Honouring Ancient Wisdom
For millennia, indigenous cultures worldwide have cultivated deep relationships with the natural world, understanding the healing power of plants and the transformative potential of altered states of consciousness. These traditions, passed down through generations, offer invaluable insights into the human experience and our connection to the spiritual realm – what we call the Numinous. Sadly, many of these traditions are at risk of disappearing.
Numinous Ways is committed to preserving and revitalizing these ancient practices through Project Roots. We partner with indigenous communities, learning from their knowledge, supporting their cultural heritage, and ensuring these traditions continue to flourish. We believe these practices offer keys to understanding ourselves, our planet, and the interconnectedness of all life.
A Foundation of Respect and Reciprocity
Project Roots is grounded in deep respect, reciprocity, and a commitment to safeguarding the wisdom of indigenous peoples. We seek to create genuine connections between these ancient ways and the modern world, offering opportunities for learning, understanding, and personal transformation while honoring the sanctity of these traditions. Our approach prioritizes sustainability and authentic partnership. We understand the delicate balance of these cultures and the potential for exploitation. Our focus is not on commodifying sacred practices, but on supporting the communities who are their custodians. We prioritize reciprocity, ensuring our engagement directly benefits indigenous communities, contributing to their self-determination and cultural preservation. We learn from them, not just about them, through deep listening, respectful dialogue, and collaborative action. We walk alongside these communities, supporting their efforts to maintain their traditions and thrive in a rapidly changing world. By working together, we can cultivate a future where indigenous wisdom illuminates the path towards greater understanding, healing, and connection with the Numinous, empowering these traditions to flourish for generations.
Furthermore, we recognize that indigenous traditional practices, their numinous ways, and their use of ritual and plant medicines offer profound insights into our connection with nature. In the face of climate change and the exploitative nature of some aspects of Western culture, these practices may hold the key to shifting our attitudes and preventing catastrophe. By learning from these ancient traditions, we may rediscover reverence for the natural world and find more sustainable, harmonious ways of living.
Sharing the Wisdom: Experiencing Indigenous Traditions
Project Roots is dedicated not only to preserving indigenous traditions but also to sharing their wisdom with a wider audience. Experiencing these practices firsthand can be transformative, fostering deep personal growth and a greater understanding of our interconnectedness with the natural world and the numinous realm.
We organize carefully curated retreats and immersive experiences in locations where we have established connections with indigenous communities. These offer a unique opportunity to learn directly from the custodians of these ancient traditions, supporting them in continuing their practices.
We understand the importance of responsible engagement. Our retreats are not simply about “psychedelic tourism.” They are designed to be mutually beneficial, providing participants with a profound learning experience while contributing to the well-being of our partner communities. A portion of the proceeds from each retreat directly supports these communities, helping them to maintain their cultural heritage and invest in their future.
We typically run 2-3 retreats per year at each location. This allows us to build long-term relationships, ensuring our presence is sustainable and our impact is positive. These retreats are opportunities for deep cultural exchange, personal growth, and a chance to contribute to the preservation of invaluable human knowledge.
Our Role as Facilitators and Guides
At Numinous Ways, we approach indigenous cultures with the utmost respect. We understand we are guests, not authorities, in these sacred spaces. We do not pretend to be shamans or curanderas, nor do we attempt to repackage or commodify these traditions. Our role is to facilitate genuine connection and understanding.
We acknowledge that many Westerners, disconnected from their own ancestral traditions of altered states of consciousness, may need support to fully engage with indigenous practices. We act as a bridge, providing a framework that honors the integrity of the traditions while ensuring the safety and well-being of our retreat participants.
Our team includes experienced facilitators, guides, and therapists. We offer thorough preparation before each retreat and comprehensive integration support afterward.
Our goal is to create a space where these worlds connect authentically and respectfully. By facilitating these encounters, we can foster greater understanding, healing, and deeper appreciation for the wisdom indigenous cultures have preserved. We are committed to ensuring ceremonies and rituals are experienced in their purest form, led by the native shamans and curanderas. We are merely the bridge, the facilitators, the guides.
Ayahuasca Retreat in Peru
We’re excited to announce our intention to host a retreat in the Peruvian Amazon in September 2025! This retreat will offer a unique opportunity to experience the profound wisdom of the Shipibo people and their deep connection with the rainforest. While we’re still finalizing the schedule, it will be similar to our recent reconnaissance trip. Activities may include a jungle trek with a local herbalist, plant and clay baths, a boat trip on the Amazon to see pink dolphins, harvesting and preparing ayahuasca, replanting the vine and trees, visiting a local market, a cacao ceremony, and three ayahuasca ceremonies with Shipibo shamans. Following our time in the Amazon, we’ll travel to Lima to explore its rich history and culture, including adobe pyramids, vibrant markets, the historical center, and renowned art museums. If you’re interested in joining us on this transformative adventure, please leave us a message below!
A Journey to the Heart of the Amazon: Our Partnership with the Shipibo
In January 2025, a team from Numinous Ways embarked on a journey to the Peruvian Amazon to connect with the Shipibo people. We were drawn to their profound traditions, particularly their deep understanding of the rainforest and their mastery of plant medicines, especially ayahuasca. This initial trip was a “proof of concept,” exploring the possibility of collaboration and respectful cultural exchange.
We spent weeks immersed in the Shipibo way of life, learning from their wisdom and engaging in open dialogue. We were honoured to connect with Maestra Celia, a Shipibo curandera, and her son Alessio, who shared their insights into the nuances of their culture and the challenges they face. Through these conversations, a shared vision emerged: to responsibly share the Shipibo’s cosmology and traditions with those seeking deeper meaning, while ensuring the integrity of their practices and direct benefits to their community.
We are committed to avoiding the pitfalls of “psychedelic tourism.” Our aim is to foster genuine understanding and mutual respect. We envision retreats that offer a profound experience of Shipibo culture, their connection to the land and the spirits of the jungle, and the healing potential of their traditions. This is not about a fleeting encounter, but about fostering deep appreciation for the Shipibo way of life and supporting their cultural continuity. Our journey to the Amazon was just the beginning of this collaborative path.
To see the full report from our trip to Peru, please visit here.
Tomek The Little Deer and Maestra Celia
Recognizing his wisdom and leadership, we invited Tomek “The Little Deer,” who has been living and working alongside the Shipibo community for years, to be our advisor and coordinator for Project Roots. Maestra Celia and Lester, Tomek’s close friends, with their profound knowledge of Shipibo culture, agreed to serve as ambassadors, and will be invaluable in guiding our retreat participants.
Expanding Horizons: Exploring Numinous Ways Across the Globe
Project Roots is committed to exploring and preserving numinous traditions worldwide, creating bridges of understanding between cultures and offering transformative experiences.
We are actively establishing relationships with other indigenous communities. Our explorations include traditions associated with:
- The Americas: San Pedro in the Ecuadorian highlands.
- Northern and Eastern Europe: Amanita Muscaria traditions in Northern Poland, the Baltic states, and Siberia; Scandinavian mushroom traditions.
- The Mediterranean: The Asclepian healing practices of ancient Greece.
- Asia and Africa: The Soma ritual of ancient India; the Egyptian tradition of the Blue Lotus.
- The Americas: San Pedro in the Ecuadorian highlands.
To deepen our understanding and ensure responsible engagement, we plan to collaborate with anthropologists and cultural experts. We believe that by working together, we can prevent these invaluable practices from being forgotten. Our goal is to foster a global community of seekers, learners, and supporters, united by a shared appreciation for the diverse ways humans have sought connection with the Numinous.
Cultivating a Sustainable Future
While our long-term vision is ambitious, we recognize the importance of small steps. We are establishing a charitable organization to encompass our goals.
We believe the wisdom of indigenous cultures, particularly their reverence for nature and their sustainable practices, holds valuable lessons. In the face of climate change, learning from these traditions can inspire a shift in our attitudes and actions. By rediscovering a sense of the sacred in nature, we can create a more harmonious and sustainable future.
Our current initiatives include:
Artisan Shop: Featuring handcrafted goods from the Amazonian cultures we work with, providing a direct source of income for these communities.
Donation Pool: Supporting our efforts to preserve indigenous traditions and protect the environment.
Volunteer Opportunities: Welcoming volunteers passionate about our mission.
Partnerships and Collaboration: Actively seeking partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations.
Our Commitment to the Shipibo
A significant portion of the profits from our retreats and other initiatives will directly support the Shipibo communities. They have expressed a desire to build schools and protect the rainforest, and we are committed to honoring their wishes.
Shipibo: A Dying Art of Weaving Visions
Weaving in Shipibo culture is a sacred technology—a bridge between the audible world of Icaros, the visionary realm of ayahuasca, and the tangible world of textiles. These fabrics are not just artistic artifacts; they are containers of spiritual knowledge, designed to heal, protect, and communicate the profound mysteries of the universe.
The art of weaving in Shipibo culture is deeply intertwined with Icaros (sacred songs) and ayahuasca visions. This creates a unique visual language that encodes spiritual knowledge, healing, and ancestral wisdom into fabric, transcending mere artistic expression to become a way of preserving and transmitting the experiences of expanded consciousness induced by ayahuasca. Shipibo weavers, often women, translate the melodic patterns of Icaros, the healing songs sung during ayahuasca ceremonies, into intricate geometric designs known as kené.
Join Us!
We invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you participate in a retreat, purchase from our shop, donate, or volunteer, your support will help us make a difference. Together, we can learn from ancient wisdom, cultivate a deeper connection with nature, and create a more sustainable future. Let’s help the Shipibo together!
