Did you know that the sun takes a brief pause before changing its direction of travel? This event is marked by Solstice, which happens twice a year. Different cultures and traditions have long celebrated this significant astrological event, so what can you do to honor Solstice?
Many cultures have long lived a life immersed in nature, attuned to the Earth and Moon’s rhythms, recognizing their interconnectedness with the elements. This connection to the land has meant astrological events such as Solstice have long been revered as significant not only for the external world but our inner world too.
June 21st marks Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and Winter Solstice in the South. It is the perfect time to take your own sacred pause and celebrate this change in season. Read on to learn everything you need to know about how to celebrate Solstice and honor your own light.
What Is the Meaning of Solstice?
On Earth, Solstice is when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky during the year, marked by the shortest or longest day. The term Solstice comes from the Latin (solstitium) for sun and ‘to stand still,’ which is because the sun was observed to take a pause before continuing its journey into what is now considered the start of Winter or Summer.
Like Equinoxes, Solstices happen around the world in June and December. The June Solstice dates are between June 20 and June 22nd. The December Solstice dates are between December 20 and December 23rd. They are often called winter Solstice or Summer Solstice.
On June 21st, it is the Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, with the longest day, while for the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the start of Winter, with the shortest day. In December, the Southern Hemisphere celebrates summer, whereas it is the Winter Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere.
Why Is Solstice Important?
The Solstice marks the sacred pause of the sun and the many external and internal rhythms of life; the changing seasons, life, death, darkness, light, day, and night. It also reflects the relation between the sun and the moon, the sacred dance between these forces. These female and male energies are essential to balance our own inner nature, so we can find our center.
Solstice is a time that has long been considered important for the land, body, and spirit. Our ancestors recognized how much the world around us is a reflection of our inner world and how important it is to have a reciprocal relationship with Mother Earth and Father Sky.
Solstice gives us the opportunity to reconnect to the Sun and Earth, recognizing the cyclical nature of life and connecting to our light within. It is the perfect time to close a cycle to make space for the new season ahead.
Summer Solstice Traditions
Summer Solstice is celebrated in different ways around the world; however, there are several similarities between traditions. For example, many people gathered, and still gather until this day, at sacred sites to observe the sunrise and sunset. Many of these sacred sites, such as Stonehenge in England, are aligned with the movement of the sun on Solstice.
Summer Solstice is also a time to give thanks to Mother Earth and pray for an abundant harvest. This involves giving cleansings, offerings, ceremonies, playing music, spending time in nature, and dancing.
Some traditions also burn bonfires to ward off certain spirits, purify, and celebrate light defeating darkness. Some cultures also jump over fires as a way to purify and set intentions for the season ahead.
Winter Solstice Traditions
Winter solstice traditions also involve time giving offerings, praying for the return of harvest, celebrating, and giving thanks to the Sun and Earth. Some ancient festivals, such as the Roman festival of Saturnalia, reflects the modern celebration of Christmas, where people would play games, feast, give gifts, and even reverse social orders.
Seasonal food and fire are also part of many Winter Solstice traditions when people would prepare for the winter and darkness ahead.
Solstice in Ecuador
In June, Andean communities celebrate the festival Inti Raymi, also known as Fiesta del Sol. The dates of specific celebrations vary depending on the community and country, but usually, celebrations last several days.
It is a festival that many Andean communities throughout South America mark. It is said that the festival originated in Incan times, with the focus being on harvesting specific delicacies, such as corn. Ecuador is on the equator, so it doesn’t have clear seasons; however, the people have long recognized their relationship with the Sun and Earth.
Inti Raymi is the festival of the Sun and light, celebrating the agricultural year. Rituals include parades, cleansing in water, music, and offerings. Dance is also an important part of the celebration, with people stamping their feet to wake Mother Earth and encourage her to bring energy to the land and restore the harvest cycle.
Dancers will often have a ritual cleansing in natural water to purify their bodies and spirits first, renewing themselves in the energy of the elements. They then stomp throughout their town in specific outfits, often ending in the main square of their town.
How To Celebrate Solstice and Close the Cycle
Your Solstice celebrations may be inspired by your location and whether you are entering Winter Solstice or Summer Solstice. However, these are Solstice practices you can do to mark this significant astrological event and the end of a cycle, no matter where you are in the world.
Take a Cleansing Bath
Find a body of water where you can take a cleansing bath. You can take some tobacco or play some music as an offering before washing away anything that is not serving you. You can also make your own ritual bath at home by heating some water with herbs such as chamomile and adding rose petals.
Make an Offering
Solstice is an opportunity to give thanks for all the forces of the Earth, sky, and elements that provide us with all the abundance we need to survive. Give an offering to Mother Earth as a way to give thanks for all the ways she has supported you.
You can make an offering of grains, fruits, tobacco, water, seeds, stones, and other items that are meaningful to you, which you can return to Mother Earth. You can join Ayllu Medicina’s Solstice offering if you are on the coast of Ecuador! See details below.
Get Creative
Creativity is the perfect way to raise your vibration and help ground you in the present moment. Sing some plant medicine songs, dance, create art, play instruments, or find another way to connect to your inner nature within. Studies have found the importance of creativity for well-being in adults and the importance of taking time to pause and express our inner world.
Pause in Nature
Spending time in nature without distractions is the perfect way to honor the sacredness of this life and the interconnectedness of all things. Take a pause by meditating outside or going for a walk in nature. Observe all that is around you to practice remaining present.
Light a Fire
The fire is the heart of many rituals, celebrations, cultures, and homes, including Solstice celebrations. Connect to the fire and all the ways it can purify by gathering around one. Ask for guidance!
If you cannot safely light a fire, you can try a candle meditation or join a community event.
Watch Sunrise
Wake up with the birds and visit a local sacred site or go to a local sunrise spot to observe the sunrise. Give thanks to Father Sun for the new day. Spend some time thinking about what you are grateful for, and consider watching the sunset too.
Attend a Ceremony
Mark the sacred pause of the sun by taking part in a ceremony that honors the sacredness of this life. This may be a plant medicine ceremony, sweat lodge, or other local event. You can follow Ayllu Medicina (@ayllumedicina) on Instagram for our upcoming ceremonies or check out our next season’s plant medicine retreats.
Recap the Year
June Solstice is a time to reflect on the past six months since December Solstice. What were you doing last June? You can also reflect on your past year, all the things you are grateful for, everything you have achieved, and what intentions you want to set as the seasons change.
Learn How To Celebrate Solstice
Celebrating Solstice is a time to take a sacred pause like the sun and give thanks, remembering that the relationship with the Earth is a reciprocal one. It is the perfect opportunity to begin to align with the rhythms of nature and your own nature. Plus, it is always wonderful to take a pause, close the cycle, and watch the sunrise or sunset (or both!)
Ayllu Medicina is holding a Solstice offering, meditation, and a sweat lodge. We will focus on a Heart coherence meditation, which you can also learn at our Medicine of the Heart Retreat. When you align your mind-body connection, you can connect to your light, your love, and your center. If you are on the coast of Ecuador, join us at 4.30 pm next Wednesday!
If you have any questions about our Solstice event or our plant medicine retreats, please contact us! Comment below if you have any other ways you celebrate Solstice.
Ayahuasca, a sacred master plant, has become more widely known in recent years due to the profound healing it offers. But there are also other plant medicines that can help you on your healing journey, including another master plant, often referred to as San Pedro, Huachuma, or Awakolla. So, what should you know about this heart-opening medicine?
We are fortunate to have access to different healing plant medicines, such as the San Pedro cactus in South America, which is found in countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. Ayllu Medicina retreat participants are often less familiar with this sacred medicine, so we have put together this Huachuma guide to help you learn more.
What Is Huachuma?
Huachuma is a sacred plant medicine also known by names such as San Pedro or Awakolla. It comes from the Echinopsis Pachanoi cactus, native to the Andes mountains. It is a fast-growing and ancient cactus with huge white flowers that bloom at night and are pollinated by bats. From above, the cactus ribs look like a star.
San Pedro is known for its healing and psychoactive effects. However, this plant medicine offers more than closed and open-eye visions; it is highly revered as a master plant teacher who can provide healing and guidance on many levels.
The History of the San Pedro Cactus
While Ayahuasca originates in the Amazon jungle, Huachuma originates in the Andes mountains. Evidence of the consumption of San Pedro dates back thousands of years, with evidence from ancient cultures such as the Chavin and Chimú cultures—for example, stone carvings depicting shamans holding the San Pedro cactus.
The name ‘San Pedro’ came after the Spanish occupation, referring to the Christian saint St. Peter. It is said that Huachuma was given this name as St. Peter is the saint that holds the keys to heaven. You can often see why San Pedro can be the bridge to reach those states by the end of your journey with the plant medicine, as it helps you reach a deep state of communion with nature.
Other names for San Pedro come from different countries, such as Awakolla in Ecuador. Evidence shows ancient civilizations used San Pedro in various ways, such as for healing, divination, ceremonies, and long pilgrimages. It is said people consumed San Pedro to walk for days in the Andes, often without other food or water sources, as San Pedro’s interconnectedness to nature helps improve stamina and attention.
San Pedro Ceremonies
One way to meet with San Pedro is in a ceremonial setting. It is best to work with an experienced medicine man or woman who has the blessings to work with sacred plant medicines like Huachuma. Sitting in a contained and secure space is essential so you can journey deep with the medicines.
San Pedro ceremonies often involve singing, sacred instruments, prayers, and other types of medicine, such as tobacco. The structure and type of ceremony depend on who is leading your ceremony. You can learn more about our medicine guides here, who honor the sacred plant medicines and traditions from which they come.
What To Expect from a San Pedro Ceremony
We advise Ayllu Medicina retreat participants to have no expectations, as sacred plant medicines such as San Pedro and Ayahuasca work differently, depending on your needs and intentions.
However, San Pedro can often remind you of the beauty around you, how to sustain your well-being, and your connection to nature. You often keep your eyes open in a San Pedro ceremony, and if there is a fire, you may experience visions. While visions and other sensations occur, you are usually in the driving seat, so you find the answer through experience.
Most of the time, people find it easier to walk unaided than with other plant medicines such as Ayahuasca. San Pedro can also help promote gut health, with purging being one of the purifying effects of San Pedro. Other effects include increased self-awareness, an unsettled stomach, and dizziness.
In Ayllu Medicina night ceremonies, the medicine lasts all ceremony and most of the following day. We enjoy the rest of the day by singing, meditating, resting, and spending time in nature. You can learn how to prepare for a San Pedro ceremony in the best way in this blog post.
Benefits of San Pedro
There are many reasons why people decide to sit with the medicine of San Pedro. Sometimes, it is because they are on a plant medicine retreat that includes this plant medicine. Other times, it is because they have heard about some of San Pedro’s potential benefits and have sought out a San Pedro ceremony. Potential benefits of San Pedro include:
Enhancing your connection to nature
Healing your mind-body connection
Promoting strength and stamina
Heightened states of awareness
Providing insights and wisdom
Sitting with any plant medicine involves two main ingredients: the plant medicine and you. This means the benefits of sitting with San Pedro vary.
However, you can trust that the plant medicine will give you what you need to let go of what no longer serves you and help you center. Once you are centered, you can receive its healing, along with experiencing the sacredness and beauty of your inner and outer world.
Ayahuasca and San Pedro Plant Medicine Retreat
Ayllu Medicina works with the plant medicines of San Pedro and Ayahuasca. During our plant medicine retreats in Ecuador, you will sit with Ayahuasca once or twice and San Pedro once or twice. A common question we receive is, why do you have San Pedro and Ayahuasca ceremonies during retreats?
There are different reasons why meeting with Ayahuasca and San Pedro is a beneficial experience. They are different medicines but complement each other well and balance the masculine and feminine energies.
As we see it with Ayllu Medicina, Ayahuasca focuses on your lower energy centers and roots. After journeying into the jungle, you can then raise your flight with masculine energy from the Andes.
San Pedro can help people balance their emotional states, dissolving mind patterns and old ways of being. He focuses on the energy of your heart so that you can enter into that energy, reaching a place of presence.
San Pedro can be indirect throughout the night, so you feel, experience, and reach your own understanding of what needs to be released. Often once you reach this point with the medicine, you can find clarity and weave together your experience. With Ayllu Medicina, the day after a San Pedro ceremony is also a time to be with your inner child and celebrate; life, healing, and the power of finding your way back to your center.
Journey to Your Center with Huachuma, the San Pedro Cactus
Huachuma, San Pedro is a sacred master plant teacher, offering profound healing, a pathway to your center, and a reminder that the child within never left.
Do you want to connect to the medicine of Huachuma? Ayllu Medicina offers San Pedro ceremonies in Ecuador as part of our retreats. We also offer public Huachuma ceremonies, and have a special San Pedro retreat in March 2025.
Our next retreat has begun! Our retreats provide helpful tools such as meditations, yoga, sharing circles, and workshops to help connect with the master plant teachers and your center during ceremonies. The retreat space provides the perfect container to allow you to take a look at your inner world and find alignment once more.
If you have any questions about our upcoming retreats or would like to reserve a space for the next San Pedro ceremony, please contact us!
There are four main elements of nature: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, along with the additional element of Space or Aether. When you are connected to these elements, your inner and outer worlds will feel more aligned. So, what can you do to align with these sacred elements?
Respecting and honoring these great teachers of nature also helps you honor and respect yourself. After all, your body is made up of these elements, from the fire in your heart and digestion to the fact your body is up to 60% water. Often, if you are feeling out of balance, understanding the elements of nature can help you take steps to purify, heal, and reach equilibrium once more.
Read on to learn some ideas on how to connect to the elements of nature.
Earth
Taking time to connect to the element of Earth helps remind you that support is always there for you. Mother Earth is considered the great mother, sustaining all life and providing the resources we need to survive. She helps ground, nurture, and nourish us.
Go Outside and Make an Offering
Take a walk, sit down and meditate by a tree, or simply put your feet on the Earth. Studies have found walking barefoot and grounding outside offer many benefits, such as helping stabilize the circadian rhythms in the human body.
You can also give thanks to Mother Earth, such as by offering fruits, grains, and anything that helped you during the month. An offering is a moment to pause, connect to Mother Earth, and set intentions. Ayllu Medicina makes an offering every New Moon, setting intentions and planting new seeds for the month ahead.
Practice Self-care
You need to be able to care for your own body to also care for the Earth. Take some time out for self-care and check in with yourself. During our plant medicine retreats, we offer an ancient Goddess spa ritual, which can be a powerful way to release impressions.
Self-care also includes your diet and what you are nourishing yourself with. For example, you can eat root vegetables to help ground your energy to the Earth.
Recognize the Seasons
Mother Earth has four main seasons, which support her and all life on Earth. Women also experience these seasons every month with their menstrual cycle.
Understanding the Earth’s cycles can give you insight into your feminine energy and how it changes throughout the month. You can learn more about this in Hwaneetah’s talk about womb technology. There will also be workshops on this ancient wisdom throughout our women’s plant medicine retreat.
Attend a Ceremony
Attending a plant medicine ceremony, such as with Grandma Ayahuasca, can help you work on your lower chakras, root down, and allow you to connect to your inner nature. Her feminine spirit enables you to shed layers that no longer serve you and realign you with your true nature.
When aligned with your true nature, you can also remember that you are part of the whole (everything), and everything is part of you. Plant medicine ceremonies are a way to connect to the elements of nature in many different ways.
Water
Water is medicine and a life-sustaining force for all. It can be easy to disconnect from water, such as by holding in your tears or taking for granted the presence of water in your life. Building a relationship with water will bring you many teachings, such as how to flow, purify, and find stillness in the swells of life.
Cleanse With Water
If you have access to a bath, the ocean, or even a bucket, cleanse with water. Add some essential oils, chamomile, eucalyptus, or another herb to the water and wash away what no longer serves you. Ayllu Medicina believes life is a ceremony, so any act with water can be sacred when presence is there, including taking a shower or brushing your teeth.
Visit a Body of Water
If you have a body of water near you, such as the ocean, a river, a stream, or a lake, visit it! Spend some time in communion with the water, observe its many teachings, and let any emotions move. You can also pray, sing, or make an offering.
Give Thanks to Your Water
Research has confirmed that words, sounds, emotions, and the environment changes the molecular structure of water. So, why not take a minute to give thanks and ask to connect with the water source? If you do not start your day with a glass of water, consider doing so to start the day with clarity and intention.
Many ceremonies include a water prayer; after a night of fasting water, it is the only medicine you need. Vision Quest is another way to begin to build a relationship with water, which Ayllu Medicina attends yearly at Ayapuma. You can learn more about this at our retreats.
Try Ice Baths
Ice baths are an effective way to purify and cleanse. Sitting in a cold body of water and finding peace can alter your life in many ways, helping you stay centered no matter what challenges arise. There are many researched benefits of ice baths, including:
Reduces inflammation
Shortens exercise recovery time
Relieves sore muscles
Supports your immune system
Improves energy levels and mental well-being
We also offer ice baths as part of our plant medicine retreats, such as our women’s retreat, which help prepare you for plant medicine ceremonies. We include guided breathwork and a warm-up to prepare. Our friends Bre and Flo have just published a video on cold exposure if you would like to learn more about this way to connect to the element of water.
Fire
The fire is at the center of our plant medicine ceremonies, communities, homes, and your heart. He is a wise and ancient teacher, which is why we refer to him as Grandfather Fire or Abuelo Fuego. When you trust in the element of fire, he has the ability to transmute, and heal in miraculous and loving ways, also reflecting the light of your heart.
Gather Around a Fire
One of the best ways to connect to the element of fire is to gather around one in community. A lot of healing happens this way, which is why our ancestors held ceremonies with fire before they had access to plant medicines. And until this day, there are fire ceremonies.
If you cannot attend a ceremony or safely manage a fire, then you can also light a candle and practice a candle-gazing meditation.
Move Your Body
As fire also represents energy and metabolism, moving your body to tend your own fire within is important. Tune in to how you are feeling and ensure you have ways to move emotions through you. Movement could include shaking, yoga, dancing, running, tapping, or any other movement that helps you release excess energy and recenter.
Create
Find the spark of fire in you by connecting to your creativity. As we get older, it can be easy to neglect to learn new things for fun and forget the importance of play. Take time to create art, play an instrument, or find another way to express yourself.
Attend a Sweat Lodge
Sweat lodges honor the four elements of nature, including fire. The grandmother stones are heated in the fire and brought into the sweat each round. Incense is added to each stone before darkness descends, water is poured on the stones to increase the heat, and songs are raised in the womb of Mother Earth. There are many benefits of sweat lodges, including:
Purifies the mind, body, and spirit
Restores balance and order
Connects you to the four elements of nature
Offers introspection and clarity
Sweat lodges are the perfect medicine to surrender to the Earth and remember who you are. Attending a sweat lodge is a powerful process to let go of what no longer serves you, so you can experience rebirth, aligned once again in your heart’s center. Ayllu Medicina holds regular sweat lodges on the coast of Ecuador, which you are welcome to attend.
Air
The element of air is associated with spirit, change, and freedom, along with other sacred symbols in different traditions. It is the breath of life, the winds, and represents all our ancestors that have passed. You can connect to air simply by taking a pause and a deep, conscious breath.
Practice Breathwork
If you want to go deeper into connecting with the element of air, practice breathwork. There are many simple breathing exercises to try, and if you practice yoga, you can incorporate pranayama exercises such as Nadi Shodhana and Box Breathing into your practice. Breathwork is an essential part of our plant medicine retreats, which you get to experience daily, along with meditation and yoga.
Sing
Singing is a powerful way to connect to the element of air, create sound, and reclaim your voice. Many people attend our plant medicine retreats and end up beginning to sing, sometimes for the first time in many years! There are many sacred songs that you can learn, which also honor the elements, such as our guides Aime and Hwaneetah’s music, Pájaros de Luz.
Pray
Praying and giving thanks is a powerful way to connect to the elements of nature, your ancestors, and the universe. Gratitude is always a good place to begin if you are unsure where to direct your prayer. You can pray to what feels aligned for you.
Light Incense
Light incense to cleanse your space, shift any stagnant energy, and connect to the air element. You can use incense sticks or fresh incense, such as Copal or Palo Santo. Burning incense helps calm your environment, increase vibration, and enhance your focus; it is essential medicine in our ceremonies.
Connect to the Elements of Nature at a Plant Medicine Retreat
Healing begins when you begin to pay attention to how your inner world reflects your outer world. A good place to start is by learning how to connect to the elements of nature. You can dive deeper into this practice through various traditions and attend a plant medicine retreat to learn more.
Taking the time to pause and remove yourself from everyday commitments is the perfect way to reset and connect to the sacred elements of nature. A plant medicine retreat also helps you connect to the fifth element of Aether, also known as spirit or space. During a retreat, you will receive various tools to help you simplify, make space, and let go of impressions, cleansing your mind, body, and spirit to find balance once again.
Our next retreat is a Women’s power retreat this April. You can learn more about this retreat and our other upcoming retreats here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
When women gather together in safe spaces, magic happens. And more than ever, women are beginning to remember this wisdom from our elders, coming back together and healing in many ways, including at women’s plant medicine retreats.
A women’s empowerment retreat can make some women jump for joy, and some women hesitate, depending on their experiences gathering in sisterhood. The good news is that a women’s plant medicine retreat is the perfect space to receive the benefits of sisterhood and self-healing for all women.
Are you wondering whether you should attend a women’s retreat? Read on to learn some of the unique benefits these female retreats offer.
1- Transformation In Sisterhood
Joining together with women from all walks of life gives you a chance to learn from each other. Everyone has their own path and experiences to bring to the plant medicine retreat.
Sharing stories, struggles, and achievements with other women is extremely uplifting. You quickly realize how much wisdom everyone has to share, simply through the experience of being a woman and what that means. Throughout the week, you feel the support of each other as you go through your own transformation.
Science has also proven the magic of women gathering together. It has been found that when women are in fight or flight mode, they feel more the call to gather than to react aggressively. So, when women come together in a group, it helps release the hormone oxytocin, which has a calming effect, allowing you to root down and go inwards on your transformational journey.
Oxytocin is also what helps empower women in different ways, such as after giving birth. If this magical hormone is increasing in your body, you are receiving nurturing energy to help connect to your true essence and reach your highest potential. This release of oxytocin also helps increase serotonin, which helps fight low mood, reduces stress, and improves well-being.
Female retreats give you the opportunity to gather in such a way and release these powerful hormones that can help be the leverage you need for deep healing. You can feel a sense of nurturing, safety, and peace. This allows not only the group to have a transformative experience together, but it allows you to go deeper into your own inner work too.
2- Women’s Retreat Community Support
A women’s empowerment plant medicine retreat allows you to experience the power of a healthy female community.
Studies have long found the value of female friendships. Some women can relate to the power of female friendships, whereas, for others, it may have been challenging to connect to other women previously.
The retreat container lets you connect with other women and realize you are not alone. It gives you a safe space to be heard, understood, and supported by sisters. It gives you space to take up space, express yourself and reconnect to your voice, which will also be nurtured in other ways, such as during song circles.
Although your plant medicine retreat experience is individual, you soon realize a communal experience is also happening. For example, after plant medicine ceremonies, such as Ayahuasca, we hold a sharing circle. It is common for retreat participants to relate to each other’s experiences, especially when women join together and share.
3. Remember the Ancient Ways Within
It is time to remember the ways of our elders, who would gather together, especially during their moon time. It is why some women also call women’s circles sanity circles, as there is a need for opportunities to gather as women and share once more. Gathering together at a women’s retreat allows you to reconnect to these ancient ways, which a patriarchal society has long tried to make us forget.
There was a time when women were honored for their wisdom and felt connected to Mother Earth. It is time we reclaim this power, as no one is going to do it for us.
A women’s retreat is the perfect space to begin. Once you start to create healthy and uplifting female bonds, you also help heal your own relationship with Mother Earth and other women in your life. Check out Hwaneetah’s talk on womb technology to learn more.
4. Empowerment and Confidence
Gathering together with other women during a women’s plant medicine retreat can empower you to own your feminine energy and full expression. When you return to the ceremony of life after the retreat, you can walk in confidence, knowing you have a community of sisters behind you, supporting you.
It is time to uplift each other and see beyond the narrative of competition that many societies fuel. Some women name these divides between women as wounds, such as the sister wound. But what matters is to find spaces where you can connect with other women again, realizing that sisterhood has the ability to empower you in ways you didn’t realize were possible.
It can be tempting to isolate yourself when you are struggling or lean on masculine relationships. There is definitely time, benefits, and space for these steps; however, sharing with sisters also helps empower you in unique ways. It is not about dismissing the masculine; it is about uplifting and supporting each other to step into our full potential.
5. Ancient Wisdom for Your Inner and Outer World
Our guide, Hwaneetah, will be sharing ancient wisdom for us to navigate these times in your true essence during our women’s empowerment retreat. Together in the female retreat container, you have the chance to delve deeper into these ancient practices, including:
Male and female energetics
Natural healing modalities
Moon wisdom, including 13 moon calendar
Meditation for closing circles
Ritual for unbinding
Connecting to the power of your womb and cyclical nature is an essential part of reclaiming your feminine essence, whether you are experiencing menstruation, perimenopause, or menopause. You will also have the opportunity to sit with the wise plant medicines of Grandma Ayahuasca and Grandfather San Pedro. These plant medicine ceremonies will help you balance your feminine and masculine energies to find equilibrium in your center.
There will be other ancient wisdom sharings, including sweat lodges, daily yoga, breathwork, and meditation. These will all help with purification for rebirth and renewal. You will also connect to the elements throughout the week, which will help you connect to your inner landscape once more.
Join Our Women’s Empowerment Retreat
Gathering together as women offers the chance to delve deep into your own nature and rise together in sisterhood. There is something deeply magical, transformative, and unique about women joining together in sacred spaces, so why not join a women’s empowerment retreat to experience this for yourself?
Ayllu Medicina has some exciting women’s offerings coming up. There is an upcoming women’s day detox retreat in March and our women’s plant medicine retreat in April. Hwaneetah also runs frequent women’s sweat lodges.
Feel free to reach out if you are interested in any of these retreats and events. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have!
Mother Earth experiences four main seasons every year, with the transitions marked by Solstice and Equinox. Solstice and Equinox are significant astrological markers that are not only a time to focus on the external changing of seasons but your internal landscape too. So, with the March Equinox coming up, what should you do?
The March Equinox is the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, also known as the Spring Equinox. And in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the Autumnal Equinox. Read on to learn more about how to celebrate Equinox and find balance during this time.
What Is an Equinox?
An Equinox is when the night and day are equal in length, with the term Equinox coming from Latin, meaning ‘equal night’. Spring and Autumn arrive on Equinox, whereas Solstice marks Winter and Summer. The two Equinoxes on Earth occur around March 20th and September 22nd each year.
Astrologically, an Equinox occurs because the sun is directly above the equator at noon. After the March Equinox, the sun’s subsolar point begins to travel North, marking the season of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
Why Is Equinox Important?
Equinox does not only mark the change of seasons. Equinox is a time of balance between dark and light, death and life, honoring the struggle and finding peace within it.
The Autumnal Equinox is often a time to celebrate the harvest and what needs to be shed. Whereas the Vernal Equinox marks the return of the light, the Spring, where seeds begin to be planted. And in general, Equinoxes are important times of rebirth and renewal, offering a moment to reflect on how to maintain balance moving forward.
Different cultures believe days like Equinox are the best time to transcend the physical realm, as everything is in balance. This includes the feminine and masculine, the day and the night, the light and the dark.
Also, for many cultures, the March Equinox is considered the first day of the new year. This is because ancient civilizations were in sync with nature, the moon’s movement, and the sun’s movement. Equinox is an important time to reconnect to nature and these cycles.
Equinox Rituals of Ancient Civilizations
Equinox has long held importance in different cultures, with evidence of many Equinox rituals of ancient civilizations. For example, there are many ancient structures aligned with the stars around the world, which people would gather at during significant dates, such as Equinox. These include Stonehenge in England and El Castillo in Mexico.
There were different Equinox rituals of ancient civilizations, including ceremonies, parades, offerings, plantings, and music. It was seen as a time to give thanks, gather in community, and connect to the elements.
How To Celebrate Equinox Today
Many cultures still celebrate Equinox. For example, the March Equinox is the Pawkar Raymi celebration for Mother Earth and Harvest in Ecuador. These celebrations are often referred to as ‘Mushuk Nina,’ which roughly translates to new fire, so a time of cleansing, renewal, and harvest.
There are many other ways to celebrate Equinox and mark this important astrological event.
Gather in Community and Give Thanks
Equinox is the perfect time to gather in a community and show gratitude toward your loved ones. It can be a time to renew connections and restore balance in relationships. If you cannot gather with loved ones, find a local community event, write a gratitude list, or send messages of thanks.
Be Around a Fire
As Equinox is a time of renewal and a restoration of balance, it is a great time to be around our grandfather fire. He has the power to cleanse, ground, and help you find alignment once more. Attend a sweat lodge, go to a plant medicine ceremony, join a fire circle, or light a candle and meditate.
Get Outside
Equinox is not only a reflection of the outer landscape but the inner world too. Women experience all the seasons every month as part of their moon cycle. However, Equinox is also a significant time for the sun, marking its journey to balance, so it is a time for everyone to recap and give thanks for what has passed during the season.
Spend time outdoors, connect to Mother Earth, and check in with how your inner nature is doing. You can recap your time since the last Equinox and determine what you need to find balance in yourself again.
Connect to Music
Listening to music, playing an instrument, or singing can help raise your vibration and change your energy. If you feel unbalanced, take a moment to pause and connect to this powerful medicine. Music is the perfect way to find your rhythm, send prayers, and express thanks, especially during Equinox when energies are coming into alignment.
Attend an Equinox Plant Medicine Retreat
Ayllu Medicina is holding a March plant medicine retreat to honor the time of Equinox. This transformational plant medicine retreat is the perfect way to renew, join in community, connect to the elements, and find your equilibrium. There will be a variety of ceremonies and activities to help you find balance, including:
Ayahuasca ceremonies
A San Pedro ceremony
Sweat lodges (temazcales)
Daily yoga, meditation, and breathwork
The sacred plant medicines can help you make space to welcome in the new season, connect to your heart’s center, and let go of what no longer serves you. The temazcales are also powerful medicine for purification and rebirth, so you will feel renewed for the seasons ahead.
The plant medicine retreat will also help you restore balance through nutritious food, daily yoga practice, meditation, and breathwork. After all, in order to transcend physical limitations, you need to care for your body and find balance here first.
We will also be focusing on music during this March plant medicine retreat in Ecuador as a way to connect to your heart’s rhythm and the elements. There will be drum circles, song sharing, and workshops to learn more about this powerful medicine.
Celebrate March Equinox and Find Balance Within
The March Equinox is the perfect opportunity to pause and give thanks to Mother Earth; for all the ways she supports us, including through her changing seasons. Equinox is also the ideal time to pause, go inwards, and check that your inner landscape is also finding ways to maintain balance.
Connecting to the rhythm of your heart will help you find peace within the light and dark, recognizing these seasons are part of planting new seeds, healing wounds, shedding what no longer serves you, and making space for new energy and growth.
If you are wondering how to celebrate Equinox this March and connect to your heart’s rhythm, join one of our Ayllu Medicina 2024 events! We have a sweat lodge and meditation on 21st March at 4pm, then a San Pedro ceremony on 23rd March at 9.30pm (spaces are limited, please reserve your spot).
