4 Shields of Wholeness

Overview

The Four Shields of Wholeness is an ancient map of human nature, carried through oral traditions and rediscovered in our times as a guide to healing, wholeness, and belonging. Rooted in the cycles of the natural world, the Four Shields invite us to remember the fullness of who we are — our joy and vitality, our inner depths, our clarity and resilience, and our vision and purpose.

For five days on Dharug and Gundungurra country, we will gather in circle, ceremony, and solo practice, moving through each shield in partnership with the more-than-human world. The program is both personal and communal: a way to remember your own wholeness, to stand in circle with others on the path, and to enter into felt conversation with the living land.

Why the Four Shields?

With roots reaching back to the Mayan civilizations and carried forward into modern times through the teachings of Hyemeyohsts Storm and the School of Lost Borders, the Four Shields is one of the most enduring nature-based frameworks for human healing and wholeness. Today, in times of ecological unraveling and cultural disconnection, this map calls us again — reminding us of what it means to be fully human, fully alive, and woven into the living Earth.

During the Retreat You Will

• Follow the threads of childlike wonder, inner depth, adult clarity, and visionary purpose.

• Listen to the land as teacher, mirror, muse, and kin.

• Gather in council, where every voice is welcome and every story has a place.

• Participate in ceremonies that heal, hold, and transform.

• Wander and listen with birdsong, wind, stone, and water.

• Experience the alchemy of community, fire, and shared presence.

Practical Details

• Dates: Thursday 20 – Monday 24 November 2025

• Location: Ganbenang, NSW (details provided upon registration)

• Arrival: 12:00pm Thursday

• Departure: 4:00pm Monday

• Accommodation: Camping only, off-grid

• Self-catered: Please bring your own food, snacks, and drinks

• Container: Drug- and alcohol-free

Guides

Rob Engels – Co-founder of Ancient Ground and founder of the School of Awareness, Rob is a somatic psychotherapist, ecotherapist, and rites of passage guide. He has spent decades exploring the deep terrain of psyche, soma, and soul, and supporting others to cross meaningful thresholds with reverence and care.

Akua Gutierrez – Co-founder of Ancient Ground, Akua is a skilled facilitator and guide with a background in embodiment, ceremony, and earth-based practice. She brings warmth, depth, and a fierce devotion to helping people remember their place in the web of life.