How to Prepare for Sacred Plant Medicine: What to Know Before You Sit in Ceremony
By Andrea Adelson | Inner Journey Guide & Certified Meditation Teacher
Disclaimer: The information in this article and guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to promote, diagnose, treat, or replace medical advice. Plant medicine can be transformative, but it is not appropriate for everyone. Please consult a licensed medical professional, therapist, or qualified healthcare provider before participating in any plant medicine ceremony, especially if you have a medical condition, take prescription medications, or have a history of mental health concerns. I am not a doctor or medical professional, and nothing in this article and guide should be interpreted as medical advice.
What if the *medicine* you seek isn’t in a bottle, but in a vine, a cactus, or a mushroom?
For thousands of years, sacred plant medicines like ayahuasca, huachuma, and psilocybin have been used by indigenous peoples and mystics as pathways to healing, insight, and spiritual connection. Today, these ancient traditions are being introduced to everyday seekers as methods for spiritual healing, self-discovery, and personal transformation.
Whether you're curious, attending your first plant ceremony, or feeling called to deepen your connection with plant allies, this guide will assist you in preparing to receive the medicine with clarity, reverence, and openness.
But before you book your flight or sip from the cup, there’s something you need to know: participating in a plant ceremony isn't a quick fix, wellness hack, or just a psychedelic trip. It's a spiritual path; one that involves dialogue with nature’s intelligence, requiring preparation, commitment, and the courage to face yourself fully.
For me, the call to this path began in grief. I had just lost a dear friend, Hellen, to an unexpected death at forty. Before she died, she urged me to participate in a huachuma ceremony with a Quechuan medicine woman of Incan lineage in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Hellen had met her years earlier and been profoundly transformed by her experience. Her stories left a deep imprint on my heart. Six months after Hellen’s passing, I found myself in that same valley, high in the Andes, preparing to meet the medicine for the first time. That ceremony marked the start of a much longer journey, one that eventually led me to work with other sacred plant allies such as ayahuasca and psilocybin.
In the months leading up to the ceremony, the medicine woman guided me through a series of virtual lessons to prepare me for working with huachuma, a cosmic grandfather who is seen as the masculine counterpart to ayahuasca, the cosmic grandmother. Huachuma, also known as San Pedro, is a sacred Andean brew made from the Echinopsis pachanoi cactus, which contains the psychoactive compound mescaline. For more than three thousand years, indigenous peoples in the Andes—particularly in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia—have used it for healing, divination, and spiritual connection. Through the medicine woman’s teachings, I gained valuable insight into the spirit of the medicine, which is revered as a sentient being. I understood that working with huachuma, or any plant medicine, is not a quick fix or an instant cure but the beginning of a deeper inner journey. Meeting the medicine in ceremony is a sacred spiritual practice that requires reverence, readiness, and a sincere willingness to connect deeply with one's true self. These plants are not merely tools for self-healing; they are ancient, intelligent beings that work with you, not on you.
The medicine woman taught me how to prepare both my body and my energetic field. She emphasized the importance of eating whole, clean foods and recommended avoiding processed foods, meat, alcohol, dairy, and stimulants. She also showed me ways to clear my energetic field through various practices. I learned a lot from her wisdom and guidance, and I will always treasure these lessons.
What to Expect Before Ceremony: How Plant Allies Begin Their Work Before The First Sip
Drawing from my own experience with plant medicine and enriched by others' stories, plant allies often begin their work on us long before the first sip and continue through the unfolding of our lives afterward. Many participants, including me, notice the medicine’s influence days or weeks before the ceremony begins. Some people experience intense dreams, emotional upheaval, physical sensations, or purging, while others encounter life events that reflect the themes their ceremony will later illuminate. It’s as if the medicine is already beginning to work before we drink the brew. These are not coincidences; they are invitations. They are part of the process.
Integration: Continuing the Journey After the Ceremony
Integration is where the medicine’s lessons take root. Insights may unfold over weeks, months, or even years after the ceremony. Having a spiritual practice, support system, and space for reflection after the ceremony will help you carry the wisdom forward into your daily life.
1:1 Preparation & Support
Having been well-prepared by the medicine woman for my first plant ceremony, I approached huachuma with trust and openness. I applied what I learned to prepare for ayahuasca and psilocybin ceremonies that I participated in years later. Through conversations, I discovered that many others did not feel adequately prepared or aware of what to expect from a ceremony. Some expressed wanting more guidance beforehand or support afterward. This inspired me to create this guide and now offer one-on-one plant ceremony preparation and integration services, helping others approach the medicine with confidence, reverence, and readiness.
What to Know Before You Sit in Ceremony: A Practical Guide
This guide walks you through essential steps to prepare for a sacred plant medicine journey, focusing on protecting your well-being, honoring tradition, and opening you to the full depth of the experience.
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STEP 1: KNOW YOUR PLANT ALLY + YOUR RISK
Before participating in a sacred ceremony, take time to understand the plant you want to work with; not just its physical effects, but also your risk position. Consult your doctor and evaluate your risk, especially if you have a medical condition, take prescription medications, or have a history of mental health concerns.
If you decide to move forward, know that beyond its physical effects, each master plant has a unique intelligence and a distinct way of guiding those who seek help in ceremony. Each plant is a teacher. And like any teacher, it helps to know their language before sitting in their classroom.
Ayahuasca, huachuma, and psilocybin are not interchangeable. Some open the heart; others expand awareness, dissolve ego, or illuminate buried emotions. Each one speaks a different language, and understanding that language, even a little, helps you receive its message.
Before you agree to participate in a plant ceremony, take time to:
- Consult your doctor. Understand the risks. Understand your health, family history, and consider your risk.
- Learn about the physical and psychedelic effects of the plant you intend to work with.
- Understand its cultural origins. Knowing where it comes from, how it has been used, and by whom is an integral part of understanding its essence and what to expect.
- Read or listen to firsthand accounts, but remember: every journey is unique, including yours. Some people have had profound spiritual experiences that inspire others to follow, while others have had unfortunate or destabilizing experiences and would caution against it.
- Sit with your intention and ask: Why this plant? Why now?
You're building a personal relationship with a plant spirit, one that holds intelligence, awareness, and intention. And yes, it knows how you show up to the ceremony. This relationship asks for reverence, humility, and respect.
Take Ayahuasca, for example. In visions, she often manifests as a serpent, symbolizing her profound and multifaceted essence. For those unfamiliar, seeing a serpent during a ceremony can be startling or even frightening. Understanding how this medicine operates both physically and spiritually can help you approach the experience with openness and curiosity rather than fear. Familiarity with symbolism enhances your receptivity, helping you better understand the messages being conveyed. When she appears as a cosmic serpent in a vision, she might be revealing what needs to be addressed in your subconscious, guiding your healing process in a powerful and illuminating way.
What to Do if You Encounter Frightening Beings in Ceremony
Sometimes these encounters involve visions of beings that may scare you. If this happens, stay curious. Notice where in your body you feel the fear—be present with it, watch it, and allow it to pass through you. Instead of pulling away, ask the being to show you why it has appeared. Invite it to help you understand what is beneath your fear. Often, what initially seems like a threat can hold a message, a reflection, or an unexpected gift.
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STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR GUIDES WITH CARE
Not everyone who conducts a ceremony or serves *medicine* is qualified.
As the popularity of plant medicine grows, so does the number of retreats, facilitators, and self-proclaimed shamans. While some guides are trained and rooted in authentic lineages, others may lack the experience, integrity, or energetic grounding to hold this sacred space safely.
Before committing to a ceremony, take time to ask important questions:
- Who is leading the ceremony? What is their training or lineage?
- Who is preparing the medicine? Where is it sourced? What is the dosage?
- What is the duration of the ceremony?
- How many participants will be there? (A small group is strongly recommended.)
- How many facilitators will be present at the ceremony to offer support?
- What safety protocols are in place for physical, emotional, and energetic support?
- Where will the ceremony be held? Understand your post-ceremony accommodations, amenities, meals, and reflection support.
Trust your intuition and common sense. Be cautious of ceremonies that feel rushed, overcrowded (more than 12 participants), or excessively commercialized. A sacred experience needs a safe, energetically protected container.
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STEP 3: SET A CLEAR INTENTION
Your intention in working with a plant ally serves as an anchor. It’s not about trying to control the experience, because you simply can’t. It is about showing up with honesty, presence, and humility. The medicine may deliver an experience you *need*, not necessarily what you want or expect to receive.
Ask yourself:
- What am I seeking to understand, release, or receive?
- What part of you is seeking the medicine?
- What healing or insight am I truly ready for?
- What part of me longs to be seen, heard, or held?
Write it down. Meditate on it. Whisper it to the stars. A sincere intention creates a pathway for the medicine to meet you with clarity.
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STEP 4: GIVE YOURSELF 30–40 DAYS TO PREPARE
The ceremony begins the moment you say yes.
Give yourself 30 to 40 days to begin your preparation gently. This may include:
- Clearing unnecessary obligations.
- Creating space for solitude and stillness.
- Starting daily practices like meditation, journaling, or breathwork.
- Start steps 3-9 in this guide, including #5 The Dieta.
Think of this as tilling the soil, so that when the medicine comes, your inner ground is ready to receive it.
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STEP 5: HONOR THE “DIETA”
Sacred Plant Medicine Diet: Whole Foods for Ceremony Readiness
The “dieta” is not just a list of foods to avoid. It is an energetic refinement. In the days and weeks before a ceremony, follow a whole-foods diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains while avoiding processed foods, heavy meats, dairy, and stimulants.
Traditional practices often recommend abstaining from:
- Red meat, dairy, alcohol, and processed foods.
- Sugar, caffeine, and spicy or stimulating foods.
- Recreational drugs and pharmaceuticals (always consult your doctor).
- Tobacco, nicotine, coffee, caffeinated drinks, and other stimulants.
These foods and stimulants can cloud perception and dampen the subtle body. Cleaning your diet opens the energetic channels so the medicine can work more deeply. If those facilitating the ceremony do not recommend a dieta, consider it a red flag.
If you regularly consume coffee or caffeinated drinks, nicotine, or other stimulants, begin tapering down at the start of the 30-40 days before your ceremony to minimize withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, or irritability. Always consult your doctor and healthcare professionals if you use prescription drugs. Inform your ceremony facilitator of any prescription medications you're taking, and be as transparent as possible. Remember, plant medicine is not suitable for everyone.
Fasting Before Ceremony: Discipline, Reverence, and Receptivity
The day before and the day of the ceremony, many traditions observe a fast. Consult your doctor if you have any dietary or fasting concerns. Fasting serves as both a sign of reverence for the medicine and a way to prepare the body for the journey ahead. By quieting the body's demands, you sharpen your senses and increase your receptivity. You may choose to follow a whole foods diet for a few days after the ceremony. Some people stick with a whole foods diet or give up stimulants indefinitely after discovering its profound impact on the body, mind, and spirit.
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STEP 6: CLEARING YOUR ENERGETIC FIELD
This is about energetic hygiene. Taking time to cleanse and lighten your energetic field helps to create space for the plant wisdom to land. Let the medicine meet the truth of you, not the noise around you.
In the weeks leading up to the ceremony:
- Reduce screen time and avoid violent, stressful, or overstimulating content and media.
- Abstain from sex for at least 10 days or more (you don’t want to bring other people’s energy into the ceremony).
- Postpone any heavy conversations, triggering situations, or conflicts the week of the ceremony.
- Minimizing time in draining environments, situations, or relationships.
- Practice breathwork, grounding meditations, or other techniques to clear your field.
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STEP 7: CULTIVATE STILLNESS AND SELF-CONNECTION
Stillness is a gateway to deeper receptivity.
Maintain a spiritual practice. It doesn’t matter what faith or tradition you follow. As a human being, you are already enough. Having any kind of spiritual practice will be helpful.
During your preparation window, prioritize:
- Daily meditation or silent sitting.
- Journaling dreams, emotions, and inner dialogue.
- Movement practices like yoga, nature walks, or dance.
- Prayer (if applicable), chanting, and the like are also great.
The more attuned you are, the more you can hear what the medicine—and your soul—has to say.
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STEP 8: ASK FOR PERMISSION
This step is often overlooked or misunderstood. Working with plant medicine is a relationship, not a transaction. It is a sacred exchange rooted in mutual respect. Engaging with plant allies is a spiritual practice. These allies are ancient, sentient, benevolent cosmic beings that assist you spiritually.
Before you enter ceremony, take a moment to connect with the spirit of the plant. Sit in stillness. Place your hands on your heart. Call in the plant you are working with, not just as a substance, but as a wise ancient teacher.
Ask for permission. You can say something like:
“Great teacher, I ask permission to work with you. To walk this path with you. May I receive what is in my highest good.”
Plant spirits are benevolent, ancient, and intelligent. They respond to sincerity and reverence. If you are traveling to sacred lands, extend your respect and request permission, not only to the plant spirit but also to the land itself, the ancestors, and the guardians.
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STEP 9: MAKE AN OFFERING
Gratitude, Balance, and Cosmic Reciprocity
In many traditions, it’s customary to make an offering before a ceremony. An offering is more than a gesture; it is a metaphysical exchange of giving and receiving that honors the balance of the cosmos and expresses gratitude for the plant spirit's guidance.
You might offer:
- Tobacco, incense, or cacao.
- A crystal, feather, or natural object.
- herbs, flowers, fruit, or candy.
- A poem, prayer, or song.
It doesn’t matter what you give; it matters how you give it. Offer with sincerity, humility, and presence. Make an offering before the ceremony, when you are asking for permission, and at the ceremony.
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AFTER THE CEREMONY
The real question isn’t “What did you see or experience?” but “What did you learn about yourself?”
Integration Is Where The Medicine Takes Root
Your relationship with the plant spirit doesn’t end when the ceremony closes; it evolves.
Integration is where the real transformation begins.
The ceremony may have offered insights, visions, or revelations, but the significance of those experiences often reveals itself slowly over time. Sometimes, the most powerful messages don’t appear during the ceremony itself, but in the stillness that follows. Messages can come through your dreams, conversations, or subtle changes within your body and relationships.
Keep calling on your plant allies for guidance; they are still with you. Maintain a spiritual or grounding routine to help anchor the wisdom.
Healing is not a simple moment. It is a living relationship with yourself, with spirit, and with the medicine.
Make sure you have a trusted support system—friends, mentors, or guides who can hold space for you. If intense emotions or confusion arise, seek someone who understands the terrain. Integration can be beautiful, but it can also be disorienting. You're not doing it wrong if it feels like a lot.
After the ceremony, you may experience:
- Emotional waves rising without warning.
- Unexpected changes in relationships or routines.
- A shift in priorities, boundaries, or desires.
- Physical purging or exhaustion as your body recalibrates.
- Dreams, symbols, or memories surfacing with renewed clarity.
This is all part of the unfolding, part of the healing. This is where the medicine gets braided into your everyday life.
Have a spiritual or grounding practice in place to help you stay tethered. Meditation, prayer, journaling, time in nature, breathwork, or simply quiet reflection can support your nervous system and help anchor the insights into your lived experience.
Continue calling on your plant allies for support; they are still working with you in spirit. You can connect with the spirit of the plant through intention, breath, or ritual. The conversation didn’t end at the altar. It just changed form.
If your plant ceremony experience was destabilizing, consult a doctor, therapist, or healthcare professional for help and support.
Integration makes the mystical practical. Integration might include:
- Journaling about your experience, messages, and dreams.
- Talking with a guide or support group to help process your insights.
- Gently shifting habits, patterns of behavior, or relationships that no longer serve you.
- Making your healing lived, not just remembered.
The ceremony opens the door. Integration is how you walk through it.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Entering Ceremony with Reverence and Readiness
Sacred plant medicine is a gift—one that requires humility and preparation. Whether you’re new to this path or deepening your connection with the plants, remember that your readiness itself is an offering. The more you prepare in body, mind, and spirit, the more receptive you will be to the healing, insight, and transformation that the medicine can offer.
If you feel called to plant medicine, listen. But also listen for *when* it’s right.
Sometimes the call means *go now*. Other times, it means *prepare your inner ground*. Healing through plant medicine is not a quick fix. It can’t be rushed. It’s a sacred unfolding—a nomadic journey through your body, heart, mind, and spirit. It required your full presence, patience, and respect.
This path is not linear. It is spiral, like nature itself. There may be moments of light and clarity, and others of confusion, contraction, and uncertainty. All of it is part of the healing process.
Plant medicine isn’t about escaping your life. It’s about meeting it more fully, with an open heart and a grounded spirit.
You don’t have to walk it alone.
If you’re seeking support before or after your ceremony, I offer 1:1 sessions for preparation and integration. I’m here to help you listen to your inner knowing, honor the relationship with the plant spirit, and walk the path in a way that is both sacred and sustainable.
Andrea Adelson is a certified meditation teacher, inner journey guide, and founder of Nomadic Awakening. She has worked with plant medicines including ayahuasca, huachuma, and psilocybin, and offers compassionate, grounded support for those navigating the sacred path of transformation.
🔗 Connect on Instagram: @nomadic.awakening
🌿 Learn more or book a session: https://www.nomadicawakening.com
