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Returning to the Source: A New Moon Plant Medicine RetreatGather among the ancient redwoods of Santa Cruz for a two-day journey into the quiet space between endings and beginnings. Taking place just before the March New Moon, this retreat invites us to release what no longer serves our growth, return to the wisdom of the present moment, and prepare the ground for a new cycle of conscious living.
The waning crescent Moon marks the final stage of the lunar cycle, when its light gradually disappears from view. Rather than representing an absence, this phase offers a powerful reflection on the value of stillness, completion, and renewal. On March 6–7, the Moon will be approaching its New Moon phase on March 8, creating a natural threshold between the closing cycle and the one that follows.
In the Andean cosmological understanding, life unfolds through cycles of relationship, reciprocity, and transformation. Every ending creates the conditions for something new to emerge. Just as the Earth moves through periods of rest and regeneration, our inner lives also require moments when we step back from constant movement and listen to what is ready to change.
This is a journey of release and renewal.
Through plant medicine, ceremony, meditation, and connection with nature, we create space to turn inward and meet ourselves beyond the patterns, identities, and expectations that shape our daily lives. We explore what we are ready to put down, what deserves to be carried forward, and how to approach the next chapter of our lives with greater clarity and intention.
Why the Waning Crescent Moon?
The waning crescent is the final visible phase before the New Moon. Its diminishing light offers a natural symbol of completion, surrender, and the quiet preparation that precedes a new beginning.
The Wisdom of Letting Go:
Not everything we carry is meant to accompany us into the next stage of our lives. Old expectations, familiar reactions, and outdated ways of relating can continue to shape our choices long after they have fulfilled their purpose. This retreat invites us to recognize these patterns with honesty and compassion, allowing us to release what no longer reflects who we are becoming.
Returning to the Inner Stillness:
We live in a culture that constantly asks us to produce, respond, and move forward. Yet clarity often emerges when we stop searching for answers and create the conditions to listen. The waning Moon reminds us that stillness is not stagnation. It is an essential part of transformation, a space where understanding can deepen without being forced.
Preparing the Ground for a New Beginning:
The New Moon represents the beginning of a new lunar cycle. Gathering just before this transition, we have an opportunity to approach renewal from a place of awareness rather than impulse. Instead of rushing to establish new goals, we first make space to understand what truly matters and what kind of life we wish to cultivate through our choices, relationships, and actions.
The Wisdom of the In-Between
In Andean cosmology, existence is understood through relationship. We are not separate from the Earth, the natural world, or the communities that sustain us. Our lives unfold through continuous exchanges between giving and receiving, movement and rest, growth and dissolution.
The natural world offers a reflection of this rhythm. Within the forest, fallen branches and decaying leaves become part of the ground from which new life emerges. What appears to have reached its end continues to participate in the larger cycle of regeneration.
Our inner lives follow a similar movement. Experiences that once shaped us can become sources of wisdom when we stop carrying them as fixed identities. Letting go does not mean rejecting our past. It means recognizing what it has taught us without allowing it to determine every step we take next.
The days before the New Moon invite us to inhabit this in-between space: the moment when an old cycle is coming to completion and a new one has not yet fully begun. Here, we can soften our attachment to what has been, reconnect with the intelligence of the present, and allow our next direction to emerge with greater clarity.
This retreat is an invitation to slow down, release what has become unnecessary, and rediscover the freedom that comes from meeting life without needing to carry everything forward.
As the Moon approaches its renewal, we gather in the quiet of the forest to honor the power of completion, the wisdom of stillness, and the possibilities that emerge when we make room for something new.
What to Expect:
Despachos and Rituals: Traditional Andean offerings to align with the cosmos and Pachamama.
Holistic Care: Nourishing meals, comfortable accommodations, and expert guidance throughout your journey.
What's Included:
Accommodations: Comfortable, serene lodging in a nurturing environment.
Meals: Nourishing, plant-based meals to support your healing journey.
Sacred Medicines: Mother Divine and Father Divine ceremonies.
Despacho Ceremonies: Traditional Andean rituals for alignment and gratitude.
Additional Services Available:
One-on-one Shamanic Consultations
Many have heard the sacrament calling but cannot travel to South America due to time or money constraints. Pachamama Sacred Paths brings you these ancient Shamanic-Energy-Sacraments and traditions of the Andes Mountains into a modern-day context and comfortable setting in Santa Cruz, California.
Feel free to reach out to find out more about our retreat and the sacraments that we offer. We can be reached at 1.877.828.8882 or [email protected] You can also learn more about our organization at sacredpachamama.org
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