Cacao Circle - A New Moon Creation Event for Women

Held on the edge of the Winter Solstice, this circle will be a slow and nourishing pause at the end of the year: a moment to drop inward, tune into receptivity with a ceremonial cacao, and set intentions for what we want to create, express, or birth in the coming year.

We’ll begin with a guided cacao ceremony, followed by a short talk from Laurie about her creative process, her artwork, and the inner landscapes that inspire her. Laurie will welcome us into her world by sharing pieces she’s currently working on, offering a window into the ways creativity, intuition, and feminine wisdom weave through her practice.

We’re also honored to include ceramic artist Veda Sun, whose handmade vessels bridge art and everyday ritual. Veda will be bringing a selection of her intuitively crafted mugs for the cacao ceremony, and will share a bit about her own creative process.

From there, we’ll open a facilitated sharing circle, inviting participants to reflect on the New Moon themes of creation, renewal, and inner artistry. To honor the solstice season and the returning of the light, we’ll close with a gentle candle-lighting ritual for a collective reflection on what we want to bring into form in the new year.

This event is open to all women and women-identifying people, including trans women and non-binary folks who feel aligned with women’s circles.

Space is intentionally limited (approx. 20 participants) to preserve the intimacy of the circle. This event is 50% OFF for Assembly Members, to learn more about joining visit our website! https://www.thepsychedelicassembly.com/

Laurie Shapiro (b. 1990, New York) is a painter and installation artist based in NYC. She received her BFA in 2012 from Carnegie Mellon University. She has exhibited internationally at the Dyer Arts Center, San Diego Museum of Art, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Nashville International Airport, and SACI Florence. Her enveloping installations have been commissioned for Otherworld, Walter Studios, and Weedmaps, where her piece “Flowers Are Not A Crime” was shown at various festivals, including The Governors Ball, Life is Beautiful, and Cali Vibes. Shapiro has completed artist residencies at the American Academy in Rome, the Kala Art Institute, Surel’s Place, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, and the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. She has been awarded several grants, including a California Council for the Arts Fellowship and a Puffin Grant. Her work is internationally found in public and private collections, including at SACI Florence, Bilkent University, and the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. Her work has appeared in TV segments, including WTAE and KTNV, Jhene Aiko’s 4/20 Performance with Weedmaps, and in publications, including Fiber Arts Now, Artillery Magazine, and LA Weekly.

Veda Sun (b. Philadelphia) is a Chinese-American artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Trained in western and eastern methods of painting she has traded oils and canvas for the potter’s wheel. Working intuitively, she lets the process lead, beginning with a wheel-thrown form that she then augments and embellishes. Ceramic ribbons, curious engravings, and generous brushstrokes overlap in exuberant, at times cheekily

dissonant compositions. Colorful clay mounds rise into quivering masses that seem to breathe and perspire, as if animated by alchemical spells in the kiln. Sometimes the dirt settles into a familiar shape—a vase, a pitcher. Other times, it resists classification, emerging as a playfully inscrutable lump. Here, funky textures and bold asymmetries triumph over antiseptic modernism. The clay is transformed into something richly pigmented, alive yet unstable, foreshadowing its eventual return to dust. Despite their anarchic appearance, these works are entirely food safe and functional as homeware. No two are alike—each exists as its own experiment, a singular moment of transformation captured in form.

The Psychedelic Assembly is a member-supported community organization cultivating connection, education, and culture at the edge of expanded consciousness. Through events and creative programming, we aim to support the growth of authentic culture rooted in curiosity, care, human connection, and collective transformation.

Learn More:

https://www.thepsychedelicassembly.com/

Disclaimer: The Psychedelic Assembly is an educational, community-focused organization. We do not sell, supply, or facilitate access to any illegal substances. Our events are educational, community-oriented spaces, and we ask all attendees to participate respectfully.

Solicitation, use, or distribution of illegal substances — as well as disruptive or disrespectful behavior — will not be tolerated. These are private events, and we reserve the right to ask anyone to leave if their behavior compromises the safety or integrity of the space.

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