Pre-Initiation Ceremony

    Pre initiation tools

    “In our modern world, we have separated ourselves from nature and replaced our rituals and traditions from a celebration of nature, truth, and life to one that worships the material and self-generated insecurities. The Bwiti initiation is an ancient ceremony meant to connect you to the Bwiti (study of life itself), nature, the truth, and who you truly are. It is truly an honor to be authorized to offer the Pre-initiation ceremony to people outside of Gabon and be with them during one of the most profound moments of their lives.”

    Ryan "Ghenigho" Rich

    Pre-Initiations are a profound Bwiti ritual that connects you to spirit of Iboga and the Bwiti tradition. It also reconnects you to nature, the truth, and who you truly are. Practiced by the Bwiti for thousands of years, initiations are a powerful portal to ground deeply & align with your fullest potential.

    It wasn’t until recently that the outside world was allowed access to both Iboga and these powerful practices. Previously, the Missoko Bwiti had to go into hiding to protect their sacred tradition from the French colonialists. It is now safe for them to share it with the outside world. 

    The Initiation is a doorway to adulthood and the Bwiti path. To send a person through the full-initiation requires the full support of the Bwiti tribe, and must be done at his village in Gabon, the birthplace of the tradition. The Pre-initiation is the deepest experience that our team can offer outside Gabon. Pre-initiations are offered as an added option at all of our retreats. Root Healing’s lead providers Ryan “Ghenigo” Rich, Steven “Moubengui” Callahan have been empowered to facilitate Pre-Initiations for both Men and Women. For women, Madeleine “Ebando” Cullerton is also empowered to offer Pre-Initiations. 

    The Pre-Initiation is perfect for those who wish to connect more deeply with the roots of this tradition and the spirit of Iboga, as well as for those who cannot travel to Gabon for whatever reason.

    From our perspective, one of the reasons we have so many problems in our modern world is the lack of these “rites of passages,” or “initiations” in the lives of young adults. These coming of age rituals are powerful ways to prepare people for adult life, to build community and to instill a sense of personal responsibility for one’s own happiness. 

    It’s truly a gift to be able to share this offering outside of Gabon alongside our regular retreats. We look forward to discussing more with anyone who may be interested. Please feel free to reach out at any time with question and let us know you are interested when booking.

    Bwiti Initiation

    Pre-Initiation Offering

    Pre-initiations are offered separately as their own retreat, and also as an add-on to a normal Psychospiritual retreat. When offered as their own retreat, it will be called “Missoko Bwiti Pre-Initiation retreat. For those who wish to add the Pre-Initiation to one of our normal Psychospiritual retreats, please let us know in the contact form or when you sign up for the retreat so we can prepare accordingly. There is actually quite a bit of preparation that goes into it.  At all retreats, the Pre-initiation will be done after at least one initial ceremony.  For guests in our Iboga Detox Program, Pre-Initiations are included at the final stage of your treatment. If you choose our extended Detox program and are going to Gabon, you will receive the Pre-Initiation at our center and the Initiation when you are there. The Pre-Initiation is a powerful ceremony and we will always make sure that the person is ready before we proceed. This is why we always require at least one ceremony with us before the Pre-Initiation, so we can determine where you are spiritually and mentally and if you are ready for it. If we determine that someone is not ready for the Pre-initiation, we usually still move forward with a normal ceremony for you and just refund the difference for the cost of Pre-Initiation.
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    Bwiti Initiation
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    Madeliene “Ebando” Cullerton