Drum Birthing Retreat
Unique and Tailored Retreats to birth your sacred spirit drum
Birthing your Sacred Spirit Drum
We are all born with our own personal drum – our own heartbeat.
We hear the heartbeat of our mother in her womb, and the drum’s beat is the heartbeat of the Great Mother held in your hands.
Birthing a drum is a magical artistic process of co-creation with sacred hide, wood and spirit.
Over three nights and three days working together in small groups that are limited to a maximum of 10 participants – you will birth your personal sacred spirit drum. This retreat is now full – click below to join the waiting list.
Below is an outline of what to expect from the weekend – this will effortlessly unfold and may change to suit the needs of the group (and maybe the weather!) as guided by the spirits of the drum and of place, to draw in all that we need.
We will be staying at the lovley rural escape of Barmolloch Cottages close to the sacred valley site of Kilmartin Glen in Argyll.
Our venue includes a converted barn that we will use as the space for our ceremonial and crafting work, a fire pit area, cosy, simple cottage accomodations which sleep six people in shared twin rooms with a bathroom and kitchen; and an on site wild food cafe providing our evening meals for us from seasonal food grown on the land.
Simple self service breakfast and lunch for the three days is also included.
After you have arrived and settled in on Friday we will start our weekend with an early supper.
We will then move into sacred space and gather together in circle and you will take your first steps on the drum road as we begin with a ceremony of prayer and a blessing for the animal which has given its skin for your drum. You will choose the frame, the skin and the ring which calls to you.
This weekend we will be birthing either Red Deer or Reindeer drums on Ash Wood frames in a choice of either 14″ or 16″ sizes.
As you take the first steps in the process of the creation of your sacred medicine tool you will be taken on a guided journey to meet your creative ally and we will take the hides to the river to bless them in the cold northern waters before leaving them to rest in containers softening for the labour ahead.
You will have the opportunity to add your own herbs and crystals to the soaking waters if you wish.
As the skins soak overnight you will begin to dream into your personal journey of creation until the next day when we begin the process of birthing your
special allies.
On the Saturday morning we will journey out to make a pilgrimage to the local ancient site of Kilmartin Glen a truly special place to walk the land.
Here we will visit the standing stones and sacred cairns and we will drum and give thanks to the ancestors and the spirits of this place.
You may have some personal time here for a short walk alone to be with this place of power and history.
After returning to Barmolloch and having a quick lunch we will continue with the creation of your personal ceremonial tools working to sand, prepare and personalise the bones of your drum – the wooden frames – to your individual design before coating them in a protective layer of beeswax.
Then we will wrap the tensioning rings in softest suede and use the same suede to create the heads for our song callers. We will also be sanding and polishing the wooden handles and adding any extra embellishments you wish.
Accompanied by music and drumming and drum stories we will spend Sunday undertaking the slow and steady process of lacing the hide to the frame and ring.
We will spiral around and around easing the skin to stretch itself into this new form it is taking until finally it reaches its perfect tension – becoming drum.
On Monday morning we will spend some special ceremonial time together and also make any finishing touches to your song callers and the medicine pouches for your drums.
In the afternoon we will complete our retreat with a special ceremony to bless and welcome your new drum ally and you will be guided on a shamanic drummed journey to meet the spirit of your drum.
then as you leave these lands to return to your homes the waiting begins, as the drums start their gentle and steady process of drying over the next seven days until you hear their voices for the first time.
Throughout history the heartbeat of the drum has been used in personal and healing ceremonies, for journey work and celebrations. The sound of the drum reconnects us to the heartbeat of our Earth Mother and our oneness with all.
The tradition of drum birthing has been handed down person to person since ancient times and I as your drum doula have trained and worked for over 20 years to learn the skills required to support you through this process. You will be birthing a personal ceremonial tool crafted with carefully and ethically sourced materials.
Every drum has its own energy and voice, the drum is a powerful tool with which we can work to honour spirit, for healing, or for clearing and generating energy.
The Drum is the spirit horse that carries us between worlds, taking us on journeys into new dimensions, helping us to ride the tides of life, it touches memories inside each and every one of us, of something very deep and very old; of a time when we came together as a people to drum, dance and sing – rooting ourselves into the earth.
book your place on this unique three day drum birthing retreat
The next retreat will take place in the wonderful energies of Luna Beltane from the 9th until 12th May 2025
included in the cost:-
- three nights and three days in sacred retreat space with a small group birthing your spirit drum – from Friday afternoon until Monday afternoon
- all the materials and use of the tools needed to birth your drum and create a song caller and simple medicine pouch (rrp £395)
- accommodation for three nights in shared twin rooms in a cosy, simple three bedroom cottage which includes a bathroom and a kitchen with kettle, microwave, fridge, cooker and utensils
- simple self service breakfast (porridge, cereal, fruit and toast) and vegetarian soup lunches on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday
- two course vegetarian evening meals on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- snacks, herbals teas and spring water for the duration of the retreat
- use of the wood fired hot tub on one evening
- a visit to the sacred site of Kilmartin Glen
- all rituals, ceremonies and blessings
- comprehensive drum care instructions
- opportunity to view and purchase Ros’s other ceremonial tools that she has for sale at the time
- drum bags are available for a special discounted price during the retreat – these can be pre-ordered.
your investment is £888
a deposit of £208 will secure your place the balance * to be paid in full by the 1st April 2025 (this can be done in instalments if you wish)
There is the option to stay an extra night until the Tuesday morning and ease yourself back into the outside world more gently – the additional cost of the cottage will be divided equally between all those staying on.
This retreat is now full please click below to join the waiting list
*includes an administration charge
The next Three Day Drum Birthing Retreat in 2025 will run from
the 9th until 12th May
in the energies of Luna Beltane
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