Winter Solstice 2011

YULETIDE: Turn the wheel of change
Friday–Sunday 1–3 JuLY 2011
A Wytchy Ways Retreat in collaboration with WitchesWorkshop

 

MID-WINTER FIRES AND FEAST

Mid-Winter is a special time of year. It's a time marked by warm home-fires, hearty foods, mulled wines and candlelight. It is also the one time in the year when those with knowledge of an old Craft hold sacred rites, chant the old songs and dance the rounds of the Yuletide wheel of change.

 

 

Have you ever wanted to celebrate the depth of Winter among kindred souls who really value the turning of the season's tide? Come and indulge the senses in a rich and sumptuous feast of fine foods, spiced wines and stimulating company. Let us be your hosts this Winter season, enter our circle of friends and enjoy a Yuletide celebration you'll not forget.

This weekend has been a mind-blowing, life-changing event. The energy in the rituals was beyond the scale of anything else I have experienced before; the loving, caring community environment made me feel at home. Rebecca

 

WINTER’S RITES: THE POWER TO CREATE CHANGE
Come and hold vigil with us on this Winter's night, and around the Solstice fires we will help you to turn the Wheel of Life. In sacred ceremony we will break the frozen ground that blocks your progress, and we will build the fires of change.

 

On this, the darkest night of the year, we will show you how to mark the old ways and chant the spells to fulfill your heart's desire. Receive the blessing of dreams, visions and the spells for a full life that lies ahead. In ceremony and dance we will hold the rites of an old Craft and raise the power of the life you were meant to live.

 

 

A TRULY MAGICKAL WINTER’S NIGHT
Make this your turning point. Discover through dreams, tarot and symbols what is holding you back, what may be gripping your spirit in winter's cold embrace. In sacred space and through traditional ceremony, and an amazing feast to get you in the mood, we will spellbind you with music and dance to work the power of this Winter's night. We will tap Nature's interwoven energy to change the seasons and invoke the Mother's spirit to create the changes you need.

 

The Saturday night ritual and log fire was a beautiful moment in time that captured the intensity of Yule. I will cherish it forever." Mascia

 

YOUR HOSTS
Your hosts and guides are Suzanne Naseby, Tim Hartridge and Tori Collins. Your musicians are the "Wayward Minstrels". Our dedicated team will introduce you to the ways of the old Craft, traditional rites, the sounds of mediaeval inspired music and dance.

 

Suzanne Naseby is the founder of Wytchy Ways and offers many varieties of workshops and retreats. She has co-created events with many inspiring teachers such as Starhawk, T.Thorn Coyle, Wendy Rule and Lucy Cavendish.

Tim Hartridge is the founder and teacher of the well known "Witches Workshop" an online community and workshop facility. He has been teaching traditional and contemporary Pagan practices for over 30 years with a keen interest in Jungian dream-work.

Tori Collins grew up near Glastonbury Somerset, spiritual heart of the UK. Tori's psychic studies began in the practice of earth-based magick. She is a Reiki Master and a priestess of the Craft, and in the last 5 years she has partnered Tim to run retreats and workshops.

The Wayward Minstrels are Ricarda Reeck and Nick Potts (with friends), a travelling 'band' of musicians whose artistry and sound features medieaval instructments such as Hurdy Gurdy, Bagpipes, Recorder, Jaw Harp, Harmonic Flute, Crumhorn, Spanish Shawm and voice.

A perfect weekend retreat brilliantly organised and all comforts taken care of. I just wanted to congratulate you Suzanne on the terrific job you did with planning, organising and presenting EVERYTHING—no mean feat!!!! ...I appreciated the work that went into it and after it! Thank you dear Suzanne— I loved it.” Gail

COME JOIN US
Join kindred souls for a weekend in the "Forgotten Valley", a country retreat where your all your meals and accommodation are fully catered. And on Solstice night we'll enjoy the Yuletide feast to the amazing sounds of the "Wayward Minstrels". It will be a time well spent to recharge your body and soul.

Click here to register to come our Yuletide retreat.

 

 

 

AUGHTER OF BONE holds the seeds of our dreams,
Tap our bones and tap the golden seams,
Come charge our dreams in Winter fires
At the midnight vigil and fulfill your desires.
Before us the Daughter of Bones lies stilled,
Spirit of dreams yet unfulfilled,
Covered with her snow white shroud,
In struggles which defeat the proud.
Place your hand upon this blade,
Then speak and let the vow be made,
To stand and hold the vigil here,
I charge you now to say, "I swear"!

 

And so begins our strory and ritual of descent to wittness the depth of Winter and the journey of our Snow White "Daughter of Bones". As a bonus to this special Solstice retreat we will explore the soul-stories that are illustrated in faery tales and sacred myths, using them as guides to the events in our own lives and changes we wish to make.

 

See registration link at top of page