Hidden: a Glastonbury retreat and pilgrimage for women, exploring the sacred depths, and the trouble, of our Western and Christian heritage. 12th to 16th September 2024 with Alana Levandoski.
I'm excited about this retreat led by Alana Levandoski that I'll be going to in September. It will be held in Glastonbury, which Alana describes as a "physical map for the many layers of the Western mystery tradition, including Christianity." There are two places left - perhaps you might like to join me?
I've been following Alana's work for a number of years now, and we've been working with some of her chants in our monthly Julian's Window chanting group. A singer, song and chant writer, Alana describes herself as a seeker and a Bard, inspired by Islamic poets, the Christian mystics, and the Bardic ancestors of the British Isles. She sees her vocation as "alchemising the ingredients of 'what is' into the cauldron of the heart, and making beauty out of impossible things".
I feel inspired to join her in looking at the brokenness held within the Christian tradition of the West, and the ways in which the Christian wisdom stream has at times been hijacked by influences and agendas that have diverged far from Jesus' core teachings. In particular, the church's collusion, wittingly and unwittingly, with the twin bedevilments of colonisation and patriarchy have left wounds in our collective cultural psyche that need tending.
It seems to me that these unrepaired ruptures in the Christian journey as it has played out in the West are separating us from key sources of spiritual food and wisdom held within our lands and in our collective ancestral memory. I sense it's time, as Alana says, to turn towards the trouble, to 're-pent' - because don't we need the teachings of Christ more than ever?
Perhaps you might like to join me in exploring this territory? Do come along in September if this calls to you and if you have the space and resources to do so. I'll also be looking to share some of my learning from this experience, and it may be, if you're interested, we can connect in other ways around these concerns upon my return.
Here are some of Alana's own words about the intention of 'Hidden':
"What's happening in the spiritual market place is there's a vast vacuum that's being created. Some of us, because we won't look at the elephant in the room, are farming out this vacuum to other groups. We go north, we go south, we go east - nothing wrong with that - but there is something to be said for connecting back to the starting place of our Celtic wisdom heritage. I have run the gamut of this, and I have developed nervous system tools for going towards this story..."
Here's the link to find out more and to register:
And here's a short video from Alana on the subject of 'Alchemising your Western or Christian Heritage'.
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