GROUPS AND EVENTS
I'M AN ORIGINAL CATCHPHRASE
RE-VISIONING MENOPAUSE
Nourish, Empower, Deepen
Join us for a day of movement, myth and creativity. We will be exploring the myth of Demeter and Persephone, re-framing Menopause as a key rite of passage, and as a time to celebrate female intuitive wisdom and power.
A chance to ask: what do you need to grieve or let go of at this gateway of change? What wisdom do you hold at this time that needs to be listened to? What is your deeper calling right now?
You will be nourished by movement practices designed to support Menopause, with Qi-gong and energy movement for women. We offer a creative and reflective space to connect with the wisdom of this rite of passage, and our intention is for you to leave with a sense of empowerment and deeper rootedness at this potent time of transition.
With Rebecca Smart and Nicola Ley.
Once upon a time, a story was told in the heart of the woods. Once upon a time, people gathered around a fire, and leaned in to listen to words mixed with woodsmoke. Once upon a time a woman walked into the Forest and stepped off the path….
This is not just ‘once upon a time’, this is our time. Time to do what wanderers and seekers have been doing for millennia, and step into the Forest. Just as in the old tales, we won’t walk out the same.
We invite you to a weekend retreat at The House at the Edge of the Woods for a two day story-telling weekend which will include the tale of the Handless Maiden. This powerful story of endurance, exile, descent and sovereignty is filled with initiation, and is deeply relevant for people of all ages, especially those wondering what is asked of us in our troubled times.
What part of yourself has been exiled in order to survive in this world? What is calling to be seen, to be given voice, to be heard? What wild longing needs to be witnessed, honoured, and welcomed?
Join us as we follow the stories off the beaten track, beyond the threshold, to honour the descents that we go through at initiatory moments in our lives. We will invoke the art of slow listening, opening our ears to the depth of the old tales, and inviting encounter with the wild woods and the more-than-human world. Our creative practices include poetry, environmental art making, storytelling, image work and solo wandering. There will be time in the woods, cooking over the fire, feasting, random acts of creativity, wood-fired sauna and sharing of stories together.
“In this [story-telling] tradition a story is ‘holy,’ and it is used as medicine. The story is not told to lift you up, to make you feel better, or to entertain you, although all those things can be true. The story is meant to take the spirit into a descent to find something that is lost or missing and to bring it back to consciousness again” – Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Women Who Run with the Wolves: Contacting the Power of the Wild Woman.
The House at the Edge is in the South Downs National Park, a beautiful dark skies area in the South of England. The food forest garden includes over 60 fruit and nut trees, edible and medicinal herbs, berries, and vegetables and cultivated fungi. The sauna is heated by wood from the woods and chopped by Emma and her coppicing companions.
Ten minutes walk down the lane and across the field is 11 acres of ancient woodland lovingly managed by Emma’s community of coppicers, crafts-folk and tree lovers.
The nearest train station is Petersfield, and we can arrange pick-ups from there for those arriving by public transport. Exact location will be shared once your booking is confirmed.
Please indicate which room you wish to book. If that room is not available we will contact you to talk through the options. You will receive a booking confirmation and banking details shortly after you complete and send your booking form: https://forms.gle/w54veLxAK12WZuTr5
7 places maximum with various room options available including camping.
The fees for the weekend are £285 which includes all your meals, Friday evening, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch and wood-fired sauna Friday and Saturday evening.
Accommodation costs for two nights:
Double bedroom (solo) – £150
Shared bedroom (two people) – £120 per person
Futon in the library – £120
Luxury camper van – £100
Tent in the garden – £50
Alternatively, you can arrange your own accommodation (for example The Rising Sun pub in the village)