This page is for drum ritual hosts.
This nordic drum ritual is an active event. Part performance, part participation, part storytelling, you and your guests will be guided into the world of sound, dance, and healing with a Nordic theme. Follow dreamer into the underworld and emerge lighter and ready to fly. This healing event will help unearth your demons, free your inner pain and release your into joy. Prepare to experience healing in a way you never have before through sound, movement and deep visceral experiences.
My fee is $2500 and includes a talk and welcome circle, a tal the morning of, for preparation, the ritual and an integration circle the following morning.
Please read this short summary, the details are below. As host it is expected that you will become familiar with these details and make sure they are followed so that you can have an amazing ritual experience for your guests.
Make sure your reach and audience are enough to fill your seats. While I will announce events in my newsletter and on my site, it is your local reach that creates your audience. Please have a web page to sell tickets and use an online ticketing app.
Summary of this page:
This is a LOW dose event. High doses are best and safe when done one on one or with only a few people at a time. Ibotenic acid is an excitatory medicine, and used along with drumming and dancing will create a highly excited state perfect for digging deeply into the shadow but not good for shame and trauma states. This is why it is safer to use low doses.
The ritual is for up to 25 people (30 if we determine certain factors) or smaller for a smaller space. Each person needs a drum or other percussive instrument. A way to have a fire is preferable as well. Each person needs something to sit on especially if their drum is larger. You need pipes for smoking amanita which can be easily purchased if you choose to include smoking in the ritual. I cannot travel with mushrooms.
You will need a web page with details for your potential guests and a way for them to purchase tickets with rules for refunds. You will need to monitor emails, questions and purchasing of tickets. Dreamer cannot handle these details or set up of sites and maintenance of ritual preparation. Wix.com has free websites and templates. Eventbrite is a ticket selling site.
Participants who have microdosed muscaria have a far better experience than those who have never worked with the mushroom although this is not a hard and fast rule and there are always wonderful exceptions. Please ask your guests to do this.
Folks can't drive immediately after the circle so having cots, mattresses or a way for folks to spend the night is required. Of course they can uber or arrange a ride. If your space is smaller you can always rent a cabin or lodge. You will need food for after the ceremony and breakfast food with protein. Attendees need to come to the next morning's integration.
Circles start at sunset and are 4 to 5 hours of active participation followed by internal experiences that can last until sun up for some. You will need a facilitator on hand for every 5 people in attendance.
Snacks and water need to be available.
Participants will sign a liability waiver when they buy tickets or when they arrive. Do not admit people who have a history of bipolar or schizoaffective disorders. This form also needs them to agree that they are not on certain medications or alcohol. One has been prepared that you are free to use here. Please have your legal advisor review it.
My fee for facilitation is $2500 plus flight and hotel with a deposit upon booking of $1200 with the rest due upon arrival.
This was the short version, see below for in depth details.
More Details
Quick Checklist
To avoid issues, please use this checklist to make certain you have everything for the ceremony. Ignore the smoking parts if you don't wish to provide this.
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. Folks shouldn't drive as they will stay under the influence of amanita for at least 12 hours and for some, longer than that. Please 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 the following morning is important for all in attendance who use the amanita in ritual..
This is a low dose experience. It is not safe to do a high dose experience 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.
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 ritual 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.
Tools
Each person needs a pipe for smoking the amanita which is necessary for a good experiemce. 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.
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. Make sure jars have lids.
Assistant
You will need a helper or two the day of the circle. And especially in the hour leading up to the start of ritual. 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 event without interruption, you need to designate someone else to have authority to make decisions on your behalf.
I need an assistant 1 hour before and during the circle. It can be one of yours. This is an addition to a drummer assistant which can be hired locally.
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. 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 the circle, create the container and to get ready. Please do your best to create a quiet safe space on the day of ritual.
I need the assigned assistant to join me one hour before we start. 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 create the container for the space after setting up 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. If you can provide water, then water bottles won't be another item in the circle.
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
Tea ceremony/Drum/sound healing (45 mins)
Active participation of drumming and movement (2-3 hours)
Calm time travel
Ceremony closing while facilitators attend to those who need assistance
(need at least 2 people to work overnight until morning)
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 the event and using Amanita. 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.
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.
Folks who are not a good fit:
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 stable.
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.
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
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.
Make sure your webpage states that those who use cannabis even weekly may not 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.
You will be signing a contract between us to help create better expectations and limitations for each of us. In advance please know that while I will be promoting the event in my newsletter and on social media, I have a calendar for my own posting and timing of events and cannot include last minute posts or posts you have created with your art and graphics. I cannot join groups you create for the event or monitor comments in those groups or your posts on social media.
