"As long as there is one to sing and one to dance,
one to speak and one to listen, life will go on.
— Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation
To live in a sacred way is to live in a world where everything is alive, everything has soul, and everything speaks to us. Could it be that the deepest gift the human ones can give, at this moment in Earth's evolving life, is our gift for ritual and ceremony: our stories, our dances, our gestures, our songs?
In this retreat we will explore the art and practice of creating ritual and ceremony — ceremonies to mark significant life passages, to honor our grief, to celebrate the seasonal gifts of creation, to pray for healing, and daily rituals to express our gratitude for the gift of life.
Much of our time will be spent outdoors:
- time alone wandering in the woods, creek valleys, and rocky places of this wild mountain land
- time together listening to the mystery and wisdom of our encounters with soul and nature.
Leaders: Jim Hall and Cheryl Hellner, longtime members of Rolling Ridge Study Retreat, have practiced the art of ritual and ceremony in their life together for many years. Since 2009, they have been exploring nature-based ritual and ceremony through programs with the Animas Valley Institute. They live and work at Dayspring, a 200 acre retreat center in Germantown, Maryland.
This retreat will be held at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat House, a six bedroom cabin in a wilderness setting near Harpers Ferry, WV. Rolling Ridge is accessible by car only. The retreat begins with supper at 7 pm on Friday and concludes with lunch on Sunday. Fee for the retreat is $200 (lodging inside) or $150 (camping), six meals and program. Registration is limited to 16 people. To reserve your place, email lindsay.rollingridge@gmail.com and request an application to be returned with a $50 deposit. (More detailed instructions on how to prepare, and what to bring, will be mailed prior to the retreat.)