The House of Deer is a sacred space of art & wild altars, held by Dorrie Joy. 

Dorrie is an artist, traditional craftswoman, herbalist, international speaker & ceremonial leader. 

She holds workshops as nurturing spaces that centre creativity as an intentional practice of soul mending & belonging. 

Dorrie is bringing a vibrant, full programme of crafts & teachings that are rooted in the ancient songs of this wild green land.

Presented by Wonderment

Step into a world of wonderment…

Chalice in Wonderland is a truly enchanting immersive theatre experience, returning to the Medicine Festival after captivating audiences year after year. For those who’ve stumbled upon it before, it has become a standout, soul-stirring highlight — where magic, playfulness, and deep transformation meet in one unforgettable journey.

Your adventure begins in the woods, where you’ll be guided by the Mad Hatter Chris Fitchew and the White Rabbit Tony Deluxe, venturing down the rabbit hole and encountering the curious characters from Alice to the Red Queen, the Dormouse to Caterpillar along the Wasing Woodland Wonderland.

Your destination: a hidden forest glade, where a long banquet table awaits — bathed in sunlight and adorned with cakes, delicate treats, teacups, and an array of exquisite loose-leaf teas. Here, with the guidance of our Tea Alchemist, you’ll create your own personal, alchemical blend.

As the ceremony begins, you’ll be invited into a sacred, shamanic tea ritual — a celebration of all that makes us beautifully human. This is a space to honour our uniqueness: our ADHD, our anxieties, our overthinking minds, our intensity, our joy even our shadow sides of depression and shame. Through carefully selected herbs and elixirs, our expert guide will introduce blends designed to support, soothe, and empower every part of you.

You’ll craft your own potion, share in delicious, sweet treats, and be gently guided into a place of acceptance, connection, and playful self-expression — before the experience unfolds into music, movement, and dancing with the characters of Wonderland.

A one-hour immersive experience including live performance, tea ceremony, and sweet delights.

A time of Story, Embodiment & Herbal Connection.

A gentle gathering exploring the traditional and contemporary use of Sceletium (Kanna), one of South Africa's most revered medicinal plants. Together we slow down, share Kanna in a respectful and intentional way, learn about its history and relationship with the human body, and explore how it can support a more connected and embodied way of living.

The workshop includes storytelling, education, guided practices, and space for authentic conversation. A Kanna tincture will be shared, it is not recommended for anyone who is taking anti-depressants or anti-anxiey medication.

Sceletium (Kanna) is a South African succulent traditionally used for its mood-lifting and heart-opening effects. It acts on serotonin pathways, producing a sense of calm, reduced anxiety, and gentle euphoria without strong stimulation

ABOUT MATTHEW GABRIEL

An initiated Sangoma and Indigenous Herbalist from South Africa, his work is rooted in a simple question: What helps the body return to balance?

Matthew is working in service with the medicine of Kanna, in the context of it’s historical relationship with the Khoi-Khoi and San peoples of the Southern Cape.

Through herbal wisdom, nourishment, nervous system restoration, and embodied daily practices, he supports people in reconnecting with their natural rhythm.

For the last 9 years he has worked closely with plant medicines and restorative wellness practices, learning how simple daily rituals can support deeper vitality, emotional balance, groundedness, and connection to life.

A 3-4 hour workshop learning how to make a Bow from the Elm tree. You’ll learn how to craft your Bow using simple Bushcraft tools, utilising the knowledge and skill that’s been passed on from one generation of Bowyers to another over time. Elm is the no 1 wood for bows in the UK. We are proud to have elm for this workshop. Capacity limited to 8. Ages 6+

Johnny Tidd, head instructor of survival school, has obsessively been studying for 14 years, he has made it his mission / vision / purpose to live as closely with the earth as possible for all the indigenous people who have been wiped out. Johnny Tidd delivers a series of courses from the basics up to advanced levels in many different primitive subjects, including, bows, arrows , spears , hunting, fire, shelter , archery , stalking , wild food, nature connection for kids and adults.

Whistling is a celebratory, joyful, and powerful tradition in Wagogo music — used to signal energy, call spirit, and amplify communal rhythm. This workshop combines traditional whistling techniques with vocal exploration, led by The Zawose Queens in a playful, yet rooted musical experience.

All participants will receive a traditional Tanzanian whistle

Highlights

- Cultural background on whistling in Wagogo ceremonies

- Breathing, posture, and whistle control techniques

- Introduction to traditional whistle calls and rhythmic patterns

- Group vocal exercises and responsive singing

- Integrating whistle, voice, and movement into shared performance

The Desert Minyma (women) are Senior Aboriginal Traditional Law Women, Ngangkari (healers), artists and cultural custodians from the Central Desert of Australia. They carry one of the world's oldest continuous healing and cultural traditions, with knowledge passed from generation to generation through Country, family, ceremony and Tjukurpa (the Dreaming).

For this special visit to Medicine Festival, the women invite you to sit with them in a spirit of respect, deep listening and connection. Through art, conversation and traditional healing, they offer a rare opportunity to experience the generosity, wisdom and presence of Australia's First Peoples.

The women will be offering one-to-one Ngangkari healing sessions, where several healers work together with one person at a time according to their traditional healing practices. They will also have original paintings and bush medicines available, with proceeds supporting the women, their families and the continuation of community-led cultural programs.

These offerings are not performances, but an invitation into a genuine cultural exchange—one that honours relationship, reciprocity and the living traditions of the world's oldest continuing culture.

Please note: All cultural activities are shared with the permission and guidance of the Senior Law Women. We ask visitors to approach these experiences with humility and respect, following the principle of "Come Empty, Leave Empty"—receiving the experience without seeking to extract, appropriate or reproduce Aboriginal cultural knowledge.

Mamo Senchina offers divination consultations based on the Kogi tradition, guiding people by providing the root word of their worldview. This word prompts us to reflect on how we harmonize our daily lives with Mother Earth. Mamo shares ancestral knowledge to help us care for nature and offers advice on caring for our families, drawing from the myths of their culture. Through this, he guides us in meditation and offers guidance on how to live well.

There will be a translator present to support the session. 

Mamo Senchina, spiritual leader of the Kogui indigenous people. Bearer of the wisdom of payment, keeper of the ancient word, and a living example of fulfillment, Mamo Senchina travels the world delivering his ancestral word based on his worldview. This word makes us reflect on how we harmonize our daily lives with Mother Earth. Mamo gives us ancestral knowledge to care for nature and offers advice on caring for the family, drawing from the myths of his culture. With this, he makes us meditate and advises us on how to live well. Mamo Senchina is 82 years old and received the assurance to pass on his word and advice to his younger brother. 

Come and sit where sound meets water.

In this one-to-one ceremonial space, WHAIA weaves crystalline frequencies, TAONGA PŪORO, voice, and breath, carrying ancient sound and water wisdom through the body like ocean currents.

Rooted in ancestral lineage and guided by deep listening, this work meets you exactly where you are, inviting what is ready to soften, shift, and realign.

Like tides returning to shore, this session calls you back into rhythm with your breath, your body, and your inner knowing.

This is a space where your inner waters are heard, where your voice can rise and where what has been held can begin to move and flow again through your body, your energy, your remembering.

Each session is intuitive and tailored to the individual.

WHAIA - Sonic Weaver of Aotearoa is a Māori woman of the Pacific and ceremonial water advocate. As originator of the Sonic Weaver pathway, she is guided by whale dreaming and ocean intelligence, working with sacred frequency, voice and Taonga Pūoro to create immersive sound journeys. Her work weaves ancient knowledge into contemporary spaces, uplifting the energy of people, place and the living waters through sound, story and ceremony.