Wild Portal to the Imaginal – November 4-8, 2026
Artwork by Doug Van Houten
A residential, face to face, fully catered intensive held at Baanya Biami - Camp of Great Spirit Staughton Vale Victoria - 80 minutes south west of Melbourne.
Maximum of 20 participants.
Program Fees - Soulcraft ANZ Inc is a not for profit, volunteer association. Programs fees incur 10% GST at checkout (for Australian residents):
Early Bird: $1,695 - paid in full at registration.
Full Price: $1,895 - with a $500 minimum deposit to hold your place - (paid in full by October 9, 2026).
Concession: $1,595 - a current concession card is required.
We encourage you to pay the full price if you have the means to do so. This will enable us to cover costs and offer concessional places to those in need. If you are challenged financially, please contact us to discuss.
There is a sacred portal, a mysterious door, a green gate, a dark space into certain realms of our consciousness, of our and the collective Psyche. These portals are both within and without. Many of us struggle to find enchantment in the world and a connection to our imagination. An important practice for intentionally accessing the sometimes-hidden realms of the Self, the Earth, and the Cosmos is through the practice of deep imagery.
Around us we see the cleverness of the human ego creating artificial intelligence and striving for virtual reality when, in fact, what we most deeply long for is to step through the portal into our own unique imagination.
Deep in our psyches are landscapes and images, beings, animals, guides, saints, demons, heroes, and lovers that are accessed during dreams, sacred medicine journeys, and in deep imaginal journeys.
The images, energies, and archetypes we encounter are often aspects of our vast wholeness and they may wish to share, explore, and embody their unique perspectives on the Self, the Earth, and our mycelial relationship with everything. In this realm we share away from interpretation; rather, we explore, interact, embody and move deeper into relationship with these extraordinary images.
In this 5-day immersion, we will offer several deep imaginal journeys and other intentionally designed and interconnected practices, including solo land wanderings, dreamwork, council, ceremonies, conversations with the other-than-human inhabitants, embodied movement, dance, artwork, journaling, and poetry that comes from and invites us into these imaginal realms.
For those longing to take a step toward the journey of soul initiation, to re-enter their imagination, and to recover the extraordinary nature of themselves and experience the nature of the imagining Earth, this experiential intensive is both a great place to start and an intentional step toward bringing the enchanting imaginal realms back into one’s daily life. But, be careful! Sometimes those that step into the portal vow never to step back out.
Venue:
Baanya Biami ‘Camp of Great Spirit’ - 220 Marshalls Lane, Staughton Vale, Victoria. Baanya Biami is located 50 mins south of Ballarat, 1hr 20 mins west of Melbourne or 40 minutes north of Geelong. It is nestled on 150 acres of bushland, surrounded by over 21,000 acres of the Brisbane Ranges National Park where you will find over one fifth of Victoria’s native plant species, over 170 native bird species and an abundance of native wildlife. There are short and long public walking trails meandering through the National Park taking in the rivers, gorges, and cliff top views.
Your Guide:
Brian Stafford MD MPH: Brian is a guide to the wilderness of nature, wildness, and soul. Called out of academic medicine to serve as a guide to the depths and to serve as an agent of cultural awakening and transformation, he guides with humour, playfulness, fierceness, compassion, discernment, and a deep remembering of the fullness of what each human life can, should, and was meant to be.
A native of Colorado and the former holder of an endowed chair and professor of psychiatry and paediatrics, he is currently a guide, Board Member, and Training Director of the Wild Mind Training Program at Animas. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute, as well as an expert in psychedelic preparation and integration. He is an avid outdoorsman, teacher, writer, mentor, partner, and parent. He delights in helping individuals rewild and ensoul their lives by assisting in the dissolution of their current life so that they may discover and live from their deeper life, their soul-life. Brian currently makes his home in Ojai, California.
Food and Accommodation:
The program is fully catered, providing amazing vegetarian food by chef Ashley Mariani. We will pass on any dietary restrictions advised by you at registration. If you have not already let us know of any dietary restrictions that apply to you, please forward to us as soon as possible.
Lodgings and bedding requirements:
Most of the accomodation is in bunk rooms (2 people per room) with shared bathroom facilities. Several camping places are also available.
