"Women must begin to forge alliances that will add strength to their individual voices. Women must rediscover and share their wisdom to ensure the healing of the entire planet and humanity by tapping into the vast reservoir of energy that runs beneath our common ground and is creating a new wave of women's power."
--Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
Women are often portrayed as roles: the valiant single mother, the seductress, the plucky intern, the brilliant intellect mixing it up with men, the powerful ruthless boss, the reluctant but crafty warrior. What happens when we let go of roles and self-constructs that aren't working and take the first steps of our own true journey, crossing the threshold into the world of nature and soul? when we delve beneath the surface personality into the timeless realm of myth and archetype?
In this retreat, we will explore the territory between gathering and going out, ritual and wild encounter, container and individuality, knowing and wondering, culture and nature. We will embark on the heroine's journey as it winds and spirals, with abundant time for:
- walking in the late spring woods,
- journaling,
- and gathered times for storytelling, dance and ceremony
We will seek, discover, return and share stories of connection and belonging to this one wild earth we call home.
We will do this in the company of the ancestors, woodland spirits, goddesses from many cultures, and archetypes of the unconscious. It will be a fluid time of exploration and imagination, questioning and daring, listening to the stories that mountain and river, squirrel and hawk, maple and oak tell us, these guardians and guides to the wildness and imagination of the earth.
In sacred circle dance, we will experience the artful movement and rediscover our connection to the cyclical rhythms and healing powers of the earth--day and night, the seasons, the cycle of life itself.
Retreat Leaders
Lisa Bardack, Julie Gabrielli, and Lindsay McLaughlin share a fascination with the power of story to heal, reconnect, and create our world. We bring years of dedicated learning, practice, mentoring, and retreat leading through sacred circle dance, the arts, community, and outdoor exploration.
This retreat will be held at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat and Still Point Mountain Retreat, on 1400 acres of sacred wilderness near Harpers Ferry, WV. The retreat begins with supper at 6 pm on Friday and concludes with lunch on Sunday. Fee for the retreat, including lodging, meals and program, is $270 (single room), $245 (shared room), and $225 (camping). To reserve your place, register with a $100 deposit through Friends of Silence.
Register Online
Pay Deposit Online
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Directions
Download Flyer
Download registration form
If you do not wish to register online, you may download the form and mail it to Friends of Silence, 120 Jubilee Ln., Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, with $100 deposit to Friends of Silence.