Alchemia’s Journey of Origin
Once upon a time, two souls, Melanie and Alana, embarked on separate spiritual journeys, each deeply entwined with their unique connections to the mystical world. Melanie, with her roots in nature and occult practices, found an innate bond with plants. Alana, a naturopath, also discovered her connection to plants through the healing arts. Little did they know, their paths were destined to converge, creating a bond born out of the sacred space of Plant Medicine Ceremony.
In the depths of their personal journeys for years, both Melanie and Alana had experienced the isolating pain points that many seekers face - the feeling of having to navigate the spiritual path alone, the frustration of not being understood, and the absence of a supportive tribe that truly comprehends the journey. The struggle to find solace, someone to talk to, and a community that "gets it" was a challenge they both knew intimately.
Their fateful meeting during a supportive role in ceremony sparked a friendship. As they delved deeper into their shared experiences, the plants whispered that their destinies were intertwined. The subsequent ceremony season deepened their connection, revealing the alignment between Melanie and Alana. The plants themselves, in their divine communication, guided them to collaborate. Thus, Alchemia was born—a manifestation of their shared journey, the wisdom of plants, and the calling to create a space where healing, spirituality, and nature converge.
In the heart of Alchemia lies the story of two souls who, through pain and transformation, discovered their purpose together. Here, we invite you to join us on a journey where healing is intertwined with nature, spirituality is a guiding force, and the alchemy of connection transforms lives. Welcome to Alchemia, where the magic of plant medicine meets the essence of your soul's journey.
alana’s Sacred Journey
Hi, I'm Dr. Alana. Once, I was an overachiever and a go-getter, passionately pursuing my dream of becoming a naturopathic doctor. My dream became a reality and the life I set forth to build appeared before my eyes. Little did I know that my relentless pursuit of success would lead me to a self-built prison of unfulfillment, where debilitating migraines became my constant companion, consuming more than half of my life. I was depressed, lost, and entirely unfulfilled. The point of life and playing the game of life as prescribed by the collective just didn’t seem to make sense to me anymore. It was at this point that Grandmother medicine, a recurring presence in my life, beckoned me towards a profound journey of healing and self-discovery.
Guided by Maestra Laynah, I embarked on a transformative path with grandmother medicine. In the sacred space of ceremony, I encountered my true self, unraveling the expectations and illusions that had bound me. This slow process of unwinding wounds and beliefs opened doors to connections not just with grandmother medicine but also with other plant spirits like cannabis, San Pedro, Cacao and Psilocybin.
In the midst of ceremony, a vision urged me to step onto a brave new path. Apprenticing with Maestra Laynah, I doubted my ability to hold space with grandmother medicine, yet the plants guided my every step. From this doubt, deep trust blossomed, forging a profound connection with myself and the plant spirits. They guided me to step out on my own, bringing love and light to humanity, guiding others on their spiritual paths to discover their authentic selves and heal all that stood in their way.
This pivotal decision led me to realign with my sacred path guided by the plants. I let go of my practice, sold everything, and moved to Mexico with my husband. Though it was a scary leap, it felt undeniably soul-led. In this new chapter, my health flourished, my energy renewed, and the path to allowing my truest self to emerge unfolded.
During this phase, my friendship with Melanie began to flourish, and our soul paths began to merge. This is where we birthed Alchemia, in our shared vision of a better world.
Now, I am a plant ceremonialist (curandera for grandmother medicine), leading plant medicine ceremonies with Alchemia alongside many plant teachers. As a Spiritual Guide and Clinical Hypnotherapist, I work with groups and individuals, guiding them to integrate spiritual teachings into their lives. Connecting people to their truth and sacredness fuels my passion for this path.
Hey, I'm Melanie!
We often hear radical and inspiring origin stories, but today I offer you my gentle and slow unravelling. I had an incredibly normal childhood, with a nuclear family that functioned better than many out there. But as we all know, life does what life does, and I quickly shrunk, conformed and hid from a huge and often cruel world. For years I survived through multiple schools, jobs, friends, and relationships. Normal life things really, but I chose the word “survive” intentionally. I lived to jump hoops, to please, to be enough, to be accepted and at the end of the day, I stumbled through my earlier years living my life for others, disassociated and lost.
There was no big event that occurred, no big ascension. Just small signposts throughout my life that slowly brought me home, to the tender, bright, and wild light that is me.
First, it was my art, that reminded me I came here to co-create, to build, to dream. I remembered that I had something to contribute, and I found my greatest strength in my creativity. Then, it was the forest, a sanctuary that expected nothing from me other than my free, unencumbered wildness. I could be big, small, “too much” or “too little” or all of it at once—and I was enough.
melanie’s Sacred Journey
Healing alone in the woods was one thing, but re-entering a world that had once chewed me up was an entirely different adventure. I was ready to risk vulnerability for connection. For a very long time, my spiritual path was internal, isolated and a complicated unravelling of things that weren’t mine. It was when I decided to "risk it for the biscuit" and re-enter the world, seeking friendship and community, that the universe responded. Enter Alana, an incredibly kind, inquisitive, present, and patient soul. In many ways, Alana provided one of the last puzzle pieces I needed to alchemize my trials and tribulations into offerings of service. Alana, along with others in ceremony, helped soothe and bring peace to the parts of me that needed to be seen in community, in order to be integrated.
When I look back at all of the different rabbit holes that my life and subsequently my spiritual journey have taken me down, it’s profound to see the gifts that spirit has given me, especially since those gifts were often hidden in shadow. It was in the small mundane moments where I chose to find and follow the magic that changed me forever. This was not a romantic journey, I did not experience some glamorous awakening. No guru, god or goddess, showed up and “fixed me”. This was not a scene from an action-adventure film, nor was it the culminating chapter in a fascinating book.
This journey, as unconventional as it has been, taught me the tools I need to alchemize, transform and rise, no matter what. I am a creatrix, an artist, a forever student and a nature-based practitioner who works with plant spirit medicine to help guide humanity back to themselves and to the light within us all. I teach the power of ceremony, ritual and intention through somatic grounding and embodiment practices. I work with astrology, tarot, archetypal magic and the power of storytelling to find the threads that connect us all in the human experience and move us forward on our unique hero’s journey. Above all else, I am a fellow traveller that so deeply believes in you.
Interested to learn how you can work with Alana & melanie?
As the co-founders of Alchemia Melanie and Alana have a heart for service and would love to connect and support you if they can. If you’re interested in working together or are in search of support you’ve not been able to find on our website, get in touch with us!
Thank you for walking your path —