Shamanic Rattle Making & Fire Ceremony: An Autumn Equinox Day-Retreat in Margate
A Friday day-retreat near Margate, Kent, where you'll craft your own shamanic rattle by hand and release what no longer serves you at a guided fire ceremony.
Are you carrying old stories and roles that no longer feel like the real you? This Autumn Equinox retreat combines traditional Lakota-lineage rattle making with a four-round fire ceremony, designed to help you shed what weighs you down and step into your own shamanic power.
The Autumn Equinox marks the exact point of balance before the earth turns toward the quieter, more introspective months. It's the ideal threshold for release — and for reclaiming the parts of yourself you've set aside.
Why We Hold This on a Friday
Friday is the traditional day of the Divine Feminine, named for the goddesses Freya and Frigg — figures associated with ritual magic and the craft of weaving. Stepping away from the working week on this day is intentional: it aligns the retreat with that older rhythm, as you physically weave your own medicine hide.
You'll learn techniques passed down through authentic Lakota tradition, taught to Sorrell by Steven Ash, spiritual grandson of Grandfather Wallace Black Elk. By the end of the day, you'll have birthed your own living shamanic rattle and learned how to use it for ongoing healing and energetic clearing.
Ethically Sourced Medicine Hides
All hide used in this workshop is ethically and respectfully sourced from Indigenous suppliers.
In Lakota practice, a sacred tool cannot carry true healing power if the animal it came from wasn't honoured. We work only with hides processed under proper lineage protocols — with reciprocity, respect, and ceremony — so your finished rattle is a clean instrument of healing, not one carrying unresolved weight.
How the Day Unfolds
10:00am — Welcome & Grounding
We open in circle with ceremonial cacao or spiced chai, set intentions for the Equinox, and ground together before the day begins.
10:30am — Shaping & Weaving Your Rattle
Choose your hide — deer, reindeer, or buffalo — and cut and weave your rattle's two faces together using traditional Lakota methods, under close guidance.
11:30am — Shamanic Journey to the Spirit of the Rattle
While your rattle begins to dry, you'll take a guided shamanic journey to meet its spirit, connect with the animal medicine of your chosen hide, and forge a lasting alliance with it.
12:30pm — Communal Lunch
Time to rest, eat together, and integrate the morning's journey.
1:30pm — Assembly & the Sacred Seeds
Attach your handle, add feathers, and fill your rattle with 405 seeds — each representing a spiritual ally who speaks through its voice, in the Lakota way. You'll also have the chance to paint sacred symbols reflecting the medicine you want to carry forward.
2:30pm — Activation & the Four-Round Fire Ceremony
We move outside to the fire. Like trees releasing their leaves before new growth, you'll use your rattle and the fire itself to let go of old stories and roles that no longer fit.
Round 1 — Gratitude: thanking your allies, ancestors, and guides
Round 2 — Release: shaking off and feeding the fire what you're ready to leave behind
Round 3 — Calling In: invoking the intentions and strength you want to grow
Round 4 — The Anchor: committing to your path and stepping into your power
3:30pm — Activating Your Inner Shaman
Practical teaching on using your rattle to clear heavy energy (hucha) from yourself and your home, journey independently, and keep your connection to your inner shaman alive day-to-day.
4:00pm — Closing Circle
We close sacred space together, leaving you with a living medicine tool and a clear heart for the season ahead.
Why This Is More Than a Workshop
You'll leave with a hand-crafted, spiritually active ceremonial tool — and with practical, real-world knowledge of how to use sound, ceremony, and intention to clear energy in your own life.
Space is strictly limited to 8 participants, to keep the rattle-making hands-on and the fire ceremony deeply held.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shamanic rattle used for? A shamanic rattle is a hand-crafted ceremonial tool used for energetic clearing, journeying, and healing work. In the Lakota tradition, each rattle is filled with seeds representing spiritual allies who speak through its sound.
How is a traditional Lakota rattle made? A Lakota-style rattle is made by shaping and weaving two faces of hide — traditionally deer, reindeer, or buffalo — attaching a handle, and filling it with a set number of seeds. Sacred symbols are often painted onto the finished hide.
What happens at a shamanic fire ceremony? A shamanic fire ceremony typically moves through rounds of gratitude, release, calling in new intentions, and anchoring commitment — using fire as a symbolic and energetic tool for transformation.
Is this workshop suitable for beginners? Yes. No prior experience with rattle making or shamanic practice is required — guidance is given throughout.
Where is the retreat held? Plant Spirit Medicine Woman, 60 Harold Road, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, CT9 2HS. Free parking available.
Event Details
Date: Friday 18 September 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Plant Spirit Medicine Woman, 60 Harold Road, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent CT9 2HS
Age: 16+
Spaces: Strictly limited to 8
Price: £145