This page is for drum circle hosts.
The calendar is closed 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. A kitchen is also necessary. 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 and attend the integration circle the next morning. Most people will not be able to drive the next day until late afternoon so arrangements need to be made to stay onsite the following day or ability to Uber or get a ride. 

Integration circle is MANDATORY for all in attendance who use the amanita in ceremony.

This is a high macrodose ceremony. It is not safe to do a high dose ceremony with more than 2 or 3 people due to the way amanita communalizes the experiences of all in attendance. Energies intertwine and since this mushroom goes deep into the self; shame and other deep issues can be unearthed.

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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.

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Ceremony Tools

Each person needs a pipe for smoking the amanita which is necessary for the ceremony. Rolled amanita does not burn well. This is not a blend it is 100% mushroom. You will need a container to hold ground mushroom for every two people. You need an ashtray for every two people and a propane lighter per two people.

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 You will need to purchase amanita from one of my vetted vendors, exact amounts are in the checklist page.

1 and a half, (3 ounce) glass jars per person who will be using the tea in ceremony. This provides one serving for most and an available other serving for potentially half. This will depend on my and other facilitators discernment. Ex, 20 people needs 30 jars. 25 people needs 38 jars. I need 5 lemons and access to a kitchen with 2 large pots, strainers, a large glass measuring cup and a box for the jars or a large serving tray.

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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 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 else to have authority to make decisions on your behalf.

I need a dedicated assistant during ceremony. This is an addition to a drummer assistant.

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TimeLine

I need access to my own private quarters for preparation where I will be uninterrupted by anyone, with access to a restroom away from others with sleeping accomodations. I need kitchen space to make the tea at least 4 hours before ceremony. I will need to set up the seating, medicine, my area  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. (This means no children, animals, meltdowns, loud phone calls, exasperated stressed out helpers, etc) 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 do your best to create a quiet safe space on the day of ceremony. This unwelcome energy lingers and can harm the space.

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 I need the assigned assistant to join me one hour before ceremony. I need to consult with the drummer assistant at the same time.

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. Ask attendees not to bring things like feathers, beads, gemstones, crystals, ointments, or other spiritual items. The spirit of this mushroom is not compatible with these other items used in other entheogenic ceremonies. 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 conifer tree smudge. Cedar or pine work well. I will consecrate the ceremonial space after setting up and create the container right before I leave to get ready.

Ask attendees to make sure their drinking vessels completely seal closed as we will be up and moving around for part of the ceremony and many personal items get stomped on, moved around and in some cases, lost. The fewer items folks bring into the space, the better.

The space should not have decorations of other cultures, symbols of other entheogenic use, pictures of people or other ethnic or ceremonial practices, left over altars from other ceremonies, etc.. The spirit of this mushroom carries a heavy nordic presence and norse is my heritage and practice. If you are trained in paganism, imagery of pagan or animistic practices are okay.

The evening is an hour of discussion while smoking

Handing out the tea ceremonially

Drum/sound healing

Active participation of drumming and movement (2 hours)

Calm time travel

Ceremony closing at 11pm while facilitators attend to those who need assistance

(need at least 2 people to work overnight until morning)

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Food

There is no diet that is necessary and it is best if no one fasts before using amanita but 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. Chocolate stacks well and most people will need to protein load and reup on their salt intake after using amanita.

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Participants cannot go up or down stairs to get food while under the influence of amanita.

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. This is NOT an exhaustive list.

People with a history of bipolar disorder with cycling episodes of mania or narcissistic tendencies have experienced phychosis after using higher doses of amanita and should not attend this event.

Participant agrees to hold harmless, the venue, facilitator and providers of the event, in the case of adverse reactions to amanita muscaria. Facilitators hold the right to call emergency medical personnel at our discretion. This is extremely rare.

 

I have provided downloadable versions you can use but these have not been created by an attorney.

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 While this is not a high dose event, even higher macrodoses can cause issues with sensitive people. EXCLUSIONS:

People who are in crisis, who are suffering and their issues are not managed. People with bipolar, manic tendencies and schizoaffective disorder or issues, severe unrelenting depression, panic attacks. This is not a medicine ceremony or high dose event meant for treatment. Those issues should be handled one on one with a practitioner. This event is for people who are healthy and stable. People on medications that exclude their participation should not stop their medications for this event. While people self report for these issues, please do your best to emphasize that this is not a high dose healing ceremony and that the issues and ways this event unfolds it is important that attendees are mentally healthy and sound and stable.

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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 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/ceremony

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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.

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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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