Songs of the 4 Communities

A Multiarts show about the 4 Communities we all belong to: Self, Society, Nature & Spirit

Exhibit runs January 30, 2026 to December 16, 2027. Free admission to exhibit.

Join in the Songs of the 4 Communities we all belong to: Self, Society, Nature & Spirit as Life Force Shamanic Arts & Healing presents the multidisciplinary arts show Songs of the 4 Communities running January 30, 2026 to December 16, 2027 at Life Force Shamanic Arts & Healing, 1609 W. Belmont, Chicago IL 60657. Opening Reception is Friday, January 30, 2026 from 7:30 – 9:30 PM. Exhibit hours are during events at Life Force, and by appointment. Admission is free to the exhibit and Opening Reception. The exhibit features a compelling range of artwork including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media and installation that powerfully illustrates the theme of the show. Several Healing Arts Intensives, which are six-week group shamanic healing processes through the arts, will be presented as part of the show. Each month on the second Thursday from 7:30-9 pm we have an Art Meditation Night featuring artwork in the show. For more information, please contact Joan Forest Mage, Founder & Director, 773-327-7224 or joan@LifeForceArts.

The Life Force Wisdom Wheel says that all of us belong to 4 Communities: Self, Society, Nature and Spirit. Each of these has its own unique energy or voice, a song that we are, consciously or unconsciously, always listening to, learning from and participating in. Can you tell when you are truly listening to your own inner voice? When you become aware of other people and hear the voice of Society? When you are aware of yourself as part of the Song that Nature is always singing? When you are hearing the Song of Spirit?  When you are able to hear and sing the Songs of the 4 Communities, you can harmonize with the physical and spiritual universe.

Self – Sing the song of yourself, your passion and vision. Even though you are seemingly an individual, you also are a Community, composed of a body, mind, soul, emotions.  Your body has 30 trillion cells, all of them communicating and interacting with each other, singing harmoniously. You have the genetic material of thousands of generations, the language of the culture you were born into, singing through you.

Society –  You are a part of a human community: your family, school, workplace, religious group, ethnic group. We experience what is self and other, “leading and following”. We listen and imitate, we allow others to see us and learn from us. We discover boundaries and experience empathy.  We learn how to come together to accomplish goals, to work as a team. We learn about emotions and rules of conduct that allow a group to work harmoniously together. We learn that different groups of people have different rules.

Nature – Nature means all plants, animals, all life forms and ecosystems. Humans are part of nature. We are formed by the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the fire of the sun that warms us and grows all living beings.   As we become conscious of the more-than-human world, we realize that we are just a small part of a larger being that is Nature. 

Spirit – Spirit is energy, the great Cosmic Soup of everything that is. On the level of Spirit, we are connecting to All That Is. Spirit is the living heart of Community. A community is a community because it has a Spirit. Spirit is the energy of a community that manifests in a structured form and purpose. The Spirit of a community is seen in its guiding principles, societal values, practical wisdom, culture, art, myths, and spiritual or religious beliefs. A community has a Spirit of partnership: the members can rely on each other in lasting relationships, not just in one lifetime but over generations. We can think of 3 Levels of Spirit: Human Spirit (virtues), Universal Energy (chi, prana) and Myth, Religion & Mystical Experience (Otherworldly beings). In other words, how we act, what we feel, and what we believe.

Life Force Founder & Director Joan Forest Mage says, “It’s fascinating to see the interpretations that artists have about the theme. At Life Force, our art exhibits are both a sacred space for our workshops and performances, and a living oracle deck, where the viewer can receive spiritual guidance from contemplating the art.”

Life Force Shamanic Arts & Healing helps you live from your soul through a modern shamanic practice rooted in the arts.  Based in the Life Force Wisdom Wheel developed by Life Force Founder & Director Joan Forest Mage, we offer Life Force Shamanic Training, Healing Arts Intensives , Art Meditation Nights and Individual Shamanic Healing Sessions. Commune with your soul and Divine Spirit in the sacred space of our art exhibits, where our Shamanic Theater performances catalyze your personal breakthroughs with the spiritual power of the arts. 

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