A group of folks sipping drinks on a small Victorian town’s main street at late hours of the night were part of a wellness retreat. 53-year-old Rachael Dixon, one of the members of the group, became unwell and passed away there.
She was accompanied by two other people at Soul Barn in Clunes, who were transported to the hospital and then released. A police inquiry is being focused on the specific ingredients of the drink and if they contributed to Dixon’s demise.
If mushrooms were used, the police are looking into it. However, there’s no indication of foul play. None of Soul Barn’s “regular therapists, staff, or facilitators were there at any point throughout this event,” the company announced on social media on Wednesday afternoon.
“The profound grief & shock we are experiencing here at Soul in the wake of the tragic event that happened on April 13th cannot be expressed in words,” the message stated.
“Soul Barn rents out workshop areas to outside companies and instructors. The April 13th event was a private gathering, and those in charge of it were not affiliated with or employees of Soul Barn anyway.
Dixon’s Son Honours His Mother
Matthew Mountain, Dixon’s son, honored the 53-year-old on social media on Sunday, calling her the “most caring, most loving person I’ve ever known.” Words cannot begin to express how much I will miss you, and I wish I could offer you one last embrace.
“I can’t thank you enough for all you ever did for me as well as all the support you gave me,” the man stated. Penny Muller-Dixon, her sister, stated in a different post that “words cannot convey the pain that we are all feeling.”
In response to Muller-Dixon’s article, Kirstin Dixon, a different sister, wrote, “We are absolutely devastated that our sister is no longer with us.” On social media, Dixon’s former coworker said that she had previously participated in “ceremonies” that enhanced her sense of wellness.
Previous articles from Soul Barn on the internet also revealed that ceremonies held at night had previously taken place there. It held a function dubbed “a night with Spirit” the evening before the disaster.
There is no indication that the incident is even remotely related to Dixon’s demise. The event’s host, a psychic, medium, and astrologer, was promised to “sit with his pals in the spirit worlds since they subjugate his mind & take him to the trance state” in social media posts.
Weekend Retreat In Clunes
According to a Facebook post, an additional “Sound Healing” event that was scheduled for Sunday was deterred the next morning. The post said, “My sincere apologies – Sound healing is canceled (xld) today – email with refund and details has been sent to all booked x.”
A mix of Yoga Nidra navigation meditation and deeply soothing sound immersion was promoted on the event page as a way to prepare the body and mind for the experience.
However, it’s unclear what motivated Dixon to attend the weekend retreat in Clunes. A newsletter and posts on social media indicated that Soul Barn did not have any events scheduled for Saturday night.
It was “believed a woman was there at a retreat on Fraser Street while she became ill following ingesting a drink shortly after 12am,” according to a police spokesperson on Tuesday.
It is unknown if the other individuals who are thought to have drunk the drink have communicated with investigators or not. Their personal information has not been made public.
On Wednesday afternoon, a police spokesperson stated that there were no new developments in the investigation.
Not the homicide squad, but regional investigators are leading the inquiry. Authorities contacted the Austin Health-managed Victorian Poisons Information Centre on the issue.
The health service stated it gave physicians high-level expert guidance on how to treat patients who had been acutely poisoned as well as details on the effects & management of “chronic exposures,” without directly commenting on the situation.