Founding

In 1993, I founded White Buffalo Associates (WBA) to address a global need for individual and collective healing from the wounds of separation, alienation, fragmentation, and loss of mythic stories that contain the structures and patterns of possibilities needed to co-create a New Story for Our Time.

I realized this New Story was about planetary interconnectedness, integral thinking, compassionate communities, and conscious evolution that could birth a whole new order of meaning and being for the greater good of all. What I didn’t know was exactly how that would happen. As stated on the Home Page, that New Story has been evolving into a Cosmic Story!

Name

In the midst of my training in core shamanism with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, and while still working for a major corporation, I met the White Buffalo Calf Woman (WBCW) for the first time in a shamanic journey to seek spiritual guidance for myself and the corporation for which I worked.

The WBCW appeared initially as a brown buffalo in a large herd of buffalo. She then turned into a white buffalo, who stood at the head of the herd. Very quickly, she further transformed into a woman and began communicating about the sacred systems nature of all life and how I might apply this teaching in my life and organizational work.

I followed her guidance, and when I eventually left that corporation, she urged me to start White Buffalo Associates, a business that strives to embody these teachings. The word ‘associates’ refers to how I, along with other collaborators, work together in service to the WBA mission. As you might imagine, that was a scary, but oh so worthwhile (!), leap into the unknown for me. The following song reflects that experience.

‘I Am Willing’ Composed and Sung by Holly Near

Logo

The WBA logo was designed by Omaha graphic designer Janeen Macrino, who created several variations of it. I love this logo and was pleased to learn that Janeen won a national award for its creation. Thank you, Janeen!