Inaugural ‘Gathering of Mystics’ brings three days of holistic healing to Bozeman

Bozeman’s spiritual wellness community is getting its own gathering point next month, as the inaugural “Gathering of Mystics” brings three days of workshops, ritual and holistic healing to the Gallatin River Hideaway from Sept. 11-13.

Angela Devani said the idea came to her and the event’s three other organizers after they attended the Fearless Women Summit in Bozeman, which paired speakers with hands-on sessions.

“We thought it would be really fun to do something similar with mystics,” Devani said. “Originally, we started calling it the ‘Witch’s Summit,’ but feared the word ‘witch’ might deter some people.”

The Fearless Women Summit is a touring event designed to give female entrepreneurs, leaders and storytellers a platform to share how they’ve overcome personal adversity. For Devani, those themes of empowerment, resilience and self-discovery hit close to home. She said she came to reiki, Akashic Records readings and herbalism through her own healing, first from childhood trauma and later from an emotionally abusive marriage.

“We were encouraged by the stories of empowerment and wanted to bring that forward for mystics, energy healers and holistic practitioners,” Devani said. “Many people often don’t put themselves out into the world due to fear of being seen. We liked the concept of people telling their stories and helping other people know what’s possible.”

Devani has built connections across that community through her Livingston-based business, Elemental Magick, which offers private sessions, earth-based ritual and energy work, and events aimed at helping clients reconnect with their intuition and sense of purpose. But putting that work out publicly, she said, isn’t always easy, given the stigma that can surround it.

“There’s definitely stigma around religious dogma, people saying ‘this is the devil’s work,’” Devani said. “All kinds of different stereotypes around natural health and well being.”

Devani said she’s noticed people are often willing to accept unexplainable phenomena within the context of organized religion while dismissing those same concepts outside it. But recent polling suggests that gap might be narrowing.

A 2023 Pew Research survey found 81% of American adults believe there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, even if it cannot be seen, 74% say there are things science cannot possibly explain, and 48% believe parts of the natural landscape, like mountains, rivers or trees, can hold spirits or spiritual energy.

That shift in belief has coincided with a shift in practice. A National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health analysis found that use of complementary health practices like meditation, yoga and massage therapy nearly doubled between 2002 and 2022. Much of the Gathering of Mystics’ programming leans into that same territory of health and wellness, reframed through a more overtly mystical lens.

“The workshops will be experiential,” Devani said. “I’ll be doing an ‘Alchemize and Activate’ workshop where we dig into some shadow work essentially, and alchemizing that to let go of the shadows.”

Other speakers offer a similar blend of the personal and the esoteric. One session reframes emotional triggers as portals to healing survival trauma, while another combines three decades of somatic work with the lived experience of facing a severe health diagnosis.

Beyond the formal sessions, organizers hope the weekend serves as a space for community building. The event kicks off Friday evening with a social gala featuring music, dancing and a mythical reading. Throughout the three days, an artisan marketplace will feature a variety of local vendors offering metaphysical services, mini readings and handcrafted products.

More information and tickets can be found at gatheringofmystics.com.