen to the voices of your deepest intention.  

• What is it you are willing to do, to go through in order to achieve what you seek? 

• What is your sense of the source from which all creation comes from?  

Your quest begins with reflection on these questions.n text goes here

This Quest is based on natural intelligence and the regenerative cycles of nature which tell us we must pause, listen, and create space in order to bring the sacred into daily living and move forward with more power and purpose. It is inspired by ancient traditions and Indigenous rites of passages which invite us to use solitude time in nature to open up, give thanks, reconnect with the wisdom of Mother Nature, and remember the brilliance and beauty of our own inner nature. When enough thanks has been given, when you have stilled the body and mind enough, when you have opened your mind, heart, and ears enough to really listen and receive, you may be given the answers you seek.

Participant safety, health, and well being are of the highest priority on this Quest and key to that is every individual listening to their own wisdom guidance.

Fasting has long been used in ceremony to open oneself up to the sacred power and oneness of the world; giving up something in reciprocity as you ask for something; cleaning out toxins so health may come in; to strengthen your courage in discomfort and fear.

Fasting for two and a half days is an encouraged part of this experience but no, you do not have to fast.

This Quest does not include a water fast. Participants are actually encouraged to drink water to stay hydrated and help with the cleansing.

Additional preparatory details and instructions will be shared upon registration.

Your Vision Quest experience begins as soon as you make the commitment to attend, putting that intention and plan out to God, the Great Mystery, the Universe. We will also provide preparatory materials to optimize for the best possible experience for you.

The first phase of this Quest involves severance and separation from ordinary life, roles and relationship to time. We go out on the sacred land together, to seek the opening that will enable us to listen to life and teachers other than human. It is only when we allow ourselves to slow down, to stop, sense, feel, look, and listen, that we begin to understand that we’re part of something that is way beyond just us.  

The second phase of this Quest involves Crossing the Threshold into sacred communion with nature within and around you. You will spend 48 hours in solitude being threshed by hunger, cold, heat, fear, boredom, loneliness, possibly rain or even snow. Living simply and intimately with nature, you face your shadow, your eventual and inevitable death, your strength, your weakness. In the words of Dr. Tom Pinkson, “Through bio-entrainment with natural rhythms and alignment with energies older than recorded time, you open to the direct, experiential teachings of Sacred Mystery.”

The third phase of this Quest involves Return and Integration. For most of us, this is the real work. It includes rejoining the questing group to begin integrating what you experienced during your solo time. Focus is on understanding what took place and how to ground it in your life. It is important to remember that what you received is only as good as the action it generates.  

Support & Integration

It is powerful to have a person or group of people in your community who know that you are on Quest and what it is you are seeking. If you are a young person, this can be your parents, guardians, relatives, or special friends. Ask them to pray for you; ask them if they have any prayers you can make for them; share profuse gratitude upon your return. This will help with your integration.

We will mark each quest stage with ceremony and ritual to help open the the doorways, into the realm of our deeper minds, our bodies, our hearts, souls and the infinite power of the Universe, so that we may see, feel, remember, honor and celebrate who we really are and the interconnectedness we share with all of creation.  

To support offering this experience to as broad and diverse of a group as possible, this Quest is offered on a sliding scale between $750 and $1,200. The cost includes a contribution for Tom’s work in leading the journey and a donation for land access and stewardship. If this is not accessible for you, please contact Tom to share why the Quest calls to you and what you can contribute; if you can pay more, please do so to support scholarship for those who would otherwise not be able to join us.