Do you want to join us on a pilgimage to Koli in the heart of Finland?
Do you want to find a deeper connection with our nature?
Are you interested in the ancient wisdom and ceremonies of the Incas?
Are you longing for a warm-hearted camp community that cherishes nature, loves music and supports children’s growth?
Welcome to the Four Winds summer camp 2024 – an unforgettable journey! Together we will make a pilgrimage to the peaks of Koli to perform a ceremony to strengthen the Spirit of the Mountain and our connection to it.
Four winds summer camp 2024 will be organized this year in Lieksa, Kestikievari Herranniemi, Wed-Sun 24-28 July 2024, so that you can already arrive on Wednesday evening, but the actual opening of the camp is on Thursday morning.
In the event, we literally focus on the Spirit of the Mountain, the power of Mother Earth.
PROGRAM/PERFORMERS
To the event we have invited a paco/shaman of the Qero Indians, don Alejandro Apaza from Peru, from a sacred mountain of the Andes. The Qero indigenous people are revered because they were able to keep the ancient wisdom of the Incas alive by fleeing to the high mountains of the Cusco region without the Spanish conquistadors being able to influence them.
According to the Qeros, NOW is the time when their prophecy about the coming together of the Eagle and the Condor will come true. This means that they want to share their wisdom teachings with those who are genuinely and respectfully interested in them. The prophecy of the eagle and the condor tells about the coming of a new era (Pachacuti), which is based on cooperation, harmony and caring for Mother Earth. In this time, indigenous wisdom (the condor) and western knowledge/technology (the eagle) will come together, and humanity will rise above its differences and come together to defend all life in a way never seen before.
Miika Vanhapiha is one of the founding members of the religious community of the Karhu people registered in 2013. The activities of the Bear People rely on the wisdom embodied in Baltic Finnish mythology and the Kaleva epic, the core of which are respect for ancestors and nature, the pursuit of balance and the management of continuity, as well as the bear’s position as a mythical progenitor.
Virko Kolulahti, the carrier of a sacred prayer pipe, brings together domestic and foreign traditions around the theme of the camp, when the pipe and its story intertwine the prophecies of the indigenous peoples. A ceremonial pipe is a type of pipe used by several Native American cultures in their sacred ceremonies. The pipe and pipe smoke is a means of communication between people and holy beings.
“Neljä Tuulta / the Four Winds is creating connections, the purpose of which is to open channels in all directions. To open our consciousness and recognize our ancestors, as well as new areas within ourselves through traditions. To become aware of the environment, noticing and breathing the power of the moment. Four Winds is a community that witnesses while respecting traditions and ceremonies. A great skill is to accept fellow travelers as they are. The Four Winds are humility, respect for nature and Mother Earth, and notice how much Sacred there is in every moment. And above all, what we can learn from each other.”
Magdalena “Vaskilintu,” is a gifted vocalist, ceremonial musician and facilitator. The name “Vaskilintu,” meaning “the brass copper bird” in Finnish, perfectly encapsulates her unique artistry. Driven by a deep reverence for the therapeutic potential of ceremonial music, Vaskilintu finds inspiration in the intricate interplay between music and healing. Her evocative melodies possess a profound ability to traverse the emotional landscapes of the human psyche, transcending cultural boundaries. As a performer, Vaskilintu bridges the gap between ancient mythology and contemporary expression. Her vocal renditions carry echoes of times long past, invoking the primal and archaic roots of human experience. Magdalena facilitates transformational experiences, that journey through the physical, spiritual and emotional realms of being.
“Our ancestors used to sing in top of hills, rocks, mountains, in caves and places of resonance together to create a common reality, to come together as one. Even to locate places using sound and echo.
Animism encompasses the belief that all material phenomena have a consciousness, that there exists no real distinction between the spiritual and physical (material) world and that spirit or consciousness exists not only in humans but also in other animals, plants, rocks, geographic features such as mountains or other entities of the natural environment.
In the ‘Mountains are Singing’ workshop we will explore these themes and realms using our voices to connect to the natural world and connect to the Mountain Spirit.”
We make a pilgrimage to the peaks of Koli, where we perform a ceremony for the Spirit of the Mountain and thus strengthen our connection with it. Koli is Finland’s national landscape at its best. Ukko-Koli and its neighboring peaks are remnants of a mountain range that ran along Eastern Finland millions of years ago, rising to a height of up to 7,000 meters. Today, the highest peak of Koli is 347 meters above sea level. It is believed that Ukko-Koli was already a sacred place for the ancient Finns.
The program at the camp also includes playing music, spending time together, talking stick circles, and saunas and swimming. There will be incredible shamanic drum journeys, great international and domestic experts, the place’s charming atmosphere, dancing, music – bring your own instrument to the jams, and above all, the communal spirit of Four Winds!
This year, there’s children’s program for every day. Children also have a place in the Four Winds community. There will be being together, hands-on activities and making music.
Note! Changes to the camp program are possible!
PARTICIPATION FEES
Participants are charged a participation fee for the camp, to cover camp expenses. The participant fee covers the program, meals, shared transportation from the camp site to Koli and back, sauna, and accommodation in a tent site or indoors. We also hope that each participant will do a little volunteer work, e.g. in the kitchen to chop vegetables. We also make it possible to pay the participation fee in two parts. Contact our association if you need a customized payment plan.
Get tickets from here: Holvi
CAMP TICKETS
Children’s prices are for ages 4-12, children under 4 are free
Super Early bird price for children (only 10 seats): 200e/indoor accommodation, 100e/tent accommodation.
*Early bird member price (valid until 30 April 2024): adults 440e/indoor accommodation, members’ children 300e/indoor accommodation, adults 380e/tent accommodation, members’ children 250e/tent accommodation
*Early bird not member price (valid until 30.4.2024): adults 490e/indoor accommodation, children 350e/indoor accommodation, adults 430e/tent accommodation, children 300e/tent accommodation
*Normal ticket member price: adults 490e/indoor accommodation, members’ children 350e/indoor accommodation, adults 430e/tent accommodation, members’ children 300e/tent accommodation
*Normal ticket not member price: adults 540e/indoor accommodation, children 400e/indoor accommodation, adults 480e/tent accommodation, children 350e/tent accommodation
DINING
The participation fee includes the following meals:
Thursday: breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening snack
Friday: breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening snack
Saturday: breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening snack
Sunday: breakfast, lunch
Camp food is vegetarian. Special diets are requested to be notified in advance by e-mail: info (at) fourwinds.fi
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is either indoors, in your own tent or in your own camper van.
GUEST HOUSE HERRANNIEMI
Herranniemi can be found in the middle of the most beautiful North Karelia: in Lieksa, Vuonislahti cultural village by Pielinen and on the opposite shore of Koli. The beach landscape is beautiful and cozy in Herranniemi. Sculptor Eva Ryynänen Paateri, Pikkukili experience park, Ruunaa rapids, Koli, Patvinsuo National Park and many other excursion destinations are within an hour’s drive from Herranniemi. Herranniemi has been working as a bore well since the beginning of the 19th century. Today, Herranniemi is already working as a guest house in the fourth generation – respecting the old tradition.
FOUR WINDS
The Four Winds Association has been operating as an association for 27 years. It invites and brings people together for personal and communal experience, discovery, dialogue and expression. Keeping alive the spiritual heritage of our multicultural ancestors, researching Finnish roots, and searching for and experiencing the common roots of humanity are important starting points for its activities.