
IXCHEL × ETÉRÉO
Since 2022, IXCHEL has been honored to partner with ETÉREO Center for Truth, a visionary retreat sanctuary nestled on sacred land where the desert meets the sea—just outside Todos Santos, Baja California Sur.
Together, we co-create deeply attuned ceremonial containers that have been recognized by Condé Nast Traveller, Modern Psychedelics, and The Journey substack for their spiritual alignment and devoted collaboration with Indigenous ngangas and maestros of ancestral lineages. These retreats are not simply hosted; they are woven with reverence, presence, and care.
Past offerings have included powerful women’s gatherings, land despacho ceremonies, and themes of desert rebirth; upcoming programs will explore themes such as legacy burdens, creative awakening, and the reclamation of self. Every retreat is crafted in real time, guided by intuition and attuned to the distinct energies of those who feel called.
In addition to co-hosting, our team also leads ETÉREO’s communications with clarity, depth, and integrity. We are trauma-informed and deeply rooted in the sacred responsibility of bridging Indigenous ceremonial traditions with Western therapeutic insight.

A Journey Rooted in Ceremony
In June 2022, Ixchel and Paije journeyed to the sacred forests of Gabon to undergo a traditional initiation into the Missoko Bwiti, an ancestral spiritual path centered around the sacred iboga plant. Over nearly three weeks, they were guided through profound rites of purification, visioning, and ancestral connection under the care of ngangas—initiated healers and guardians of this wisdom tradition. This initiation was not a symbolic gesture; it marked a deep commitment to honoring the roots of the medicine and walking in integrity and continuous growth.
In July 2025, they returned to Gabon for deeper initiations with a Fang Bwiti community known for its ancestral depth and medicine lineages led by women. This branch emphasizes generational healing, dreamwork, and the sacred role of feminine leadership in spiritual transmission.
Statement by Grand Master Moubeyi Bouale - NGO Maghanga Ma Nzambé
Psychedelic Science Conference 2025 / Denver, USA - June 2025
Each retreat is a co-created container that bridges ancestral wisdom, clinical integrity, and radical presence.

“I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude by Ixchel’s presence. Thank you for holding space so beautifully and for stepping into this role with such grace and intention…thank you again for the support, we couldn’t have done it without you! I can’t wait to continue our work together.”
— Paije West, ETÉREO Founder, Bwiti Initiate
“Wow! What a beautiful week. It’s been so amazing to step into this container with you and work on a deeper level together. You were such a refreshing and important piece of this beautiful puzzle. Everyone responded very well to you and benefitted greatly from the care and attention you poured into them…until next time!”
— Fletcher Burdick, ETÉREO Founder & Q’ero Initiate

UPCOMING RETREATS
LEGACY BURDENS: RETREAT WITH SACRED WOOD MEDICINE
November 8–15, 2025 | Todos Santos, BCS
We all carry stories that didn’t begin with us.
Legacy burdens are the emotional, psychological, and spiritual imprints we inherit from our family, lineage, and culture—grief that was never named, shame that was passed down, beliefs that no longer fit but still shape our path. In the Bwiti tradition, iboga is considered a master teacher: one that reveals what is ours to hold and what can finally be released.
Through this sacred plant, we engage in deep ancestral healing. Not to erase the past, but to honor it, learn from it, and step forward unburdened; together we create space for our truth to rise, for our purpose to clarify, and for our lives to no longer be dictated by unconscious inheritance.
This 7-day immersive retreat, held in collaboration with ETÉREO Center for Truth, includes:
– Two traditional iboga ceremonies
– Private accommodations in nature
– Chef-prepared meals
– Comprehensive medical screening and supervision
– Expert preparation and integration guidance rooted in Bwiti tradition and trauma-informed care
This retreat marks a potent threshold—our first group container following our second Bwiti initiation in Gabon, where we deepened our commitment to this path with a women-led Fang lineage. We invite you now to lay down what is not yours and walk forward as who you truly are.

Thank you endlessly to ETÉREO (Paije, Ixchel, Fletcher, Violet, Chef Paul and the entire team) that held me so beautifully; you all created a safe space which allowed me to get to the root. And, of course, diboti Iboga.”
— Lana Pribic, Host of Modern Psychedelics

PAST RETREATS
Nov 2023, Desert Rebirth, Todos Santos
Feb 2024, El Inicio, Todos Santos

“My experience at ETÉREO was truly life changing. What I experience exceeded my expectations. The most impactful part of my experience with ETÉREO was the medicine provided in the ceremonial and Bwiti- influenced container, and the people, the facilitators, and the other attendees. Iboga was incredible, beautiful, interactive, and challenging. I had visions I will never forget and a long conversation with this truth telling medicine.
I left the retreat with so many gifts: freedom from anxiety and knowing how to feel fear without it turning into pain. I was able to get off three medications before the retreat that were treating chronic pain and have been pain free ever since the retreat. I feel like I was reborn into my life and have new, fear-free eyes that can see the beauty in my life and connect with something to enjoy about every moment. I am also leaving with clarity about some of the burdens I have; I also have new clarity about where I want to go looking-forward.”
— Hannah, 2025
July 2024, Villa Hope, Todos Santos
October 2024, Todos Santos
November 2024, Todos Santos

“The mind is the only thing worth controlling.”
— The Journey by Julia Reiblet, Director of Evolve Ventures
March 2025, Villa Hope, Todos Santos
June 2025, Proyecto Palmita, Pescadero