The Awakening the Animistic Women's Retreat is ...
An Active Experience
This retreat is active, meaning that while we do stroll around the lakes and use vehicles at times, many of the activities are better described as "hiking" and we are in the mountains. Importantly, some sites you will visit require ascents of a few hundred feet but we are always on a well-maintained trail. It is important to understand that attendees can not always opt-out of such activities as no alternative is provided. We do take our time on the hikes so it is not a rushed experience. We will have a pace to keep as a group to ensure we stay on schedule. If you can walk one mile on a flat terrain between 17 and 20 minutes, these activities this weekend will be about right for you.
Tentative Itinerary*
Day 1 - Friday
Our retreat begins at 5 pm where we will gather for introductions, an overview of the weekend, and an opening ceremony at our cabin in the woods. (You are welcome to arrive as early as 4 pm to settle in for those staying at the house. Commuters, please arrive by 5 pm.)
*Please plan to eat a late lunch or an early dinner before arriving.*
After settling in all together, we will find our way to our first nature walk. Around sunset, we will explore a peaceful reflective lake. We will drop in and quiet our minds, sinking into the energies of the mountains around us. We will slow our internal rhythms and make space as we prepare for the weekend ahead.
After our reflective lake walk, we will gather around the campfire for a fire ceremony releasing and relaxing deeper in at our accommodations for the next two nights. We will have thought-provoking spiritual conversations around the fire, a drumming meditation, and we will also have laughs.
Day 2-Saturday
We will begin this morning early as this is the potent transformative vision quest hiking day. We will enjoy a light breakfast this morning to relax and socialize before we make our way to the start of our trail for the day with the group.
For those commuting we will meet at the trail head around 9am. You are welcome to join us for breakfast in town, although this is not included in the commuter price.
There will be an elevation change along our hike today, but we will take a very slow pace being mindful of the natural world around us, connecting deeper into energies here supporting us with each step.
We will venture together into secluded spaces where you will connect with your inner wisdom, uncover hidden truths, and gain clarity on your life. Although together in a group setting, you'll still be able to embrace the solitude of these sacred spaces. Along the walk up the mountain, Amanda will also be teaching you animistic perspectives and beliefs and you'll learn and discover for yourself the secrets of the ancient spiral.
Along this hike (and the Fairy Walk), we will venture into hidden groves and ancient forests, where the fairy realm is said to intersect with ours. We will engage in practices and rituals designed to awaken and strengthen your innate feminine connection to the natural world. The whimsical energy of the fairies will inspire your creativity and intuition, allowing you to tap into the magic within.
You'll also learn what "offerings" are, and how to make offerings to reciprocate our appreciation for what we receive along the walk from nature (or any walk you do long after this weekend). We'll do mini-rituals along the way leading up to a bigger ceremony at the top. You'll also learn how to read messages from the natural world. This is not "just a hike", this is a spiritual experience where things can shift internally thanks to the elements and fairies around.
You'll have the opportunity to meditate on top of the mountain, receiving insights as the ancients did long ago and as people still do all over the world. We will come together to share and integrate what we feel needs expressing at this point in our weekend. You'll also have private time to journal what comes up while in this magical sacred space. The mountain, the elements, the fae, and other spirit guides are with us supporting what is naturally shifting within, if we are open and allow it to change us along this walk.
This experience will last approximately until 2:30pm, you'll need to bring your own snacks and water. A small backpack is recommended, sunscreen, layers of clothing as the temperature changes throughout the day, good hiking shoes, and something to write with.
You'll have from 2:30 pm - 4 pm (ish) to yourself. You may use this time to relax, journal, or process what came up earlier in the day. The accommodations will have plenty of spaces for privacy to be alone or to gather as a group and talk.
We will come back together around 4 pm for a lovely picnic along the parkway. After dinner we will take an evening sunset walk around another lake filled with mysterious wise woman energy. We will tap into this in our own lives as we stroll around this otherworldly lake.
As the sun sets and the stars begin to twinkle, we will gather around the fire to engage in deep and meaningful conversations again. Our hearts and bodies will be warmed by the fire and watching the hypnotic dancing flames will ignite our spirits even more as we connect sharing stories, wisdom, and laughter. These conversations will stay with us long after this night together.
Day 3-Sunday
After enjoying our breakfast, we will say goodbye to our accommodations and head to our third lake to walk, a Fairy Trail. Along this walk you'll be able to integrate all that you've learned throughout the weekend and experienced.
For those commuting we will meet at the trail head around 10 am this morning. You are welcome to join us for breakfast before in town, although this is not included in the price.
We will close our time together with a group ceremony in the mountains embrace. You'll have rediscovered over the weekend your own innate connection to the web of life, deepening your understanding of the interdependence and sacredness of all beings. Through the guided meditations, shamanic practices, and immersive animistic nature explorations over the weekend, you'll have discovered more about the spirits of the land, trees, and animals that call this sacred place home and yourself.
The healing energies of the Blue Ridge Mountains will wash over you, leaving you feeling revitalized, aligned, and deeply nourished ready to return to the world with a renewed sense of awareness, clarity, connection, and purpose. The fairy energy will linger with you bringing new creative and joyful experiences your way something many modern women find missing in their lives. Our time together will conclude around 2 pm.
After you've returned home we will arrange a 60 minute 1:1 private follow-up session to go over anything that came up for you over the weekend or in the following days after returning home. Often times after deep spiritual work that occurs in energy work sessions/classes or on spiritual retreats, it take 3-5 days to process and for new insights to come through. During our session you can also ask questions if you have any on the information that was presented. What you learned throughout the weekend is something that you can integrate into all of your future walks/hikes in nature.
I've lived in this area twice and spent everyday wandering the trails learning from nature. Along my walks, I integrated what I was learning from my elders, teachers, and healers from a shamanistic and animistic perspective. I SO enjoy sharing these magical places that are transformative with others. In fact, one mountain specifically told me to bring people there.
I know first hand from living here where magical spots are, and what energies are present to support humanity. I've also guided many others to these places over the years that have also had profound spiritual experiences. I am able to intuitively tap into specific places in nature that each soul uniquely could benefit from. Although an initial itinerary is shown below, depending upon each unique group that comes together, another place in nature nearby may be more aligned and beneficial for the group to experience. We will stay in the feminine flow of intuition this weekend as we connect deeper to nature and within.
If you are ready to join in on this special women's retreat weekend with Amanda, click below.
You'll receive an email within 24 hours that will include payment options and questions on diet restrictions and special request.