During our retreats, each participant is handed a bucket and informed that it will become our best friend throughout the experience. And indeed, it does. The bucket becomes a receptacle for our inner gifts - the pain, the anguish, the memories - all that we no longer need. It marks the beginning of a cleansing process, a loving release of what burdens us.
It serves as a stage for accepting ourselves fully, even embracing the aspects that repulse us, as we purge, releasing what has held us back. Is it comparable to throw-up? Perhaps, but it all hinges on our intention and the intention set by our Shaman. Without a clear intention, the bucket merely collects the familiar, vile remnants. Yet, even in that act of 'throwing up,' our bodies are purging the unnecessary and unhealthy, taking care of us.
In ceremony, we ask our bodies to honor the medicine, allowing it into our sacred space to delve deep within and release what we've harbored to survive. We express gratitude to our body, mind, and soul for keeping us safe. As we ask the plant medicine to reveal truth and clarity, we offer our 'hucha' or dense energy from the heart to our best friend, knowing that Mother Earth will gratefully receive our offering.
Each ceremony should commence with a blessing for our new 'Best Friend,' not just for ourselves but for our Shaman and facilitators. Let us imbue it with the essence of purity and love. May it no longer be viewed as a vessel for collecting 'disgusting stuff,' but as a companion that serves us all, enabling us to connect with the energies of love, salvation, and liberation.
As Shamans and facilitators, let us collectively bestow and receive this blessing. May we not diminish its significance through casual language but instead, remember its profound purpose and intention. When entering sacred space, let us embrace the participant's 'best friend' as our own. If we are unwilling to cleanse another's best friend, how can we claim to be fully present for their journey? Let us see it as a gift of release, a transformation, rather than mere 'throw up.'"