“It’s so scary to know who you really are.”
I received this insight from the mushroom after the first of a series of macrodose journeys shortly after I left my career and began my healing journey. During this journey, I found myself communing with the pine trees outside, listening to Dolly Parton and Donovan against the sound of rain, the edges my heart expanding and cracking open. I experienced the full, wide spectrum of my emotional human existence that day, feeling deep grief flowing freely, forging new pathways for heart-breaking joy and gratitude to spill forth.
I knew then that this was meant to be my life’s work – to gently hold others in peace as they face the fear of witnessing their true power, resilience and capacity for healing… as they face the fear of witnessing who they really are.
The Sacred Mushroom invites us to feel and receive all that we had shut down, numbed out, escaped, and/or silenced within ourselves. They show us the truth of this incredible Universe that we are a vital part of. They reconnect us to our bodies and the earth, to our ancestors of lineage and land, to one another. Our breath is our greatest ally and anchor in these spaces.
Companioning vs. Guiding
I have been directed by the medicine to walk alongside my clients from “within the circle” rather than outside as practiced in a Western clinical setting. This approach of companioning over guidance or “treating” is taught by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, founder and director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition.
Wolfet’s tenets of companioning particularly speak to my philosophy of how I choose to walk with my clients:
Tenet Two: Companioning is about going to the wilderness of the soul with another human being; it is not about thinking you are responsible for finding the way out.
Tenet Four: Companioning is about listening with the heart; it is not about analyzing with the head.
Tenet Five: Companioning is about bearing witness to the struggles of others; it is not about judging or directing these struggles.
Tenet Six: Companioning is about walking alongside; it is not about leading.
Tenet Nine: Companioning is about respecting disorder and confusion; it is not about imposing order and logic.
Tenet Eleven: Companioning is about compassionate curiosity; it is not about expertise.
Companioning strips away any hierarchy that guidance and treatment assume. Instead, we walk together, side by side, into the Unknown. The profound healing occurs in the witnessing, sharing and holding of sacred space as well as the trust in the wisdom of our bodies and of the medicine.
The call to Journey comes to us like an inner-knowing.
I am devoted to thoroughly help you prepare for, move through, and integrate your experience.
Preparation: During your preparation we will plan and prepare ceremony logistics, refine your intentions, navigate anything that might arise, inform and empower you about the process, and hold space for any questions that you have.
Ceremony: Your 1:1 ceremony will take place over 6-8 hours in a private location of your choice. I will set up your space and handle all preparations, hold you in ceremony through sounds, consent-based grounding tough and reiki, conversation and guidance, energetic support and holding, and intuitively support you as your journey unfolds. After the formal ceremony ends, I will cook you a nourishing meal and energetically close up the space.
Integration: The journey truly begins when the ceremony ends. This is the process of carrying the medicine home. We will hold space for what arose during your session and “tie up” and loose ends or decode where necessary. We will create practices to help you stay connected to your insights and help to uncover anything that might be currently getting in your way. We will also discuss ongoing support from me or your community.