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Media Clips and Stories
WELCOME THE ORBS AROUND US!
Natural Awakenings Magazine: Central Florida,
published 2009 February issue by John Springer
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The Orlando weekly which recently
wrote the following announcement for one of our Enchanted Walkabouts
in the week of Dec 13-19, 2007.:
ENCHANTED WALKABOUT: When a man tells you he was "called out from
the faerie realm" to lead you through the woods, you should fear for
your life. Yet John Springer has managed to do just that without
murdering anybody. In fact, he seems impossibly, inhumanly bubbly.
What about? Nature, of course! John Springer as he guides you
through what must be some pretty trippy woods, full of
"spinning/waving leaves, fairy thrones, eyes of Merlin, dragons,
gnomes and other magical and mystical creatures and characters."
Although nature isn't looking too good lately, Springer suggests
that we should become one with it anyway. Listen, people, he's got a
college degree. OK? (1 pm - 3 pm at Mead Gardens, Winter Park; $20,
RSVP required; 407-704-2320;
http://www.enchantedwalkabouts.com)
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FINDING FAERIES
Story by Lori Carter
Lake & Sumter STYLE, December 2006/page 24
'A hike into the woods with John Springer is anything but
usual for this self proclaimed seeker of the supernatural.'
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When John Springer steps into wooded areas, nature spirits come
alive and the magic begins, for the past eight years, Springer has
taken thousands on what he calls "Enchanted Walkabouts" and "faerie
realm playshops" on private property and public parks throughout
Florida, North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia.
John, who has a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture with
a minor in forestry from Purdue University in West
Lafayette, Ind., says he's always had a fascination with the woods
since childhood.
Enchanted Walkabouts last anywhere from one to three hours,
including "looking at nature through a new set of eyes and heart,"
he says. Faerie realm playshops are usually an all-day event with
activities.
About 20 people gathered recently at Palm Island Park in Mount
Dora for one of John's walkabouts. During the two-hour stroll, John,
who is familiar with the park, is on the lookout for the unusual. "I
get people to notice what is going on around them," he says. "We go
through life with blinders on."
Springer's list of items to be seen includes curmudgeons, the eye
of Merlin, the Green Man, leaves waving or spinning, faerie castles,
and special types of trees - wisdom, enchanted, and
a council of elders, to name a few. "We forget to look around us,"
he says. "People say they are into nature, but nobody really looks
around. I never know where these [enchanted walkabouts] will take
me. Once you acknowledge energies, things start happening."
Before each walkabout and playshop, Springer readies to "bring
out the lightness" in people by wearing a top hat, much like the Cat
in the Hat - only this hat is adorned with angels, half moons,
stars, and suns with colorful rays. He also provides bubbles for
people to enjoy during the walks. Off to the side of the boardwalk
entrance of the park, Springer points out an eye of Merlin - when a
tree separates and comes back together, leaving a hole, and creating
a portal of energy. "If you have the opportunity to put your hand
through it," he explains, "you'll feel the energy."
Curmudgeons are always a favorite. Most think of them as knots in
trees, but he adds, "If you look close enough, you'll see the faces
in the trees and sometimes dragons." At the bottom of one cypress
tree, there are many flukes coming out, a sign that faeries may very
well live there. Springer also points out one leaf twirling above a
pile of other leaves. This is clearly a case of faeries playing
games. The Green Man, the protector or overseer of the woods, is
very elusive.
In the midst of the peaceful, tranquil walkabout, Springer
notices a circle of cypress trees, creating a council of elders. The
group stops, join hands, and begins to ohm, which he says, "brings
about sound vibrations that nature responds very well to." Prior to
the activity, not a bird was in the sky. During and just afterward,
hawks, crows, and vultures began to appear above. "They weren't
there before we did the ohms," he said "They were definitely
checking us out as they circled overhead."
Orlando resident Vicki Winder, who has been to several enchanted
walkabouts, said she made the trip to Mount Dora to experience
nature while feeding her whimsical side. "I always do it with an
open heart," she says. "If you do it with a closed mind, they
[nature spirits] won't show up."
Dianne Gorman made the trip from Panama City to see what the hype
was about with the enchanted walkabout. She said at first she was a
bit skeptical, but then she opened her mind to the possibilities.
"I'm like a kid in a candy store," she says of the enchanted
walkabout. After she got home, Gorman said she used the techniques
that she
learned from Springer. A stroll on her brother's property had plenty
to offer. Gorman captured two faeries in photographs she took that
day. "There's no getting around it," she says. "I am a believer."
At 60, Springer plans to continue his quest of showing people the
true meaning of nature and all that it holds. Springer says he knows
that there are many naysayers to what he is about, but he challenges
them to prove him wrong. "They have to come experience it
themselves," he says. "Get out of your head and get back into your
heart and truly become a steward of the earth and nature."
Always Be In Joy!
John Springer
Eshalom Samuel
Website Counter
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If you would like to interview John Springer please call
407-704-2320 or email
b_in_joy@hotmail.com
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This the top hat
that I wear during some of the Enchanted Walkabouts. I have
a stuffed rabbit inside, since everyone asks if I have a rabbit
inside the hat, I do!
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The following is a portion of an article
that appeared in The TAVARES CITIZEN, Thursday, February 12,
2004, Tavares, Florida. The article is entitled, "Magical
realm teaches 'children' about nature, by Madeline McClure,
Editor and Publisher of the TAVARES CITIZEN and several
other publications in the Lake County area.
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Yalaha is an area of intense spiritual pursuits. Last year
the Harmonic Concordance, sponsored by the Yalaha
Foundation, celebrated a celestial event and thousands
attend the three-day event.
Many people in the central Florida area
are aware of the Yalaha Bakery, where mouth-watering breads,
baked goods and sandwiches can be enjoyed outside, with a
beautiful panoramic view of wooded hills, along with live
musical entertainment on Saturdays.
On ten acres of beautifully wooded land,
owned by the Yalaha Foundation, a spiritual sanctuary is in
process, thanks to John Springer. With a degree in
landscaping from Purdue and a devotion to bringing society's
awareness back to nature, Springer has created a peaceful
environment where people can learn to focus on the "magic"
in nature.
"The Children's Garden is for the child at
heart and the child within." Springer says, a large bearish
man who often wears an enormous blue velvet top hat, with
cherubs gamboling around it, that the Mad Hatter would die
for and sneakers with flashing lights.
The Prayer Wheel forms nine concentric
rings spiraling upward, several as a conduit to offer
prayers to God.
"As you walk, you put your hands to head
[heart] to release your prayers to God," says Springer. "It
creates a lot of love inside as visitors walk the spiral.
It's amazing how many people have said to me that it's the
highlight of their visit."
Springer, who has a degree in landscaping,
has also created the Sacred Circle, a quiet area with stone
benches, surrounded by bamboo, and a burbling springs.
"It like a church without a roof,"
Springer says. "People feel very comfortable. They say it's
almost like home."
Music to the ears of a man who can talk to
the wind, keep deer flies at bay by writing to the head Diva
of Deer Flies and insists he can see fairies.
"Some people can see the magic because
they are more attuned," Springer says.
His Fairy Realm Playshop is an effort to
communicate sensitivity and an awareness of nature to both
children and adults.
"Taking time to smell the roses" is more
than a catch phrase for Springer.
"You can get flowers to release their
fragrance by talking to them." Springer insists.
Camellias are a great example to use for
this exercise, according to Springer, because they generally
do not have a noticeable scent.
He instructs people to step back and
approach the flower with love, saying how beautiful it is,
describing its petals and bright, shiny leaves, and so on.
"Almost every time, people sense alot more
aroma coming from the flower immediately," Springer says.
Several other projects on Springer's
Master Plan are a Hobbitt House, a geodesic dome and an
organic garden that will possibly produce vegetables for
community use.
"We can always use volunteers," Springer
says, encouraging area residents to become familiar with the
"more joyful" aspects of nature.
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