Ancestral Alchemy: A Psychedelic Immersion for Practitioners of the African Diaspora

Class of 2024

What is the offering?

Our immersion offers an exclusive opportunity to delve into the intersection of psychedelic healing and decolonisation. We will come together to unearth the transformative power of psilocybin therapy in addressing intergenerational and racially-based trauma, while embracing the liberating force of decolonial practices.

Led by a team of esteemed facilitators, with over 50 years of combined psychedelic experience, this immersive experience promises an in-depth exploration of ancient healing traditions fused with cutting-edge therapeutic techniques. Learn how to integrate these profound insights into your practice, emerging as a trailblazer in the revolutionary field of psychedelic healing.

Who is it for?

This training is open to current and aspiring psychedelic practitioners from the African Diaspora. You do not need to possess a clinical designation or certification to participate. This is a grassroots movement focused on community healing, which embraces the principles of decoloniality, including equitable access to this type of training. 

What will I get out of it?

Gain access to an exclusive curriculum brimming with immersive workshops, interactive sessions, and hands-on experiences, all carefully curated to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to bring about real change in your therapeutic approach.

Don’t miss this chance to forge lifelong connections with fellow therapists from the African Diaspora, as you bask in the soothing ambiance of Jamaica's natural beauty. Seize this opportunity to not only elevate your practice but also to reconnect with your ancestral roots, fostering a sense of empowerment and cultural reclamation.

Elevate your practice. Reclaim your narrative. Experience the transformative magic of psychedelic healing and decolonization at our retreat. Secure your spot now and be a part of this transformative journey towards personal and collective liberation. Participants will gain a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the training.

This immersion will include an optional direct experience with psilocybin in a curated set and setting to model ideal approaches. We will also have a series of nature walks and local site visits as part of the itinerary.

Curriculum topics include:

  • Screening and Harm Reduction

  • Transparency and Disclaimers

  • Pre, During and Post Integration Techniques

  • Preparing the Whole System: Body, Mind, Spirit, Community and Environment

  • Culturally Relevant Set & Setting Protocols

  • Family and Community Based Therapy 

  • Generational & Racial Trauma Integration as Acceptance and Expansion

  • Decolonizing Therapeutic Approaches

  • Family Constellations

The training will cover the 5 main elements of:

  • Engagement

  • Preparation

  • Dosing 

  • Integration

  • Evaluation

Where is it taking place?

The immersion will take place in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. Enjoy this truly authentic experience at the family run Doranja House. The intimate guesthouses lie in the most private setting, tucked away in a secluded cove of Treasure Beach. Another standout of this colourful property is the abundance of outdoor space, lush tropical plants, and farm to table produce. Just a minute walk from the bay, you can kick back and take in the sea breeze throughout your time here.

What is the cost of the immersion?

  • £3750 Early Bird (Jan 21st)

  • £3999 General Price

  • Spread your payment over 3 months

What does this cost include?

  • 6 days of training

  • 6 nights accommodation

  • Transfers to and from Montego Bay and Doranja House

  • 3 meals per day

  • Psilocybin Immersion Journey

About the space

Enjoy this truly authentic Jamaican experience at the family-run Doranja House. These intimate guesthouses lie in the most private setting, tucked away in a secluded cove of Treasure Beach. Another standout of this colourful property is the abundance of outdoor space, lush tropical plants, and farm to table produce. Just a minute walk from the bay, you can kick back and take in the sea breeze throughout your time here.

How do I join the immersion?

The first phase for joining the immersion will require you to complete the expression of interest form by January 7th 2024. After you submit your application, we will contact you to schedule an enquiry call. Once you have had the call our team will review your application again and send you an email to confirm or decline your admission. On acceptance you will be required to make a first payment of three or full payment to secure your spot. Please be aware that there is no guarantee of acceptance into the training immersion. Each candidate will be evaluated individually. Your potential acceptance into the program will only be determined after completing the application steps outlined above. Therefore, please refrain from making any logistical or travel arrangements (such as requesting time off from work or purchasing airfare) until you receive a written confirmation of your formal acceptance into the immersion training from us.

Applications now closed

Scholarships and discounted rates

We have two scholarship opportunities for available for Ancestral Alchemy. An international scholarship and a local scholarship for Jamaican citizens.

The scholarship will include the following:

  • Discounted access to the immersion

  • Access to Darren's webinar series Psychedelics in Africa plus additional supporting material’s.

How do I apply?

  • Complete the expression of interest form - Applications now closed

  • Complete the section that asks are you are applying for the scholarship.

Important information

  • You must be able to travel to Jamaica for the retreat, please note travel to Jamaica is NOT included

  • Submissions are to be made by January 7th

  • Submissions & Scholarships announced the week starting January 15th

Please see the FAQ for more information

About your Facilitators

Moudou Baqui

Moudou Baqui aka J. Petty is a lifelong citizen of Highland Park, a small city located in the heart of Detroit. He has been a student in the origins of human consciousness since an early age. He is a third generation metaphysician. His introduction to the esoteric came from his father, a respected spiritual teacher, a tradition begun by his grandfather, who began his studies in the early 1900's. At his father's urging, he continued his studies of ancient knowledge and to go beyond the “spiritual industrialist hustle” without the formality of known institutions but to seek the root.. Under the tutelage of “Ahati ''(Grandmaster) Kilindi Iyi he studied African combative martial arts and culture for over 20 years, in this pursuit he was exposed to the knowledge and application, cultivation and cultural history of entheogenic plants. He has further continued his studies of ancient human history, metacognition and entheogens via travel on several continents. He has been a return speaker at Breaking convention and several other platforms throughout the US, UK, Germany, Turkey, Africa and the Americas. His current focus is utilising the Psychedelic experience as a therapeutic tool for addiction and depression and educating the public on the major benefits of these substances. Moudou also operates as an educational consultant, life coach, and food/land justice advocate. He currently serves as a board member for Decrim Nature National, team member of the Michigan ballot initiative, and spokesperson for the Detroit Psychedelic Society.

Charlotte Duerr James

Charlotte Duerr James is an Educator and Medicine Woman of Afro-Caribbean and Germanic lineage. She works to create a world in which everyone is able to live in fearless pursuit of their radical transformation. She uses her skills as an educator, therapeutic coach, and ceremonial facilitator to build and engage a community focused on pursuing collective liberation. Charlotte has been exploring her own mind and spirit with the support of Sacred Earth Medicines for over 15 years. She has completed a traditional apprenticeship with Kambo, and has supported hundreds of community members in ceremony. She graduated summa cum laude from Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Latin American Studies and Anthropology. While studying at JHU, Charlotte interned for the Baltimore CIty Health Department Needle Exchange Program and served as the first Overdose Prevention Coordinator, organising city-wide Narcan training for 3rd party bystanders. Charlotte has lived throughout South America and is a multi-lingual Spanish and Portuguese speaker. She is a lifelong student of the Earth, and is actively continuing her facilitator training through a 3-year certificate program in Transpersonal Psychology, Psychedelic Medicine, and Indigenous Wisdom with the Awe Foundation where she also serves as a program mentor. She has sat in ceremony with elders and medicine keepers of varying traditions and is committed to her ongoing unlearning and relearning process. Charlotte feels that engaging in one’s personal decolonization work is imperative for being an authentic facilitator practising in integrity, and in service to collective liberation.

Darren Le Baron

Darren Le Baron is an educator specialising in mycology and psychedelic research, and is based in the UK and Jamaica. Darren is a knowledgeable and dynamic teacher and facilitator who is passionate about sharing his research, and findings on ethnomycology and African plant technologies. Known around the world for his Shroomshop Master classes he is a keen mushroom cultivator and teacher. He is the resident mycologist and presenter at the London Psychedelic Society, chair and Breaking Convention committee member. He is also a regular presenter at the Detroit Psychedelic Conference, Ozora, Noisily and Lightning in a Bottle Festivals, as well as numerous gatherings around the world. He is also an Organic Horticulturist, Permaculture tutor and Community influencer with a background supporting schools, businesses and so called hard to reach communities around the world to create holistic and sustainable working systems. In 2021 Darren Le Baron launched the UK’s first AQA accredited Mycology and Mushroom Cultivation series. Darren’s work in Jamaica has been geared towards introducing local communities to the fascinating world of mycology and urban mushroom enterprise, while developing skills and knowledge around cultivation, health and wellbeing, sustainability, and regenerative culture. He is currently working on introducing his accredited mycology program to schools and colleges on the island, and is also investigating the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushrooms in prison reform and rehabilitation for offenders. Collectively his work aims to inform and empower individuals from diverse backgrounds to cope with social challenges and contribute to community development as well as self-improvement in an innovative, creative, culturally-aware style.

Sita Ji

Sita Ji is a multi-faceted healer and guide, specialising in Plant Medicine and holistic practices. She has received formal training as a Plant-Based Chef and Permaculture Designer in Jamaica, where she is currently based. Sita has a deep understanding of various plant medicines such as Ayahuasca, Cannabis, Cocoa, Kambo, and Psilocybin Mushrooms, which she has learned from shamans in South and Central America, as well as teachers in the   community. Inspired by her own healing journey, Sita began leading ceremonies within her community and has expanded her work to include retreats and private ceremonies for visitors to the island. She has obtained certifications in Psilocybin and MDMA research, integration, and harm reduction. Sita has also sought wisdom and training from different cultures and practices around the world. She immersed herself in plant medicine practices in Ecuador with the Yachaks and underwent a dieta with the Shipibo people in Peru. Additionally, she has studied with Bhakti Yogis in India, completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training at the Hatha Yoga School, and has been initiated into the sacred tradition of Agnihotra (fire ceremonies). She has completed the "She Grows" Women Circle Leadership Training and is a certified Plant Medicine Integration Coach. Currently, she is studying the Foundations of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and curating upcoming workshops in Space Holding. Sita has also worked extensively with veterans through international organisations and was featured in the ESPN documentary "Peace of Mind," highlighting the healing potential of psilocybin for athletes with Traumatic Brain Injury. Through her work, Sita aims to assist individuals in integrating their transformative experiences into a lasting state of being. She utilises ceremony, conscious relating, and immersion in nature and culture to help awaken individuals to their true selves. Sita is dedicated to healing and refers to herself as a Plant Medicine Teacher.

Guest Speaker

Acacea Lewis

Acacea Lewis is a researcher, student and alchemist of Herbal and Entheogenic medicines. Early in her development as an aspiring Physicist, she took her academic perspectives of science to the mushroom, in order to learn more expansive first hand information about the quantum hyper dimensional realms and the multiverse of plants, animals, and fungi we live in. Acacea left the academic world primarily due to the lack of diversity/opportunities to perform academic level consciousness based scientific research. As a result, she is now working alongside her peers and students in Divine Master Alchemy classes, helping spread her continued research on the science of consciousness, ancestral healing, genetic reprogramming, and the history of ancient and modern civilizations that use plants, zooneirogica and fungi as medicines, sacraments, and healing tools. 

Please see the FAQ for more information