The retreat will be hosted by Donna at The Beacon Retreat Centre in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK, a stunning and deeply nourishing landscape, and will include a pilgrimages to sites in the local landscape.
The Beacon Retreat Centre, Brecon Beacons
In the House of Morgan Le Fay: Women’s Healing Samhain / Calan Gaeaf Retreat
The season of Samhain / Halloween / Calan Gaeaf is the time when our ancestors would gather to mark the completion of the old year, and welcoming of the new. It’s a time when the veils are thin between the worlds of the living and that of the ancestors and it is a time which is rich in ancestral support for our healing journeys.
Morgan Le Fay called me to this place, so in turn I call you to her to gather as a tribe of sisters and call in Morgan Le Fay and her healing skills, call on the ancestors and the spirits of the plants and the land, as we dive deep into the elements and into the healing powers of herbs and essential oils to support our own healing journeys.
Thursday
Arrivals from 4pm, Programme starts at 5:30pm
Earth element
Arrive on the land and ground in Morgan’s energies with womb friendly and healing yoga, delicious celebratory Samhain supper, and opening drum circle, setting intentions. Opening to the land, the ancestors and to Morgan’s dragons.
Earth herbs:
Meadowsweet
Rose
Lady’s mantle
Yarrow
Suggested earth element crystals: Preseli bluestone and malachite
Friday
Morning yoga
Breakfast
Moving from Earth to Air
We open to the rose of the heart with a visualisation journey to meet Morgana, and then a practical session in Morgana’s healing apothecary learning about the herbs of our journey, creating our own personal healing grimoire (book of spells!) and a personal healing incense blend to use in a lesson in smoke scrying and in co-created ceremony, and to take home.
Excursion to the ancient Defynnog Yew Tree (over 3,000 years old), lunch at the Welsh Rarebit Centre* and then on by car to Mynydd Illtyd (Illtyd Mountain, an easily accessible moorland heath, with its stunning views of the Beacons mountains) for co-created ceremony and then tea at the Visitors’ Centre*.
Back to the centre for dinner and evening sharing circle.
Time after dinner to continue to learn about the herbs and build our grimoires.
Air herbs:
Fennel
Lavender
Melissa (lemon balm)
Suggested air element crystals: Selenite and clear quartz
Saturday
Fire element
Morning yoga
More grimoire making.
Making a release bag for the fire ceremony.
Sacred oils session working with rose, fennel, lavender, melissa and mugwort oils
Lunch and free time for grimoire making, walking, hot tub, therapies*
Dinner
Sharing circle
Elemental ecstatic dance journey, ending in fire ceremony to release all we wish to release on our healing journey.
Fire herbs: Dandelion
Nettle
Calendula (marigold)
Suggested fire element crystals: Carnelian and citrine
Sunday
Water element
Morning yoga
Hearty breakfast
Our healing journey ends with beautiful co-created water ceremony to further release any residual impediments to healing (either with the waters of the land here at the centre, or an excursion to a local waterfall, weather conditions permitting), with an anointing baptism in waters of the land.
Return to the Centre for lunch, and our retreat ends with receiving our queen’s crown on the yoni throne in a group yoni steam ceremony.
Closing circle and departures.
Water herbs:
Mugwort
Blue lotus
Suggested water element crystals: Iona marble and aquamarine
Included:in the retreat price:
Accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner except those listed as not included, printed handouts, blank paper and art materials (paints, coloured pencils, pastels, crayons, ribbons, glue etc) for grimoire creation, plus herbs, essential oils and other materials for the practical discovery and creation sessions.
Please bring items for the co-created altar, and any personal crystals you would like to work with for each of the elements.
Food will be vegetarian or vegan with gluten-free options.
Please advise food requirements on booking.
*Items not included the retreat price – Lunch at the Welsh Rarebit Centre, Tea at the Brecon Beacons Visitor Centre, Optional therapies as available – these will be notified closer to the time.
Travel to and from the retreat centre is not included, but we can help to organise transfers from Brecon bus station or Abergavenny railway station.
See .Beacon Retreat Centre — Donna Gerrard ‘How to find us’.
Please contact Donna at donna@donnagerrard.com with any questions and we can get on a free consultation call via Zoom or FB Messenger.