Retreat Overview We all are faced with loss, including the death of a loved one or a beloved pet, loss of health, a relationship, a home, or a dream. Add to these the increasing destruction of the natural world and a diminished sense of community coherence, and the losses can feel overwhelming. These personal and collective losses are wounds to the soul. During this retreat, we form what Michael Meade calls an “instant village,” creating a robust container where we can metabolize and transmute our losses in ways largely inaccessible in modern culture. Who This Retreat Is For This retreat is for anyone aching from the impact of personal and collective losses and who hungers for a safe, contained, and sustainable outlet for processing their grief. We were never meant to carry the burden of grief alone, in isolation, or to “get over it” in any amount of time. Perhaps you live alone, have relocated, or lack a community willing to hold sacred space for one another and participate in rituals that compost collective energy in nourishing ways. During The Shelter of Each Other, we gather to re-connect and re-member that which has always been part of humanity’s shared, soulful experience.
What You Can Expect Our three nights and two-and-a-half days together draw on the teachings of our mentors (Francis Weller, Malidoma Somé, Martín Prechtel, Laurence Cole, and others).Our time together will be spent in: Shared song, poetry, drumming, and movement. Writing practices. Journaling and creative art experiences. Talking in the larger Circle and small groups, composting our grief together. Embracing the wisdom of our ancestors and time-honored rituals. The land itself is healing, and there will be ample time to explore the stunning acreage and watersheds within the retreat site’s grounds. Our weekend culminates with a grief elegy on Sunday morning.You will discover that it is in coming together and sharing our losses in the midst of beauty and the Sacred that we find a deeper sense of our humanity and connection - and greater compassion for one another and the earth.
About Your Facilitators
Carrie De Martini, Death Doula & End of Life Educator Carrie founded Wishing Well Center, which cultivates soulful living and dying in Knoxville, TN. She is a credentialed End-of-Life Educator and Death Doula.
Carl Bello, DVM, LPC Carl is a psychotherapist, veterinarian, and soul activist. He is passionate about the life of the soul and the repair of our world.