ONE YEAR OF FIRE, FAITH & TRANSFORMATION: Celebrating the First Anniversary of Merkaba Retreats
- Christopher Shaw
- Dec 18, 2025
- 5 min read
Founder, Merkaba Temple & Merkaba Retreats
Co-Founder, ArcherShaw
One year ago, Merkaba Retreats wasn’t a non-profit branch of Merkaba Temple. It wasn’t a brand. It certainly wasn’t a global movement.
It was a whisper. A calling. A sacred assignment.
It was conceived in the summer of 2024, during a season of spiritual death and rebirth, uncertainty, initiation, and devotion — and it came to life because one man chose to listen.
That man was me.
And this is the story of our first year of Merkaba Retreats.
A BIRTH ROOTED IN LOSS, DEVOTION, AND LEGACY
In November 2024, my mother, Patsy Dean, passed away. A church pianist and organist for her entire life, Mom lived inside service — Sunday after Sunday, note after note, hymn after hymn. She showed up not for applause, but because the kingdom depended on it. She taught me devotion. She taught me discipline. She taught me to suit up and show up — no matter what.
When she passed, she left me a small inheritance. I could have secured comfort, saved it, or slowed down.
I didn’t.
I invested every cent — into Merkaba Temple, Merkaba Retreats, Lumara, the building of online sanctuaries, and a pilgrimage to India that turned my entire life inside-out and lit a fire fit for Shiva!
Mom funded:
7 full scholarships to Merkaba Retreat Immersions
Multiple partial scholarships
Websites, infrastructure, supplies
Community and sanctuary
Trainings and initiations
Her hands are still in every retreat. She came to me shortly after her death and said, I will be in every note you hear, in every song, in every piece of music.
Her devotion is in every breath of this mission. Her spirit sits in the room every time the gong strikes. Her money is long spent — but her legacy never left.
THE FIRST RETREAT: DECEMBER 2024
Merkaba’s “first” retreat was unofficial — December 2024 — a private gathering led by myself and my mentor and life-long Medicine Man, Richie Shivananda, in Bucerías, Mexico with four brave men from my psychotherapy practice in Austin.
This was an initiation.
A doorway.
A letting-go and a coming-home.
This was where the flame was lit.
FROM “LUXURY EXPERIENCE” TO SPIRITUAL FIREWALK
In the early days, Merkaba Retreats was marketed like most retreat companies:
Relaxing
Luxury
Mexico
But the truth made itself known quickly: Merkaba Retreats is not a vacation. It is a spiritual firewalk.
It is not a weekend away from stress — it is a return to the Self. It is not marketing hype — it is an activation.
Alumni don’t leave rested — they leave reborn and at total peace.
And they will tell you themselves — loudly, publicly, gratefully — because their lives look different afterward.
Don’t believe us, we say — ask them.
A YEAR OF EVOLUTION:
LESSONS, MARKETING, ALIGNMENT
We learned so much in this first year:
What programming truly works
What language does not
How to attract the right souls
How to prepare people for transformational work
How to create aftercare that actually sustains change
How to honor Mexican culture and land
How to listen to Spirit instead of the market
We learned that:
Clarity matters
Integrity matters
Readiness matters
We learned to stop pleasing — and start initiating.
GRATITUDE FOR OUR FIRST CO-FACILITATOR:
KEEGAN BRADY
Merkaba Retreats would not exist without Keegan Brady — my soul-twin, shadow-mirror, and first co-facilitator.
In January 2025, Keegan and I delivered the first official retreat in Conchas Chinas, setting the tone for what Merkaba would become.
In May, Keegan began a year-long sabbatical to care for his father and build his own temple in Laguna Beach.
Keegan poured his heart into Merkaba Retreats — and his imprint is forever inside the lineage.
THE ARRIVAL OF AEON
THE BECOMING OF A HOLY UNION
When Keegan stepped back, Guru said, Aeon will step forward. And he did.
And everything changed — not because Aeon replaced anyone, but because the divine timing was perfect.
Over time, Aeon and I became partners in:
Life
Leadership
Devotion
Facilitation
Ceremony
Transformation
And together, we refined the mission: Merkaba Retreats is not a high-volume retreat factory — it is a precision instrument of spiritual activation.
THE 2026 EVOLUTION: SIX SIGNATURE GROUP RETREATS
After evaluating everything — impact, readiness, integration, nervous system capacity — Merkaba Retreats made a bold move out of maturity, not scarcity: Only 6 Signature Group Retreats per year. No more back-to-back scheduling, dilution, spiritual tourism.
Instead:
Quality over quantity
Alignment over algorithm
Depth over optics
And in between those six:
This is individualized initiation. Tailored transformation. Zero performance. Zero force. Zero compromise.
WITH OR WITHOUT EARTH MEDICINE — IT’S YOUR PATH
Merkaba Retreats offers:
Sacred Earth Sacrament Ceremonies
Non-medicine retreats & ceremonies
Customized formats
Expert trauma-informed facilitation
High-touch prep and aftercare
Accountability and support
Because this isn’t about dogma — it’s about truth.
Aeon and I do not lead these retreats for money — the financials alone prove that. We lead because:
It is an honor to serve
It is a privilege to guide
It is our sacred responsibility and mission to midwife transformation
THE ALUMNI: THE PROOF
The proof is not in marketing — it is in the people.
Our alumni community is:
Solid
Connected
Outspoken
Activated
The ones who follow their aftercare plans are not just stable — they are thriving.
They speak.
They advocate.
They return.
They invite others.
They lead.
They are the evidence.
A TEAM COMMITTED TO THEIR OWN ASCENSION
Merkaba Retreats does not lead from ego — it leads from embodiment.
Every facilitator is doing their own work:
Healing
Ongoing Training
Ceremony
Supervision
Therapy
Trauma processing
Leadership growth
Collectively, our team holds 75+ years of experience helping humans transform.
That is not marketing copy — that is lived truth.
A YEAR LATER: WHO IS MERKABA RETREATS FOR?
If you want:
A beach massage
Margaritas by the pool
A peaceful distraction from life
Merkaba Retreats is not for you.
And if you want:
Spiritual ignition
Emotional honesty
Trauma healing
Higher purpose
Identity clarity
Embodiment
Initiation
The courage to walk through the fire
Then yes — Merkaba Retreats is absolutely for you.
WE’VE COME A LONG WAY — AND WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED
One year in, we honor:
•
My mother who funded the foundation
My mentor, Richie, and Guru Nityananda who lit the first fire
The courageous men of the first retreat
My co-facilitator, Keegan, who launched the movement
My sacred partner, Aeon, who carries the mission
The alumni who embody the proof
The team who holds the standard
The land of Mexico that hosts the healing
Spirit/Guru/Divine Light that directs every step
Merkaba Retreats was born in devotion.
It survived by surrender.
It evolved through truth.
And now — it leads.
This is only the beginning.
Year One was initiation.
Year Two is ignition.
If you’re ready to remember who you are — we’ll meet you in the fire. 🔥
🔱 Om Namah Shivaya. Om Guru Om. 🕉️
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