Gathering Drum Birthing Retreat
A Unique Retreat to birth your ceremonial gathering drum
Birthing your Ceremonial Gathering Drum
BOOKING NOW OPEN FOR 2026
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.
Ceremonial drums are deeply woven into the history and traditions of many indigenous cultures, such as the Sámi people of Northern Europe and Native American tribes and The Ceremonial or Gathering Drum carries the voices and prayers of the people and becomes the heartbeat of the people singing to spirit.
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 four ceremonial drums – you will birth your very own large gathering drum, you can come as two people working together or one person birthing your drum alone each drum will have a doula assistant to hold your hand through the process. This retreat now has just three drum places available.
During our retreat we will be birthing twin sided Wild European Red Deer Ceremonial Drums on Ash-Ply Wood frames 26″in diameter and 12″ deep on custom lie under drum stands. (you may choose a traditional drum stand if you wish.
Below is an outline of what to expect from our time together – 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 each sleep six people in shared twin rooms with a bathroom and kitchen.
Our on site catering cafe providing our evening meals for us created by a local retreat chef from seasonal food grown on her land.
Simple self service breakfast and lunch for the two main retreat days is also included.
After you have arrived and settled in on Tuesday we will start our retreat with a welcome circle and early supper.
We will then move into sacred space and gather together in circle and you will take your first steps on this gathering 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 and the two whole skins that calls to you, cutting your drum heads from each hide.
The following morning as you take the next steps in the process of the creation of your sacred medicine tool, you will be taken on a guided journey to meet your the Grandmothers your own personal creative allies.
Then we take the hides to the river to bless them in the cold northern waters and then leave them to rest in containers softening for the labour ahead.
The preparation continues as you cut the lacing before adding them to the soaking vessels.
You will have the opportunity to add your own herbs and crystals to the soaking waters if you wish.
The first day continues, with more preparation for the labour ahead – as you personalise the bones of your drum – the wooden frames – adding your own symbols and power words into the belly of the drum.
These remain secret and hidden empowering the drum songs and rhythms and known only to the drum makers.
You will braid your handles from your chosen colour of cording and then work through the process of hanging the drum frame from your stand .
We will also be sanding and polishing the wooden handles for your song callers (one pair with a single person making a drum and two pairs when two of you birth a drum together) you can add any extra embellishments you wish, before stuffing the heads and attaching them together.
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.
Accompanied by music and drumming and drum stories we will spend the next day undertaking the slow and steady process of lacing the hide to the frame.
Each of you will work with your personal drum doula to birth your drum – one of us accompanying you for every step you take along this drum road.
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.
In the early evening once the drums are tensioned and finished we will spend some more circle time together and you will be guided on a shamanic drummed journey guided by the mother drums to meet the spirit of your Gathering Drum.
We complete our retreat with a special ceremony to bless and welcome your new drum ally
Then after resting for a final night in your cottage you will 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 to fourteen 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 two decades 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, gathering drums call in the circle and create a magical held space for group work.
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
aThe next retreat will take place in the creative energies of Beltane from the 5th until 8th May 20256
included in the cost:-
- three nights and three days in sacred retreat space with a small group birthing your gathering drum – from Tuesday afternoon until Thursday evening
- all the materials and use of the tools needed to birth your drum and create a pair of song callers (two pairs of song callers are included when two people come together to birth a single gathering drum (rrp £1300 this includes a bespoke lie under or standard drum stand and a custom drum bag)
- Solid Ash Wood Drum stand – a bespoke design which allows a person to lay underneath the drum to receive the drum songs.
- A custom Gathering Drum bag in a choice of colours – blue, green or purple
- 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 Wednesday and Thursday
- two course vegetarian evening meals on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- snacks, herbals teas and spring water for the duration of the retreat
- use of the hot tub on each evening
- 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.
Your Investment is £1880 for the first person attending and an additional person assisting with birthing the one drum would be £200 which includes making an extra pair of song callers.
Early Bird offer is £1770 for the first person attending and an additional person birthing the one drum would be £200 which includes making an extra pair of song callers.
a deposit of £500 will secure your place the balance * to be paid in full by the 1st April 2026 (this can be done in instalments if you wish)
*includes an administration charge
Please note a minimum of three drum spaces booked are required to run this retreat
The next Three Day Gathering Drum Birthing Retreat in 2026 will run from
the 5th until 8th May
harnessing the creative energies of Beltane
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