a portal of soul alchemy on wild lands
August 25-28th | Highlands, NC
This is a call for the women who are ready and longing to be held, witnessed, and guided through a rite of passage in their life.
Through daily wild nature communion, tea ceremony, introspection and council, rite of passage circle, somatic movement, elemental initiation and embodiment practices, we weave together a container for profound alchemy of the soul.
For those who are seeking support in navigating a transition - a severance, letting go, or ending, a liminal, in-between, unknown quest or entering into a new stage of life- this is for you.
For the woman yearning to step through the doorway of transformation into a more authentic, alive and aligned experience of themselves and their soul essence - this is for you.
Together, we will ceremonially honor what you are releasing and open to the space and potential of what is ready to be birthed through you and in your life.
As we mark this passage, individually and collectively, we allow the integration of all parts of you to come to the table…
To compost, alchemize, and be reborn.
Held by the Earth and the Elements, we will walk through a ceremonial process of initiation together.
We will call on our deep intuition, our wild essence, and the medicine of Nature to support this journey of the soul. Our days will be spent in deep ceremony, on mountain forest trails, in waterfalls, and in sacred sisterhood that sees, supports and celebrates you and your sacred process.
An initiatory journey is one that expands us beyond our current experience of self and reality, and catalyzes a profound and permanent shift in our being…
You will not leave as the same woman who you arrived as - you will be stretched, opened, deepened and transformed every step of the way - and you will emerge from this portal reborn with new sight, new perspectives, new ways of being that reflect the truth, wisdom and medicine you discover deep inside of yourself.
Guides for the Journey
Christina Marie
Christina is an Earth Priestess, Soul Alchemist, Essence Artist and Elemental Ceremonialist, creating sacred space, anchoring the temple and curating portals for profound embodied transformation wherever she goes.
She hails from the tropical lands of Florida, and currently resides on the side of a mountain outside of Asheville, deeply woven with the ancient lands of Appalachia.
Christina worked and lived on an organic farm in Highlands, spending her time tending the Earth and in shamanic communion with the rich lands and lush waterfalls of this unique and powerful temperate rainforest environment.
She is passionate about bridging women with the Earth to experience the healing, remembrance, magic and miracles that organically unfold when we immerse ourselves in the pure medicine of nature. Through her background and training in Ecopsychology, Tea Ceremony, Breathwork, as well as her shamanic initiations directly with Gaia, Christina offers space to re-wild our essence, fall in love with our full-spectrum human-ness and step into the radiant authenticity, awareness and aliveness of the soul.
Mandalynn Freeman
Mandalynn is born from the Florida Cypress, is an earth-tender, underworld-dweller, ceremonialist, ritualist, inner landscape alchemist, rewilding and rites of passage guide. Growing up within the Jewish faith, she was born into ritual and marking seasonal shifts. From the age of 16, Mandalynn has always gathered her community around the campfire, creating the container for reconnection, rejuvenation, and remembrance. Many bioregions have called her to listen deeply to their unique medicine and bring it back to her community, including the ancient Waipio Valley on the Big Island of Hawai’i, to the upland desert of Taos, New Mexico, to the ancient Cypress Swamp of Florida.
Through her training in Psychology, Ecopsychology, Permaculture, Rites of Passage, she has held the container and practice of reconnecting individuals to their inner and outer landscapes for 7+ years. She assists individuals through seasonal rites of passage journeys, as they mark profound transitions in their lives through Nature connection, vision quest, ritual, and ceremony, creating fertile regeneration in their lives.
About the Land
Honoring Cherokee and Catawba Territory
Highlands is a quiet, remote town in Southwest North Carolina nestled in the ancient mountains of the Nantahala National Forest at 4,117 foot elevation. This unique temperate rainforest environment is pulsing with pristine life force, stunning biodiversity, and an abundance of Elemental medicine to heal and harmonize body, mind and spirit.
She holds frequencies of gentle sweetness, stunning strength and wild beauty that nurture our souls, inspire our essence and awaken our hearts.
We are honored to guide you into her crystalline waterfalls, vibrant forests, gorgeous mountain hiking paths, breathtaking views and powerful rock faces full of primordial wisdom.
Highlands is a 1.5 hour drive from the Asheville airport, a 2 hour drive from the Atlanta airport, and an 8 hour drive from Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fl.
Our Forest Temple
Energy Exchange
One Payment of $777 or
Two Payments of $400
Includes:
3 full days of retreat…morning Tea Ceremony, afternoon land journeys, evening ceremonies and practices
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included each day
Shared accommodations are included each day
Does Not Include:
Travel to and from the retreat
Hearing the Call?
Mental Health Disclaimer: Entering a transformative experience with intended emotional alchemy can bring up challenging + intense emotions. This retreat is not a substitute for therapy or medical guidance.
Throughout the duration of the retreat, you will be guided through the stages of a rite of passage - Severance, Threshold, and the Return.
Schedule
FRIDAY 08/25
Arrival at 5 pm
Opening Ceremony
Dinner
SATURDAY 08/26
Breakfast
Tea Ceremony [Severance]
Nature Communion (Hike) | Land Acknowledgement | Opening with Land
Return to site - Solo Integration + Journal
Dinner
Fire Ceremony | Rite of Passage Council | Primal Movement | Cacao
SUNDAY 08/27
Breakfast
Tea Ceremony [Threshold]
Nature Communion | Water Blessing | Elemental Ceremony | Crossing the Threshold
Lunch
Solo Integration + Journal
Ecstatic Dance + Activation | Rite of Passage Council
Dinner
MONDAY 08/28
Breakfast
Closing Tea Ceremony [The Return]
Integration + Closing Ceremony