My church is planning a Women's retreat, celebrating the Divine Feminine. I'm so excited about it that I signed up to be in on the planning - even though I've never been to one.
So I'm looking for ideas!
I'd like to lead some kind of creativity class, since I am an artist myself. Awakening your inner goddess through art. Maybe drawing, maybe another kind of craft.
Anyway I'd love any ideas or suggestions.

:butterfly
Dawn

Brooken,
I have never been to one, but I recently met another herbalist that had. She enjoyed it except for the part that as soon as they all were in their cabin, everone took off their shirts. That made her uncomfortable (probably because she is heavy). I just had to share that story upon reading your post.
Have Fun:)

Lol! That's not likely to happen with this group. Mostly older, some conservative women. Personally I'd love to attend a "naked sweat lodge" (for women), but it won't be at this gathering!:p

You might get some ideas from Comfort Queen (http://www.comfortqueen.com )

And I LOVE the inspiration I get from SARK (she wrote "Succulent Wild Woman" and other books). The website is:


Sark (http://www.planetsark.com )


HTH -






Edited to add Sark reference

Thanks, Karen!
I'm putting The Woman's Retreat Book on my library list.
I just read some Sark inspiration thhis morning. Definately speaks to me. :thumbsup:

I'll try to think about what the Women's spiritual order that I'm a member of has done in the past.


I know we've done honoring ceremonies for each stage in a womans life. (maiden, mother, crone)

Belly dancing was popular.

Making a Goddess (prayer) box is a nice, non-threatening craft.

Carving and marking candles for later use. (then each person has candles for every occasion that are already marked, annointed, and charged)

Have a letting go ceremony where each person writes something down that they want to let go of in their life and then they meditate on that thing for a few minutes (to charge it) and then burn it in the flame of a candle. (we use black for banishing)

Making dream pillows. Easy.....just need various fabrics, herbs with various properties (like peace, luck, love, health etc.....) essential oil with various properties, sewing maching (or hand sew them). You basically focus your intent on charging the dream pillow while you make it and fill it with the herbs and annoint it with the oil when done. These are small....under 12 inches and you put them inside your regular pillowcase.

You could make min Goddess travel altars if you have those who travel.

You could do a guided meditation on finding your "sloth woman" (inner wild woman that resides in all women) and then have a variety of art materials to make something.....a offering to her to go on a altar, a image of her, or what ever one feels led to do. With many art materials available, this could be really neat.

What direction do you want to go in?

Michelle

Wow, Michelle,You could do a guided meditation on finding your "sloth woman" (inner wild woman that resides in all women) and then have a variety of art materials to make something.....a offering to her to go on a altar, a image of her, or what ever one feels led to do. With many art materials available, this could be really neat.

This sounds awesome! I don't know if I know the right words for this kind of meditation, but someone will.
Making a Goddess (prayer) box is a nice, non-threatening craft.
What exactly is this? Sounds interesting.
I never knew that you put dream pillows inside your regular pillowcase. I got one awhile ago from somewhere... and now dd's dolls are having powerful, spiritual dreams. :o
Oh I'll also bring up the letting go ceremony, I've personally been needing this. (Although I wonder if it would be appropriate to drag 15 years worth of journals up there to burn them. :joker: )

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I went to one in Occidental a fwe years back, before children :)

It was a rather large event, for several days with camping and meals and group rituals, a fwe shopping booths and LOTS and LOTS of workshops. I only stayed for one night :)

It was lovely, they had yoga in the morning for everyone, it was clothing optional, so some women (maybe 5 of several hundred) were completely nude, most wore sarongs(I bet teh sarong booth made a killing!) and bathing suits, some topless and many fully clothed. I started out in clothes, graduated to a sarong, and then went topless, it was completely natural, I was not the only heavy woman there going topless and it was a beautiful free feeling to be out in the sun as the god(dess) created me in the full view of other women who were comfortable with their and/or my nudity :)

In the evenings they had meals and entertainment on stage.. bellydancing, singers, musical groups, storytellers. It was a fabulous moment.. truly awonderful event.

I attended a drumming workshop, a menstruation workshop, um, a couple psychology type workshops. There were singing workshops, a flower crown workshop, musical workshoppes, acting workshopes, storytelling, etc etc etc. aphrodesiacs, herbal ones, um.... I think I also too a guided meditation one, too, but its been so long I can't remember.

They had whole organic foods, lots of water, and my friend Samantha and I camped out. She slept in a tent she brought for us and for some reason I decided to sleep outside by myself. It was utterly beautiful... I slept under these hug trees and there was a circle clearing in the sky above where I slept and the full moon flowed down on me...

sigh... it was wonderful! I think I will call Samantha and see if they are doing anymore anytime soon ;) Maybe I could sneak away for one night this summer ;) Anna will be three and Daniel 5... they should be fine with Daddy for one night... maybe... ;)

Selena, that sounds like heaven!
I'd love to hear the paticulars of when and where if you find out that event is still going on.
(Were there any mamas with children there?)

When I was in massage school in Portland, Oregon we worked a weekend at www.breitenbush.com hotsprings. They do all sorts of different retreats. VERY crunchy place, I have always meant to get back there with some girl friends. You might want to look at the site for ideas....

Emily

Hm, I seriously may have to go to this one!

http://www.breitenbush.com/html/events/may8-12.html

We should REALLY plan an Amity mama weekend there.

Emily

Originally posted by leosmama20
Hm, I seriously may have to go to this one!

http://www.breitenbush.com/html/events/may8-12.html

We should REALLY plan an Amity mama weekend there.

Emily

This sounds wonderful, too. I don't know if its just my experience, but so many "spiritual" event exclude children. Sadly! My church has childcare for the service, but not for the extracurricular fun stuff. (Going to try to work on that for this retreat.)