Into the Mystic

Thank you for your interest.
REGISTRATION for this retreat is now CLOSED

“This retreat is so wonderful, so nourishing, and so magical! The small group and the full week allow for an introvert like me to sink in deeply, have time to play, time to develop lasting friendships as well as plenty of time to wander and contemplate. The small sharing circles of women’s wisdom and authenticity are so powerful.I love all the Squam gatherings I’ve been to, but Into the Mystic is truly special and I hope you continue to have it.”    – Anjanette Bunce

As we wondered how we might be able to circle up again in 2021, it seemed clear the best way to begin would be with an Into the Mystic gathering. If you are not familiar with this offering, it is slightly different than our annual events on Squam lake as it is a full week long with a smaller group.  Though each one is unique, what defines an Into the Mystic gathering is a magical location with a focus on nurturing our spirits through:

IMMERSION IN NATURE     *     EASE     *      CREATIVE PLAY

This year, our group will be the smallest it has ever been– just eighteen attendees so that we can ensure full social distancing protocol. All local, state and CDC guidelines will be followed. Each class will have a maximum of six people and weather permitting, much of our time will be outdoors in the splendid expanse of Terra To Mind, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania homestead of Terri Dautcher.

A few years ago, Terri moved house from New Hampshire back to where she grew up outside Philadelphia to be close to family and friends (and let’s be honest, to escape the snow -ha!) For anyone who has taken classes with Terri previously, you know that beyond the gardens with the fire pit, you will find an expansive wood shop and dreamy sewing studio which create a maker’s paradise.

It is here, on four beautifully wooded acres, that we will spend time together reconnecting with our inner rhythm and follow nurturing and restorative paths to process the year that was 2020. And, to open our hearts to the present moment as well as to all the gifts that are waiting for us in the year ahead.

Our intention is to offer a space for artistic exploration while nourishing mind, body and spirit. The focus will be on supporting your specific creative interest by providing a wide and rich offering of possibilities. The three teachers who will be holding space and offering guidance are Chinatsu Nagamune, Terri Dautcher and Elizabeth Duvivier. In addition to opportunity to build and make in the wood shop and sewing studios, there will be mixed-media, meditation, journaling and Chinatsu’s signature work: modern rice resist.

Most importantly, each workshop will take advantage of the outdoor space so we can work in the fresh spring air as much as possible. All around the property are wonderful nooks for spending time– whether you choose to circle up at the outdoor wood stove, sit with Kuan Yin in the meditation center, tuck into the many window seats with stitching, knitting, journaling or simply staring out the window– you get to moderate how you spend your hours. As always, everyone will be encouraged to follow their heart and do whatever calls to them most.

The week begins with a new moon, an ideal season to ground into fresh beginnings, clarify goals and reset your compass for the direction that best serves you at this time. We will definitely have rituals and ceremony around this lunar energy to help bring all of that vision into being.

As mentioned above– our group will max out at 22 (18 attendees, 3 teachers, 1 assistant)– we will have the entire space to spread out, breathe deeply and take advantage of the environment around us which includes:

• a fabulously equipped sewing studio
• a beyond inspiring wood shop with all the tools
• a fire pit
• covered deck
• minutes from both the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle
  as well as the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
• located in the heart of Bucks County where there are no shortage of vintage shops

Our meals together will be catered and promise to be both nurturing and in full alignment with the light and healing energies we are calling in for ourselves. Special dietary needs can be readily accommodated. Again, with regard to food– all local, state and CDC guidelines will be in place to ensure safety.

images above courtesy of Dharma Mountain from our 2019 ITM retreat in Norway

“I just wanted to share that I absolutely loved this retreat. The smaller group setting and longer time really allowed me the time needed to rest and become refreshed. In addition, the relationships I made with the lovely ladies has lasted through these last few years.” — Angela McCutcheon

Of course the core of what brings us together is the intention to spend time in nature and creative exploration. This gathering is designed for each of us to focus on those aspects of our life we want to expand into with more light, more ease.

In other words, wherever you are on your journey, whether you are at the beginning, middle or end of a chapter in your life, this week will help you make the transition to the next place sweetly and filled with grace.

With our gentle-hearted teachers offering classes to support and inspire you, be ready for exploration into spirit as well as fun in a range of making. The pace of the gathering is all about easy, nurturing energies that will allow us to let go and sink into our own individual ways of creative expression. The schedule is designed so that each workshop weaves organically into the next. That way, the central theme(s) you choose to explore can carry over seamlessly and your work will be enriched and expanded from each of these different access points.

“Into the Mystic gave me an opportunity to create new ways to envision my life.” — Artemis O’Connor

As with all Squam gatherings, each person will be encouraged to listen to their heart and follow their own drummer to create the experience they most want and need. However, if there were a way to describe what will be true for us all, it could be said that our time together we will be grounded in:

• process versus productivity
• creativity as a central way of being in the world
• sharing stories and laughter
• finding more ease, more joy and more light in our hearts.

With this as our intention, we can expect to return home feeling more deeply aligned with our core self which allows us to provide greater service to our families and communities as we can feel refreshed with renewed clarity, vision and vitality.

Lastly, as this will be our first offering and we want to proceed slowly and with caution, the retreat will run from 9am each morning until 5pm each evening.

Attendees will secure their own accommodations (we will provide the exact address upon registration so you can review the plentiful hotels, inns, airbnbs, etc that are all within close proximity).

We have chosen to create the gathering this way so that you have complete control over your personal and private space.

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