Spirit of the Forest — A Guided Shamanic Journey with Gongs (Cacao Optional)
I used to live surrounded by trees, and it wasn't something I thought much about — the forest was simply there. More recently, moving to an area rather bereft of them, I've discovered just how much I need that connection. It's often the lack of something that teaches us how much we loved it. That's exactly what today's journey is about: reconnecting with the spirit of the forest, wherever you are, whatever your own relationship with trees looks like.
We'll work with cacao today if you'd like to, but it's entirely optional — the gongs and the guidance are enough on their own for a full, deep experience of this connection.
Meeting the Forest, Wherever You Are
This journey doesn't need a grand wilderness. The place you travel to can be a small patch of trees in your local park, or a single tree you've planted in your own garden — anywhere you already know and already love. Who or what comes forward to meet you varies enormously. Sometimes it's a being in human form, sometimes an animal spirit, sometimes something entirely unexpected — different cultures carry their own archetypes for the spirit of the forest, and there's no single right shape for it to take.
How the Journey Works
We begin, as always, by cleansing our energy — hands at the heart, gathering love and light, washing it out through the aura and down into the earth — and then call in the seven directions to hold sacred space around us.
This particular journey travels through the middle realm rather than the lower realm — the ordinary, everyday world, seen through spiritual eyes, rather than the deeper unconscious layer we journey to for some of the other plant and animal spirits. If you find yourself naturally slipping into the lower realm instead — through a hollow in the roots of a tree, say, or a little fairy door — that's entirely welcome too; sometimes the trees lead there regardless of where we intended to go.
Once settled and relaxed, we activate the third eye — which for most people isn't a clear vision so much as a sense, a knowing, something felt rather than watched — and travel to the forest space you've chosen. There, you're invited to call the spirit of that place forward, introduce yourself the way you would to anyone new, and ask whatever you need to ask: what they can teach you, how they perceive time, or simply what they have to say to you today.
Coming Back: Integration and Reflection
Once the ceremony closes and the directions are thanked and released, the real work begins — integration. I'd encourage you to journal straight away, recalling as much as you can of whatever came through, then read it back once you've written it. Sometimes new layers and new awareness surface on the second read that weren't obvious the first time. What comes through might be practical and grounded, might be deeply symbolic, or you might simply have had a wonderful, restful sleep. All of it is exactly what was meant for you today.
How to Prepare
Optional: prepare a cup of ceremonial cacao if that's part of your practice — entirely optional, the journey works fully without it
Find somewhere comfortable to sit or lie down, ideally somewhere you won't be disturbed
Good headphones or speakers make a real difference — the gongs deserve proper sound
Keep a journal nearby for the integration afterwards
Come with an open mind rather than a fixed expectation of what the forest will show you
Continue Your Journey with Plant Spirit Medicine
If this ceremony resonated with you, here are some ways to go deeper:
