The Academy of Crystal and Natural Awareness (TAOCANA) was founded in 1986 by international healer and lecturer Dennis West. Dennis had spent 50 years of his life travelling around the world, studying healing techniques with medicine men and women. He was privy to some of the greatest healing traditions, including the Aboriginal Dreamtime. Although Dennis qualified as a medical herbalist, it was his love for the mineral kingdom that inspired him to teach Crystal Healing. He passed on this immeasurable wealth of knowledge to his students.
Sue Richter studied Advanced Crystal Therapy with Dennis, and went on to train as tutor for the Academy. In 1993 Dennis retired from teaching and requested that the high standards and good name of the Academy was continued by Sue Richter. From 1993 until 2004 the Academy became Sue’s life work. The Academy of Crystal and Natural Awareness became The Academy of Crystal and Natural Healing, and Sue developed the Crystal and Gem Diploma Courses to include Colour Therapy which has proved a popular addition for many students. Sue expanded the courses to contain her own wisdom, and was very active up until her death with cancer in December 2004.
NOW 2011...
I am Kathleen Murray, who has been the director of the Academy of Crystal and Natural Healing since 2004. I studied with Sue and graduated in 1995. I, like many, found Sue an inspirational teacher who awakened my passion for crystals even more. Together Sue and I formed the Lemurian Foundation in 1995 to raise awareness of Lemuria, a more forgotten part of the Earth’s history or herstory. We ran a series of workshops called Journey into Oneness working with crystals as transformational tools to charter unexplored territory in esoterics.
We also ran Post graduate courses, for students of all the UK crystal schools, not only graduates of the Academy.
It is a great honour to be asked to carry on the traditions of Scotland’s only crystal school. My have upgraded and expanded both the Licentiate and Diploma courses to fulfil the teachings standards of ACHO, the Affiliation of Crystal Healing Organisations and I have the pleasure of including resonant healing techniques that I have developed with my crystal skulls– Crystal Keys ~ The Wholeness of Lemurian Wisdom
see www.crystal-keys.com.
My current work is with music and healing through crystals and crystal skulls with Sound and Light, using Kirby Seid's Light Labyrinth and Music Visualiser technology. I have been invited to speak at conferences in Ireland, England, Holland, Belgium, France, Hungary, Greece and Kuwait (over many years!). In addition to teaching in these countries, I have taught workshops in Australia, America and Iceland.
Our Affiliations
To ensure the highest standards of education and support for our students, the Academy is a member of the following organisations: ACHO (Affiliation of Crystal Healing Organisations Ltd.), ACTO (Affiliation of Colour Therapy Organisations) and British Crystal Healers. British Crystal Healers is the lead body for crystal healing and crystal therapy in the UK and a member of the General Regulatory Council for Complimentary Therapies (GRCCT).
One important aspect of a professional healing qualification is the availability of adequate Malpractice and Public liability insurance cover. Students who qualify in their profession through an ACHO school will have access to excellent, low-cost global insurance cover through ACHO membership. Furthermore, through the promotional work of BCH, ACHO and ACTO, your Diploma is an assurance of excellence in both training and practice. Graduates of the Academy can add Dip. ACHO or Dip. ACTO after their names.
The Academy of Crystal and Natural Healing ensures that all students are trained to a high degree of competence. All healing is created through Love and we hope that our light approach to teaching will make some of the serious learning fun.
Where are the Courses held?
The courses are held in the picturesque village of Rhynie, near Huntly at the edge of the Eastern Cairngorms. Rhynie is an hour’s drive west from Aberdeen. Huntly is the nearest train station on the Aberdeen — Inverness route. The nearest airport is Aberdeen, where there is a bus link to the train station.
There is a small hotel a few minutes walk away in the village. Bed and Breakfast accommodation is available nearby, as is self catering for groups.
Intensive Courses
In previous years, I have run monthly weekend groups as well as an annual intensive course. But due to my increasing work abroad and the setting up in France of the Galactic Academy of Lemuria with Marie-Dominique Chemin, a French medical and homoeopathic doctor, naturopath, practising phytotherapy, acupuncture and osteopathy, I no longer have the time to run monthly groups in Scotland. I will run an Intensive course in Crystal and Gem Therapy and Colour and Advanced Vibrational Medicine, Years 1 and 2 each year from Scotland. With the Galactic Academy of Lemuria, we will be running courses in the Alps starting November 2011.
Annual Intensive Course for Crystal and Gem Therapy Diploma
There are 12 days teaching in the first year and 14 days teaching in the second year.
Annual Intensive Course for Colour and Advanced Vibrational Medicine
10 teaching days per year
For more information on the Courses see 'The Courses' page.
Homework and case studies still need to be completed before the award of Licentiate in year one or Diploma in year two.
There is beautiful scenery nearby with skiing or hill walking in the Cairngorm mountains. We are also in an area with many stone circles and ancient sacred sites, and a wonderful coast line to the North where dolphins swim in the Moray Firth.