Monthly Illuminator Series

Welcome to our monthly Illuminator Series. In this monthly series, we will offer live Zoom & recorded events of light and wisdom and discussion space with leading illuminators of our times.

Event Zoom Link

Our 19th Illuminator - Angaangaq
Shaman, traditional Healer, Storyteller and Carrier of the Qilaut

Angaangaq, Shaman, traditional Healer, Carrier of the Qilaut (wind drum) and entrepreneur, comes from the only country in the world where Man lives and there has never been war: Greenland. His engagement for the environment, sustainability, indigenous issues, and healing brought him to 77 countries.

Angaangaq is about to start what his ancestors have asked him to do for a very long time: to build a Center for Healing in Kangerlussuaq so that his people could stand tall and powerful again one more time, including also economically viable development.

Angaangaq`s teachings are deeply rooted in the wisdom of the oral traditions of his people. As a runner for the Elders in his country, Angaangaq realized that political talks did not really bring about change. His mother gave him the instruction to just change his ways instead and to learn how to melt the ice in the heart of Man. Ever since, Angaangaq has put himself out for a spiritual climate change in seminars, lectures, ceremonies and as a keynote speaker in international conferences:

“It is easy to melt the ice on the ground. The hardest thing to be melted is the ice in the heart of Man. Only by melting the ice in the heart of Man, does Man have a chance to change and begin using his knowledge wisely.“

IceWisdom

With his organization IceWisdom, Angaangaq brings back to life the ancient oral traditions of the Eskimo - the Kalaallit - in the Far North through storytelling, ceremonies and ancient spiritual and shamanic teachings.

IceWisdom fosters the indigenous perspective and a sustainable life in harmony also in its travels. Angaangaq and IceWisdom organize (among other activities) journeys to the Big Ice guided by Angaangaq, helping us to connect with the land and with ourselves so that we can come home to ourselves.

“It is easy to melt the ice on the ground. The hardest thing to be melted is the ice in the heart of Man. Only by melting the ice in the heart of Man, does Man have a chance to change and begin using his knowledge wisely.“

We experience the amazing beauty of the land and the impact of climate change, melting the ice in our hearts – which is the spiritual significance of climate change.

The Sacred Fire Ceremony at the Big Ice near Kangerlussuaq in 2009 invited Shamans, Elders and participants from all over the world. A new journey with Angaangaq to the Big Ice is planned with a climax on July 20th, 2016, when the midnight sun and the full moon will oppose each other above the Big Ice.

Find more information here

IceWisdom

Aanakasaap Illua - The Center for Healing

On August 8th in 1969 I took my Mum and Dad on Qaqqarsuaq, the Lookout Mountain. It is my father’s mother’s family’s lookout mountain, nasiffik, and it is a beautiful place. I would wish you would come and visit it, then you will really see, what they have seen.

As my mother was climbing so fast to Qaqqarsuaq, my father and me, only with a quarter of his lung left, were slowly climbing the mountain. We had to stop often so that he could have a smoke. Then we would carry on and talk. Then finally, after quite some time climbing the mountain, which is not very high, we came to the top. He took a deep breath several times, lit another cigarette and then started to talk.

As he looked to the south-southwest of Qaqqarsuaq, he said, “Oh yes, I have been here.” And he pointed out to several places, where he had been. Then he turned to me and said, “Now this is our land.” I still remember that feeling of realizing that it was not just a story of being an ancestral land, but a land, where we hunted to live. And then he looked again and he turned east towards the Big Ice and he said, “And here, you will bring back he Sacred Fire.”

As I looked at him, I knew, what he was talking about as we knew about the story that the Sacred Fire would return, but I did not expect that it would be me to bring it back. And he looked at me and I said yes. I had just graduated from business school and had become the postmaster in Kangerlussuaq on the civilian side. It was a military base in those days.

Qaqqarsuaq (c) Sven Nieder

It took 40 years of my life, before I was able to bring it back. He had then passed on as my mother also has and I often think that I wish I could have brought him here, when I brought back the Sacred Fire, but 40 years is a long time to light the Sacred Fire - but I did. His aunt, Atsaarsuaq, my Great Aunt, and his youngest brother, Akkaraq, came for the lighting of the Sacred Fire. So the Sacred Fire was lit in the presence of my father’s and my uncle’s aunt and my great aunt, Atsaarsuaq.

I thought it was really amazing, how little we think of what could happen in life. And to have these Elders participate in the lighting of the Sacred Fire was just a gift and an enormous privilege for me. Now, 55 years have passed since 1969 and I am re-telling the story as though it just happened yesterday.

After all what my father wanted me to do, he said, “And here, you will build a Center for Healing.” And I can actually see myself looking at my father and I am wondering, “What are you telling me?” He said, “You will build a Center for Healing.” I can see myself with a cigarette in my hand, smoking leisurely on Qaqqarsuaq, requested to bring back a Sacred Fire and build a Center for Healing so that our people can stand tall and powerful as they are meant to be one more time.

It has always been so difficult to remember, how my father was giving me a task to do without me being appointed by the Elders. And when I invited the Elders to come, I feel that they said yes even before I finished my words. And they came. I remember picking them up at the airport in Kangerlussuaq and they looked so happy. I took them to the site, where the Sacred Fire was being built. That feeling of joy with a beautiful smile that they would participate in the Lighting of the Sacred Fire - and that they were there. I go to tears thinking of this, it is so special. Those two, my Great Aunt is four years older than my uncle, they grew up thinking that they were brother and sister, but they were from different fathers and mothers a generation apart, but they were only 4 years difference in age.

Then the Sacred Fire was lit and we went to Qaqqarsuaq. I walked with them. Neither one of them smoked, so they had no problems breathing and they were still pretty fast, whereas my father had been pretty slow. They just said, “This is it. The prophecy is going to live.” They took the responsibility to make it living. Later on, they were sitting in the radio station in Maniitsoq, to me it felt like the first time the Fire was lit in a traditional way by the Elders themselves. They were like kids, this is how I remember them.

[My father] said, “And here, you will build a Center for Healing.” And I can actually see myself looking at my father and I am wondering, “What are you telling me?” He said, “You will build a Center for Healing.”

The delight in them, almost completing with each other who is going to light the Fire. All these 40 years of work, consciously 10 years of work. I put the match in and the fire died. I had already given up, saying, “I have worked on it for so many years and it did not work.” - until all of a sudden it exploded with fire and it was so interesting to watch it. I witnessed it. But Atsaarsuaq and Akkaraq just waited for the fire to be lit.

He who puts his trust in God, God will suffice him. He who fears God, God will send him relief. I can see myself looking at those two Elders and I realized myself, how little I trusted in those ancient prophecies. At the end of the day, everything worked. When we put the match on, the fire did not light. It feels like I did not even believe in it. Then all of a sudden, the fire just exploded and I can see Atsaarsuaq with a serene beautiful smile and Akkaraq with big eyes. That´s the lighting of the Sacred fire and it took 40 years to prepare for.
Now I am going to be 77 soon and I have always believed the stories of my ancestors but never thought about, how to believe in them. Now I know that I have to trust that my ancestors knew what they have been telling us.

15 years later, I realize that the ancestors I come from knew exactly what they were telling us. It was just for me to trust and believe. The rest is history. It just lived. Often I wonder why I was given these tasks - because I am no special person. I am not somebody special and I was the worst enemy of myself, sometimes not believing in what these ancestors said.

Now, I believe. And now, I can see how those ancient people who have lived there for about 6000 years, knew what they were talking about. It was just me being too modern, not believing in those ancient traditions. And then the Government came with a gift to have included our Grandmother´s land in UNESCO heritage land which will never be disturbed. They have made that border on the Mountain with a Black Face and extended it so that this land will never be changed.

When I was standing on Qaqqarsuq on August 8th, 1969, and my Father gave me the task to build the Center for Healing so that our people could stand tall and powerful again, as they are meant to be, one more time - when I think back, I realize that it is true that our people have become downtrodden and really lost spiritually in their ancient belief. But now it makes sense that the Center for Healing will be built.

Why did he do that? I feel so often not worthy of having that responsibility, because I often could not even take responsibility for what I said and did. Then I realized that it is part of that task that I really have to take action so I do what needs to be done. Now I realize that I have to learn to believe in myself. I have so often been the worst enemy of myself.

ILLUMINATOR SERIES