Featured event
REWILDING SPIRITUALITY: a spiritual exploration of our connection to the natural world
BOOKING STILL OPEN FOR AUGUST IMMERSION
Weekend retreat 29 June – 1 July 2018
5-day immersion 17-21 August 2018
– scroll down for event details
Imagine if everything in the world around you was conscious – every tree sacred, every rock, every falling leaf. Imagine if you felt they were closely related to you, like cousins, always available to offer wise guidance, gentle healing, fierce protection and a deep sense of belonging. How differently might we treat each other, the non-human world, and ourselves?
This is the intimate, sacred, relationship countless generations of humans had with nature. Natural cycles unfolded around our ancestors with profound meaning; they were not separate from them. They honoured their need for spiritual connection and understanding of life’s mysteries through earth-centric ceremony and ritual, with deep reverence for nature.
With the widespread extermination of ‘heathen’ and ‘savage’ Earth-centric indigenous traditions, our ancient reverence for nature was eroded as The subsequent rise of reductionist science, capitalism and the eventual ‘death of God’ has led us to worship the gods of material accumulation instead. We see ourselves as separate from nature, and nothing is sacred; the natural landscape provides little more than a backdrop for our dramas of self-interest.
We have built a false world upon a world-view of ecological disconnection. Ignoring ecological limits and cycles, we live high-speed lives that deny nature’s ebbs and flows, cultivating ‘useful’ species and eliminating those that threaten or inconvenience us. In our attempts to tame and control, to de-wild, we also de-wild ourselves. We deny parts of us that frighten and inconvenience us, ignore messages from our animal bodies as we stare at screens under artificial lights, inside concrete buildings. Research shows that disconnection from nature has negative impacts on the health of individuals, communities and society – and of course on the natural world.
The recent surge in interest in ‘rewilding’ reveals a yearning for a different way. Rewilding aims to regenerate, reconnect and restore, to create healthy, functional ecosystems. This is achieved through ‘cores, corridors and carnivores’ – protecting core wilderness areas, reconnecting habitats for free movement of wildlife and restoring lost keystone species.
But, as key parts of the ecosystems we dominate, humans must be part of the rewilding. A rewilding of the self is a re-enchantment with the natural world, a re-awakening of our senses and intuition, a dissolving of the false boundaries between our atomised selves and our Earthly home. It is a restoration of meaningful connections with nature, our selves and each other. Ultimately, it is a regeneration of our sacred relationship with the natural world; our spiritual selves must too be rewilded. Organised religion feels out-dated, irrelevant or questionable to many people, particularly younger generations. Yet growing numbers of people are exploring being ‘spiritual but not religious’, revealing an appetite for meaning, community and spirituality without the sanctimony.
Rekindling a sacred connection to the Earth and its inhabitants has the potential to feed this hunger, support the growth of a life-affirming society, heal the sickness of our times and transform social relationships. Increased time in nature brings greater happiness, better mental and physical health and emotional resilience. Research also shows that feeling more connected to nature also leads to positive action.
As individuals, communities and society, we must build resilience to withstand the challenges of transitioning to a life within ecological limits. To build a life-affirming society from the ashes of a dying system will require great skill, creativity and courage. We can tap into vast resources by connecting with nature. Nature’s ways are powerful and wise, and we can take part in that web of power and wisdom. The wise guidance, gentle healing and fierce protection are all there if we develop the humility to hear it.
Efforts to address the planetary crisis must include a contemporary spiritual ecology to cultivate the deep humility and fierce resolve required to live sustainably and create a new story about the place of humanity in a post-capitalist world.
Read my latest blog post on wolves, rewilding and my time in the primeval forests of Poland and how this relates to the August immersion
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THE RETREATS
I will be running a weekend camping retreat similar to last year on June 29 – 1 July, on the rewilding land I live on, and a five-day immersion from 17-21 August on the Cambrian Wildwood site – both sites near Machynlleth in West Wales.
WHAT: Through meditation and reflection, discussion, ritual, experiential activities and play, together we will live simply as a community and explore what a spiritual connection with the earth means for each of us and how we can bring this into our daily lives. We’ll work on the land to participate in the creation of wildness, exploring the inseparability of rewilding land and ourselves. Held in a stunning wild valley in West Wales, this retreat is for people of any or no particular spiritual tradition who want to bring the Earth more explicitly into their practice, as well as those without any formal practice who wish to explore nature-based spirituality.
WHERE: Situated just outside the market town of Machynlleth in west Wales this secret valley sits in a stunning wild landscape that is quietly regenerating. Crystal clear waters flow through pockets of lush ancient temperate rainforest where – thanks to various rewilding programs – pine martens roam, breeding salmon leap up waterfalls and rare ospreys soar overhead.
WHO: The retreat will be facilitated by Kara Moses and is is supported by St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace.
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PRACTICAL INFO:
COST
£100-250 for the weekend, £250-470 for the immersion – income-dependent suggested donations – please give what you can. Giving more will enable someone on a lower income to participate. All food and accommodation costs covered. Bursary places may be available if numbers allow – get in touch if finances are a barrier.
BOOKING
Book the weekend here or the immersion here. A £50 deposit is required to secure a place. You can pay the deposit or full amount via PayPal here, or get in touch for bank transfer details.
TRANSPORT
We’d strongly encourage you to travel in an as environmentally conscious way as possible. If you’re driving or catching a taxi from the station please consider lift sharing – we’ll circulate email addresses beforehand so you can arrange this. Please let us know if you’d prefer us not to share your email address.
Train: The nearest train station is Machynlleth, which can be reached by a direct train from Birmingham in just over 2 hours. Free transport can be provided from the station with advance warning.
Driving: Full address will be given nearer the time. Parking is limited, please let us know if you plan to drive so we can make sure there is enough space. Access is via a bumpy track which is quite steep in places.
FOOD
Nourishing vegetarian food, as much as possible sourced locally and organically, will be provided throughout. You may want to bring snacks or any special dietary supplements (please only bring meat if needed for medical reasons). Please let us know of any dietary requirements asap so we can cater for them.
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
The June weekend will be camping only but there may be some very limited indoor accommodation for people with specific needs.
The August immersion will have an option to book a bed in a beautiful converted barn.
Rewild Everything! 