Dancing Between the Veils: A Samhain / Halloween Retreat at Tilton House, East Sussex with Donna Gerrard, Storyteller, Poet, Priestess, Yoga Teacher
The retreat will be hosted by Donna at Tilton House, an elegant Edwardian manor house in the scenic South Downs National Park. Tilton House was once owned by John Maynard Keynes, economist and member of the bohemian Bloomsbury Set, and his wife Lydia, a ballerina. Just a short hike or 10 min car ride away is the ancient chalk hill figure known as the Long Man of Wilmington, carved into the slopes of Windover Hill. Legend says that this is a representation of the ancient giant who guarded this sacred hill. Most say that he holds two staffs or spears. If you look closely, I prefer to think that he is holding open a doorway, a gateway to the Otherworld. And could ‘he’ be an ancient warrioress…?
The ancient festival of Samhain was the forerunner of modern Halloween. For our ancient forebears, this was the end of the old year, and the start of the new, and one of the two points in the year when the veils between this world and the next were thinnest. Come be in community with us around the hearth fire to stare into the fire, tell stories, reflect on the year that is past, move our bodies, eat nourishing food and stir into the cauldron the rich nurturing mixture of wishes for your life and the way forward for the world.
Meals and accommodation in shared rooms in the beautiful house is included.
Single rooms are available at a supplement.
Alcohol with dinner is permitted but at additional cost.
The shape of the weekend
Friday
Arrivals from 3pm, snacks and tea.
4pm: Stepping across the threshold. Gather round the Hearth Fire for gentle grounding embodied practice and visualization journey where we open the vessel of the weekend.
7pm: Dinner, followed by story telling and sharing circle around the hearth fire.
Saturday
Breakfast
Morning embodied practice – picking over the bones of the year – what did we love about this last year – what do we need to leave behind, and what do we want to send energy to for the year to come?
Lunch
Pilgrimage to the Long Man (by car, transfer included with optional hike back, weather permitting)
Ritual at the Long Man to commit to the earth the bones of the old year – what we are leaving behind.
Before dinner: Embodied ritual ‘The Witches Whispered’ –stirring the cauldron to create the magic of our year to come
7:30pm: Dinner, followed by story telling and sharing circle and some singing, drumming and dancing around the hearth fire. Maybe some other scrying / divination / goddess channelling goodies here too.
Sunday
Breakfast
Embodied ritual ‘Animating the Bones’, inspired by the myth of Isis and her gathering of the scattered parts of her beloved Osiris, bring him back to life and conceiving their son Horus, we invite the creation and birth of our year to come.
Free time for walking or therapies (available to book additional cost).
Lunch
Sharing circle and closing the vessel of the weekend.
The financial exchange
£397 pp – sharing a twin room + all accommodation, meals, snacks and drinks (hot and cold non-alcoholic)
£597 pp - for single room occupancy
Secure your place with non-refundable deposit of £147.
EARLY BIRD OFFER
Twin room sharing - £347 pp paid in full by 1st July 2021
Single room - £520 pp paid in full by 1st July 2021
Please contact Donna at donna@donnagerrard.com with any questions and we can get on a free consultation call via Zoom or FB Messenger.
The witches whispered
There is a free 15 minute audio mini version of one of Donna’s favourite embodied rituals, which invites healing for the witch wound and the burning times. Click here to get an access.
All blessings be!