Our Woven Cell

Acknowledging the Psychedelic Renaissance

We exist within a unique historical moment - what many are calling the psychedelic renaissance. After decades of prohibition and suppression, plant medicines and psychedelic substances are re-emerging in consciousness through scientific research, therapeutic applications, and spiritual exploration. This renaissance brings both tremendous possibility for healing and complex questions about cultural respect, appropriation, and the language we use to describe this work.

Sacred Spore exists within this renaissance, working to develop ethical practices around consciousness exploration and plant medicine healing alongside many others navigating this territory. Contemporary psychedelic culture draws from many streams: indigenous traditions spanning millennia, scientific research, the counter-culture movements of the 1960s and 70s, underground healing communities who preserved these practices, and today's clinical trials and therapeutic protocols. We're all standing at intersections where these influences meet, trying to find our way responsibly.

The language we use:

Sacred Spore uses terms like "set and setting," "facilitator," "guide," "preparation," and "integration" because these words have become the common language of contemporary psychedelic culture. This shared vocabulary creates understanding and accessibility—when you encounter these terms, you recognize we're part of the broader community and share foundational understandings about approaching this work safely and respectfully.

Where this language comes from:

The vocabulary of contemporary psychedelic work has complex origins. Some terms come directly from indigenous traditions. Others emerged from academic research or developed organically within underground healing communities as people sought words to describe experiences and roles that mainstream culture had no language for.

"Set and setting," for example, entered psychedelic discourse in the 1960s, though the concept itself—that internal mindset and external environment profoundly shape experience—comes from indigenous ceremonial practices that have always attended carefully to these factors.

"Integration" reflects contemporary psychological understanding of working with profound experiences, though many traditions have their own frameworks—dream interpretation, community witness, ritual action, artistic expression—for helping people incorporate visionary insights into daily life.

Why we choose humble language:

We use terms like "facilitator" and "guide" not because they perfectly capture this work, but because they explicitly don't claim what we cannot claim. We are not curanderos, ayahuasceros, or medicine people as indigenous traditions understand that role. "Facilitator" and "guide" are humble terms—they acknowledge we're holding space and supporting process without claiming indigenous authority or spiritual titles that carry generations of initiatory training.

Acknowledging complexity:

Using common language within our culture doesn't erase the reality that much of this vocabulary originated in or was adapted from indigenous contexts. Language itself carries colonial history—even words like "psychedelic" and "plant medicine" flatten diverse indigenous relationships with sacred plants into contemporary frameworks.

For the fuller context of how Sacred Spore engages with questions of cultural appropriation, indigenous origins, and our commitments to reciprocity and repair, see our Cultural Appropriation & Lineage Accountability statement.

We commit to using language thoughtfully, acknowledging origins, and continuing to examine how our words either perpetuate or interrupt patterns of extraction.

How We Engage This Conversation

Sacred Spore values the cultures and traditions from which plant medicines originate. We recognize the harm that colonization, extraction, and appropriation have caused to indigenous communities worldwide.

This value shapes how we practice. It informs where our resources flow, how we teach about these medicines, and how we position ourselves within the broader psychedelic culture.

Our lineage and positioning:

The founder's early relationship with these medicines emerged from California's counter-culture movement, learning from elders who themselves had traveled to the Global South and brought back teachings from indigenous communities. It's important to name honestly that many of those encounters—even ones that began with reverence—caused real harm: disruption of sacred ceremonies, economic exploitation without reciprocal benefit, appropriation of knowledge without permission, commodification of medicines outside their traditional context.

Even though our work with psilocybin has evolved independently over decades of direct relationship with the medicine, we acknowledge that the only way we have had access to this practice has come from this cultural disruption. While existing within a broader culture where extraction and appropriation have been common patterns—where knowledge has flowed more readily than reciprocity, where indigenous communities have often been overlooked in conversations about medicines they've held sacred for generations—Sacred Spore is committed to engaging within the larger psychedelic community holding awareness of these patterns and actively working toward reciprocity and accountability.

We don't claim indigenous lineage or authority. We don't present ourselves as keepers of traditional practices or wisdom. Instead, we claim responsibility for how we engage. We acknowledge our position within the larger web and the inherent responsibility to ethically step forward with our work, putting our energy into creating balance and repair.

How we're actively engaging:

This isn't about making statements and moving on. It's about building accountability into the structure of how Sacred Spore operates.

A portion of ceremony fees flows directly to indigenous-led organizations working for land rights, cultural preservation, and protection of traditional practices. Not as charity, but as reciprocity for the ground we stand on.

We educate ourselves and participants about where these medicines come from, the communities who have held them sacred, and the ongoing impacts of extraction and appropriation. This isn't an optional side conversation—it's woven into preparation and integration.

We create our own ceremonial frameworks rather than copying indigenous protocols. We work to honor the medicines without claiming practices that don't belong to us.

We use whatever platform this work gives us to amplify indigenous voices, support sovereignty movements, and challenge appropriation when we encounter it.

Ongoing accountability:

This work is never finished. It requires continuous learning, humility about blind spots, and willingness to change when we're shown we've caused harm.

We remain accountable to indigenous communities and practitioners, especially when that feedback challenges us. Good intentions don't erase harmful impact. What matters is sustained action, genuine reciprocity, and the humility to know we're always learning.

Cultural respect isn't something we hold in theory. It's woven into the practical realities of how Sacred Spore operates—how we allocate resources, how we teach, how we understand our place in the broader psychedelic community.

Building Accountability Into Our Practice

Sacred Spore values power-aware practice. We value the ongoing work of examining bias, dismantling oppression, and creating spaces where healing is accessible to people from all backgrounds.

The reality of power in healing work:

Facilitators hold significant power—witnessing participants in vulnerable moments, holding authority over ceremonial space, receiving deep trust during altered states when boundaries are harder to maintain. Power differentials amplify in expanded states through increased suggestibility, dependency, and difficulty maintaining normal boundaries.

We also recognize that all of us carry ingrained biases shaped by systems of racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of structural discrimination. These biases don't disappear in sacred space—they require conscious attention and active work.

Where we are now:

Currently, Wynn maintains consultation with mental health professionals and engages in regular supervision that examines power dynamics, bias, and ethical practice.

This supervision specifically addresses power dynamics in ceremonial work, recognizing when participants need support beyond scope, and distinguishing between supportive presence and codependent patterns that can disempower.

As Sacred Spore grows:

When we expand to include additional facilitators and broader community, we're committed to building these values into our structure—regular training on bias and cultural competency, transparent feedback processes, accountability when harm occurs, and ongoing examination of how oppression manifests in healing spaces.

Creating truly anti-oppressive spaces is ongoing work, not a destination. We will make mistakes as we build. We're committed to learning from them rather than using good intentions as protection from accountability.

For detailed information about how Sacred Spore addresses harm when it occurs, see our Restorative Justice & Accountability framework.

How We Address Harm

When we gather in sacred space for healing work, we enter into profound vulnerability. This intimacy, combined with inherent power dynamics, creates conditions where harm can occur—sometimes unintentionally, sometimes through negligence.

Sacred Spore's commitment to power-aware practice means we must have clear processes for addressing harm when it arises. The question is not whether conflict and harm will occur—but rather how we respond when they do.

This framework exists because we believe repair is possible, that people can take responsibility for harm they've caused, and that healing spaces become stronger when they develop capacity to address conflict with honesty and care.

What Sacred Spore does not condone:

Zero tolerance for:

• Abuse of power in any form

• Sexual misconduct or exploitation

• Grooming behavior

• Financial exploitation

• Any form of harassment or discrimination

Boundaries around relationships and attraction:

We acknowledge that human attraction and connection are natural. However, the vulnerable nature of ceremony work and the power dynamics inherent in facilitator/participant relationships require clear boundaries.

During the sacred healing container: Romantic or sexual exploration of any kind is not appropriate during preparation, ceremony, integration, or any facilitator-client interaction. The vulnerable states, power dynamics, and depth of intimacy inherent in this work mean that sexual or romantic boundaries must be absolute. Breaching this boundary violates the sacred container and constitutes serious harm.

Facilitator/Participant relationships: The facilitator/participant dynamic carries inherent power imbalance. Facilitators witness participants in extreme vulnerability, hold authority over ceremonial space, and occupy a role similar to therapist or clergy. This power differential means that even when both people believe they want a romantic or sexual relationship, true equality of consent is complicated and potentially impossible.

Any exploration of romantic or sexual connection between facilitators and participants requires clear separation of time and space from ceremonial work, honest examination of power dynamics and their lingering effects, and in most cases, ending the facilitator/participant relationship before pursuing any romantic connection. The power imbalance may make ethical relationship impossible regardless of apparent mutual desire.

Participant/Participant connections: Attraction between participants is natural and expected. These connections should be explored outside of ceremony space and handled between consenting adults with respect for each person's boundaries and healing process.

Consent and supportive touch:

During preparation work, we discuss boundaries around supportive touch—things like a hand on your shoulder, holding your hand, touching your arm or foot for grounding, helping you to the bathroom, or supporting you when you need help walking. The kinds of contact that might offer comfort, presence, or practical support during vulnerable moments.

We ask about your preferences and comfort levels beforehand because what feels supportive to one person might feel invasive to another. Your preferences might also shift depending on what you're working with or how you're feeling on any given day.

Once ceremony begins and medicine has been consumed: You always have the right to refuse touch even if you previously said touch was okay. However, we cannot agree to touch that goes beyond what we discussed in preparation. The altered states and vulnerability of ceremony mean that consent for new or different kinds of touch cannot be clearly established once medicine is active. If you want to change agreements about touch, we discuss that during integration and it can apply to future sessions.

After ceremony concludes: As people begin to return to more grounded states, there's often a natural desire to connect through hugs or other gestures of affection. We ask participants to remember that even though you might be feeling open and complete, others may still be deep in their process. Please continue asking for consent before hugging or touching anyone. If someone responds only with a hand gesture, a wave, or other non-contact acknowledgment, please honor that as a gentle way they're respecting their own process and boundaries. Not everyone moves through ceremony at the same pace.

Touch is never required for healing to happen. Some people find it grounding and helpful. Others need space and distance. Both are completely valid, and we adjust to what serves you.

Understanding different types of harm:

Not all conflict represents harm, and not all harm requires the same response.

Conflict arises when two people have different needs or perspectives that come into tension. Neither person has necessarily caused harm—they simply have incompatible needs in a particular moment. Conflict is natural and often productive when addressed with care.

Harm occurs when one person's actions negatively impact another in ways that violate boundaries, create suffering, or breach trust. Harm can be unintentional or deliberate. The key distinction is that harm creates injury requiring repair, whether or not the person causing harm intended the impact.

Abuse of power represents harm where someone in a position of authority or trust exploits that differential for their own benefit. This requires different accountability processes than peer-to-peer harm.

How we approach harm and accountability:

Our approach is rooted in restorative justice principles—we focus on impact over intent, on relationship repair where possible, and on accountability rather than punishment alone.

The person who experienced harm gets to name what happened. We don't debate whether something "counts" as harm or whether someone "should" feel hurt. If someone says they were harmed, we listen. Impact matters more than intention. Good intentions don't erase painful impact.

The person who caused harm must take genuine responsibility—acknowledging what happened and how it affected someone, without defensiveness or deflection. Offering sincere apology that doesn't center their own hurt feelings about being called out. Taking concrete actions toward repair—changing behavior, making amends, doing the work to understand what led to the harm.

Power matters in how we address harm. When someone with more structural power harms someone with less power, they can't be treated as if they're on equal footing. The person who was harmed needs additional support and protection. The person with more power needs to be held to higher standards of accountability precisely because they hold more power.

Repair doesn't always mean reconciliation. Sometimes the healthiest outcome after harm is respectful distance or complete separation. Not all relationships can or should be restored. Sometimes the repair work is internal—healing from what happened—rather than relational.

Some harm requires removal, not just repair. When someone repeatedly causes harm, refuses accountability, or commits serious violations that break foundational trust, restoration to their previous role may not be possible or safe.

Current practice:

When harm arises in Sacred Spore's work, Wynn consults with mental health professionals and legal counsel to determine appropriate responses. This ensures both ethical practice and appropriate handling of situations that may require professional intervention or reporting.

For serious misconduct, safety threats, or situations requiring legal guidance, Sacred Spore works with legal counsel familiar with religious organization governance and organizational liability.

As Sacred Spore grows:

As our community expands, we're committed to developing formal structures for reporting harm, facilitating restorative processes, and ensuring accountability at every level—including leadership. This will include trained community members who can receive reports, facilitate repair conversations when appropriate, and make recommendations about responses when restoration isn't possible.

We're building these structures with the understanding that accountability work is ongoing learning. We commit to examining our blind spots, refining our processes, and remaining accountable to the communities we serve.

Financial Philosophy: The Three-Vessel Model

Our Approach to Accessibility and Sustainability

Sacred Spore values both accessibility and sustainability. We believe that healing work—whether ceremonial gatherings, individual sessions, or educational offerings—should not be limited to those with financial privilege. We also recognize that creating and maintaining safe, ethical, sacred space has real costs: materials, training, professional consultation, insurance, physical space, and our reciprocity commitments to indigenous communities.

Rather than setting single fixed prices that some cannot afford while others could easily contribute more, Sacred Spore uses a three-vessel model across our offerings. This model invites people to contribute based on their current financial capacity, creating space for those with fewer resources while asking those with more to support the sustainability of the work and the accessibility for others.

The three-vessel framework:

Think of these vessels as three tiers of contribution, each representing different financial circumstances and capacities. The key word is current—where you are right now in this moment, not where you were last year or hope to be next year.

Life circumstances change constantly. You might be in one vessel today and a different vessel six months from now. Someone might file taxes in a middle-income bracket but face unexpected medical expenses, family emergencies, or other financial pressures that shift what feels sustainable to contribute. We honor these fluctuations rather than locking people into categories based on annual income alone.

Why this model:

This approach reflects our understanding that individual healing and collective wellbeing are interconnected. When we create space for those with fewer resources to access healing work, we strengthen the entire community. When those with more resources contribute at higher levels, they support both the sustainability of the practice and the accessibility for others.

The three-vessel model also ensures we can meet our reciprocity commitments to indigenous communities. A portion of all revenue—whether from Ravens Gate ceremony donations or Sacred Spore's for-profit offerings—flows to indigenous-led organizations working for land rights, cultural preservation, and the protection of traditional practices. This isn't optional or dependent on "extra" funds. It's woven into the financial structure of how we operate.

Trust and self-determination:

We trust people to assess their own financial capacity honestly. We don't require proof of income or financial hardship documentation. We recognize that you know your circumstances better than we do—what obligations you're carrying, what resources you actually have access to, what contribution feels sustainable versus what would create strain.

This model requires both individual integrity and collective care. It asks those with more resources to contribute generously, knowing their contribution makes space for others. It invites those with fewer resources to access the support they need without shame. It assumes we're all part of a web of reciprocity where resources flow in multiple directions.

How this shows up in practice:

Ravens Gate (our ceremonial non-profit community) uses this model for ceremony access. Sacred Spore's for-profit offerings—individual sessions, courses, and other healing work—also operate on this three-vessel model. The specific contribution ranges differ based on the offering, but the underlying philosophy remains consistent.

For detailed information about ceremony donations and the three-vessel structure for specific offerings, see the relevant pages for Ravens Gate or Sacred Spore programs.