Lapland - Midsommar with the Sami

Although the Scandinavian Artic is best known for scenes of snowscapes, reindeer herds and the Aurora Borealis, it is also home to the solstice celebration of mid-summer, or Midsommar. Our trip will miss the Northern Lights due to the 24 hour daylight, and the Ice Hotel will be in its melt stage, waiting for the return of the cold and its annual reconstruction, but we will be arriving just as the local people begin to celebrate the longest days of the year.

Our destination, Kiruna, is the Northernmost permanent settlement in Sweden, well within the traditional nomadic herding lands of the Sami people and this will be Shamanic Voyages first visit there. During our stay, due to its location above the Artic Circle, we will be experiencing 24 hours of daylight! We will be partnering once again with Meg Orso of Orso Voyage, who helped make our visit to Mongolia such a success and who has introduced us to Peter Armstrand, our local Sami shaman host.

We will gather at our hotel on 21/June2024 for a two night stay in Kiruna, where we will adjust to the time change and the endless daylight, taking advantage of some free time to explore the town. Our first night will include an opening dinner to get to know one another, followed by a brief ceremony to honor the spirits of the land and ask them accept us as their respectful guests.

On the 23rd, we will accompany our shaman host Peter to our lodging for the upcoming weeks activities, which will include instruction in the traditions of Nordic Shamanism and the lifeways of the Sami people. We will also be guided into the forest to be instructed in the traditional way to ask the permission of the forest spirits to use their wood to fashion a shamanic tool, such as a staff or rattle. Peter will then assist us in the construction of these tools which we will bring home for our continued use.

Throughout the week we will be holding various ceremonies and rituals to honor many significant traditions and sacred places of the Sami, which will include Joiking, Runes and visits to the Nikkaluokta and Kebnekaise Mountains in Nikkaluokta Valley.

As with most of our trips, the accommodations will not be four-star, we will be spending much of our time in shared tents in rustic surroundings. The intent is to immerse ourselves in the local culture, so be prepared to embrace a different lifestyle than the traditional tourist might expect. More information will become available as we near our departure and at least one pre-trip Zoom meeting will be held to meet fellow travelers and ask questions.

The cost of this trip is $3600 USD excluding airfare to Stockholm. Air transportation from Stockholm to Kiruna and back is included in the program fee, as are two nights in the Arctic Eden Hotel, (double occupancy), and the Opening Dinner. Registration is now open! A deposit of $1300 USD will hold your space, with the balance due by May 15, 2024. This trip has met with early interest, with a number of people holding their spaces on our waiting list. Time is short so act now to join us for this incredible opportunity! To learn more or to request a registration package, contact Mail@ShamanicVoyages.org and include ‘Lapland’ in the subject line.