THE BIRTHING OF A MEDICINE DRUM

A Journey of Soul, Sound, and Ancestral Remembrance

To craft a Medicine Drum is to enter a sacred covenant — it is not merely the making of an instrument, but the birthing of an ally, a living being that breathes with the heartbeat of the Earth and echoes the ancient pulse of the Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and Auntys who drummed before us.

The Drum Birthing Ceremony calls us into deep listening — into the spaces between breath and bone, into the quiet knowing that whispers of what is ready to release, transform, and be sung into new form. It is a journey of surrender and creation, a spiral path of remembrance where our soul’s medicine awakens — that inner wisdom that knows precisely what is needed for our own becoming in this moment of life.

The Journey

This three-day ceremonial weaving unfolds in three gatherings, spacious enough for those who must return to hearth and home between sessions — mothers, daughters, women tending the many rhythms of family and life.

Each day deepens the spiral: grounding through the hands-on crafting of your drum, expanding through movement, ceremony, and communion with the elements. We gather in the old way — to birth, to bless, to remember.

For the ancient rite of Drum Birthing comes when we feel the stirring — the anticipation, the unease, the readiness. When something inside begins to tremble with the knowing: It is time. Time to give voice to our inner medicine.

What is this Medicine?

Medicine is not a thing we find; it is what arises when we remember who we are.
It is the pulse of our truth, the voice of the soul whispering, This is what I need to become whole.

It is the tender shedding of what no longer serves, the transformation of grief into vitality, the reclamation of energy for what nourishes, supports, and awakens the truest essence of who we are — beings of connection, belonging, and love.

Sometimes we cannot name it. It moves beneath language — a stirring in the womb of the soul, a quiet call to call forth an ally: a soul-filled instrument through which we may listen more deeply to what we already know within.

The Feminine Rite

Though the act of birthing is an innately feminine mystery, it unfolds in wholeness — held in balance by the sacred masculine, who steadies the circle and guards the threshold. For a woman to fully surrender into her birthing power, she must be enveloped in trust, in safety, in love.

As Gabor Maté reminds us:

“For the child, the mother is the world.
The problem is, for the mother to be the world,
the world must be there for the mother.”

In this space, the world gathers for you.
You are seen. You are heard. You are held.
We call the women whose souls are stirring, who feel the ancestral drumbeat calling them home — to offer their presence, their story, their medicine to the circle.

The Crafting

This is an intimate communion with nature — a prayer in motion.
You will come to know your frame and hide as kin, with your hands as the bridge between worlds.

The frames are steam-bend hoops handcrafted by my friend Doug on the Dorrigo Plateau, they carry the strength of the land and forest. You will sand, smooth, and awaken the wood’s spirit, anointing it with oil, love, and prayer until it glows with your touch.

The hides — often Kangaroo, a powerful guardian of this ancient land — hold both translucence and strength, an ethereal yet earthy vitality. Some may choose Fallow Deer, a creature of the old world, connecting us to ancestral lands across the seas. Each hide carries its lineage, its song, its medicine.

Together we will connect with the elements:

The Waters of the Kalang River to clean, awaken and soak your hides... and on a hot day you will be in there with them...

The Earth of Gumbaynggirr Country to ground, anchor and nourish your roots...

The Fire to transform and to ignite intention and your creation power

The Winds to carry our prayers skyward.

And Aether, the unseen bridge, through which spirit descends into form.

Through beautiful embodied processes, dance, sharing circles, drum journeys... , we invite the soul that has chosen to become your Primal Drum — your voice, your heartbeat, your ally in sound and silence.

A Closing Whisper

This is not simply a workshop — it is a remembering.
A return to the drum fires of our grandmothers,
to the circles where rhythm was prayer,
and creation itself was ceremony.

You are invited to come,
to listen, to birth, to be born anew.

Lovingly held, always,
EveOak


The SHORT VERSION:

This 3-day Drum Birthing Journey honours the depth and spaciousness of the original overnight retreat, while allowing you to return home between gatherings — especially for mothers and women tending life’s many rhythms.

Through these days together, you will:
🌾 Connect with the elements and land in ceremonial space
🪶 Craft your drum with prayer, intention, and love
🔥 Sit in circle, journey, and share in sisterhood
💧 Remember the ancient rhythms that pulse through all life

Held by EveOak, this space invites women ready to meet themselves in creation — to be witnessed, to remember, and to call their soul’s song into form.

WHEN: 14th, 21st & 23rd November 2025 (3 days)

WHERE: Deep Kalang (directions provided)

FACILITIES: Outdoor shelter, composting toilet, private swimming hole

COST: Sliding scale $488–$599 (incl. $150 deposit)

Included: All materials, wholesome food, sacred circle, ceremony, intuitive movement, and nature immersion.
Accommodation: Day gatherings only (no overnight stay required).

📞 Bookings & Details
Evelin Oaktree
📱 0428 338 541
📧 evelin.oaktree@gmail.com

Comments from the group chat (unique to each retreat):

"So much gratitude for you all. Thanks for holding such a potent space. Thank you to the midwives and EveOak. This weekend was much more than I expected and hoped for . Such medicine. Thank you for sharing such deep and loving stories and opening your hearts. I am so honoured to be a part of this journey. I can't wait to try out my drum and experience her medicine."

'I am in awe of the journey we all adventured together. So much more connection and insight continues to flow. God I loved our weekend together... presence patience allowing , trust , joy, crazy love. I feel great love for my drum the journey to its birth and for my sisters"

"Thank you so much for holding such a beautiful space & feeding our bellies and souls!!! it was incredible to be with you all! My heart is full! Many blessings and lots of love to everyone.