What is Lifting the Mask Ceremony?
Shaving the head has always been more than appearance.
It can feel like a threshold.
Like grief.
Like releasing a version of yourself you weren’t ready to say goodbye to.
Hair is not “just hair.”
It holds memory.
Identity.
Femininity and masculinity.
Culture, vitality, confidence, and the stories of who you have been.
Across cultures and time, it has been a sacred act - a way to mark change, release what no longer serves, and step into what’s next.
The Lifting the Mask Ceremony is a three-hour shamanic ritual for anyone who feels the weight of choosing to shave their head and finds that decision carrying far more than they expected.
Drawing on shamanic drumming, water cleansing, and ritual, the ceremony creates a held space where you can set your intentions, journey inward, and cross this threshold consciously, carrying not just what has been lost, but what has been found.
Led by Lee Cuddis, who brings over 40 years in the hairdressing industry and 10 years in the wellbeing field, the ceremony closes with a "growing-back" haircut, a quiet acknowledgement that this is not an ending. It is a beginning.
Duration
3 Hours
Location
West Sussex, UK
Format
In-person at the Yurt
Cost
£140
Path of the Session
A structured, deeply held journey ensuring safety, clarity, and profound transformation.
Arrival & Grounding
Arrival, settling in, and grounding together. We open the space
gently and arrive fully in the body.
Intention Setting
Time to reflect, speak, or write what you are ready to release and
what truth you are choosing.
Drumming Journey
A guided inward journey supported by rhythmic drumming,
allowing insight, release, and clarity to arise.
Head Shaving Ritual
An intentional and sacred act of letting go, held in silence or soft
sound. This is a pivotal moment of transformation.
Water Cleansing
Warm water to cleanse, ground, and seal the transformation.
Preparing for the return.
Integration & Closing
Time to sit, share if desired, and gently return, carrying what has
shifted with you.
This is for you if...
You are choosing to shave your head and feel more than you expected, grief, fear, resistance, or a sense of loss you can't quite name.
You want to mark this moment with intention rather than move through it alone.
You are open to ritual, stillness, and turning a difficult moment into something sacred.
You want to be witnessed, held, and honoured in your courage.
This may not be right for you if...
You are looking for a straightforward haircut with no emotional or spiritual element.
You are currently experiencing acute psychiatric distress
(please seek a medical professional).
You are deeply uncomfortable with silence, stillness, or
exploring your inner landscape.
The Fruits of the Work
A Threshold Crossed with Intention
Moving through this moment consciously, so it becomes a marker of strength rather than something that simply happened to you.
Grief Met and Honoured
Giving your feelings the space they deserve, so the sadness, fear, or resistance doesn't get buried but released with care.
A Deeper Sense of Self
Beneath the hair, beneath the story, meeting yourself as you truly are, whole, worthy, and undiminished.
A New Chapter, Held Gently
Leaving not just lighter, but grounded in what this moment means, and ready to carry it forward with clarity and quiet courage.
Your Guide
I've spent over 40 years in the hairdressing industry, and I know better than most what happens in that chair. The conversations that start quietly and go somewhere unexpected. The trust that builds between hands and hair. The way a simple cut can carry the weight of something much bigger.
When I began my shamanic training, through a three-year initiatory programme with Second Sight Healing, I realised those two worlds weren't as separate as they might seem. Both are about presence. Both are about holding someone carefully through a moment of change.
The Lifting the Mask Ceremony grew from that understanding. I've been guiding people through transformation with Ancient Voices since 2011, and this is perhaps the ceremony that feels most like home.
SHAMANIC PRACTITIONER
Lee Cuddis
Testmonials
"My sigil ceremony was one to remember. It took place in one of the most beautiful Mongolian Yurt and I couldn’t have been more relaxed and at home."
"Coming out of the mediation I felt pure clarity and with the understanding and meaning of my experience it made me feel mentally stronger to understand the path I am choosing take in my life."
"I would recommend this to anyone looking to turn their perspective inwards, spend some time in pure peace, and explore what your inner realm could mean for you."
"When I arrived for the ceremony you can honestly feel the pureness of the whole experience. As soon as you duck your head ever so slightly to enter this place of meditation you can firstly feel , see and smell the beauty of relaxation in one place."
"I've never felt so relaxed, and I recommend Lee to anyone who not only wants to find their inner spirit, but anyone who wants a relaxing meditation and atmosphere throughout."
"The surroundings were beautiful, and a much needed escape from daily life. The ceremony itself was immersive and personal, and provided an open space to talk about what you went through with no judgement."
"I recently did a session with Lee and the journey I went on was peaceful, interesting and all round amazing."
"Lee's guided self-healing was an incredible journey and experience! One of the most powerful and meaningful experiences of my life. You feel instantly at ease in Lee's presence as he takes you on a relaxing, meditative, and spiritual journey."
Common Questions
What if I'm skeptical?
Is this religious?
What do I need to prepare?
