Meet: Seven Dreams Ceremony
Meet Alysha Davila of Seven Dreams Ceremony
Alysha slid into our DM's one day and after a quick look at her Instagram, I knew I wanted to feature her work in our shop this season.
Seven Dreams Ceremony is more than just a collection of goods. It marries heritage and nature, while creating new bonds centered around community.
Alysha's work has been warming up the shop as it gets cooler outside, and I'm delighted to feature this Q&A with her for you to understand her work even more.
Who are you, what do you do, and why?
Hi, everyone! My name is Alysha Xóchitl Davila, and I lead a small batch apothecary called Seven Dreams Ceremony out of my Baltimore home where I make elemental medicine and ceremonial tools illuminated by the celestial bodies and the terrestrial cycles. The offerings I make are intended to bring people closer to themselves and to build ceremony within their lives.
The primary aim in forming this apothecary was to help people heal from their roots up to their flowers using plant medicine. In this way I am encouraging my clients & customers to connect with themselves deeper by reconnecting with nature.
Another goal of this practice is to offer Baltimore residents, and beyond, medicines from the plants growing around them. This empowers citizens to learn how to grow their own medicine and connect with the land we live on. Working alongside plants also attunes us to each of the cycles and their unique lessons.
By making medicine from plants that are grown here in the city, I can teach by example how others can rely on the food & medicine from our very own backyard; which is my ultimate intention and purpose; making medicine, their stories, recipes, and history accessible to everyone.
How did you get started in your business? What inspires you/your work?
I first started working with plants as a way for me to reconnect with my ancestral roots in a deeper way as well as a way for me to heal and regain connection with my own intuition.
My roots stem from the Diné and Hopi peoples, the Chichimeca Indians also known as the Aztec people, and the Irish. I work to modernize their ancient lessons, recipes and gardening techniques to tie their time-honored ways into my own medicine and daily ceremony. In this way I am honoring my ancestors who came before me and carrying on their song & dance.
A few years after taking herbal classes and immersing myself 100% in this world I formed Seven Dreams Ceremony in 2018.
My Aztec lineage is very tied to the Maya/Dream worlds, and ever since I was very little I have been able to tap into this realm and collect inspiration for my work. My dreams and intuition are what guide me daily, and I pray that my offerings whisper that to their new holder!
The ancients had a way of working with the planetary bodies and the cycles of the earth to heal, grow, farm, birth, die, and celebrate, and I wanted to weave those methods into my work and daily life.
Tell us about this collection.
This collection is about calling our ancestors back home.
I celebrate Dia de los Muertos, and so every year for the Autumn season I make sure to create a series that honors our ancestors. This collection is for those who are interested in:
- Ancestral Bonding
- reaching deep into their prayers
- meditation for quantum healing
- Casting off heavy judgments, relationships or opinions that don't belong to them anymore
There are a few things in particular that are specifically made for your altar.
The first being the Altar Silks which are Japanese silk cloths that are botanically dyed with locally wild harvested biomass such as: black walnut, tulsi, rose, zinnia, hyacinth bean leaves, wild flower, yarrow, goldenrod & more. An altar is a sacred place for ancestral memorabilia, so we place the Altar Silks down as reverence. They can also be worn (I like to use it as a bandana for my cats!)
Second, we have our best selling Incense Cones! These hallowed hand-made incense are made for:
- calling unto Spirits for their guidance & grace
- closing conversations lingering in the air
- To bridge Mictlan, Land of Ancestors, to our plane
Lastly, we have our famous Holy Smokes! which are a proprietary Ceremonial Smoke Blend. This season’s blend is crafted for your journey inwards. It aids in becoming lucid in our dream realm, recalling our dreams and strengthening our insight & intuition.
What is one daily habit you can’t go without?
Every morning I write down my dreams, pray and sun gaze. I have been disciplined in this ritual or daily habit for almost a decade, and it has had many profound effects on my life.
What is one thing you are looking forward to this season?
This season I am working to collaborate with one of my favorite artists and yoga teachers, Kristina, of Divinatia and Ritualesque Wellness. We are currently planning a very exciting Winter Solstice ceremony, so keep an eye out for that! You can keep up with my work at sevendreams.co
