The Sacred Hoop – Medicine Drum Building Ceremony
Saturday the 25th November 2023 10am to 4pm
Energy Exchange: $698
Non-refundable deposit for materials $379, payable by Friday the 20th of October
Bookings and deposit payments can be made via Eventbrite
Please note that this payment is for a 16" drum. If you would prefer an 18" drum, for an additional $40, please contact us so we can check on availability.
Balance of $319 is payable by cash, credit card or bank transfer by Saturday the 25th of November
Address details will be sent on receipt of payment of your deposit.
“Por las quebradas veo mi condor volar y siento que voy abriendo
Como en sus alas mi corazón
Y voy cantando por mi camino
Me va alegrando un viejo tambor
Y voy danzando por mi camino
Me va guiando un viejo tambor
Por las montañas veo que mi águila va
Me va mostrando el camino, camino rojo del corazón
Y voy cantando por mi camino
Me va alegrando un viejo tambor
Y voy danzando por mi camino
Me va guiando un viejo tambor
Through the ravines I see my condor fly and I feel that I am opening,
As in his wings, my heart
And I'm singing my way
An old drum makes me happy
And I'm dancing my way
An old drum is guiding me
Through the mountains I see that my eagle flies
He is showing me the way, red path of the heart
And I'm singing my way
An old drum makes me happy
And I'm dancing my way
An old drum is guiding me”
… “Viejo Tambor”, by Alonso del Rio
A Medicine Drum is much, much more than a drum: it is Medicine.
It is a companion, a teacher, a healer and a guide.
Whether you use it for meditation, for personal healing, or with your voice in community in a circle or a sweatlodge, it is there for you.
And it is a personal thing.
Sure, you can buy a Medicine Drum from a factory, or even from a renowned craftsperson. But if you make your own drum, in Ceremony, you make a Drum which becomes an extension of yourself. When you have decorated your own drum frame, threaded every inch of lacing, and then chosen the colours and decoration style of your braiding, that Drum becomes a treasured and sacred instrument, with its own unique voice that will complement your voice for many years. It becomes a part of you.
This all-day Ceremony on the 25th of November is a special opportunity for you to build a beautiful drum under the guidance of Andy & Laurel, on our beautiful land in Maleny.
We have sourced the finest-available materials: hand-made steam-bent solid 16” Ash frames, high-quality Kangaroo skins and the best lacing… to make sure that you birth a drum which will be strong and beautiful, which will have a strong and clear voice to help your life.
Many people make drums using a rawhide lacing technique. We have found over many years that these drums do not last with strong, clear voices in our Australian climate. So we offer a lacing technique using a strong artificial sinew (traditional natural sinew is not readily available), which will help your drum skin keep in tune in this beautiful land.
Some people are concerned at the use of animal skins for these drums, and would prefer to use a synthetic skin. We acknowledge this concern. Unfortunately, there is no suitable, sustainably-made, synthetic material to make a lasting Medicine Drum. And using a natural skin honours the animal, adding its medicine to the whole experience. We have natural-skin drums that have lasted for 15 years and still sound as “alive” as on the day they were birthed. Synthetic drum skins, in our experience, lose their voice very quickly.
This workshop includes:
Creation of sacred space, smudging and expression of personal prayer for your drum.
Decoration of your drum frame
Lacing your skin onto the frame
Braiding the drum for beauty and tuning
Blessing the finished drum with prayers and sacred smoke
Guidance and techniques for building your relationship with your drum
And also:
Snacks, chai and filtered water
A delicious vegetarian and gluten-free lunch with vegan options