12 Day Immersion in Peruvian Shamanism
2026-11-04 08:00 - 2026-11-15 17:00 (America/Denver) | Peru, Peru
Peruvian Shamanism is paving the way as a leading transformational resource for these times. Rich in cultural teachings and practices from the high Andes to the Amazon, this land holds an awareness of Spirit that we have forgotten in the Western World. This journey is for those who seek to remember.
In this experience you will be led by three Shaman: myself of Celtic Slavic lineage living on Treaty 6 territory in Canada, Juan Q’espi Paq’o of the Q’ero Nation and Maestro Sani our Shipibo Ayahuascero.

3 Ayahuasca Ceremonies
3 Despacho Ceremonies with traditional Limpiar and Karpays
Shamanic journey’s for ancestral healing
Machu Piichu tour & other sacred sites
Temazcal Ceremony

Since time immemorial, the Q’ero people have preserved the integrity of their cultural heritage. Known as the last of the Incas, they have traveled down from the mountains over the past sixty years to fulfill the prophecy of the Condor and the Eagle. This prophecy foretells a time when the peoples of the north and south will unite to create a new way of being—a time of Pachakuti, where everything turns upside down, allowing us to see the world in a new light.

We are currently in this transformative period, which is ripe for profound change. The Q’ero share the rich wisdom of their traditions to guide Westerners home to Pachamama. Juan Q’espi is our master teacher for this journey. I have known him for over fifteen years and have great admiration for his work within his community, his family, and as a shaman.

For twelve days, he will lead you through his teachings, ceremonies, and initiations to help cleanse you of heavy energy, open your heart, and lay a solid foundation for your work as a healer.

Why Choose Ayahuasca? Our spiritual growth requires us to embrace who we are, acknowledge our past experiences, and love ourselves completely. Ayahuasca guides us into the depths of our soul, helping us recognize what we hold onto that prevents us from aligning our true selves with our daily lives. It also makes us aware of what we can change within ourselves.

We are joined by Maestro Sani, a Shipibo Ayahuascero from Contamana, who grew up in a family of shamans and operates his own retreat center, Sanin Mai, in the Amazon. He will be with us in the Sacred Valley for three transformative ceremonies, each designed to support you on your spiritual journey. Please read your intake form for information about diet and preparation.
Sacred Valley – This landscape will transform you. Who you are now will never be the same after a trip to Peru. It is simply what is. Through the ceremonies that Juan will share with you at the Ancient Incan temples, to the work you are doing with ayahuasca; your awareness of who you are and what matters in this world changes. In this way you are cleansed by the land, becoming a brighter more authentic version of your true self. We will be exploring some sights off the beaten path, as well as two days at Machu Picchu – one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Prerequisites: You must have a history of working with me. If you are new to my work this means you will have to do a minimum of three private sessions in person or on zoom prior to the trip. Book a quick chat to talk details
Registration:

Email me your interest and we will set up a call to chat details
Fill out Intake form here
Pay deposit $1500 non refundable USD (direct wire transfer through bank USD or e-transfer in the current exchange rate to CAD or pay pal to sarahsalterkelly@gmail.com or call in your cc to me to manually enter – pay pal and cc incur a 5% additional fee)
Book your free introduction session here (60 min)

Cost: $4188 USD twin shared occupancy or $4688 USD private, with a non refundable deposit of $1500 USD by June1 st. Payment in full by August 15th. Note there are limited spots and yours is held when you give your deposit.
Dates:

Group Zoom meeting September date tba
12 Day Shamanic Initiation November 4-15 2026
Optional add on Q’ero extension November 15 – 21 message me for details
Group Zoom meeting integration Dec date tba

You must have an updated version of Zoom & Whats App
Group size – maximum 14 people
Altitude – You will be in high altitude for this trip so its important to note that you will be adjusting in the first couple of days. It is recommended to drink lots of mate de coca – coca leaf tea – when you land and to even chew the coca leaves which is what the local people do.
What’s included:

Introduction session, post trip integration session
Group Zoom preparation meeting pre trip & post trip integration
Hotels & Retreat Center
All food while at retreat center
All breakfasts
Final supper
Tickets for Machu Picchu, hikes & other sacred sites
Private Tour guides
Private Bus
Translator
Air port transfers
Three Ayahuasca Ceremonies & personal diagnostic with Shaman
Four group Despacho ceremonies & Initiation rituals with Shaman
Integration Circle, meditation, and work with Sarah
Temazcal Sweat lodge & Salt room ceremony
Morning Qi-gong class with Mark

What’s not included:

Supper day 9 & 10
Lunch day 9 & 10
Flight
Gratuities

Testimonials
Sarah’s many years of wisdom and travel experience, combined with her open hearted, accessibility make travel and adventure possible in challenging places and all situations easy. She is well thought out, communicative, prepared for all potentialities and her caring nature makes everyone know they can participate in the way that is best for them. It was truly a pleasure to go on an adventure of a lifetime! -Janice Gerken
Sarah and team are fantastic facilitators. I was supported by Sarah on my Ayahuasca journey many weeks before the retreat emotionally and spiritually. Once in Peru every aspect was considered in the journey. I was especially fond of the private chef who cooked our meals, making the best food with our diet. The shamens and many ceremonies were beautiful and will always be in my heart. Sarah as always shows her beautiful heart at all times and makes sure that you are ok. Thanks Sarah!! – Lynn
I am grateful to have waited the 32 years I waited to visit Peru. Sarah is the best organizer, guide, ceremonial advisor, connection to the Peruvian people I could possibly have chosen, I am very grateful to have been with her and the group this year 2024. Our group witnessed Sarah being honoured by the Q’ero family at a Despacho ceremony. She was gifted a beautiful fedora style hat with a woven rainbow coloured band. Sarah has been a rainbow bridge between our (north -American) culture and the beautiful Peruvian people. The moment the hat was placed on her head, my eyes welled up with tears and I knew in my heart she was being “crowned “ in recognition of her amazing work. When Sarah led us in a meditation on the land at the site of the sacred feminine, I saw my maternal grandmother, I said hi grandma, then I saw my mother, and my half sister. I was no as happy to see mom and sister; and I suddenly felt a huge emotional charge, I cried, sobbed, and felt the pain, anger and resentment for these two disappear. A wonderful healing moment, thank you Sarah. – Jean Lloyd
One of Sarah’s many gifts is her ability to create a safe, nurturing space that supports and empowers individuals on their journey of personal healing and transformation. Her wisdom and work with plant medicines have profoundly changed my life. – Risa
Your team – My husband and partner of 30 years – Mark Kelly – is now joining me in all of my retreats and will be offering support, Qi-gong and integration guidance for our tour.

Itinerary –
Day 1
You will be picked up at the airport and taken to our retreat centre in Arin which is about a 2-hour drive away. Opening Ceremony in the afternoon. Please arrange for your flight to arrive before noon.
Day 2
Morning Circle – Intention Setting & first Despacho ceremony to bring us into balance with the land
Travel to the Sacred sight of Moray
Day 3
We head bright and early to the sacred site of Pisac. Here we will receive teachings in Andean cosmology from Juan as we explore the mystery of this ancient temple. After a picnic lunch we will explore the market.
First Ayahuasca Ceremony – Maestro Sani
Day 4
Morning integration circle with Sarah
Afternoon – time to process and reflect from medicine journey
Day 5
Early morning adventure to the temple of Killarumioc for Nuesta despacho ceremony and connection with Pachamama. Sarah will lead us through a shamanic healing in realeasing ancestral bondage in our mother lines and connecti with the Pachamama.
Second Ayahuasca Ceremony
Day 6
Morning integration with Sarah & Maestro Sani
This afternoon Juan takes us the little known sacred site of Puma Marca for Mosaq Karpay despacho – to call home all of your energy and replenish your being.
Evening free
Day 7
Morning Circle & Teachings –Sarah
Afternoon reflection time
Third Ayahuasca Ceremony
Day 8
Morning Circle Maestro Sani
Today we travel via van and train to the jungle to the town of Aguas Callientes at the base of Machu Picchu mountain. The scenery is incredible as around every bend of the valley ruins of sacred temples can be viewed, many still used by the local indigenous people. When we arrive in town you will be able to adventure on your own for the evening or take some time alone to journal.
Supper free time
Day 9
Are you ready for it? Early morning bus up to Machu Picchu where Juan and our travel guide will lead us through understanding the history and ceremonial use of this seventh wonder of the world.
In the evening you have free time to check out the local hot springs.
Supper Free time
Day 10
Once again, we take the early morning bus up to Machu Picchu only this time, we hike to the Huayna Picchu fortress.
Late afternoon travel to Cusco
Supper free time
Day 11
Our final day in the sacred valley we voyage to a little known temple for our final despacho ceremony and closing circle.
Group Supper
Day 12
Return home –
Day 12 – 18 Optional add on to head to the sacred mountain of the Q’ero people – message me for details on this.

Q'ero pilgramage - Peru extension
2026-11-15 08:00 - 2026-11-21 17:00
The Q’ero people are an indigenous group residing in the Andes, specifically in five communities approximately 75 miles east of Paucartambo, Peru. These communities are located at high elevations, with the highest village soaring to 14,000 feet above sea level. Recognized as the last direct descendants of the Incas, the Q’ero people escaped the Spanish conquest by retreating to remote highlands, allowing their ancestral traditions to remain largely unaltered.
In the past 50 years, they have started sharing these traditions with Westerners, aiming to foster healing for the Earth. They heed the prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor, which suggests that healing will manifest when the Condor of South America and the Eagle of North America unite.
As master weavers both literally and energetically, the Q’ero intertwine the threads of existence to foster meaningful relationships and restore balance amid turbulent times. They engage in a conscious daily practice of honouring the living web of life in all its forms, focusing on remaining in Ayni—reciprocity—with all beings. This involves communicating with Pachamama (Mother Earth), the Apus (mountain spirits), and the Starlight ones, who serve as their primary guardians. Believing in the interconnectedness of all things, they maintain communication with the natural world; encompassing stones, plants, trees, mountains, stars, and ancestors.
A vital element in preserving their traditions is through ceremonies, such as Despacho, which gives homage to Pachamama and the Apus. These rituals include crafting intricate offerings made of symbolic ingredients like coca leaves, corn, grains, sweets, flowers, and other natural elements. Each ingredient represents a relationship the Q’ero holds, with the prayer to bring this into harmony, be that for themselves or the groups they are supporting. The way in which each object is placed in the Despacho signifies what the Maestro (shaman) is invoking or giving thanks for. Everyone participating in a Despacho ceremony is cleansed in ritual with the offering before it is placed in a fire.
Additionally, the Q’ero share Karpays, or initiations, as part of the Andean Shamanic practice. These initiations are passed through sacred bundles known as mesas, with prayers aimed at each individual’s energetic centers. They believe they are watering the seeds of light already present in your being through these initiations and it is up to you to care for them in your own love story of bringing them into the world.
Visiting the Q’ero community directly gives you a chance to immerse yourself in their cosmology and experience their generous heart. The landscape is rich with the contrasts of high Rocky Peaks, and great carved valleys where Alpacas and llamas roam. Living in simple stone or concrete homes, they grow their own food – primarily potatoes, weave their own clothes, and live sustainably. Spending time with the Qeros helps us to let go of our imagined or idealized concept of what living core shamanic practices look like and open to the practical beauty of remembering. Remembering that all of us humans have the capacity and birthright to live in balance with the land – in fact, it is our responsibility to do so. It also helps Westerners to recognize how privileged we are and use this awareness to make a change in our world.
This trip is offered as an extension to those who are participating in the 12 day Shamanic initiation in Peru.

Cost: $975 USD
Includes:

2 nights hotel in Cusco
4 nights in tents in Q’eros (note tents are set up inside a concrete building for warmth)
All meals Day 2,3,4,5,
Breakfast Day 1, Breakfast & lunch Day 6, Breakfast Day 7
Cusco tour of Sacsayhuaman
Travel to Q’eros and all food/accomodation

What is not included:

Lunch and Supper Day 1, Supper Day 6
Tips

Basic Itinerary
Day 1 – Cusco tour Sacsayhuaman – overnight in Cusco
Day 2 – Leave for Q’eros – Walk through the ancient burial grounds of the Q’ero people at the hidden sacred site of Nina Marca. Venture through the town of Paucartambo exploring their traditional market and enjoying the local food for lunch. Arrive in Q’eros for supper
Day 3 – Create your own lasting connection with this incredible land through walking down the valley from the Village of Challma Champana to Hatun Q’eros – about 10km (all down hill). Listen to the stories shared by our guides as they tell the tales of myth and legends of their people. Lunch in Hatun Q’eros followed by despacho ceremony to bring us into balance with their homeland. Return to Chalma Champana by truck.
Day 4 – The Q’eros traditional weaving is a cosmology unto itself. Learn how they gather the wool, spin and weave with prayer and ceremony. After lunch experience a guided shamanic journey with me then spend time with your own Mesa on the land investigating what teachings these Apu’s are sharing with you. Why are you here? Why have these Apu’s called you?
Day 5 – The Sacred Mountain of Huaman Lippa is the principle Apu & glacier which cares for these people. Today we head up to altitudes of 17000 ft on horse back to greet this powerful being. At the local ceremonial altar we will have a despacho ceremony and Karpay initiation of the Kudak a kuyak – She/He who chews the coca leaves and talks to the stars.
Day 6 – Return to Cusco, overnight in Cusco
Day 7 – Return Home
