ONLINE COURSE
Prayer, Curses, and Ritual Power
Teachings on Intent and Sacred Speech
with Dr. Daniel Foor
This course is for ritualists and witches, healers and guides, writers and educators, and anyone seeking more deliberate use of speech and power in their daily life and relationships. Teachings will benefit those who want to reclaim or enliven their prayers, learn about curses and ways to neutralize harmful magic, or deepen understanding of the power of words and clear intent.
The approach will be kind, safety-oriented, but also unfiltered with respect to concerns around right use of power. The intent is for those who join to acquire more understanding of and skills for prayer, unraveling curses, and responsibly wielding power.
Like the first cries of a newborn baby, many creation stories begin with speech, sound, and the power of the word. We are meaning-making primates, creatures of story and improvisation, and to speak is to define and carve a path through this reality.
Despite the intrinsic potency of the act of speaking, we’re rarely supported to understand our speech as holy and powerful. To the contrary, many internalize self-critical and limiting stories of their voice and capacity to name, describe, and shape the world.
In this course, we’ll explore ways to reclaim and celebrate everyday sacred speech. We’ll also dive in with spiritual teachings on (and basic remedies for) curses, gossip, and other ways to misuse word power.
Teachings will be rooted in an ethic of love and inclusivity and will reference global traditions of sacred story, psychology, and practical magic. Each lesson will include Q&A and multiple opportunities for guided practice, and the learning environment will be lively and engaging.
Price
Accessibility is a core value of our organization, and all price levels also include monthly payment options.
Price
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Our standard rate allows us to sustain our work. This typically applies if you’re employed in the Global North, and you’re able to provide for your needs in a consistent way.
Other Pricing Options
Supporter
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This rate helps us make our work accessible to those with modest means and applies if you have investments, a retirement plan, and/or access to economic abundance.
Reduced Cost
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This rate applies if you’re relatively less economically advantaged in the ways listed under “standard rate” or that cost is simply out of reach for you financially.
Curriculum
Lesson One
Lesson One: Prayer, Blessings, and Speech that Heals
- Explore international teachings on prayer, intent, and the power of the word
- Reflect on personal experiences of healing words and impactful blessings
- Learn of common obstacles and remedies to accessing more potent speech
- Practice accessing a deep inner source from which to speak in healing ways
Lesson Two
Lesson Two: Curses, Backbiting, and Poisoning the Well
- Consider different types of curses and reasons for cursing self and others
- Explore international teachings on the reality of curses and malicious speech
- Learn ways to self-assess and start to unraveling and heal from curses
- Assess ways curses have impacted your life and invite healing movement
Lesson Three
Lesson Three: Ritual Power and Channeled Speech
- Engage mystical teachings on power and sacred or intentional speech
- Consider ways you and others use and misuse the power of speech in daily life
- Go deeper with prayer and curses in light of spiritual teachings on word power
- Practice using your words as healing antidotes to poisonous speech
Lesson Four
Lesson Four: The Ethics of Speaking and Silence
- Deepen with earlier lessons by exploring speech in light of intentional silence
- Explore ethical dimensions of prayer and cursing, speaking and keeping quiet
- Learn to more closely track the dynamics of power in both speech and silence
- Reflect on places of personal growth with respect to speech, silence, and power
What’s Included
- Four sessions, each 90 minutes in duration, plus additional 30-minute small-group breakouts at the end of each session.
- One to two guided, experiential practices accompanying each lesson.
- Access to dedicated community forum for those engaged in similar learning.
- Accompanying curated resources from outside sources
- Responsive and helpful support, if needed, from Ancestral Medicine staff
- Lifetime access to course resources
About the Instructor
Daniel Foor
Daniel is a doctor of psychology, experienced ritualist, and the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. He is an initiate in the Òrìṣà tradition of Yoruba-speaking West Africa and has learned from teachers of Mahayana Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, and the older ways of his English and German ancestors. Daniel is passionate about training aspiring leaders and change makers in the intersections of cultural healing, animist ethics, and applied ritual arts. He lives with his wife and two daughters near Granada, Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
This course directly addresses vulnerable topics related to ongoing violence and harm in the world. The material may stir complicated emotions for some participants. Support outside of the lessons may be helpful as the course is not a replacement for personal therapy or spiritual care.
Enrollment includes access to our Community Forum – an online discussion group of students past and present, including supportive members from Ancestral Medicine’s Practitioner Network and Ancestral Medicine staff. Sharing experiences, reflecting on practices, and making connections in this private online community can provide one form of support.
Please also consider reaching out to someone in the Ancestral Medicine Practitioner Network for one-on-one support and guidance. Most are available for private individualized sessions, and many are willing to provide low-cost sessions to support financial accessibility needs.
To the very best of our ability, yes. All Ancestral Medicine offerings seek to embody an anti-racist, feminist, LGBTQ-celebrating, decolonizing and Earth-honoring ethic. They are also class-aware and internationally conscious. We offer a heartfelt, non-dogmatic approach that seeks to honor each participant’s unique life experiences and ancestral storylines. Resources included with each lesson favor ancestrally and geographically diverse voices, and the online Community Forum includes BIPOC and LGBTQ-only discussion spaces.
All of our lesson videos have closed captioning, as well as a full transcript and additional downloadable audio-only versions. If you have needs not met here, please feel free to reach out to us with suggestions at info@ancestralmedicine.org.
For full-length online courses (8 weeks or more), we offer a 30-day money back guarantee starting when the first lesson is released, no questions asked. For shorter courses, we offer full refunds before the first lesson begins and partial refunds if requested before the second lesson begins. See our Terms & Conditions.
We’d be happy to help with any additional questions! Reach out to info@ancestralmedicine.org and someone from our team will be in touch, usually within one or two business days.
