Animism & Earth Ritual Practitioner Training

Ancestral Medicine is an organization that encourages the embodiment of animist values and practices in ways that are culturally healing, non-dogmatic, and accessible to people of diverse means, ancestries, and geographies. We are not a non-profit, NGO, spiritual community, or consensus-based organization; we are a business incorporated in the U.S. state of North Carolina that aims to be sustainable, to care well for our staff and the participants in our offerings, and to further cultural healing. Our Core Values (https://ancestralmedicine.org/core-values/) are: Animist, Antisupremacist, International, Accessible, Courageous, & Kind. For more see: ancestralmedicine.org/about.

Our team is committed to facilitating and guiding the Animism & Earth Ritual Training in professional and values-driven ways. Training and policy details are below and also in the Training Manual. All trainees accepted in the program will be provided with the Animism & Earth Ritual Training Manual at least one week before our orientation in February 2026. By participating in this program and signing below, you agree to the terms outlined in the manual. You’ll have a chance to read over the manual and ask any questions about what’s in there before the training starts, but we’re not sharing it yet simply because we’re still creating it for this first cycle of the training.

Both during and after the training process, participants are warmly encouraged to participate in ongoing educational and community opportunities through the emergent Earth Ritual branch of the Ancestral Medicine Practitioner Network; however, active involvement in optional Network offerings is not actually required to fulfill or to maintain your certification as a practitioner.

Post-training requirements are simple. We’ll ask you to engage in an average of 5 hrs of continuing education (CE) per year, and report in once every two years via a form we’ll make available to affirm that you’ve completed these requirements. This form will also ask basic questions about how you’re making use of the skills learned in the training. We are very welcoming to diverse forms of CE and we also provide free options to fulfill this modest requirement. This is all that will be required to keep your certification in good standing.

Please carefully review the training info page on our website as well as the FAQ section.

This training will empower you to lead individual session work (online or in-person) as well as to strengthen the fundamentals needed to guide group ritual and on-the-land offerings if moved to do so. Those who complete this training will be able to support others in carrying out depth service work with the land and in embracing a calling to stewardship and Earth service.

​​The training unfolds over 13 months (February 2026 – March 2027). Please refer to the Training Schedule section on the information page for details. In brief:

The training is structured around three “Practice Intensives” and accompanying “Interim and Integration Periods.”

During Practice Intensives, you’ll be asked to watch a pre-recorded lesson on the weekly topic along with a demonstration video. You’ll attend a practice session with your peers to enact new skills. Then you’ll attend a Q&A call with Daniel to review and integrate new learning. This pattern repeats weekly for four to six weeks, three times over the course of the training (see the Training Schedule below). Time commitment during these periods is at least 6 hours per week, and Practice Intensives make up 4 of the 13 months of the training.

Between Practice Intensives, there will be two-to-four month Interim and Integration Periods. During these times you’ll be required to complete peer exchanges, attend small group and individual mentorship sessions, attend teachings from guest teachers, and attend demos and teachings with Daniel. During the second interim period (Sept – Dec 2026) you’ll begin to design and enact your place-focused service project. The time commitment during these periods is at least 4 hours per week. Interim periods make up 9 of the 13 months of the training.

What follows are the ten elements in the public Code of Ethics (in bold) for the Practitioner Network. Although there are professional guidelines that may be spelled out in more detail in the Animism & Earth Ritual Training Manual (in progress), these remain the foundation for the ethical practice of Ancestral Lineage Healing. As such, they are included here for a refresh when establishing clear agreements in advance of this training.

1. Practitioners of this approach to animism and Earth-honoring ritual prioritize personal well-being as a foundation for effectively supporting others. This includes being willing to ask for and to receive support..

2. Practitioners sustain active and generative relationships both with their ancestors and with the lands they call home and seek to live in conscious, reciprocal ways with the larger web of kinship.

3. Practitioners model cultural self-responsibility, fairness, and respect and do not discriminate with regard to ethnicity, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, mental or physical ability, political views, nationality, immigration status, or socio-economic background.

4. Practitioners adhere to this Animism & Earth Ritual Practitioners Code of Ethics and related agreements as well as ethical codes and agreements relevant to their credentials, professional associations, and other forms of service in the world.

5. Practitioners commit to proactive communication, personal responsibility, and regard for impact when navigating relational and structural power differentials with clients, students, colleagues, and Ancestral Medicine teachers and staff.

6. Practitioners maintain and affirm healthy boundaries and practice active consent in sessions and teachings; in discerning when, how, and with whom to offer their services; and in how they relate with the unseen and our many Earth kin.

7. Practitioners seek to resolve conflicts in proactive, direct, and generative ways. This includes using established channels for conflict resolution, avoiding gossip, and encouraging good outcomes and repair.

8. Practitioners encourage others to relate directly with their supportive ancestors, with those who are the land, and with their personal forms of divinity. They also foster cooperation and mutual respect among practitioners from other traditions.

9. Practitioners model respect for earlier generations of ancestors, living cultures and communities, and those who are the land. This includes honoring sacred sites, existing protocols, and a general spirit of responsive humility.

10. Practitioners commit to a path of life-long learning and professional growth. This includes deepening their relationships with the Earth, participating in continuing education, inviting feedback, and welcoming outside support when needed.

1) Ancestral Medicine, Inc. (AM) disclaims responsibility for any consequences suffered by any student or client or from their students or clients, including in any course of study or healing arts practice that trainees might take on after studying with AM. By signing below, I agree to indemnify AM harmless from any and all loss or damage AM might suffer as a result of any claim, demand, cost, or judgment arising out of a trainee’s study with AM.

Common English: If others experience harm from you in the course of your practice, Ancestral Medicine is not legally responsible for your actions. We strongly encourage all practitioners to have their own professional liability insurance. Additionally, if you are guiding groups in the elements away from the immediate reach of first responders we strongly encourage you to have basic first aid skills current if not Wilderness First Responder training (or the equivalent).

2) Should circumstances arise that were not previously known in which it becomes apparent that AM can no longer back a practitioner, through a violation of any of the Code of Ethics or through any other not-already-specified need to end the mentorship relationship, AM reserves the right to revoke certification, cease mentorship, remove the individual from internal communications, and end all organizational endorsement.

Common English: Just as any practitioner can step away from involvement, it’s also true that Ancestral Medicine can break contact and endorsement and set a boundary at any point.

3) The Agreements and Understanding set forth, and any and all claims or causes of action (whether in contract, tort, or statute) that may be based upon, arise out of, or relate to these Agreements and Expectations, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

Common English: If there is a need for legal action, it will occur in the state of North Carolina.

Tuition. The cost for the full training is $7,500 USD. A reduction of $500 USD is available for those who are able to pay in full within three months of registration.

Payment Methods. Payment can be made through our website by credit/debit card or Paypal.

Payment & Recurring Plans. Upon acceptance, we ask that you register (meaning, sign this agreement, select a plan, and make a first payment) within 30 days.

Payment plan options are as follows. After you sign this agreement you'll be redirected to a checkout page where you can chose the plan that works best for you.

• - $7000 in one payment
• - 3 installments: $2,333/month
• - 6 installments: $1,250/month
• - 12 installments: $625/month
• - 18 installments: $417/month
• - 24 installments: $312.50/month

If cost is a barrier to registration, you may apply for a scholarship here.

By completing your registration, you’re committing to complete your financial obligation.

All payment plans are automatically debited monthly. In the event of pre-emptive cancellation from your side, the contract will be broken. If you wish to increase payments or otherwise adjust your payment plan, please just be in touch.

If life conditions change for you in ways that make fulfillment of your obligations impossible, you agree to proactively communicate with our team about what options may be possible.

If you need a cost reduction and/or scholarships funds from Ancestral Medicine, apply here. Scholarships and cost reductions will be decided on a case by case basis. We expect any who receive financial support to honor all other agreements in this document including payment commitments.

Refunds. Full refunds (minus a $200 admin fee and any payment processing fees) are available through November 31, 2025. From December 1, 2025 until the training begins, refunds are only possible if we can fill your spot, and we’ll still keep the $200 admin and processing fees. No refunds will be given after February 1, 2026.

Non-Completion of Training. In the unlikely event you and Ancestral Medicine part ways after the first retreat and before the training completes, we still expect you to pay for the training. You will be responsible for completing all payments for tuition according to your payment plan. If financial agreements are broken, AM reserves the right to pursue legal action.

If we ask you to leave the training before Feb 1, 2026, we’ll issue a full refund minus a $200 admin fee plus any processing fees. If we ask you to leave any time after the first retreat begins, full payment for the training is expected.

Our team is made up of caring and reasonable people and we reserve the right to make exceptions to any of these agreements on a case-by-case basis. By signing here, I agree to follow all agreements, understandings, and policies in this document.