In this Wild Nature Crucible for Women we explore… our authentic soul-song, the sound of the healing waters, the feel of the wind, the ancient growls and forgotten dances that call our bodies to a remembering of true, wild Home.

The elusive desire to find a deep sense of place, of identity, captures us throughout many stages of our lives. We ‘soul search’, we seek belonging: Who am I really? And how do I find my true ‘home’? We follow the evolving threads that appear on our path, but often long for the comfort and wisdom of company, of tribe, within which to listen to the wilder mysteries lurking somewhere in our deeper imagination.

What will happen on this Wild Nature Crucible Retreat? We will gather together in circle, around the fire, in the wild interior of our own stories and the wild exterior of the land. We will dream and pay attention, be supported and guided to trust… to listen. We will explore the wise counsel of myth, feeling their timeless wisdom for our specific times. We will remember our natural knowing, reclaim our deep growl or sweet song, and celebrate the treasure hunt to wholeness.

Over this 5-day journey, the space for creative reflection, sacred practices of ritual, of circle and ceremony, and solo time with the untamed, sentient Earth, will provide the crucible: the deep container within which the melting down of the old, can give rise to the emergence of something new, something deeply precious, and perhaps mysteriously familiar, in answer to these questions.

Why join this retreat? If you feel a resonance with the aching sense of something more, something deeper and more soulfully satisfying in this miraculous Life, and if you remember, deep in your bones, the old wisdom of gathering as women to traverse these soulful paths together, then this journey is for you.

Who is facilitating/guiding This journey? The retreat will be supported and guided by skilled, professional Ecotherapists, Counsellors, Rites of Passage Guides & Arts Therapists. See below for more details on these guides.

The specific lineage-holders of knowledge that this training takes particular inspiration from are: Dave Talamo with Wilderness Reflections; Steve Foster and Meredith Little with The School of Lost Borders; Joanna Macy with The Work that Reconnects; Jon Young with the Wilderness Awareness School; Bill Plotkin and the Animus Valley Institute; Marshall Rosenberg and Nonviolent Communication: Ron Kurtz and Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy, and S.N. Goenka with the Vipassana Meditation Centre.

Logistics

We will begin at the Environmental Education Centre at the Threshold to the Arthur’s Pass. We will spend two nights there creating connection with each other and the land before wandering to a nearby campsite (2kms hike on easy terrain) to set up camp. At the camp we will court a myth to set the scene for an ecotherapuetic, creative art and mindful exploration into our depth of being. On the 5th day we will wander back to the lodge for another night spending this time to support integration and preparation for the return back into the everyday world.

You will need: A tent, a camp mattress, a sleeping bag and liteweight pillow, a camp plate, bowl, fork and spoon, layers of outdoor clothing, a lite-weight 2-litre water bottle and a back pack to carry the above. More info will be provided upon enquiry. Gear may be hired if needed.

Included in the Program fee:

Meals: Plant-based meals will be provided, the preparation and cooking of meals will be done as a collective group.

Accommodation Included: Three nights at the lodge, and two nights at the campsite.

Program Investment: $1690.00 (Early bird if paid before Nov 31st 2023) After that date $1850.00

Cancellation Policy: Refunds less $100 admin fee will be provided if cancellations are made within 2 months prior to the program start date. This is to provide support and security for those already committed and have booked travel.

If the organisers cancel the training, a full refund will be provided.