The Mystery School
Unlock the secrets of ancient wisdom for a more connected, creative, empowered life
The Mystery School
Unlock the secrets of ancient wisdom for a more connected, creative, empowered life
The Mystery School is the online membership site for people on their spiritual path who want to learn the old ways of our ancestors who lived connected to the Earth.
Here a warm welcome awaits you along with:
Do any of these statements strike a chord?
In our modern-day lives, despite being constantly busy, with many opportunities available to us right at our fingertips, we can so often feel like visitors.
Despite being surrounded by people we love deeply and having all of our material needs met, we can find we are still searching for something.
Where does this stem from: this feeling of separation from the life our gut is telling us we need to live? What is it that is missing? What is it that leaves a nagging void inside us?
This feeling stems from a separation from nature, the Earth, the spiritual realms and each other.
More and more people are drawn to a nature-based Earth path to help address this separation but are cautious about taking another culture's tradition, such as Native American shamanism.
Do we have our own indigenous spirituality we can draw from our land and our ancient traditions? Is there such a thing as British shamanism or western shamanism?
The answer to this is yes.
Here in Britain, we do have our own indigenous Earth spirituality path. Our distant ancestors' traditions are still here within the memory of the land, our bones and in the spirit realm ready for us to draw on just as our ancestors did.
Introducing the Mystery School
The place to learn the ancient traditions of our land, hear and understand the messages nature has for you, connect with the spirit realms, and develop long-lasting and meaningful relationships with your spirit guides.
Here is a place where...
Here is a place where you can develop your spirituality in a way that is easy to maintain and doesn’t get lost in the everydayness of life. A place where you can:
- 1Choose the practices that work for you and that align with your core beliefs
- 2Have a structure to your learning to keep motivated with your spiritual practice
- 3Share in a community of people who are on a similar path
- 4Hear and understand the messages from the trees and animals
- 5Learn how to connect deeply with nature and align your life with the natural cycles of the Earth
- 6Explore how to apply the shamanic toolkit to your life, including Shamanic Journeying
- 7Understand the spiritual guidance you receive, and gain confidence that you are not making it all up
- 8Create the time and space you need for your spiritual connection
8. What members say
Beverley
Member
“It is lovely to be part of an online community that has a shared connection to nature and beliefs. I like the intimate format where we feel like welcomed guests into your home.”
Maggie
Member
“I love The Mystery School. I have found the journeys and Pop-Up talks wonderful. They give me comfort and help ground me. Your approach to spirituality is non-judgmental and empowering.”
9. The Nuts and Bolts of The Mystery School
This is how The Mystery School works:
A Small Monthly Fee
Pay a small monthly fee and get access to everything behind the Mystery School doors.
Easy to Access Courses
Enjoy easy access courses packed with useful information and resources relating to Earth spirituality.
Video Lessons
Each course is made up of bite sized lessons delivered by video. Just press play.
Fixed Monthly Subscription
The amount you pay today will remain fixed each month for as long as you maintain your membership.
The Right Level for You
Follow a natural progression through the courses that pitched at the right level for you.
Online Coaching Calls
Come along to our regular live online coaching calls and shamanic journey circles, or catch up on the replays.
Private Online Community
Join our private Facebook community. Share your experiences, thoughts or questions with like-minded travellers.
Set your own pace
Do as much or as little as you like, whenever you like. Work at your own pace.
Cancel anytime
There’s no fixed term of membership: you can cancel easily at any time without the need to contact us.
Video overview
Here is an overview of some of the resources available to our Mystery School members. Read down the page or watch this Take A Tour video.
Access all of these courses and resources for a fixed monthly payment with no lock-in period.
The Mystery School Collection
Foundation Courses
Foundation in Shamanic Journeying
This course will show you how to go on a Shamanic Journey and regularly work with your spirit guides.
The shamanic journey is a way to shift your consciousness, moving from one state of mind to another. We do this on the beat of a drum. We can meet our Spirit Guides and develop an ongoing relationship with them by journeying to different worlds outside of this current physical world that we live in.
Mini Courses
Our Online Gatherings
Monthly Shamanic Journey Circles
Our shamanic journey circles are a great way to connect with like-minded travellers who will all be a part of the Circle too.
You'll be able to hear their comments and experiences and be a part of this special community without even needing to leave home!
Every month we hold an online shamanic journey circle live from our living-room. You can join us via Zoom, and we record every session, so if you aren't able to make it on the night, you can catch up later via the replay.
Each evening is themed, often drawing on the energies within the transformational Wheel of the Year. We include a talk around the topic, an activity of some kind, a guided shamanic journeying and a space for sharing afterwards. It is suitable for novices to experienced practitioners and everyone in-between.
Simply take yourself off into a quiet place, close the door and open up to the possibility that these next two hours could change your life. Even though we aren’t physically together in the same room, the power of our minds paired with modern technology is extraordinary.
We have an immense ability to connect when we put all the other distractions to one side.
Our circle is not held on a specific evening each month. They will always be on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evening. The exact day will change from month to month to give everyone a chance to attend live through the year.
Regular Coaching Calls
We have a regular live online coaching call every four to six weeks, which we run from our living-room.
Come along and ask us any question you like relating to the membership site content and your journey through it.
Maybe you have a journey you would like help interpreting? Or you would like to know how to set up sacred space? Are you curious about the meaning behind one of your Animal Spirit Guides? Do you have a few questions about one of the Sabbat celebrations? Or how to work with the healing power of Oak?
Come and join us, or send your questions in advance and catch up on the replay if you can't make the live call. We will do our best to answer them.
Private Facebook Community
As soon as you enrol in our School you will be invited to join our private Mystery School Facebook Group.
Here you will find a community of like-minded travellers where you can share your experiences, thoughts, realisations and challenges.
Connecting with like-minded real people in our virtual tribe could be the balm you are seeking.
You can use this space to post anything you like relating to the Mysteries, such as Shamanism, Earth spirituality, deep nature connection, or more esoteric topics. Here you can ask questions, share thoughts and revelations, and generally hang out with people who think and feel like you do.
Earthlight Films
Watch our calming and restorative nature videos capturing the beauty and magic of our land. They can be used to deepen your connection to nature, to meditate to, for calming or simply to immerse in when you feel a desire to touch in with nature a little more.
Our Libraries
Animal Spirit Guides
When people encounter an animal spirit guide, we first encourage them to look into that animal's natural history. What are its unique characteristics and behaviours? With this knowledge, it is easier to decipher what message they carry.
In our Animal Spirit Guide library, we have over 100 British species of animal. Each begins with information on their natural history. Then we share our interpretation of the animals underlying energy and the message they hold for us.
Shamanic Journey Tracks
Here we have a collection of downloadable Shamanic Journey tracks of varying lengths. You can use these to journey with any intention you like. We teach you how to do this in our Foundation in shamanic journeying course.
If you prefer to go on a guided shamanic journey, we also have pre-recorded and downloadable guided shamanic journey tracks throughout many of the courses within the Mystery School.
Journey Circle Recordings
You will also have access to the recordings of all of our past Shamanic Journey Circles.
They cover topics as diverse as all our past circles, with topics as diverse as working with the Runes, the Elements, the Underworld, dreams, the Power Retrieval, resistance, Animism, ancestral healing, symbols, fairy-tales, Tree Spirit Medicine and Animal Spirit Medicine.
Coaching Call Recordings
You will also have access to the recordings of all of our past Shamanic Journey Circles.
They cover topics as diverse as all our past circles, with topics as diverse as working with the Runes, the Elements, the Underworld, dreams, the Power Retrieval, resistance, Animism, ancestral healing, symbols, fairy-tales, Tree Spirit Medicine and Animal Spirit Medicine.
Member Discounts:
- 110% off Sacred Tools
in our Anglezarke Hallows online shop - 210% off retreats
both online and physical gatherings - 330% off Masterclasses
Deep dive into specific topics outside of the Mystery School
Mary Jane
-member-
“I particularly like the way the sessions are conducted. You are both very down to earth, approachable, and friendly and do your level best to acknowledge all the participants individually, which is important as it really helps people feel part of the group and not just an onlooker.
The way the courses on The Mystery School are structured suits me well: being able to dip in and out to access information and guidance that is relevant at that particular time is perfect."
18. Your Teachers
“The Mystery School has been created by, us, Nicola & Jason Smalley. We are shamanic practitioners who live in the northwest of England, in a place called Anglezarke located on the edge of the West Pennine Moors in Lancashire."
Why we created the Mystery School.
We were both brought up in religions that told us what to believe and set out how we had to live our lives.
Independently of each other and before our journeys brought us together, we each stepped out of organised religion but felt cast adrift and alone with the decision. Up to this point, our lives had been directed for us in a disempowering and controlling way.
With an open book of life in front of us and, despite the freedom this brought, we both found it daunting. There were so many options to choose from and so many paths to explore with limited time in our busy lives to get it right.
We both sought out teachers, made mistakes, found the wrong folk, got it wrong again and again until we stumbled upon mentors who taught us without a personal agenda, without judgement and allowed us to find our own path through the huge maze of possibilities.
Even today, we continue to refine our approach and deepen our understandings and knowledge of the things that bring joy to our souls.
We decided we wanted to share our findings, so after years of preparation, planning and wisdom seeking we brought The Mystery School into the world. Here we share what we have been shown, and gently guide those who are fellow seekers along a path of their choosing accompanied by a community of fellow journeyers.
These are the mysteries which have helped us understand deep nature connection, that have enabled us to develop journey and dream skills, and that help us to apply the shamanic toolkit and the old wisdoms of our land to empower our lives, find our joy and fulfil our dreams.
We offer you our set of shamanic tools and nature connection practices so that you too can find the path that is uniquely right for you with the support, encouragement and guidance of both us and our tribe.”
Michelle
-Member-
“You are so warm, gentle, welcoming, kind and caring. You bring a peace and simplicity into my room that I severely lack in my day-to-day life. I feel grounded and understood as well as known when I sit with you.
Learning about the spirit animals, trees and old ways is a balm to me. You both have such a gentle yet clear and focused way about you. When I see you interact with everyone that comments it feels like I have new friends in each of you, as well as the wider community.”
Come and join the adventure today.
Enjoy access to all the course and clan connections
available in The Mystery School for just £14 per month
(discounted from £19 per month until midnight 22nd September 2021)
Enjoy All This!
Access to all our Foundation Courses
These cover the core aspects of a nature based, shamanic spiritual path.
Access to all our Mini Courses
Bite sized, focused courses on specific topics to deepen your understandings.
Access to Earthlight nature connection films
A growing portfolio of Jason's immersive nature films drawn from his Earthlight project.
Monthly online Shamanic Journey Circle
Practise your journey technique and seek insightful wisdom from the other worlds.
Regular online Coaching Calls
Pose your questions. We and the community will do our best to find answers and solutions.
Invitation to join our private Facebook community
Be a part of our thriving, active and non-judgemental community of fellow seekers.
Access to our comprehensive Librarys
Explore our growing libraries of resources and recordings to further your study.
Enjoy Generous Member Discounts
Use our secret discount code when you purchase sacred products or retreats.
Access to new material as we develop and build
Benefit from a growing collection of courses, resources and recordings.
Your Questions Answered
The Way of The Buzzard Mystery School is a portal for online learning. You can access it from your computer, tablet or smartphone whenever you have an internet connection.
To maintain the School and enable us to update frequently the core elements of the School cannot be downloaded. However, the journeys and other audio elements can be.
Even if you just attend the monthly Shamanic Journey Circle and watch one of the lessons each month, you will start to receive the benefits of your spiritual connection. This isn’t a time intensive practice.
There are a lot of resources in the School but this is because different things appeal to different people. Just pick and choose what draws you in the most. One of the first things you could ask your spirit guides is ‘how can I make more time for myself’. We have resources to help with this within the School including our ‘Creating Time and Space for a Spiritual Practice mini-course’.
We have members from outside of the UK, in America, Europe and Ireland to name a few countries. We teach the principles of what is called Core Shamanism. These core principles can be taken and applied anywhere in the world. We teach about the natural history of tree and animal species native to our land, but many of these species will also exist in your land too, and it will inspire you to research into those that don’t.
We have an introductory course you can go through as soon as you enter the School. This will give you a great foundation from which you can decide what you want to study first. We also have a quick quiz you can complete that will signpost you to the most suitable courses for you.
Our advice is join and find out. At an initial investment of £14 it is low risk for the financial investment you need to make. If you join and you find it isn’t for you, you can unsubscribe at any time.
Not necessarily. You will be charged whatever is the going rate at the time you re-join.
If you can manage email and facebook you will be able to access all the School material easily. We are there to help too!
Within some of the courses we do make suggestions for taking yourself off outside. When you do venture out into the park or countryside, much of what we teach is about slowing down, and being very still in nature. Seeking a connection outdoors in nature is not about going on long rambling hikes, but rather it is about claiming a patch of land and building a relationship with it. Also within each lesson we include activities for those people who are not able to leave their home.
We send out regular emails pointing you to content, including past live Shamanic Journey Circles. You can schedule when you are going to complete these in your diary, and also use the Facebook group as a way to be accountable if you would like to.
Not at all. Our payment processor will attempt to take the payment up to four times before the subscription is cancelled. In the meantime, if you contact us, we will work with you to help find a resolution if need be.
Yes, and you don't even need to contact us. You can cancel yourself from your School account dashboard if you set up the subscription by bank card. If you paid by Paypal you can cancel anytime from within your Paypal account.
There's a growing and comprehensive FAQs page and deeper support is just an email away.
The beauty of online learning is that you can take things at your own pace. This is one of the real benefits with this form of delivery as you decide how fast you would like to go through the course materials.
Shamanic Journeying can take a little while to master. We have a step-by-step foundation course in Shamanic Journeying to help hone this skill, including a special Trouble-Shooting Guide. You can also ask other members how they have overcome their journeying blocks via the private Facebook group. We are also available to help you via our regular coaching calls and the Facebook group. With all that said, our courses include activities that do not require going on a Shamanic Journeying. Shamanic Journeying is just one of the techniques we teach in the School.
We move these around so they don’t land on the same evening. This is to give everyone a chance to attend live through the year. They will always be on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evening.
The Mystery School and Born Free are coming from different angles. The Born Free Masterclass is designed to work on empowering your life - working through blocks, identifying what you want to achieve in life and moving towards that goal. It is a journey through several months, focusing on areas of your life you want to change and then applying the Shamanic toolkit and nature connection to work through that change.
In the Mystery School we don’t have such an applied structured learning process with this specific goal in mind. It is essentially giving people a strong foundation in all the areas we consider to be key for an Earth spirituality path - trees, animals and the wheel of the year along with a whole range of other topics.
The monthly Journey Circles within The Mystery School will build on your journeying experiences. In Module 3 of the Born Free course we go into six different topics to journey on. The Journey Circles are like the lessons in Module 3, only they carry on, with ongoing topics which build upon each other month by month. People find it really helpful to join in with something like this once a month - it helps them carve out time each month, and gives them something to reflect on.
The Coaching Calls in the Mystery School will cover topics beyond what we cover in Born Free, as will the Foundation Courses in the Mystery School. Yet they are on topics which people have asked about whilst undertaking Born Free. So, they are complementary and build on the content we cover in Born Free.
There is some duplication between Born Free and The Mystery School. In the Mystery School we have a Foundation course in Shamanic Journeying. This goes into more depth compared with what we go into in Module 2 of Born Free, but there is obviously duplication of content as it is the same topic.
Also in Born Free, we work with Animal Spirit Guides for one or two lessons. In The Mystery School we have a whole Foundation Course on this, and are developing a library of animal energy interpretations. The same goes for Tree Spirit Medicine.
In Born Free we work with two trees, and in The Mystery School we will be going through all 20 of the Celtic Ogham trees. Also, in Born Free we don’t mention about Working with the Wheel of the Year, but we have a whole Foundation course developing on this in The Mystery School.
Come and Join the Mystery School Adventure
Unlock the secrets of ancient wisdom for a more connected, creative, empowered life
JOIN NOW for £19 per month
Cancelling your Membership
You can cancel your membership at any time. Simply go to your account page and select the option to ‘Cancel’ within the Subscriptions tab. Once you cancel your account you will retain access to the Mystery School until your current subscription period ends. You can of course re-join at any time in the future.
What our members are saying:
"I cannot imagine my life without the School now, it certainly is great value for money each month”.
“The Mystery School works at a pace that suits me. I can dip in and out at my leisure and build up my own learning package using the wonderful videos made by Jason and Nicola and the tutorials that go with them.
I cannot imagine my life without the School now, it certainly is great value for money each month.
Keep up your fantastic work Nicola and Jason, you have certainly helped me find the right path spiritually and mentally, and I’ve met like-minded people along the way, thank you.”
ELAINE // Mystery School Member
"It's clear that a huge amount of tremendously hard work goes into all we see in The Mystery School which pays off as you cannot help being engaged by it."
“The Mystery School brings a myriad of threads of knowledge and wisdom from our ancient traditions and makes them come alive for us in the world we find ourselves in today.
Nicola and Jason do all the research and then present it authentically and beautifully from nature. It has helped me to take a step back and rediscover the deep joys and challenges in living my life closer to nature.
The videos are all so perfectly formed! It's clear that a huge amount of tremendously hard work goes into all we see in The Mystery School which pays off as you cannot help being engaged by it.
From the Born Free course to the mini courses, it is all put together with a love and reverence for all that nature holds for us. This helps me to stay focused and to come back to what I want to learn about, time and time again”
LAURA // Mystery School Member
"The school has shown me how I can best access spirit/mother nature and begin to develop that relationship, giving me commitment to continue to work with this.”
“I have found what I'd hoped for and much, much more.
Many of the beliefs, and many suspicions I'd had about life, the cycle of life, how & where things fit together, which I quietly kept to myself... now I found other people sharing the same views, values, beliefs and experiences. I found great comfort in this.
The school has shown me how I can best access spirit/mother nature and begin to develop that relationship, giving me commitment to continue to work with this.
The Mystery School has revealed that I am not as isolated in this belief and it's perfectly okay to share in the context of our experiences with friends (all the members). It’s immensely helpful having their experience and wisdom available to tap into (as I come into this as a complete beginner).
The Mystery School is so accessible, when I work odd shifts and have family constraints, I can easily access the material anytime, pick up where I left off and catch up in random times to suit.”
MARIE // Mystery School Member