Fatua.Soul
Earthen Ancestral Artistry
Beautiful woman...
You feel it in your bones,
you hear the whisper from the plants,
the nudge from your ancestors
the calling in your soul…
It’s time. You know deep down you are ready.
Ready to evolve on your path, ready to revitalize your spirit,
& ready to reinvigorate your zest for life.
Your deep waters are calling you to dive in and explore unchartered territories.
The buried treasure of your evolution resides here.
This retreat is for the woman who is ready to dance with her shadows.
The woman who wants to make love to all parts of her being.
The woman who knows that transformation happens when she bravely takes that first leap into the unknown.
The woman with an adventurous spirit.
The woman who wishes to feel mother earth speak through the rivers of her veins.
The woman who is ready to embark on a journey of inspired evolution.
Will you join me in the most wild ancient forest on our mother earth?
Is the Amazon and her medicine calling you?
This is your invitation, will you answer?
Roots & Realms
Amazonian Earth Medicine Retreat for Women
Welcome beautiful!
There is no coincidence you have arrived here at this time, perhaps it was a simple coincidence, perhaps it was an ancient song in your bones, perhaps plant medicine has been in your orbit. Whatever the case, I am happy you are here.
I'm Fatua, your retreat sister, friend and guide. I have been sitting with and dieting Amazonian medicines with my Shipibo maestros (teachers) for 8 years, and in past years, co-facilitating ceremonies alongside my maestros, sharing icaros, songs, and offering support in and out of the ceremonial space. I am a kambo medicine facilitator, and a certified psychedelic integration counselor. I am passionate about helping people to understand and merge their discoveries with plant medicine into daily life, so they can live inspired, rooted on earth, & connected to their true expansive essence.
This retreat will be held at Novalis, a sanctuary in the southeast Peruvian Amazon rainforest very dear to my heart. The land is incredibly special, ancient, with flowing waters, tall beautiful trees, lush flora and fauna, and clean vibrant energy. It is my home in the jungle.
I have held and co-facilitated groups and individuals on their sacred journey of exploration at Novalis for many years, and it has been one of the most fulfilling and beautiful experiences!
I began holding all women's groups because I have found when women come together to work with the medicine and dieta on the same land, a powerful field of sisterhood and cosmic beauty is created. The healing is potent on an individual and group scale, because of the pure power of women sharing vulnerability, opening their hearts, singing from and healing their wombs, and being held in the frequency of mother earth together.
My intention for this retreat is so create a space of beauty, connection with nature, a safe space to meet ancient plant medicine, dance our ancestors, create sisterhood, and remember our true essence. It is a space for healing, transforming, and inspired evolution.
What does this retreat entail?
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"Grandmother" medicine ceremonies held by beloved Shipibo curandero Don Loyver Yui, co-facilitated by Fatua
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7 day healing master plant dieta guided by maestro Don Loyver
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1:1 and group integration circles during the retreat, as well as pre and post retreat group zoom calls with Fatua
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Classes with Fatua on Ceremonial Fundamentals (including learning to work with mapacho and perfumes), and Plant Spirit Connection & Dietas
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Nature walk and plant identification
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Cacao circle with Soul Melody Cacao, which is grown locally by Jané up the river
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Morning movement & meditation practices
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Artisan market- Loyver is an incredible visionary painter, and we live on the land with a family of indigenous peoples called the Machiguenga, who create cloth weavings and beaded jewelry
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Shared accommodation in a beautiful treehouse (until dieta, then you will be solo in a tambo hut or treehouse)
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Healthy plant based meals
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Sisterhood, new friendships, and the adventure of a lifetime!
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The opportunity to unplug from the outside world, listen to you heart and spirit, heal, grow and transform, and evolve in an inspired and embodied way
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Immerse yourself in one of the most incredible and bio-diverse regions of forest on our planet, the beautiful Amazon rainforest
Retreat Details
The retreat is 16 days with a master plant dieta.
However, I understand that some women may not feel ready to embark on the journey of a master plant dieta, and wish to commune only with the medicine and focus on ceremonial work for their journey. If this feels like you, you are welcome to stay for 9 days, and partake in 3 ceremonies, at an alternative price. If you desire to stay for the full 16 days to enjoy the rainforest and integrate without the dieta, you may absolutely do so.
The 9 day participants and 16 days participants will start their journey together, the 9 day participants can choose to leave on day 9 while the dieteros (those partaking in dieta) will continue their journey.
As this is an intimate group of 7 women, priority will be first to those who wish to partake in a 16 day stay.
16 day retreat: March 16th-31st
*see more retreat details below*
Retreat Includes:
Transport between the town of Puerto Maldonado and the rainforest (Novalis)
Three vegetarian meals per day, except for ceremony nights
Treehouse accommodation (shared) & private tambo hut accomodation
One on on consultations & individual support in the jungle, as well as zoom calls before & after as well
Post ceremony group integration circles
3+ grandmother ceremonies
Local cacao
Forest walk & plant education
Classes with Fatua on ceremonial fundamentals, and plant spirit communication & dietas
Baños de flores (flower baths)
Schedule Outline
Day 0/March 15: travel and arrive to Peru & Puerto Maldonado
March 16/Day 1: Journey to the land from town (45 min. boat ride, 45 min. walk in jungle), settle in, opening circle
Day 2: Consultations, land offering, Foundations of Ceremony Class
Day 3: Forest walk, consultations, Grandmother Ceremony
Day 4: Integration circle, Plant Spirit communication & Dieta class
Day 5: Grandmother ceremony / Dieteros open dietas
Day 6: Integration circle (for those not on dieta) / Dieteros start diet in tambo huts
Day 7: Grandmother ceremony (for 9 day participants)
Day 8: Integration, cacao circle, see artist handicrafts
Day 9/March 24: For those participating in 9 days, they will depart the jungle today,
& dieteros continue on dieta
Day 10: Dieta
Day 11: Dieta
Day 12/March 27:Final dieta day, & grandmother ceremony & Dieteros close dietas
Day 13: Group integration, move back into treehouses
Day 14: Final Grandmother ceremony
Day 15: Integration, cacao circle, native crafts market
Day 16: Depart Novalis after breakfast to return to Puerto Maldonado
Master Plant Dietas
What to expect as a dietero (those who will be partaking in a master plant dieta)
The journey of dieting with a plant is an incredibly powerful and insightful journey, it is essentially the merging of consciousness with a plant spirit in order to heal physically, mentally & spiritually, and to receive teachings and wisdom from the plant.
Within the Shipibo tradition, dieta is typically opened in ceremony with grandmother medicine, or with mapacho (tobacco), and an icaro (medicine song) is sung to the dietero so the energy of the plant is implanted into the body. The dietero then must follow a restricted diet of no salt, sugar, oils, processed foods, and red meat. In addition, they must practice celibacy, stay alone in a tambo (jungle hut) and will not be interacting with others, their phone, or invigorating stimuli.
During your dieta, you will stay in your own space and food and dieta medicine will be brought to you. You will be able to take walks and be around the land, but it is advised that you keep your energy and your voice to yourself so you can truly receive the healing benefits and make the connection with your plant. However, I will check on you daily to see how you are doing and tend to anything you may need.
When you arrive to the jungle, I will have a one on one consultation with you to dive deeper into your intentions, and what you are desiring to heal, transform, & evolve in your life. In your first grandmother ceremony, Loyver will see energetically which plant he recommends will be right for you to dieta with. Knowing your intentions and energetics help to decipher which plant is the best for you.
Your dieta will be 7 days, and opened and closed in grandmother medicine ceremony.
Loyver will sing you and protect the energy of your dieta and "close" it, so you can continue on with life as you may.
Once you have a diet, it is with you for life. Although we say the diet is "closed" it is really just protected, you may continue to nourish your diet and allow the seed of consciousness that has been planted within you to continue to blossom over time.
You may be wondering, why dieta?
There are various reasons for dieting master plants. In the Shipibo tradition, dieting is essential for building connection with the plants, and learning to work with grandmother medicine. Dieting plants is one of the most powerful ways you can heal the body physically, mentally, and spiritually. You can drink a plant as tea on your own and immerse yourself in its energy, however, when you have a dieta opened by a vegetalista/curandero (one who is a master of the plants), you receive the full spiritual energy of the plant. Dietas may be opened as healing diets, learning diets, or both.
Dietas may share wisdom, teach us how to help others heal, how to sing, how to move energy, open up visionary worlds, offer protection and life guidance, and more.
When a diet is completed, it is not uncommon for people to experience miraculous changes in their lives, new direction, shifts in relationships, new aspirations and energy, and a new sense of personal empowerment and connection to mother earth.
I will disclaim, although dieting is one of the most beautiful and powerful processes you can go through, it can be as challenging as it is rewarding. In order for you to transform and grow, your plant is going to clean your physical body, help you release and move emotions, and bring awareness to things about you and your life that need attention & reflection.
Part of the reason dieting in this way is so powerful, is because in our busy world, how often do we truly allow ourselves to unplug and contemplate our existence? To think about the highs and lows of our lives, to integrate the hardships, lessons and beauty? Alone time and unplugging from the outside world are essential for the healing process and true self introspection.
If you are feeling excited, nervous, resistant, afraid, joyful, or emotional about going through this process, welcome to the club! Having now been through many diets over my 8 years with the medicine, I still go through this every time I am about to journey with a new plant. I have had some of the most beautiful ceremonies of my life while dieting, and also some of the most challenging.
And, I love it, it’s my path. I will continue, because the beauty, knowledge, and healing I have received from dieting plants has changed my life and never ceases to amaze me of how much more there is to discover about myself, the world of plants, and the cosmos.
I am over the moon excited to be your guide and support you in this process, in the beautiful, magical, ancient Amazon rainforest!
Cost
Retreat Dates: March 16th- 31st
16 Day retreat with master plant dieta: $2500
The full retreat, four grandmother ceremonies and 7 day master plant dieta.
Full retreat without dieta:
This option is for those who wish to stay in the jungle for the full 16 days, but do not wish to partake in the dieta. You will have the option to sit in the final group ceremony, so you may have 3-4 grandmother ceremonies.
During the time the group is on dieta, there will not be scheduled activities, this will be a time for you to relax, reflect, make art, read, take walks, & deepen into integration.
9 Day retreat: $1500
March 16th-14th
You will participate in the first 9 days of the retreat, with three grandmother ceremonies, and depart the jungle on day 9.
*Priority is given to those who wish to participate in the full 16 day retreat with master plant dieta.
Deposit & Payments:
There is a non-refundable deposit of $500 to hold your space.
The deposit is included as part of the initial payment for the retreat.
Ex: once you pay the $500 deposit, you then owe the remaining $2000
Monthly payment plans are available.
Logistics
We will enter the Amazon rainforest on March 16, leaving from the town of Puerto Maldonado. Therefore, it is ideal that you arrive in Peru / Puerto Maldonado 1 day before so that you may rest and ground, and ensure the group can leave all together the following morning. If this isn't possible, please take the earliest flight into Puerto Maldonado on the 16th available.
Flying to Peru:
You will fly to Lima from your country then you will fly into Puerto Maldonado.
*Most flights to Puerto are in the earlier half of the day, so plan accordingly.
Leaving the jungle: If you would like to fly out of Puerto Maldonado on the same day you leave the jungle, please book the latest flight possible in the day, usually it is around 4pm. We have always gotten people to their flights on time (sometimes just in time due to things we could not control!) Please understand that in the Amazon, many things can happen. From days of strong rain to boat malfunctions, it is always best to give yourself time.
What is not included in the retreat:
Flights to and from Peru and within the country
Accommodation, meals and taxis in Puerto Maldonado
*Novalis will provide taxis to and from the boat port to get to the jungle, we will go and leave as a group*
The Land
Novalis is a center for rainforest conservation and cultural preservation along the Madre de Dios river in the southeast Amazon rainforest of Peru. This region is one of the most diverse regions in the entire Amazon jungle, with ancient growth forests and a large variety of animals and insects. It is incredibly beautiful and magical. The land Novalis is on features shared community & dining spaces, as well as a yoga shala, ceremonial maloka, three treehouses, and four tambo dieta huts, walking trails, a creek, and outdoor showers.
Wifi/Phones
There is NOT phone service in the jungle. You will be unplugging from the outside world for the duration of your stay. Will we have wifi one day? Potentially, however, we find it is most beneficial for people to be focused on their inner process and not connected to the world outside. This being said, we do have Peruvian phones that connect to outside in case there is an emergency.
Living in Nature
Bugs, rain, etc.
You will living immersed in the beautiful and incredibly powerful Amazon rainforest. All of the walls of the buildings are made of mosquito netting, and your bed will be equipped with a mosquito net.
Bugs and small animals like opossums sometimes make their way into the buildings.
If you are not comfortable with living in nature, this may not be the space for you. However, it will build character and give you a once in a lifetime journey to experience some of the most beautiful nature our planet provides!
The first months of the year are the rainy season, which makes the temperature agreeable most of the time, and of course, sometimes very wet.
Don't fear my sister, I will tell you exactly what to pack! Your girl has spent over a year of her life living in the Amazon rainforest.
Puerto Maldonado Town
Puerto is a small and busy jungle town that is the entry point to journeying into the Amazon. Aside from a few restaurants, there is really no reason to spend time in this town other than to eat, sleep, get supplies, do laundry, and prepare for travel. People travel here simply to book tours to go into the forest.
>Places to stay (you can book on booking.com)
Wasai, La Fauna Hotel, Tambopata Hostel, Kapievi Eco Village
>Taxis/Tuk Tuks
Taxis around town cost 5 soles ($1.45 USD). From the airport to the plaza/your hotel will be 25 soles ($7.20 USD)
Tuk tuks (little motorbikes with taxi cab seats on them) are everywhere, you just flag one down and hop on. At the airport there will be a bunch of them outside so it is very easy to get to town.
*Check out the blog post on retreat preparation for more information on how to prepare for the retreat, get around, and where to stay in town
Contact
Feel it in your bones!?
Please fill out an application below, and email me to schedule a call to discuss further, I look forward to meeting you!
PS. Please feel free to explore the "rainforest retreats" page to learn more about Novalis and the way we curate ceremonies.