Shamanica Institute

05/26/2026

This week we will explore The Divine Comedy and its symbolic structure as a map of psychological transformation and inner development.

Far more than a religious poem, Dante’s journey through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso can be understood as a profound exploration of the human psyche. The descent into Hell represents confrontation with the Shadow: the unconscious patterns, attachments, fears, and distortions that keep us trapped in suffering. Purgatory symbolizes the difficult process of purification, integration, and conscious growth, while Paradise represents expanded consciousness, unity, meaning, and alignment with higher values.

From a psychological perspective, Dante’s path mirrors the archetypal journey of transformation found in depth psychology, mythology, and psychedelic integration work. The characters, encounters, visions, and symbolic landscapes can all be seen as expressions of inner states of consciousness and stages of personal evolution.

We will discuss:
- The symbolic meaning of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso
- The role of suffering, purification, and transcendence in transformation
- How mythological maps can help orient psychological and spiritual growth

https://www.facebook.com/events/2050041025586948/

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05/18/2026

In this gathering, we will explore the biblical story of Jonah through a psychological, symbolic, and spiritual lens, as a map of inner transformation, descent into the unconscious, and the emergence of the authentic Self.

The story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale can be understood as an archetypal journey into the depths of the psyche. Jonah initially resists the path placed before him and attempts to escape his calling. But the storm intensifies until he is thrown into the sea and swallowed by the great whale, where he remains for three days before returning transformed.

Symbolically, the storm represents the turmoil of the unconscious when we ignore the deeper truth within us. Often, we already know the path we must take or the changes life is asking of us, but fear, conditioning, or attachment to the familiar prevent us from moving forward. The Jonah story reminds us that we cannot escape ourselves indefinitely. The unconscious continues to call us until we are willing to descend into the depths and face what has been avoided.

From a Jungian perspective, this descent can be understood as a confrontation with the unconscious and the beginning of individuation: the emergence of the Self beyond the ego. Stanislav Grof described similar processes as Spiritual Emergency: moments when psychological crisis and spiritual awakening overlap, dissolving old structures of identity so that something deeper may emerge.

From a shamanic perspective, the descent into darkness is not punishment but initiation. One enters the belly of the whale to die to an old identity and return with renewed clarity, vitality, and purpose. As the process unfolds, a new orientation gradually emerges: a life aligned not merely with survival or social conditioning, but with one’s deeper blueprint, rooted in the archetype of the Self.

From that point onward, purpose becomes clearer, and the energy once trapped in inner conflict becomes available for meaningful action, embodiment, and service.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1689073545467076/

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05/11/2026

The Alchemy of Self

Alchemy is often associated with the secret knowledge of turning lead into gold, but this is just a metaphor. Hermes Trismegistus, whose Emerald Tablet is considered the foundation of alchemy, considered it to be a science of enlightenment or attaining God-consciousness. He divided it into a first phase of inner-alchemy, which perfects the microcosmos of the human self by attaining autonomy, balance and integration, and a second phase of transcendental-alchemy, which unifies the individual self with the macrocosmos of all life.

Alchemists from the Renaissance to the contemporary period refined this division into seven stages of alchemy.
1. Calcination - the dark night of the ego
2. Dissolution - bringing the unconscious to light
3. Separation - achieving synthesis through the opening of the heart
4. Conjunction - the unification of opposites
5. Fermentation - the second dark night of self-dissolution
6. Distillation - achieving true equanimity and inner peace
7. Coagulation - enlightenment as God-consciousness

We will discuss each of these stages in detail.

https://www.facebook.com/events/26712995084995932/

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05/04/2026

Philosophy, Psychedelics & Integration

What is philosophy and how can it support healing, therapy, and psychedelic integration?

This week, we turn to the work of Plato, not as abstract theory, but as a living map of consciousness, perception, and transformation.

Plato’s philosophy is deeply concerned with the nature of reality, the limits of perception, and the possibility of awakening to truth. His writings explore questions that remain central in therapeutic and psychedelic work today:
What is real?
What shapes our perception?
What does it mean to truly “know”?

Through key ideas such as the Allegory of the Cave, the Theory of Forms, and the care of the soul, we begin to see philosophy not just as thinking, but as a practice of transformation.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1375218681097228/

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04/27/2026

This week we will look into the shamanic symbol of the Sacred Circle. It is the introduction to the shamanic Soul Retrieval ritual that we will discuss in the coming meetups.

The sacred circle is a universally present form of very ancient origin and is to be found on all five continents, and amongst a great diversity of people. It is a symbol of centered wholeness, what C.G. Jung called a 'mandala' after the Sanskrit word for sacred symbol. This symbol is very common throughout the Americas and play a big role in the traditional life of many indigenous peoples, and plays a special role in shamanic healing and sacred ceremonies.

Breaking the Hoop results in Soul Loss
Common causes for breaking the sacred hoop are trauma, accident, death of loved ones, unhealthy family dynamics in childhood and so on. A whole nation of people can have a broken hoop. Jung noted that when the hoop of a nation or a people breaks, meaninglessness, poverty, addictions, self-hatred and rage often take place….this is a condition of massive soul loss and is something we see quite often in the news these days. It is the same for individual people, soul loss comes after the hoop has become violated or broken.

When a hoop is broken, the integrity of the life within is fragmented, and depression, addictions, sexual promiscuity, low-esteem, hopelessness and despair result…all symptoms of soul loss. Soul retrieval is ultimately about regaining the lost parts of you, of soul energies and potentials that have fragmented or split off when your sacred hoop broke. Before shamanic soul retrieval can really be a solid option, the patient must begin rebuilding or mending the broken hoop, by returning to the teachings and wisdom of the sacred hoop. Without this basic action, there is not enough support for soul retrieval.

https://www.facebook.com/events/964175972863956/

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04/20/2026

This week we will explore how to recognize when spiritual guidance is truly aligned with growth, truth, and wellbeing.

As we open to intuition, synchronicity, and expanded states of consciousness, we step into subtle realms where our awareness connects with transpersonal energies: archetypes, guides, and influences that move through us. In these moments, we are not just receiving insights; we are also channeling and expressing these forces into the world.

But in that same spiritual ecosystem, alongside benevolent guidance, there are also influences that can mislead, confuse, or drain our energy. So the essential question becomes:
How do we discern who — or what — we are truly listening to?

We will explore The Five Signs of Alignment, practical indicators that guidance is coming from a source that supports your highest wellbeing:
-The Fruit Test
Aligned guidance nourishes clarity, compassion, and meaningful change. If the “fruit” is dissociation, ego inflation, or fear, it’s not aligned.
- Direction of the Will
True guidance supports integrity, healing, and connection. Anything that urges manipulation, egocentric behavior, or self-importance is a red flag.
- The Body as a Truth-Sensor
Real guidance lands as grounding, warmth, and calm presence.
Misaligned influence creates pressure, panic, or dissociation.
- Truth Resonance
True guidance reinforces ethical behavior, discipline and long-term wellbeing, over impulsive or ego-driven rewards.
- Community Reflection
Wisdom supports self-reflection and accountability. If old patterns continue to repeat within the community, it is not a healthy or supportive space.

True guidance brings coherence, clarity and harmony. False guidance inflates ego, isolates, and brings chaos. Join us as we learn to trust what moves us toward wholeness and recognize what pulls us away from it.

https://www.facebook.com/events/4206936992893583/

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04/14/2026

The Axis Mundi is a universal symbol found across cultures:
the sacred center that connects Above, Middle, and Below, Spirit, Psyche, and Body, Transcendent meaning and everyday life.

But beyond cosmology, the Axis Mundi is also a map of values. Every human being lives around an inner axis - whether consciously or unconsciously - and that axis determines what matters, what guides decisions, and what gives life coherence.

This week we will look at Axis Mundi as an Inner Compass.
Psychologically, the Axis Mundi represents the organizing principle of the self:
- When a person has a stable inner axis, values are coherent.
- Choices align across time.
- Suffering is contextualized rather than chaotic.

When the Axis Mundi collapses, individually or culturally, values become unstable. This shows up as:
- moral relativism without orientation
- compulsive behaviors filling the void
- spiritual inflation or nihilism
- loss of connection with the Sacred

In essence, the Axis Mundi is the hidden structure behind every value system. Tell me where your axis is anchored and I can tell you what your values will be under pressure.
When the axis is clear, values organize naturally. When it is lost, no amount of moral reasoning can replace it.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2305516129940172/

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04/05/2026

This week we will talk about Healing as Integration and Purpose.

We will explore healing not as “fixing what’s broken,” but as integrating what has been forgotten and living the purpose already seeded within us.

From a Jungian perspective, healing means bringing unconscious material into consciousness: reclaiming projections, integrating shadow, and realigning Heart and Mind so our outer life matches our inner truth.

From a Shamanic perspective, illness is often seen as a loss of connection or purpose. Each of us carries a unique role, embedded in our heart and DNA. When life drifts away from this calling, symptoms arise as healthy reactions to unhealthy situations. Through practices of reconnection, soul-retrieval and grounded integration, we restore our original vitality and path.

Both traditions invite us to listen to the quiet voice of the soul and to bring its wisdom into everyday action and service.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1989814758556161/

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03/30/2026

This week we will talk about the Sacred as a system of values and how it shapes the process of psychedelic integration.

Psychedelic and plant medicine journeys often bring encounters with what feels sacred: moments of truth, love, unity, or deep clarity. Rather than seeing these only as mystical experiences, we can understand them psychologically as direct encounters with core values: the deeper principles that organize meaning, identity, and behavior.

Living in alignment with the Sacred means allowing our highest values to guide our actions, rather than being driven by impulse or fear.

But insight alone is not transformation. Integration is the process of turning what felt sacred into how you actually live.

We will explore a practical Integration Framework, including five core dimensions:
- Stabilization: creating a safe container for what has become sacred, so it is not fragmented or lost.
- Emotional Integration: allowing what surfaced to be fully felt and processed
- Meaning-Making: clarifying what the experience revealed as important
- Behavioral Alignment: bringing those values into daily life, aligning habits, choices, and relationships
- Spiritual Discernment: relating to transpersonal experiences with clarity and humility

Without integration, powerful experiences can remain memories.
With integration, they become structure, direction, and embodied change.

Integration is not about chasing peak experiences, it’s about organizing your life around what you discovered is truly sacred.

https://www.facebook.com/events/920432807647622/

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12/23/2025

I want to express my deepest gratitude to each of you. Your trust and commitment have been truly inspiring, and it has been an honor to walk alongside you on your journey this year.

I wish you real and lasting breakthroughs in the year ahead.
May the spirit of this season bless you, keep you safe, and surround you with the love of family and friends.
Happy Solstice and Merry Christmas!
Dan 🌵🎄🩷