Your first truffle ceremony: no experience needed
Thinking about your first truffle ceremony stirs up a lot. Curiosity, but also doubt and nerves. That's normal. You don't know exactly what will happen, and if you're used to having things mapped out, that feels unfamiliar.
Worth knowing: you're far from alone. About half of the participants are doing it for the first time. No experience needed. You don't need to know how it works, you don't need to be able to meditate and you don't need to be spiritual.
Many first timers live in their heads. They want to feel again, but they're afraid of losing control. The view at Stars Frequencies: letting go is not a condition. It is a result. You don't have to let go of anything before you're ready. This article helps you know what to expect, not to script the experience in advance, but so you can start with some confidence.
What makes a truffle ceremony suitable for first timers?
A truffle ceremony suits first timers when there's an intro call with screening beforehand, when the facilitator stays in the room for the whole ceremony, and when the group is small enough for you to feel seen. Those are the things that make the biggest difference the first time.
When you're choosing, look for these:
- Is there a personal conversation beforehand, with questions about your health and medication?
- Is the facilitator willing to say no if it isn't responsible for you?
- Is the facilitator there for the whole ceremony, including the hard moments?
- Is the group small, or can you go private?
- Do you get honest answers to your questions, including what could go wrong?
There's more on recognising a good facilitator in how to find a trustworthy provider.
I want to do my first truffle ceremony, where should I go?
For a first truffle ceremony near Amsterdam, you can come to Stars Frequencies, where Rosa guides the ceremony herself. Stars Frequencies has guided more than 400 participants, and a large share of them were first timers.
You choose between a small group of at most 8 people (€295 per person, the most chosen option) or a private ceremony (€495). As a pair you pay €891 together. Meditation and sound healing with singing bowls are a fixed part of every ceremony, private ones included. Everything about the day is on the page about the truffle ceremony in Amsterdam.
Does the idea of a group make you nervous? Many first timers find that a small group actually feels calming. If you'd still rather be on your own, read when a private truffle ceremony suits you. Truffles are legal in the Netherlands: unlike mushrooms, they are not covered by the Opium Act.
“To be honest, I had real doubts about signing up for the ceremony. Doing this in a group didn't feel like a good fit for me. But looking back, that turned out to be one of the most beautiful parts.”
Before your first time: the intro call
Every first time starts with a free 30-minute intro call. It includes a screening: Rosa asks about your health, your medication and why you're considering a ceremony. You ask all your questions, including the ones that feel silly.
In that call we tune the amount to you together, taking into account your experience and how nervous you feel. And if it isn't responsible right now, Rosa will say so honestly. What you can do at home beforehand is on the preparation page.
A ceremony is not a substitute for medical or psychological help. Read more about safety
What your first day looks like
The day takes about 7 hours. We don't give an hour-by-hour schedule here, because the pace moves with the group. The sequence, though, is always the same.
Arriving and settling in
There's no rush. You get time to arrive. In a circle, everyone briefly shares an intention for the day. There's no right or wrong intention.
Meditation and sound healing
With meditation and singing bowls you come into your body and your head gets quieter. For many first timers, this is when the nerves start to ease.
The ceremony itself
You take the truffles as part of a calm ritual. The effects come on gradually. People describe their thoughts slowing down, emotions or memories surfacing, or their body feeling different. You don't have to do anything. Rosa is in the room for the whole ceremony.
Coming back and closing
Slowly the experience softens. The day closes with a circle where you can share if you want to. Don't drive home yourself that day, and keep the evening quiet. For a closer look at the day, read what happens during a truffle ceremony.
If it gets tense or difficult
A difficult moment can happen, even the first time. Fear, sadness or restlessness may come up, or the feeling that you've lost control. It feels heavy, but it doesn't mean the ceremony has failed. Often a moment like that points to something that needs attention.
You're not alone with it. Rosa comes and sits with you when you ask, or when she sees it's hard. You don't have to solve it and you don't have to push it away. How surrender and control relate to each other is explored in surrender and control.
“I was convinced I would slide into something I couldn't stop anymore. At the hardest moment, Rosa stayed right beside me.”
The day after
If you can, keep the day after your first ceremony free. Many participants describe a light, clear mood and a need for rest. Others mostly feel tired. Both are normal.
Use that space: write down what came up, go for a walk, talk to someone you trust. What you do with your experience in the weeks that follow is called integration. How people feel after a ceremony is covered in how you feel after a truffle ceremony.