Healing the Sister Wound A Sacred plant medicine series for women

Welcome to this healing space for women...

For centuries, our ancient ancestors lived in harmony with the land they occupied. They held an intimate understanding of the cyclical, generative, creative, and mysterious nature of life, and they lived in harmony with it...attuned to its innate rhythms; aware of their interconnectedness with all of life. Much of this wisdom was kept by the wise women of the time...this quality of knowing and being is called the feminine principle. It is innate to all of us.

With the advent of the system we now call the "patriarchy", life changed, and with it, our deep connection with, and reverence for, the world we live in. The wisdom that once guided life became repressed and distorted, and those who embodied this wisdom (women) were persecuted. Since that time, this system of oppression has worked to systematically minimize, devalue, and disempower many life forms and diverse populations on the planet, not the least of which is the feminine - her body, her ways of knowing, and her intimate relationship with Earth Mother.

This offering has been created to address the deep wounding that this severance has caused. Working together, in small communities of women and with the assistance of breath and sacred plant medicine, we'll begin to:

  • Understand the insidious nature of patriarchal conditioning, and how this system of oppression has impacted the lives of women and their historic roles in society. This needs to be understood before true healing is possible.
  • Heal the sister wound – a shadow aspect of the feminine that has arisen in response to the historical trauma, oppression, and fear that is linked to this system of societal rule.
  • Tap into the depth and breadth of the feminine principle, as a birthright. To reclaim this aspect of self in its truest and original sense, is an essential part of becoming whole.
  • Reclaim the body as a sacred vessel with power and wisdom that transcends and supports cognitive ways of knowing.
Four distinct offerings

As a program, four distinct offerings will be made over the course of a year, beginning with the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice - the darkest time of the year. This will be followed by Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice offerings - times that correspond to the brightest time of the year. WHY? Because wholeness requires balance. To cultivate balance we need to embrace all of who we are - the dark and the light; the somatic and the divine; the feminine and masculine aspects of our nature that are, at their core, a sacred expression of human nature.

These calendar dates were also times of significance to ancient women...their rhythms interwoven with the natural world, the seasons, and the waxing and waning of darkness and light. Darkness is a ancient symbol of fertility, creation, and the feminine mystery. It will be the container for exploring (and healing) the Sister Wound, together.

Ceremony One

The Autumn Equinox marks the arrival of Fall. It's a symbol of balance and harmony - a transition point between light and darkness. The days now equal in length with the night, become increasingly shorter as we near the Winter Solstice. Considered the Moon Season, we spend more time in darkness now, with the moon visible for longer periods of time. In preparation for this ceremony, we'll explore that which requires balance and harmonization in our lives. This event will feature a Cannabis-Assisted Meditation Circle.

Don't align with the use of plant medicines? No worries. There is a potency in the deliberate cultivation of both ceremonial space (setting) and personal intentions (set). Together these have the capacity to deliver participants into an altered state experience. This is what we'll be exploring:

  • The forgotten history of the sacred feminine. Our sacred stories.
  • Unpacking the masculine. Toxic vs sacred. How are these divine aspects of the Self meant to work together?
  • The wounding we carry. Understanding the impacts of trauma and self-denial.
  • The importance of darkness.
  • What are we preparing to remember? To reclaim? To release? To transition into? We'll work with this edge as we travel towards the Solstice...
Ceremony Two

The Winter Solstice heralds the shortest day of the year as the Sun reaches its lowest point in the sky. There’s a special kind of stillness that arrives with the solstice. "Even though everything appears dead & frozen in the outside world, a new cycle is beginning...You can sense there is magic brewing deep down in the dark. This is the realm of the sacred feminine. Just like the spark of new life that appears deep in a mother’s womb, you can sense a quiet spark stirring within" that brings us into contact with the Seasonal Soul where the work that began in the Fall, ripens in our awareness. Assisting us in this quest will be a Sacred Plant Medicine psychedelic experience. (See ceremony ONE regarding opting out of plant medicine use). As we descend further into our interior world, we move into the next phase of our work together:

  • Deepening into darkness. 1) Unpacking the shadow aspect of the feminine and 2) reclaiming the mysterious, generative potential of the feminine as darkness. CLICK for more information on Shadow Work Foundations.
  • Touching our birthright. The process of reclaiming our sacred bodies and the wisdom that it holds.
  • As room is made, we'll begin to train our "ear" to hear the call of our soul urging us to step deeper into our truth and our power. We'll work with this edge as we travel towards the Spring Equinox and the re-emergence of light and the masculine principle.
Ceremony Three

The Spring Equinox marks the end of the dark phase of the year. This is the return of spring and a time of rebirth and awakening as days lengthen and warmth returns. This is about new beginnings with balance restored between light and dark - day and night are of equal length once more. In the context of this series, this marks a time of taking stalk of all that has shifted in the course of unpacking our history and our sacred power as women. We'll augment this with a Community Breathwork experience (with or without Cannabis) as a way of expelling all that is no longer needed and drawing in the energy of renewed vital life force.

  • Our birthright. We deepen into the fullness of the feminine principle, reclaiming this original ground of being as an essential part of who we are as women; as humans.
  • Calling in the Divine Feminine and the Goddesses of our ancestors.
  • What is shfting? What feels ready to be seen? Voiced? Practiced?
  • What are you remembering? What is ripening?
Ceremony Four

The Summer Solstice is a time for bringing into the fullness of awareness, all that has been reclaimed. This is also a time for deepening our exploration of the sacred masculine as a divine consort to the feminine principle we've been excavating. This is a time of celebration and will be augmented once more, by some sacred medicine work. (See ceremony ONE regarding opting out of plant medicine use). Ideally, Cannabis-Assisted Breathwork will be utilized to aid participants to reach the heights of healing and wholing.

  • Finding balance and harmony. This will be a central theme of this final gathering as we identify, name, and release the toxic fragments of our patriarchal conditioning as women.
  • Reclaiming our right to a healthy masculine principle.
  • The divine marriage. Are these aspects of our nature restored? Are they ready to work together as one...as they were originally intended? Can the feminine be restored to her place of honor as the Creatrix of all things?

2024-2025 DATES

Autumn Equinox: COMPLETED
  • Information Session: September 14, 2024, 1100 am-1230 pm ET (Saturday). This will be recorded for those unable to attend live and will include ceremony prep.
  • Check-in: September 20 from 6:30-7:30 pm (Friday). Optional.
  • In-person ceremony: September 21 from 5:00-8:30 pm ET (Saturday)
  • Virtual ceremony: September 28, 2024 from 1200-4:00 pm ET (Saturday)
Winter Solstice
  • The following information has been modified to accommodate the Christmas schedule. NOTE: The ceremony will be delivered online. In the event that all participants are local to the Kingston area, this may shift to an in-person offering.
  • Information Session: RECORDED. For release December 8, 2024 (Sunday) NEW*
  • Ceremony Prep & Check-in: December 18, 2024, 7-8 pm (Wednesday) NEW*
  • Ceremony: December 19, 2024 from 6:00-9:30 pm ET (Thursday) NEW*
Spring Equinox
  • Information Session: March 4, 2025, 6:30-8:00 pm (Tuesday) NEW*
  • Ceremony Prep & Check-in: March 18, 2025, 7-8 pm (Tuesday)
  • Ceremony: March 21, 2025 from 6:00-9:30/1000 pm ET (Friday) NEW*
Summer Solstice
  • Information Session: June 3, 2025, 6:30-8 pm (Tuesday) NEW*
  • Ceremony Prep & Check-in: June 17, 2025, 7-8 pm (Tuesday)
  • Ceremony: June 20, 2025 from 6:00-9:30/1000 pm ET (Friday) NEW*

THE PROGRAM

There are two ways to approach this work.

  • ONE: This option is chosen if you're looking for a stand-alone event. Choose one session / one portal that calls to you. You might choose to sign up individually, or perhaps you have a small circle of women that you'd like to share this experience with. If choosing this latter option, additional bookings may be accepted outside of the dates provided. Please inquire.
  • TWO: This option provides you with four consecutive opportunities to travel into the Sister Wound for healing and self-reclamation. Each portal provides a unique energy that first establishes a sense of balance between the waning days of summer and the approaching darkness of winter. As we arrive in darkness, we deepen into a period of quiet and introspection. Then, as the darkness wanes at the Spring Equinox, we ascend once more into the growing light of new awareness, and perhaps a greater sense of wholeness by the Summer Solstice.
It Begins With Preparation
  • Each session will be preceded by two online preparatory sessions. This will be augmented by self-study materials to help guide participants deeper into the material. Prep sessions are a requirement of this experience.
  • The FIRST will provide participants with some historical context for the work ahead. This will support the creation of an energetic container for healing and self-reclamation. It will also help to build community through a shared practice of deepening into our history and our power as women. When we begin to heal and reclaim our birthright - our wisdom, our bodies, and our interconnectedness with all of life - we begin to change the narrative for ourselves and each other. This will be a 90-minute call.
  • The SECOND will prepare participants for the medicine experience, including intention setting practices, communal sharing, and time for questions. This will be a 60-minute call.
  • If more is required, 1:1 coaching sessions can be arranged at an additional cost.
The Ceremony

Participants of these sacred healing circles will be guided into an altered state of consciousness where deep healing and self-reclamation is possible. These will be ceremonial containers that draw upon alchemical knowledge and practices. This is a space designed for transformation and may utilize any combination of the following practices:

  • Cannabis-Assisted Meditation Circles utilize a low or psycholytic dose of Cannabis edibles to access the personal unconscious. Working at this level can be extremely powerful for gaining insights and new understandings. Simultaneous integration is a valuable feature of this practice. For more details see: CAM
  • Psychedelic Cannabis Circles utilize higher doses of Cannabis to achieve a psychedelic or "soul-revealing" experience. Participants are guided in the ceremonial use of this ancient plant medicine through the creation of a ceremonial container where journeyers are safely held, and provided with tools and techniques for navigating transpersonal spaces. A ceremonial blend of cannabis is self-administered through vaping.
  • Cannabis Assisted Breathwork: When Cannabis is paired with a style of breathwork designed to be used with this medicine, altered states of consciousness can be dramatically enhanced...Throughout history, this sacred plant ally has supported women during transformative periods in their lives. This is ancient women's medicine. This link with our ancestors, as well as it's somatic qualities, makes Cannabis an ideal medicine to use for deep embodied healing work.
  • Breathwork as a stand-alone practice: For those not aligned with Cannabis Sativa as a practice or as a medicine, breathwork can be utilized as a stand-alone practice. NOTE: When used in conjunction with Cannabis, the body is better able to soften, making more expansive states of consciousness possible. Not sure? Let's talk.

Length: Regardless of the option chosen, each ceremony will be 3-4 hours in length.

The Medicine: Participants will be required to bring their own Cannabis to the experience. All details regarding the purchase of Cannabis will be reviewed during the Intake Interview (see "pre-requisites" below).

NOTE: Cannabis vaping is not permitted in all physical settings. As a result, virtual offerings may be required to accommodate this restriction. Online circles have consistently proven to be powerful experiences for participants. The is set and setting.

Integration & Next Steps

"The role of psychedelics is often misunderstood. Many feel that having had wonderful experiences, they now have the answers and are somehow changed. And no doubt in many respects they are. But...there are usually heavy walls of conditioning and ignorance separating the surface mind from the core of our being. It is a blessing that psychedelics can set aside these barriers and give access to our real Self. But unless one is committed to the changes indicated, old habits of personality can rapidly reestablish themselves." ~ Myron Stolaroff

Integration is an essential aspect of an altered state experience. Without it, we deny ourselves a valuable opportunity to mine our experiencing for the deeper insights and messages conveyed to us by our psyche. Without integration, we also lose out on the opportunity to shift our habituated way of being into something more aligned with our authentic nature.

"There is a grace period following profound psychedelic experiences when changes can rapidly be made" (Stolaroff). We'll be working with this grace period when we meet for two 75-minute integration sessions.

  • The FIRST will take place two days after the journey experience.
  • The SECOND will take place one week later - 7 days after the first integration session.
  • These will be online gatherings and run from 7:00 - 8:15 pm ET.
  • These are recommended by not required to participate in this offering.
Time Commitment
  • The total "communal" time dedicated to each ceremony is 8.5 hours. This includes prep sessions, the ceremony, and our integration calls. Additional personal time spent on reflection, journaling, intention setting, reading, and any other personal prep deemed necessary, is variable and subject to individual need and preference.
Registration & Fees
  • Complete an Intake and Safety Questionnaire Form
  • For new registrants, the facilitator will review responses and contact registrants to arrange a brief 20-30-minute Intake Call as required to explore any questions arising from the intake process.

INVESTMENT

  • THE FOCUSED SAMPLER: This journeyer will select one of the four ceremonies on offer. She will be provided with (2) prep and (2) integration sessions in support of this single communal plant medicine experience. The cost of this stand-alone option is $510 CAD (NEW*)
  • THE DEEP DIVE: This journeyer chooses to take part in all four scheduled ceremonies, with the intention of immersing herself in each stage of the experience of remembering, healing, and reclaiming more of her divine feminine power. She will be provided with (2) prep and (2) integration sessions in support of EACH of the four communal plant medicine experiences (8 prep and 8 integration sessions in total). The cost of this option is $1860 CAD ($465/ceremony, NEW*). A commitment to attend the entire series is required. Not sure? Contact Denise to discuss.
  • For those who attended (or missed) the trial offering in September 2024, the cost of attending the remaining three ceremonies would be $1395 CAD (NEW*)

CANCELLATION

  • Full refunds are provided if the registrant cancels 7 or more days before the circle date.
  • A 50% refund will be provided if cancellation occurs less than 7 days prior to the circle date. Please inquire about transfers to another date.
  • For extenuating circumstances, please contact Denise.
  • If the facilitator cancels the circle, full refunds will be issued (less processing fees).
About the Facilitator

DENISE's work is grounded in transcendent realms of thought and practice stemming from graduate work in Transpersonal Psychology and Shadow Work, as well as years devoted to her own psychospiritual journey. As a certified Transformational Coach, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Psychedelic Cannabis Guide, and RN, Denise helps others cultivate a greater sense of their own divine wholeness. Trainings that support this work include Hakomi, Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy, Compassion cultivation, Internal Family Systems for coaches, as well as various wisdom, energy, and mystery school trainings. More recently, a deep and evolving exploration of the Divine Feminine, the Dark Goddess, luminous darkness, and the impacts of the patriarchy on the sister/witch wound is informing her practice with profound results. Work with plant medicines augment this further with training completed through the Centre of Medicinal Mindfulness, Therapsil, and Gathering Groups with breathwork, and Psychedelic Harm Reduction, important adjuncts. Under-scoring all of this is a deep resonance with indigenous spiritual worldviews.

Denise works in private practice where she offers 1:1 coaching sessions as well as a variety of workshops that focus on the transpersonal dimension of life. She also leads a mindfulness meditation Sangha and participates as a Sitter and Guide in Psychedelic Cannabis offerings (Neuma, Kingston) where she invokes the Divine Feminine as a guiding force in journey space.

“When we can notice, and then shift the internal dialogue that prevents us from living from our deepest and wisest Self, we realign our inner compass. We come home."

Revised January 2024