Shamanic Drum Workshops 2024

🪘Have you ever been moved by the beating of a Medicine Drum?

🪘Would you like to craft your own Medicine Drum?

🪘Would you like to connect more deeply with Spirit in your own practices?

Join us at The Farm for Wellbeing in Flaxley for TWO Drum Making Workshops with two experienced facilitators:

✨Lisa Drury from Geomancing the Stone - Ocean Drum & Medicine Rattle on Saturday AND Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

✨Matthew Greenwood from Greenwood Spiritual Journeys - Medicine Drum & Beater on Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

Saturday 17 February & Sunday 18 February

Geomancing the Stone - Making Ocean Drums and Medicine Rattles

Outline:

This Ocean Drum workshop will span over 2 days at The Farm for Wellbeing, offering participants a unique opportunity to craft their own ocean drums and medicine rattles.

During the workshop, participants will not only create their own Ocean Drum but will also craft a Medicine Rattle from the same animal skin.

Lisa will provide the necessary materials and tools for drum and rattle making. Additionally, participants will have the chance to forage for their rattle handles and other decorative items at the Farm, enhancing the personal connection to country and their creations.

Additionally the skins will be wetted overnight, a vital step in drum making. In a bid to infuse their drums and rattles with personal energy, Lisa would encourage drum makers to bring their own bucket, and add their favourite herbs or tea blends, and crystals into the water. These items will be used to keep their drum skins and lacing pliable and ready for use over the 2 days.

Both Red Kangaroo and Goat rawhide are presently available for your drums. The goat skin is slightly thicker and probably a little more resilient to weather variations. Both are sourced from a local South Australian company, ensuring quality and local support.

Lisa's custom-made drum hoops come in two sizes, 13.5 inches and 15 inches. They are completely crafted in Sellicks Beach and engraved with "Geomancing the Stone." These hoops are constructed from laminated strips of Australian timber sourced from a local South Australian company.

Workshop Schedule:

First Day/Saturday:

Participants will be introduced to their drum hoop, establishing a connection between the hoop and the future drum.

Using provided templates, participants will cut out their drumhead and lacing from the rawhide skin of their choice. After this process we can also cut out their rattle from the pieces left over.

Each participant has the creative freedom to design their own drum and then pierce holes for lacing.

A special moment in the workshop will be crafting a prayer tie using punched (hole) pieces and fresh tobacco, which will be presented as an offering to the spirit of the newly born drum.

Participants can add their own crystals and herbs into the water to infuse their own Rattle with their intentions.

✨You have the option to stay overnight on Saturday in the dormitory style accommodation for an additional cost. This is available through the checkout process. 🛌

Second Day/Sunday:

Participants are encouraged to find their own stick which is to be whittled, sanded, and smoothed, preparing it for use as the handle for their Medicine Rattle (male aspect).

The move into rattle making will be a little easier than yesterday.

Lisa provides a range of little crystal chips to use inside or to decorate the rattle along with stickers describing crystalline properties. These stickers are put onto the certificate given to participants before they begin working with their Rattle. Corn seeds are added to crystal chips to make the rattling sound.

After punching the holes, the rattle pieces are sewed together then filled with sand and temporarily attached to the handle. 

It will be a week or 2 later that the rattles would be cleaned and later consecrated. Lisa shares ideas for this stage of making Shamanic Tools which is presented in email form sent after the participants have made their rattle.

Additional Touches:

In a thoughtful gesture, Lisa will provide a birth certificate for each drum, a care plan, and a calico bag printed with "Geomancing the Stone" for participants to carry their wet drums home.

Sunday 18 February 9:30am - 5:00pm

Greenwood Spiritual Journeys - Making a Medicine Drum and Beater

Create Your Own Medicine Drum!

This workshop provides you with an interactive environment in which you will create your own unique and authentic Medicine Drum. This is a wonderful opportunity to birth a medicine drum that will carry your energy and your intentions.

Your drum will be made with due ceremony and ritual throughout the day. It will be unique to you, handcrafted in the style of the Native American Drum. Created with the right intent, it will become an extension of your heart and soul.

Why 13 sides?

We bring in information and teachings from the South American Mayan Culture around the 13 moon cycles throughout a year.

Each cycle is a stepping stone of spiritual growth. Handouts about this information will be given out before you begin your drum so you can write down the teachings of each Moon cycle on the inside of your drum frame as a reminder of the energy of nature we need to be in sync with.

What Matthew creates, he does to honour the ancestors and the traditions of The Lakota and Plains People in the Native American culture. Matthew is committed to providing you with the best authentic medicine tools.

You have the option of making a 13-sided medicine drum in one of 2 sizes:

40cm 

or

50cm 

All materials will be provided.

Catering:

This event is mostly self-catered.

For those opting to stay overnight Saturday, please bring a small meal to be shared in the Wellbeing Centre and your breakfast for Sunday. 

Please bring your own lunches and a water bottle. Feel free to refill your water bottle from the filter jug in the Wellbeing Centre kitchen. The Farm for Wellbeing will also provide bottomless tea and coffee. There is a range of herbal teas available.

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