Traditional ceremony from South American and Central American lineages will open the space for each of us to be cleansed and purified, to feel absolutely welcome, empowered and safe as we embark upon an exploration of self and our ancestral lineages. 

Ceremony is a prayer of gratitude; to remember that we are the circle, to lean on when necessary, and to uphold when required. Together we are one! When we heal ourselves, we heal all.

The intention of our closing ceremony will be to harness the power of everything that has transpired for each of us over the weekend, to really drop it into the body on a cellular level as we prepare to return to the "real world". 

We will sit in circle together, as sisters; listening with the ears of our hearts to the voices of our sisters speaking for us.

Experience the magic of the 'circle of shaman' - my sister speaks for me.

This is a safe space to listen and be heard without interruption, judgement or commentary.

Everything spoken in circle, stays in circle.

Over the course of the weekend we will be journeying to the invisible realms... the place where we meet with our guides, power animals, other allies, and the Divine. This is also a place where we can affect deep healing and receive wisdom and insight.

Connecting with the other realms is a pan cultural practice and, as with all practices, there are many varied ways of journeying!

We will be using drumming and guided meditation techniques. No prior experience required!

We are cyclical beings.

As women we are experiencing many cycles congruently, both within ourselves and outside of ourselves, in each moment that we draw breath. 

These cycles all follow a similar map, of ascending energy, a peak of energy, followed by descending energy and a low of energy.

Understanding, accepting and embracing these cycles allows us to live in harmony with ourselves and the natural world.

It is our birth right to have intimate relationships with the more-than-human folk with whom we share this planet, this reality. 

These relationships exist beyond what we can 'see' in the physical realm. 

Power animals are loving guides whom we can rely on to bring us courage to face the unknown, and often have a specific reason for showing up in your life when they do.

They are an ally whom, once met, can be called upon at any time and, may even meet you in the physical realm from time to time.  

Perhaps you already have an animal ally? If so, you may meet them again, or you may meet a new ally, specifically showing up for this new chapter of your journey, or to work with your ancestors this weekend. 

Even if you are not quite ready to call yourself a ‘medicine woman’ she already exists, inside of you!

Akin to an archetype, your inner medicine woman (she may prefer to call herself a shaman or witch, or something of her own design, she may even be a he) is already woven into the fabric of your inner landscape. She may take any form; there are no ‘rules’.

You will be given the opportunity to journey to meet with her to gain insight, guidance or specific wisdom for this particular journey and beyond.

Over the duration of the weekend you will be crafting your very own shamanic medicine rattle using kangaroo or deer hide (all hides have been ethically harvested and treated in this country). 

Rattles are traditionally used in ceremony and to assist people to return fully into their bodies after journeying to the other realms. They may also be used to help ‘shake out’ old unwanted or unhelpful energy from spaces, places or bodies. 

This personally crafted rattle will carry all the magic and medicine of the weekend, becoming a physical ally for your own, continued practices. 

Experience the magic of sharing songs around the fire at night. 

This is a pan-cultural practice that is alive in all of our ancestral lineages.

Feel the magic of deep connection through song and music - no previous singing experience necessary; all voices welcome; embodied listening also welcome here!

We carry both the traumas and the gifts of our ancestral lineages.  However, access to the ancestral medicine that is our birthright can be blocked by ancestral fear.

Ancestral trauma is, for the most part, unconsciously passed down to the next generation as a survival mechanism. If something is dangerous, it is best to avoid it, right? The only problem being, that at some point situations, and people, evolve and what once upon a time put us in mortal danger, become the very thing/s that we need to survive, and thrive.  

For women in particular the patriarchal era has imprinted a very clear and definite fear of being seen in our power. So to protect themselves our mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and great, great, great grandmothers… learned to hide their power; keep their voices down, behave like ‘ladies’, become palatable, be ‘good girls’, not be ‘too much’ (of anything), and most importantly not express their anger and rage. 

We are the women the world needs now. If you are reading this, then it is likely that you are hearing the call. It is time to confront the fears of our grandmothers and re-claim their power and their medicine for our children, our grandchildren and our great grandchildren, and for our beloved planet. 

On the Saturday night we will be blessed to gather under the new moon, and the beginning of the lunar phase that will carry us out of winter, and into spring.

A new moon offers a potent opportunity to metaphorically plant the seeds of what we wish to grow in the coming lunar cycle (month) and beyond. Harnessing the energy of the new moon, and the ritualising of new moon prayers, or intentions, is an ancient practice, and our birthright.

We will be embracing this opportunity to participate in this ancient ritual and to harness the power of our sisters, to manifest our dreams and desires for ourselves, our families and our communities.