Spiritual Changemakers Retreat

May 23-26, 2024 – Boulder, Colorado

“There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist most easily succumbs:
activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most
common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of
conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many
projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of our
activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys
the fruitfulness of our work because it kills the root of inner wisdom, which makes work fruitful.”
– Thomas Merton

We are delighted to invite you to this experiential retreat for the purposes of spiritual renewal,
growth and fellowship. The retreat will be held just outside of Boulder, Colorado and hosted by
The Sanctuary for Sacred Union with leadership from its co-founders, Rev. JT Smiedendorf and
Allison Conte (see bios).

This 4-day, 3 night immersive retreat includes embodied spiritual practices, rituals, and a
plant-medicine prayer ceremony within a shamanically-held container.

In small group community, we will focus on cultivating:

● heart-centered presence with ourselves
● resonant connection with others
● reverent relationship with Nature and
● direct communion with the Divine.
Logistics
Arrive: Thursday, May 23 @4pm
Depart: Sunday, May 26 @Noon-ish

Address: 98 Sunrise Lane, Boulder, CO 80302

What’s included
The retreat includes lodging, food, facilitation, ceremony, one individual intake call, and two
group integration calls on Zoom.

Who’s invited
This circle is curated specifically for spiritually-oriented change leaders and is limited to 6
participants. All participants will be screened for medical and psychological contraindications
and to confirm appropriateness of participation.

Travel to Colorado
(We will provide more specific information after you register but for now here are some travel
considerations.)

Arrival: We recommend arriving on Wednesday to mitigate potential airline delays – and give
your body time to adjust to the altitude. If you must travel on Thursday morning, you’ll need to
arrive at DIA by Noon or 1pm so you’ll have time for lunch.

Ground transportation: We live in the mountains, one hour’s drive from the airport (give
yourself more time in inclement weather). When you register, we’ll send options for ground
transportation. There is the potential for sharing a rental car with other participants.

Staying overnight on Wednesday: You can potentially share an AirBnb with other participants
for that first night (lodging is included during retreat nights), if you register soon enough to make
plans.

Departure: You may choose to travel home on Sunday afternoon or plan to stay in Colorado an
additional night to rest up.

Donations
We request a donation of $1,500 per participant to cover the cost of facilitation, food and
lodging. (If this amount would be a burden for you but you feel called to participate, please let us
know and we will work with you on the cost. We do not want money to be a barrier.)
How to Reserve Your Spot
Reserve your spot by sending the full amount or a $300 deposit via Venmo to @jt-smiedendorf.
Or mail a check payable to The Sanctuary for Sacred Union, 98 Sunrise Lane, Boulder, CO
80302. Upon receipt of your deposit, your spot will be held and we will send an intake form
along with other necessary forms, and ceremony guidelines.

Additional Resources
● Website: Sanctuary for Sacred Union web site
● Podcast: Pastor & Priestess (Lots of good ones but here are a few favorites)
○ Meet the Pastor & Priestess — introductory episode
○ Sophia Rising – the importance of the sacred Feminine
○ Healing Divisions Through Polarity Wisdom – with Barry Johnson
○ Psychedelics and Spirituality — our own thoughts on plant medicine prayer
○ Spirituality is healing – with physician and ayahuascero, Joe Tafur
○ Psychedelics and Christianity – interview with the Episcopal priest who founded Ligare
○ Psychedelics in Antiquity? – interview with Brian Muraresku, author of The Immortality Key
● Magazine:
○ Esquire Magazine article “God, Magic Mushrooms and Me” by Paul Kix, about our work with
Christian Leaders
● Video: “Can Psychedelics and Christianity Co-Exist?” (3-min clips with some people who have been in our
ceremonies)
● Books:
○ How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollen
○ The Immortality Key by Brian Muraresku