Spiritual Healer Fined for Trafficking Magic Mushrooms at Retreat Linked to Death

Deanne Mathews pleaded guilty to drug trafficking but avoided a criminal conviction after a participant died at her healing retreat in Victoria.

Deanne Mathews, 54, admitted to providing magic mushroom tea during a $500-per-person healing retreat in Clunes, Victoria, in April 2024.
Participant Rachael Dixon, 53, died after consuming the tea, but no causal link between the mushrooms and her death was established by authorities.
Mathews was fined $3,000 for trafficking psilocybin, a restricted substance in Australia, but avoided a criminal conviction.
The court highlighted the seriousness of drug trafficking but acknowledged Mathews' cooperation, including her efforts to assist Dixon during the incident.
Mathews' lawyer emphasized that this was an isolated event in her practice, which primarily focuses on other therapeutic modalities such as Reiki and meditation.