Initiation By Yew
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22nd – 25th January
With Emma Fitchett
Course Structure & Fees
A residential ceremonial retreat in Devon
Dates: 22 – 25 January 2026
- Arrival: 6pm
- Departure: 4pm
Structure
Registration for this three day retreat requires a pre-diet plan, sent before arrival.
Location
Canonteign Manor, Devon
Canonteign Manor, Christow, Exeter, Devon, EX6 7NS
Fees
£545
These fees include food, accommodation, teaching & ceremony. Spaces are limited so please book swiftly if you would like to come.
We have a very limited number of bursary places allocated for those, who are not able to cover this fee. To apply for a bursary please fill in the application form
An Invitation
Into Relationship With The Ancient Yew Tree
Initiation is an ancient form of ceremony that brings maturity, transformation into a new phase of life and assists in taking up our place within the collective. There are many forms of initiation and in traditional society it was often, and in many places still is, a coming of age where the young person becomes an adult stepping into their role within the tribe. The elders perform these initiations, guiding the next generation into finding their purpose.
In many western cultures, the processes and the powers of initiation have been forgotten, the elders have almost gone or are having to relearn what ancient rites mean in contemporary times. There are those who believe it is through listening to the land, plants and trees, by coming into deep relationship and conversation with the ‘more than human’ world, that we can once again recover these methods and be initiated into what it means to be truly human.
In this ceremony, we will be experiencing for ourselves the power of the yew tree, the tree of eternity that holds the Gateway to the Otherworld and the portal to immortality, to act as initiator and elder, to remind us of our purpose, regardless of what transition we face. The Yew tree is steeped in history and ancient veneration and its associations with axis mundi, karmic Saturn, the element of water and with the timeless quality of all that is, points us to its potent transformational abilities.
This is an opportunity to work with the spirit of yew, for personal revelation, for guidance and transformation, to open the doors of perception, to expand our consciousness and to explore for ourselves the possibilities of initiation in this way. It is an opportunity to be initiated directly by the ‘more than human’ and discover the possibility of a more intimate communication and reciprocal relationship between ourselves and the natural world.
What to expect
During this three day initiation, we will be in ceremony the entire time, which requires that you stay the full length of time at Canonteign Manor. We will be ingesting the essence and yew aril tinctures that have been prepared ceremonially to enhance the consciousness expanding qualities of the tree. We suggest fasting while we ingest the elixir at various times throughout the three days. If for some reason you are unable to fast then specific foods will be available for you. If you need to eat throughout, you may bring what you need
We will deepen our experience with the plant in many ways including dreaming, journeying, creativity, embodiment of the tree through imaginative processes and experiencing the plant through breath work. We will step into the initiatory experience of dismemberment which is a traditional animistic way of dying to the old and being reborn into a new you, strengthened and enlightened by this holder of the Otherworldly portal.
You will be asked to prepare yourself ahead of time by eating certain foods and refraining from certain activities. Entering this ceremony with a clear body, mind and spirit is a way of honouring the Yew Tree and facilitating a deeper experience. It is with utmost respect that we approach this sovereign being as it offers us a transformative experience of immersion into the inner realm of the trees.
What people say
“The experience was nourishing, healing, connecting, full of wisdom and learning, beautifully held, full of new experiences, opened my perceptions to other energies and spirits” – Jimmy, Initiation By Oak
“I found the experience profound and deeply moving. I loved the variation of experience, from visualisation to creating amulets to stillness to dance to counsel round the fire – a wonderful nourishment for so many of the senses and the soul, through so many vehicles!” – Polly, Initiation By Oak
Your Guides
The lead guides for this ceremony is Emma Fitchett with space holding by Rachel Fleming.
Emma Fitchett
Emma is a plant spirit healer, shamanic teacher and author. She is the founder of the School of Natural Esoterics where she trains healers and holds plant spirit initiations. Her life long pursuit of self-mastery and inner transformation is fuelled by a fascination with the nature of reality and consciousness and has led her to studying a Master’s Degree in ‘The Preservation & Development Of Wisdom Culture & The Art Of Liberation’ in the Tibetan Buddhist Mahayana Tradition, writing her thesis on ‘Understanding The Nature Of The Self Through Lucid Dreaming’. She has also been initiated into and trained in indigenous healing and magical lineages of the British Isles and the Ecuadorian Amazon, is a Yew Mysteries initiate and holds the lineage of the White Serpent. She is a Geomancer, Pranic Healer & Psychic Surgeon. Emma has been undertaking plant initiations for 13 years. She also runs the Plant Consciousness Apothecary, a Remote Healing Practice and is the author of Journeys with Plant Spirits published by Bear & Co.