An introduction to our name: “Gather Well Psychedelics – A home for healing arts and transformational learning”
A little explanation of what we hope to convey with the words “Gather Well”
Gather is a concept that reflects the model of the organization which will place an emphasis on the importance of collective, community-centered healing that includes the cultural and systemic aspects of the healing process. For us “gather” means to come together around common interests, visions for change, and ways of caring for one another. We hope to be a place where individuals can gather, learn, grow, care for each other and cultivate a culture that centers interconnectedness, systemic awareness, and balance through the wise and respectful engagement with psychedelics.
Well has several associated meanings to us, all of which felt meaningful. Symbolically, a well is a place to draw water from deep in the earth, a place that nourishes on an essential level. Wells are evocative of things below the surface, of depth, of an element that is replenished by the earth herself. The Well is a symbol for community. Wells serve as sacred gathering places for people the world over, a community center from which members draw sustenance. Wells have been strongly associated with the feminine and the womb. As a team we resonate with the psychedelic work we have done being a deep well of resource for the growth, awareness and gratitude in our lives. Well is also the root of wellness, well-being, being well. Together, “Gather Well”expresses our prayer for collective health and healing. We care about coming together in a thoughtful, and caring way around working with psychedelics. We aim to come together well, with the intent to be well. We hope to celebrate what is already well and whole within us amidst a diversity of personal and cultural experiences and also to acknowledge and grieve the places within ourselves and within our systems and cultures that are not in wellness. We hope together to envision and enact change for a society that uplifts each of us in our thriving, in our relationships with ourselves, others, the collective and the earth.
As for “A home for healing arts and transformational learning,” firstly we want anyone entering this system to feel at home. Secondly, we view guiding psychedelic processes as art. Our apprenticeship programs seek to cultivate the artistry of guiding, unique to each individual and their particular gifts. “Transformational learning” is what will happen when you enter the Gather Well programs, whether you end up being a guide or simply enriching your life, well-being or existing career through the programs.
