Shamanic Ceremonies
The art of ceremony is a long-standing human tradition that has fostered individual and community development, however, much of its importance has been lost to western society. I meld ancient shamanic and modern therapeutic techniques into each ceremony to address the complex emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of the modern client.
Every ceremony is a unique weaving of the client and the guide. I work closely with every person to help determine their intentions, create the proper ceremony environment, and help support the integration process.
See more below to understand what a ceremony entails, if it is right for you, and to find answers to frequently asked questions.
What is a ceremony and why might I want one?
A ceremony is an intentionally created space that allows for a powerful transformative experience. It has an opening, a facilitated supportive experience, and a close. Ceremonies of various kinds have been used for millennia by humans in order to create change within themselves, their communities, and beyond.
There are many reasons for a ceremony:
Rites of passage for transition:
From Adolescents to Adult
From Adult to Elder
To Parenthood or Grand-Parenthood
To a New Community Role
To heal from past traumas - whether they are big or small.
To deepen into your spiritual connection and self.
To honor the land, an ancestor, or any other being.
To honor a commitment.
For any other reason you can think of!
What can you expect from a ceremony?
Every ceremony is different. Your intentions, mindset, and personal background will drive what comes up during a session. In addition, the intuitive nature of the work will bring forth whatever is needing to be worked on for you.
I will work with you ahead of time during our Prep-Sessions to:
Determine your intentions.
Give you exercises to help ground yourself for the work.
Start a dialogue to get to understand each other better.
Begin to plan essential elements to incorporate into your ceremony.
Every ceremony is the same. I weave in both ancient and new ceremonial practices that stem from my Celtic ancestry, the land upon which I call home, and my western upbringing. I also incorporate modern therapeutic techniques such as somatic processing, parts work, emotional regulation, and inquiry0based practices.
In your session we will:
Create an altar together.
Open the Four Directions.
Use Fire, Water, Stones, and Air to help ground and prepare for the medicine.
Work together to find the right dosage for your intentions.
Use therapeutic somatic practices that allow for introspection and interoception.
Use inquiry-based practices to mentally and emotionally process various patterning within your life.
Use spiritual practices that allow for deep exploration, energetic healing, and expansive understanding.
You will experience:
Kind, compassionate, trauma-informed guides.
An emphasis on physical and emotional safety.
Emotional support to help you move through difficult moments.
Mental support to help identify and process patterns in your life.
Spiritual guidance in the form of music, inquiry, and guided experiences.
Live music that helps bring forth different energies into the space and deepens your spiritual experience.
Coaching and goal creation to help integrate your experience and take home your healing.
Meet Your Co-Guide
I almost always work with a Co-Guide. Having two guides allows for increased physical safety, additional emotional and mental support, and another flavor of spiritual guidance. Depending on your intentions and comfort, you may request a certain Co-Guide. Please see these wonderful people below.
Deer Ryder
Deer Ryder is a wilderness and human development guide, writer, dreamworker, poet and storyteller. He resides in the American Southwest where he works supporting others to heal and deepen their soul’s path in relationship to the holy wild. Deer's primary training is as a Soul Initiation Guide with the Animas Valley Institute, specializing in dream-work, shadow work, cross-species communion, ceremony, ritual arts, trance states and more.
See Deer’s full bio here.
Shelby Sly
Shelby is a ceremonialist, facilitator and song carrier, as well as an herbalist and longtime student on the unbeaten path of life. She is a certified Somatic Plant Medicine Integration practitioner with a passion for holding space for individual's own wisdom to arise from their depths. She is driven by her mission of providing trauma-informed care to foster holistic, embodied healing for individuals, in service to the web of life.
See Shelby’s full bio here.
What Types of Ceremonies Are There?
I can provide individual, couples, and group ceremonies. Each has it’s own benefits, challenges, and price. See more info below:
Individual
By choosing an individual ceremony, you are looking for a deep exploration of yourself with specialized support and guidance. You will have the benefit of a dedicated 2:1 guide to client ratio during ceremony as well as personalized prep and integration sessions. This option is best for first time journeyers, folks with experience who want to do a deep dive, and clients with challenging issues who need additional support.
Couples
A couples ceremony is based on healing and deepening both the individual people as well as the relationship. We focus on bringing awareness to any communication, trust, and behavioral challenges, and then start to heal the underlying trauma issues. Beyond addressing challenges, we will also foster a deeper sense of spirituality within the relationship. This is a great option for couples who feel stuck, have already tried therapy, and are motivated to find their path.
Looking for a retreat? Click here.
Small Groups
Small group ceremonies are for experienced journeyers who are looking to dive deeper with additional support. While not as personalized as an individual ceremony, a small group ceremony uses the power of the collective to create an experience that is based in community and love. In group ceremonies there are not just guides, but also helpers to provide the needed support for each person. You can gather your own group or join a scheduled group ceremony.
FAQs
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While every ceremony is different, each one includes:
Two 1 hour Prep Sessions before ceremony
Ceremony
Two 1 hour Integration Sessions after ceremony
Group Ceremonies Include:
One individual 30min Prep Session
One group 1 hour Prep Session
Group Ceremony
One 1 hour group Integration Session
Some ceremonies might include:
Extended amounts of time together
Medicine work
Extra prep or integration sessions
Overnight lodging
Travel
Etc.
Because of the variable nature of what is included, each ceremony’s cost is different. We will work together to find a price that is reasonable for you and the work required.
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A Prep (Preparation) Session is an hour long zoom call with me that happens several weeks before your ceremony. The goals of the session are:
Get to know each other, establish rapport and trust, understand your pertinent history, and answer any questions you have.
Help you to develop realistic intentions/goals for your ceremony.
Guide you through exercises to help you prepare for your ceremony experience.
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An Integration Session is an hour-long zoom call that happens several days to several weeks after your ceremony. The goals of the session are:
Check-in to see how you are doing post-ceremony.
Help to understand how the impacts of your ceremony can be woven into your daily life.
Provide exercises & practices to continue the integration process
Many ceremony clients become “spiritual coaching” clients after their integration sessions are complete to continue the integration process for the long-term.
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Depending on the nature of your ceremony, there are some medications that are not appropriate. However many medications, including SSRIs are usually okay. In your free consultation we will discuss your medications.
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There are several conditions that are not appropriate for certain ceremonies.
Heart Conditions
Hypertension
Schizophrenia
Bipolar 1
Borderline Personality Disorder
Impulse Control Disorder
If you have any questions beyond these conditions, please reach out to me to discuss specifics. In some cases, approval from a physician or psychiatrist is necessary to participate.
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There are many factors that can go into a ceremony per guide:
Up to 12 hours of client contact time per ceremony
4 hours of preparation and cleaning
Potentially many hours of travel
Physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual prep and rest by each guide
Price of lodging and food
In total, this can be up to 40 total hours by two guides combined for just one ceremony.
My price, compared to the rest of the market, is much lower than normal. I want to make this work as accessible as possible to people. At the same time, I recognize that it is still a large burden for people. If you are in need of a scholarship, I do have a fund that is based off of other client’s donations. Please reach out to me to see what that process looks like.