The Magic Garden · Fredensborg, near Copenhagen

Safety and guidelines

Jacob has walked the inner path for 42 years and Ecaterina for 25. We know from our own experience how much it matters to feel safe when you open yourself to an inner journey. Whether you come for a retreat, a private ceremony, a ceremony with your partner or The Free Woman, the same ground rules apply. Here you can read how we look after you before, during and after, who a ceremony is not for, and what we ask of you.

Plants and flowers in the foyer on the way into the Roundhall
The foyer with its plants – from here you walk into the Roundhall. Photo: Per Rask

In short

  • We get to know you first

    Whatever you have chosen, we read your application form before you get a place – and for most ceremonies we also talk by phone.

  • Support whenever you need it

    You always have support when you need it – before, during and after the ceremony. Our guides are experienced, and one of us is always close to you.

  • Your doctor stays your doctor

    A ceremony is not medical treatment. Some people should not take part, and we tell you so honestly.

  • Integration is part of it

    After the ceremony we help you land and carry what you experienced into your everyday life.

The eight-sided roof of the Roundhall behind large bushes of white rhododendron on a sunny summer day
The Roundhall on a summer's day. All our ceremonies take place here – in the garden where we live.

Before you get a place

Here is how it goes, from the moment you write to us until you have your place:

The green garden gate seen from inside on a summer day, with tarot cards on the gate and flowering bushes along the path
The gate into the garden. Behind it lie the garden and the Roundhall, only a few steps away.

  1. You write to Ecaterina

    Tell her briefly what you are looking for and which ceremony feels right for you.

  2. You fill in an application form

    We send you an application form. It is our screening, and an important part of the process.

  3. We read it and talk

    For a retreat the form is usually enough: if everything looks fine, you get your place. If we would like to hear more, we phone or write to you. For a private ceremony, couples therapy and The Free Woman we always talk by phone before we confirm your place or your date.

  4. You pay and receive everything you need

    You pay by bank transfer – never here on the website. Then you receive an e-mail with your preparation and all the details of the ceremony and the integration.

Why we screen

We screen thoroughly because we want to be sure the group is right for the ceremony, and that you are well looked after. Answer as honestly as you can – even when it is hard. The more we know, the better the setting we can give you.

Just before the ceremony

Before the ceremony itself we always talk with you, so you can tell us what is on your mind. At a retreat this is a personal conversation with Jacob or Ecaterina on the Friday. In The Free Woman we begin in a circle, where each woman tells the others where she stands.

If the answer is no

It is not a rejection. It is care – for you and for the group.

Sometimes we say no – or not yet. When we do, we say it plainly and tell you why, as well as we can.

You only pay once we have confirmed your place. So if we say no, you have paid nothing, and there is nothing to refund.

You are always welcome at a full moon concert – and welcome to ask again later.

Do you have questions before you apply? You are welcome to book a free 20-minute clarity call with Ecaterina. You don't need one to apply – it is simply there if it helps.

Book a free clarity call with Ecaterina

Who should not take part

A plant medicine ceremony is not for everyone, whatever you have chosen. We would rather say so clearly here than have you hear it only after you have written to us.

A rainbow over the roof of the Roundhall and the green garden after rain
A rainbow over the Roundhall. If the answer is not yet, you are welcome to ask again when the time is right.

  • When the answer is no

    Some people should not take part – for example with certain mental health conditions, heart problems and some kinds of medication.

  • Maybe – with extra care

    Sometimes the answer is yes, but with extra care. Then we get in touch with you before we confirm your place, and agree on what you need to take part safely.

  • Not yet is also an answer

    Sometimes the right answer is not no, but not yet. Then we tell you so and explain why, and you are welcome to ask again later.

For everyone

  • You must be at least 21 years old.
  • If it is your first ceremony, someone must pick you up afterwards.

During the ceremony

The ceremony lasts about 6–8 hours. Whether you are in a group, one-to-one with a guide or together with your partner, this is how we hold the space:

Ayahuasca ceremony in the Roundhall: participants lie on mattresses under blankets while the musicians play by the altar beneath the striped starry sky in the ceiling
The Roundhall during a ceremony. You have your own mattress, and the music fills the room.

  • You can always reach out

    An experienced guide is always close to you and can support you with presence, a hand or a few words when you need it. Who will be with you is described on the page about the ceremony you have chosen.

  • You decide

    You decide how much you share and how far you go. If something becomes too much, just say so – to a guide, in the circle or in the conversation just before the ceremony.

  • The Roundhall

    The Roundhall is a round hall built for music and ceremony, in the garden where we live ourselves. Here you have your own place to lie down.

  • The music

    The music is Jacob and Ecaterina's own, and it carries and guides you through the journey. At a retreat they play it live. At the other ceremonies the music is recorded, and now and then Ecaterina sings.

  • Well prepared, well accompanied

    A ceremony can set a lot in motion, in the body and in the feelings. That is why we prepare you well, are with you throughout and follow up afterwards.

  • Food, water and rest

    What to eat and drink before the ceremony is in the guide you receive. Afterwards there is time to land: you draw or paint a mandala, you can share what you experienced in a round, and we eat together. You go home when you feel completely ready.

What we are not

We give you a safe setting and support, so you can find your own answers. That is why you should know what a ceremony with us is – and what it is not.

Dark purple columbines in flower in front of the Roundhall roof and green leaves
Columbines in front of the Roundhall.

  • Not medical treatment

    We offer a ceremonial setting, not treatment. We make no diagnoses and treat no illnesses, and a ceremony does not replace your doctor or psychologist. If you are in treatment or take medication, tell us in your application – and never stop or change your medication in order to take part.

  • No promised result

    We cannot promise you a particular result, and we do not promise that anything will be healed. What we do promise is preparation, presence and integration – before, during and after. What you experience is yours.

Guidelines for participants

The practical things, in short – they apply whatever you have chosen. You receive the exact guide for your ceremony by e-mail once you have paid.

Happy participants gathered round a table with food and candlelight, waving to the camera
Afterwards we eat together, and there is plenty of time.

The week before

  • We recommend a plant-based or vegetarian diet – for the whole week or just the last 2–3 days. It is not a must.
  • Once you have your place, you receive a list of foods to avoid.
  • Cut down on coffee, sugar and other stimulants. You may want to reduce coffee little by little during the week, so you avoid a “coffee headache”.
  • Drink plenty of water every day.
  • Turn off the phone, the television and the computer as much as you can, and give time to yourself.

The day before and on the day

  • What to eat and drink the day before and on the day itself is in the guide you receive.
  • Arrive at the time we have agreed with you.
  • Your phone stays switched off during the ceremony.
  • If it is your first ceremony, arrange in advance who will pick you up.

Afterwards

  • Take the next day off if you can – you are still open and extra sensitive.
  • Wait until the day after – or longer – before you make big decisions.
  • Integration is part of everything we offer – it is as big a part of the journey as the ceremony itself. How it works for you is described on the page about the ceremony you have chosen.
  • If you need to talk to us afterwards, write or call. We are here for you before, during and after your journey.
Read the full guide to preparation and integration

Read on

Last updated October 2026.