Grief, Longing, and Tending the Soul of the World

At the center of all my sorrows, I have felt a presence that was not mine alone -- Susan Griffin
September 18-20, 2015
Friday night supper 7 pm - Sunday lunch
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

We humans were made for relationship, for intimate connection with mountain and meadow, with raven and ruby-throated hummingbird, with every part of the animate world.

In our time these relationships are breaking down, unraveling. As a result we are losing both the outer world, with its beauty and rich diversity, and the inner world of mystery and soul. We feel tired and empty, casting about for a happiness that ever eludes us, hardly aware of the deep grief that lies buried, unacknowledged, in our souls.

In this retreat ...

We will welcome
our ungrieved losses
and begin to take time to express and grieve them.

Sound & Silence

Embodying prayer through the sacred rhythms of drumming, movement, nature and silence
September 11-13, 2015
5:00 pm Friday - 3:00 pm Sunday
Still Point Mountain Retreat near Harpers Ferry WV

“After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
— Aldous Huxley

"Do we know, each one of us, that we are bearers of the sacred beat of life? Do we know that we can honor that beat in one another and in all things? And do we know that it is this combination - of knowing that we are bearers of Presence and choosing to honor Presence in one another - that holds the key to transformation in our lives and world?" — John Philip Newell

Music & Movement ... Drumming & Dance ... Listening & Silence .... embodiments of prayer allowing us to experience the sacred beat of life connecting us to ourselves, to one another, and to God.

Annual Labor Day Work Retreat

Saturday, September 6, 2015
10 am - 4 pm
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

Still just as much fun and same community-building joyful work. Same laughter, delicious food, good companions ... now on Saturday, not Monday.

Every opportunity to renew friendships, share labors, break bread together, and nurture this land and all its beings is a precious gift. We invite you to join us at Rolling Ridge for a gathering of our community to work and play and socialize. What a delight to spend a day of furthering the common good in the midst of beloved company on this sacred ground!

Munchies and juice and coffee will be at the Retreat House by 9:30. Please bring work gloves and a hat and something to share for a potluck lunch. We will have wood ready to split, a garden ready for tending, and a Retreat House to clean.

Water and Silence

Following an age-old tradition for contemporary pilgrims
August 28-30, 2015
5:00 pm Friday - 3:00 pm Sunday
Still Point Mountain Retreat near Harpers Ferry WV

Gather at Still Point Mountain Retreat for Friday Vespers, followed by 7:00 pm dinner and Compline. Arrive Friday after 1:00 pm. Retreat ends following lunch on Sunday. Gathered participants will follow contemporary Prayer of the Hours, interspersed with generous time for silence and exploring the river, pond, streams, and waterfalls of Rolling Ridge’s 1400 acres of untouched natural beauty. Retreat includes six delicious home-style meals, a contemplative library and art materials.

Adjoining the Rolling Ridge Foundation Wilderness Preserve, the five bedroom Still Point Cabin sits atop a mountain rise overlooking the Shenandoah River. The retreat is led by Lindsay McLaughlin and Mary Ann Welter.

$200 shared occupancy and $225 for a single room.

Permaculture Workshop

August 21-23, 2015
Friday 6:30 pm - Sunday 3:00 pm
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

Save the date. More information to come.

Arts to the Ridge

A creative spirit retreat for girls ages 10-16
June 21-26, 2015
supper potluck 3 pm Sunday June 21 - lunch Friday, June 26
Still Point Mountain Retreat near Harpers Ferry WV

Retreat to the Ridge and bring your art with you. If you draw, dance, sing, write, play a musical instrument, sculpt, sew, or otherwise create—this retreat is for you! Practice in an inspiring mountain setting; share creative experiences with one another; explore the connection between silence, spirit, and creativity; try something new in sampler sessions with guest artists. Parents and younger sibs welcome.

Retreat fee is $425. Register and pay by April 15 for $400. Scholarships are available, as well as family/sibling discounts, and discounts for girls of parent staff/artists.

Features:

Restorying the Heroine's Journey: Sacred circles and wild wanders

With Lisa Bardack, Julie Gabrielli, and Lindsay McLaughlin
May 29-31, 2015
Friday dinner - Sunday lunch
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat and Still Point Mountain Retreat

"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

Children of the Earth

For child and parent, grandparent or mentor
May 8-9, 2015 Mother's Day Weekend
Friday evening supper through Saturday supper
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

Save the date.  More information to come.

Celebrate Spring and the Breathing Earth

Scholarship Fundraising Event at Still Point Mountain Retreat featuring Jesse Palidofsky and friends in concert
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Still Point Mountain Retreat near Harpers Ferry WV

Featuring:

✓ Jesse Palidofsky and friends in concert
✓ Alfresco dining by accolade winning retreat chefs
✓ Story-telling, poetry, drumming, fire circle and more
✓ Accommodations in Still Point cabin and Rolling Ridge Retreat House

You are welcome anytime Saturday to join the Still Point Partners, Friends of Silence staff, and Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community in joyful spring raking and cleaning in the budding wilderness. Or come just as the shadows begin to lengthen for the main event ...

✓ 4 pm — lemonade, appetizers, and fundraising surprises
✓ 5 pm — scrumptious picnic porch supper
✓ 6 pm — festive concert, followed by fire circle
✓ Stay all night — for free

Men's Rites of Passage at Rolling Ridge with Belden Lane and Steven Gambill

Think of this time as jumping, or maybe being thrown, into a "life-changing stew" where you simmer for five days in the "transformational mix" of silence, wilderness, and powerful ritual that holds the possibility of breaking open your heart, allowing you
April 22-26, 2015
Wednesday 1:00 pm - Sunday 3:00 pm
Rolling Ridge at Harpers Ferry West Virginia

Belden Lane will join with Stephen Gambill and the Washington DC Regional MALEs team (Men As Learners and Elders) to host this area's second Men's Rites of Passage near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, from Wednesday afternoon April 22, 2015 through Sunday afternoon April 26, 2015.

This is not just another men's retreat or another spirituality event.  Think of this time as jumping, or maybe being thrown, into a "life-changing stew" where you simmer for five days in the "transformational mix" of silence, wilderness, and powerful ritual that holds the possibility of breaking open your heart, allowing you to see new possibilities for yourself, and creating "living questions" that will percolate within you and guide you for years to come.

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