WHERE & WHEN
Location: CLUB SAFEWORD (San Diego, CA, Kearny Mesa)
AWAKEN is a Ritual Steel multi-day event, a transformative ritual piercing weekend intended to provide a unique and educational experience, as well as a “first look” for many people into the world of body-stress rituals.
Open to any consenting adult who purchases a ticket, this event is structured to provide a unique experience based on the needs of each participant. Through piercing, weights, hook pulls, cheek spears, flesh suspensions, and other piercing rituals, the producers of Ritual Steel will work with the participants to provide coming-of-age transformation, catharsis, rebirth, and other energetic or spiritual revelations through extreme sensory experiences.
This iteration of Ritual Steel’s Awaken is being held in conjunction with Desire Unchained. Typically, Awaken events are anchored by a workshop, social, and ritual. In San Diego, we will have a number of additions before the “main event” group hook pull on Sunday, and your weekend ticket includes access to everything.
EVENT SCHEDULE
EDUCATE!
The Friday evening workshop is open to everyone ($25 charge for non-weekend-ticket holders), and will cover the basic history of hooks in a modern context including our intersectionality within the queer Leather community. We will additionally have a piercing demo to help demystify the physical aspects, and also share experiences and information that may help you choose your energetic adventure for the weekend. Additionally, we will discuss intention setting for Ritual and a participatory Salt ritual and the "official" altar opening, allowing participants to begin establishing connections for the coming events and establish intent.
CONNECT!
Immediately following this workshop we will transition into a Meet-and-Greet social, and those who are interested in suspending on Saturday will meet with the piercing team. Rather than go off-site, we will provide some light hors d'orvures and a mocktail bar so that we can all spend as much time socializing as possible. The meet-and-greet social on Friday evening is for all participants, witnesses, and their friends to meet and mingle. Ritual Steel staff will be available to answer questions and make connections with other participants as well. Any remaining tickets for the weekend will also be available for purchase at this time.
Important Note: For those interested in suspending during the event, an initial group discussion will happen during the social so the production team can meet each participant, be informed about any medical considerations, and learn about the intentions guiding their suspension. If you intend to suspend, please attend.
Doors Open
On Saturday at noon doors will open and after a brief discussion we will perform multiple suspensions. All Participants are welcome and encouraged to attend and provide energy to the space for those who choose to take flight.
ELEVATE!
ELEVATE your soul (and possibly your body) as you join us for a day of flesh hook suspensions facilitated by Ritual Steel at APEX! This day is open to ALL ticketed participants for AWAKEN weekend, and we encourage everyone to attend and bear witness to support those who choose to fly. Even just being present to witness can be a profound experience. For those who are interested in suspending, message info@ritualsteel.com with the subject line "APEX 2026 suspension" with a little basic info: Name, email, phone number, and a brief description of your desires for suspending. Note that all first-time suspensions will be conducted in a vertical position with piercings in the back. Other positions may be accommodated after discussion with the piercing team to determine feasibility.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you're interested in suspending during Saturday's ELEVATE, please attend the suspension meeting on Friday during the social! This individualized focus requires significantly more time and piercing resources per person, and will require a $150 surcharge on top of the normal ticket price.
Doors Open
SUNDAY at noon the doors will open to all participants, and we will begin with a ritual opening at 1pm.
ENGAGE!
Ritual Steel’s ENGAGE hook pull to culminate the AWAKEN weekend is a transformative ritual piercing event intended to provide a unique energetic experience, as well as a “first look” for many people into the world of body-based rituals.
Open to all consenting adults, this event is structured to provide a unique experience based on the needs of each participant. Through piercing with weights, hooks, cheek spears, flesh suspensions, and other similar rituals, the producers will work with the participants to provide coming-of-age transformation, catharsis, rebirth, and other energetic or spiritual revelations through extreme sensory experiences.
You can find information about each of this in our "What is A Hook Pull" article.
We will conclude with a Ritual Steel follow-up discussion/Q&A for all participants, and formally close the altar, bringing a close to our weekend. We ask that all RS participants attend this final closing if they are able.