This page is for current ceremony hosts. The calendar is closed for booking new ceremonies for 2023.

Quick Checklist

To avoid issues, please use this checklist to make certain you have everything for the ceremony.

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Venues

Good ideas for venues are lodges in the woods or mountains, by rent and Psychedelic churches, societies or warehouses converted to venue spaces. Venues with housing nearby are not good facilities because the drums might annoy neighbors or cause undue stress. Places with a fire pit are especially good venues. It helps if there are facilities for snacking and making coffee. Watch the video series below to gain a better understanding of a ceremony to help guide you in what you would like to offer and have as host. Of course if this is for only a few people in a house the neighbors may not be an issue for you. Hotels are not good venues unless the entire hotel is rented.

For sleeping if there aren't enough beds, blow up mattresses and cots with plenty of blankets work well. Most people need to sleep near the end of the ceremony. No one can drive as they will stay under the influence of amanita for at least 12 hours and for some, longer than that. Everyone must make arrangements to sleep on site or be able to Uber or have a ride. Make sure your intake includes a statement of their intentions and if leaving, how, and with contact information.

Drums

If you don't have enough drums, you can look for rental drums in your area. Don't forget to check in with yoga studios, music therapy places, and psychedelic societies. Other instruments besides drums that work well are wood blocks, tambourine, egg shakers, and for bass, a cajon. These are not expensive. You need to have at least one very deep bass drum, and a good mix of lower bass drums, mid range drums and higher pitched drums. Please make sure that if you tell guests to bring their own, that you adequately express to them the importance of having a drum. This is not optional. In case they forget, you can have a wood block and shakers as back up percussion for them to use. Stringed instruments are not allowed at the ceremony nor are other non-percussive instruments. Some hosts have rented drums but most make sure that attendees know that a drum is mandatory.

For sitting, fold out stools, folding chairs and rental chairs are options. Floor cushions are good for people who are not playing large drums. Many people bring blankets or cushions.

Ceremony tools

You will need hookas for smoking the amanita which is necessary for the ceremony. You need 4 hoses for every 10 people in attendance. Hookas 18" or higher work best. You need 4 propane torch lighters per 10 people. The cheap ones at a convenience store may not work well. FYI.

 You will need to purchase 120 grams of dried amanita caps per 10 people for tea and 45 grams of amanita either as powder or caps for smoking per 10 people. Please remove the gills and grind up the 45grams for smoking.

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Assistant

You will need a lot of help the day of the ceremony. And especially in the hour leading up to the start of the ceremony. Helping folks get settled, answering questions, answering the phone, coordinating seating, food, people arriving from out of town and having hotel issues, directions, rest room use, answering questions etc., will be their role. They need to arrive at least 2 hours before folks start arriving. So far people have started showing up 30 minutes before the stated arrival time so be prepared for that. If you are going to participate in the ceremony without interruption, you need to designate someone to assist during ceremony who I can ask for help with things like filling up lighters, spills, getting something we forgot, others who have questions, etc. If you want to pay for me to bring my own assistant, please let me know.

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TimeLine

I need access to a kitchen space to make the tea at least 4 hours before ceremony. I will need to set up the seating, medicine, my area and the hookas 2 hours before people are scheduled to arrive. During this time, making the medicine and setting up, I need the space and people around me to be peaceful and quiet.

So far I have experienced people around me rushing, stress, confusion, answering phone calls, children having meltdowns and spouse arguments, organizers telling me their issues and expressing stress all while trying to make the medicine and set up for ceremony. I have wound up sitting and crying with the stress and trying to remove it which delays the ceremony.  Please create a sacred space free of others for me to make the medicine, set up ceremony, create the container and to get ready. Please avoid the temptation to say to yourself, this one thing won't bother her, my children are good kids, the dog is welcome here, she will understand my partner and I having a disagreement, noise is unavoidable, interruptions are normal etc. Please do your best to create a quiet safe space for me on the day of ceremony. Myself and the mushroom are truly grateful for the space.

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 It will take me 30 minutes to set up the ceremony. I will then need to be alone until the ceremony to prepare and to get dressed. I need to be able to have someone available by phone or with me when I am ready to start ceremony. If you can arrange for me to be able to get dressed at the venue uninterrupted that would be the best situation. I need room to meditate without noise and interruption and to get dressed etc.

Once folks begin to arrive, instruct them to place their belongings behind whatever seating they choose, and not in front of them in the arena. Ask them to use the restroom and to make sure when they sit, that they are comfortable. Ask them to please either turn their phone off or turn the ringer off and place it in airplane mode. Ask them not to play their drums or use the medicine or eat. If they wish to talk, ask them to leave the ceremony space to do so. The ceremony space should remain silent because others may be nervous or want to sit in meditation before ceremony. When they enter the ceremony space ready to sit please smudge them with whatever herb you are used to working with. I will consecrate the ceremonial space after setting up and create the container right before I leave to get ready.

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Food

There is no diet that is necessary and it is best if no one fasts before using amanita if they intend to do so but they need to avoid a large heavy meal within 4 hours of the event. Folks will be hungry after a few hours of the event and using Amanita, so snacks on hand are highly suggested. Plenty of water is necessary with amanita. Ibotenic acid in amanita is a flavor enhancer. It makes fruit taste like candy, FYI! Some people have really enjoyed putting together creative herbs in dips, or sauces or making unique dishes that involve shamanistic influences or intuitive stacking. If you can't, it really won't matter, everything tastes so good while under the influence. But foods that are very close to the earth, simple dips and sauces and foods without unnatural preservatives work best.

Legal

You need a liability waiver for guests which includes the following statements: 

Amanita muscaria is provided as a courtesy and participant agrees to use it at their own discretion. Amanita muscaria can be dangerous in higher doses, participant agrees to use mushrooms responsibly when in the event or on the premises. Amanita muscaria is dangerous to consume in conjunction with alcohol, benzodiazapenes,  and other GABA drugs like Lyrica, sleep medications, opiate based painkillers including natural ones. Participant agrees not to use amanita muscaria if they have consumed any of these substances in the past week. If you take any of these substances, please see a doctor before stopping any medications as doing so can be very harmful. Cannabis has been seen to reduce the effects of amanita. Participant acknowledges the receipt of this statement.

Participant agrees to hold harmless, the venue, facilitator and providers of the event, in the case of adverse reactions to amanita muscaria. I have provided downloadable versions you can use but these have not been created by an attorney.

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A good way to put this on your page, for your potential attendees, that it's like an open bar at a wedding. It is provided as a courtesy. It is expected that they use caution and to not become a liability. Let them know that if there is an issue, that 911 would be called and it would be at their expense. Remember to always get an emergency contact AND the name and contact information of whomever might be picking them up after the ceremony if they choose not to stay for the night.

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Wording for your web page should include that you cannot give dosing amounts, advice about medications, how to consume or how to proceed with medications. Make certain that you check again with participants and require a check in form with initials about contraindications and contact information for emergency as well as how they intend to get home. As they arrive and ask if they have taken or used any of the medications in the list of contraindications. As with alcohol there are many medications that should not be used with alcohol, the same is true with muscaria. 

Make sure to include that illegal substances should not be brought to the event. That no alcohol is to be consumed before or during the event. It is best that you not have any on the premises. 

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Harm Reduction

The best way to reduce harm is to provide good education on your web page. Make sure to leave a link to the ceremony page at AmanitaDreamer.net and instruct potential participants to watch the videos. This is the link:

https://www.amanitadreamer.net/retreat

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Managing expectations is important for everyone to have a good experience. Amanita is not for everyone and experiencing it in a group ceremony setting may not be the best way for some. Making sure to include the above statements about the legal notices about amanita, prominently, in your liability waiver helps to make sure they read this part of it. Also having it on your web page is important.

When participants arrive, have them fill out a quick form asking their intentions for the end of the night and to provide a name and contact information of the person picking them up if they are leaving. Everyone should provide an emergency contact. If they are getting an Uber, make sure the app is already on their phone and that it is set up and functional.

Make sure your webpage states that those who use cannabis even weekly won't really experience much from Amanita. People who are on medications that affect GABA, like Lyrica also prevent effects from amanita. State that they are not good candidates for the ceremony. If they intend to be off those substances, at least with cannabis, it takes up to 4 weeks. We are not making any statements of safety about length of time since the use of medications or alcohol for safety as there is no science on this. 

Make sure you include a statement on your web page and intake form that sometimes, some people still get no reactions from amanita and that there is no way to know if that might happen but it is not common.

The form I provide as an example or for your use is here but if you have a lawyer pls have them review it.

Use the form below if you are interested in hosting a ceremony.

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