This informal day retreat gives writers, poets, and anyone needing a quiet day a time to explore and try ways of creative expression, to meet others on a similar path, and let the mountain muse speak to you.  What is provided is a morning coffee/tea and a time of greeting each other, followed by quiet time to create.  Lunch together is optional at 12:30 pm, with salad & sandwiches.  A closing circle at 1:30 pm gives a chance to share your writing with others, or to listen and be a supportive audience.  There are multiple spaces at the retreat to write inside or outside, so treat yourself to a day apart from distractions and in the natural beauty of Mountain Light.

 For more information or to register, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

Retreat fee including lunch is $20.

Our House Gathering online is led by Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship, in a contemplative hour of Celtic and sacred readings, including a passage from John Philip Newell’s recent book. Email Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com to receive the program and zoom link. All are welcome to enjoy this time of refelction, prayer, and peace.

Miraculous moments comprise the stepping stones of forward movement on our paths. None is more enriching than the revelation from a shield meditation.

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In this retreat, a guided meditation will reveal fresh reflections of our existence. We will learn and grow from the more profound experience of ourselves. Our visions will be unique and valuable in empowering our direction and fulfillment. Have you ever glimpsed your true beauty? Your natural blessings? The gift you are? It is possible, and Spirit will show you how to enjoy being the Light you are.

Details of each shield maker’s meditation will be captured and sketched out to form the design of a shield that can hang on your personal altar or sacred space to inspire for years to come.

 Retreat Leader Louise M. Mitchell has led shield-making sessions since 1991. It is one of the gifts she carries—one of those stones she stepped onto to discover a connection with the Keepers of the Hoop. The practice is based on sacred Native and universal symbols and traditions in cultures worldwide.

 Hoops and crafting materials are provided. Artistic talent is unnecessary, as Spirit remains close during the entire event, guiding and helping to capture details accurately. For examples of shields, visit www.LouiseMMitchell.com.

 Participation is open to women, men, and children (accompanied by a parent). All participants should be comfortable meditating for up to 30 minutes. Contact Debbie at Debbie@MountainLightRetreatVa.com to reserve your place. The registration fee is $100 per person. Registrants receive additional information to prepare for the retreat.

Curious about the retreat spaces at Mountain Light, and whether you might want to hold a retreat for a day, a weekend, or more? This open house opportunity led by Marla Cantor will give you an experienced Yoga Retreat Leader’s views on the beauty of this venue, and ideas to help you get started on retreat planning. For more information, please contact Marla: yogasparkscville@gmail.com.

Spring is popping at the Retreat, and now is the time to return to our in-person gathering to witness the glory of creation! Our gathering will be led by Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship, as we explore the ideas in John Philip Newell’s book that help us to look again at the holiness of creation. Following this contemplative time, we gather for a BYO lunch, and folks are welcome to walk the labyrinth, take a walk, journal or just receive the mountain music of birds, stream, and rustling leaves. To help us prepare, please RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

What is ready to awaken within you and blossom into its fullest expression? Spring offers us the opportunity to tap into the powerful life force that brings nature into expression. When we say YES! to this energy through movement/dance and art making we can grow in alignment with our highest wishes both individually and collectively.

We will gather together to embody the creative and potent energy of Spring through the 5Rhythms movement meditation practice, art making, creative writing and community ritual.

Join Charlotte James, Somatic Expressive Arts Facilitator & Debby Norton, 5Rhythms Movement Meditation Teacher for this day-long retreat. 

All are welcome. *No previous artistic or dance experience necessary.

$125 per person.  Bring your own lunch.

Reserve Your Spot: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/5rhythmswithdebbynorton/1171170#

Or email Debby Norton to register: debbynorton@gmail.com

The Vernal Equinox on March 20th marks the beginning of spring, a time when we begin to have more light than darkness in each day.   After a period of gathering strength through winter rest and introspection, energy is ready to awaken.   It is a time when sap is rising in the plants, bringing with it the power for new life and growth.   A time of hope for positive change.

Many ancient traditions honor the powerful & magical forces that bring about spring, with its new life, renewal, growth, and abundance.  We may think of the natural world as outside of us, but the same mysterious forces that cause flowers to bloom also animates our own being.

 We will use many techniques–– movement, gentle yoga, dance, music, artwork, meditation and group ritual––to get us in touch with our own wild natures and to become more intentional about what we invite to be born in our own “rising sap” this spring.  

 What in you wants to be awakened at this time? 

You can register HERE.  Registration closes Sunday, March 17.

The cost of this retreat is $100 and includes a vegetarian lunch.

Your host for this retreat is Mia White, who draws from her decades of healing arts background to bring you this retreat.  You can learn more about her at www.miawhitewellness.com.

Enjoy a quiet day contemplating and walking the Way of Jesus, while viewing the framed prints of The Stations of the Cross by internationally acclaimed artist, Janet McKenzie. Inclusively, beyond race and gender, Janet’s sacred, empowering yet tender paintings give voice to, and celebrate, all humans with strength, dignity, compassion, and hope.

Your guide on this journey will be Liz Wright, who finds Janet’s  sacred contemporary icons life transforming. After meeting a number of years ago in New Mexico, Liz and Janet are blessed to share a deep heart and soul friendship with each other.

To learn more about this inspiring artist, view her website at: https://janetmckenzie.com.

You are welcome to enjoy a vegetarian lunch at the retreat. Your rsvp is very helpful in planning. To register ahead, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com. Retreat fee is $20 or your donation. Groups are welcome.

Our House Gathering holds passages from John Philip Newell’s recent book in meditation and small group discussion, along with prayers and meditative music. All are welcome to join this contemplative group, led by Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship. For the program and zoom link, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

Would you like to spend more time with the classical labyrinth, like Mountain Light’s?

Would you like to spend some time getting acquainted with your energy centers?

Would you like to learn about the archetypes associated with chakras?

Would you like to practice walking with your chakras?

Would you like to connect this practice with the season of Lent?

 Join Mary Ann Wamhoff at Mountain Light Retreat for this day retreat, Paths for Peace, $55 Early Bird; $65 after February 1st. This day of contemplation will explain how one of seven chakras is associated with each circuit of a seven-circuit classical labyrinth. Additionally, we will learn the archetypes connected with each chakra. We will consider how a positive practice for the season leading up to a time of resurrection might be taking responsibility for our own energy so that we can move through life in a more balanced manner. A short art project will be offered. We will draw a labyrinth and learn a recommended process for walking the labyrinth.

 While this is not JUST for those interested in training with Veriditas to become a labyrinth facilitator, this WILL serve as a Qualifying Workshop which is a necessary prerequisite for training. Mary Ann will explain more about this near the end of the workshop. Participants will receive a folder, a small notebook, a list of resources, and a template. Colored markers will be available. Lunch is included.

 Mary Ann comes to us as an Advanced Veriditas Trained Labyrinth Facilitator. She is presently serving in her sixth year on the Veriditas Council. Previously, Mary Ann ran her own therapeutic massage business in which she also practiced shiatsu and worked with meridians, the rivers of energy connecting the chakras. She practices Reiki daily, again balancing chakras. Mary Ann is retired from 44 years of teaching at various levels and currently loves working with the labyrinth!

 Contact Mary Ann to register: cslabyrinth@outlook.com Anyone interested in learning more about labyrinths is welcome!

 You may wish to add a day or two to your pilgrimage. Go to this site to learn more about what is available on campus: https://www.mountainlightretreatva.com

Take a quiet day to view the exhibit of The Way of the Cross, the Stations of the Cross and Resurrection created by internationally acclaimed artist Janet McKenzie. Guide Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship, will facilitate in the morning. A vegetarian lunch is provided, and afternoon time is open for contemplation. Spiritual direction is available on request. Retreat cost is $20, and your rsvp is appreciated. Please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

Our House Gathering continues on zoom with Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship. We recommend John Philip Newell’s book for this gathering, but readings are all included in the program, so please feel welcome to participate. The contemplative program includes prayers, meditative music, and small group discussion of the readings. For more information or to receive the program and zoom link, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

Poets and closet poets begin their 2024 retreat schedule at Mountain Light on Friday, February 2, starting with a gathering ceremony at the outdoor firepit (weather permitting) and continuing with morning and afternoon sessions by the woodstove in the cozy Stone Cottage. All are invited, and interested parties should contact Debbie Scott at Debbie@MountainLightRetreatVa.com. Registration, to be paid on arrival, is $20.

We will invite the presence of St. Brigid of Ireland, patron saint for poets and healers, and retreat for the day in the aura of her flame. St. Brigid crosses the portals of time, opening connections between poets and ancient times, represented by the Shenandoah Mountains.

Concurrent program sessions for participants are new to the retreat format. In the morning, offerings include a guided meditation with an inspired writing session in the Stone Cottage. Louise Mitchell, author, healer, and spiritualist, will lead the session. Meditation has been the pathway of her journey that began in 1986, producing seven fiction and non-fiction books.

The concurrent morning session is free writing time on-site at Mountain Light.

In the afternoon, Retreat Leader Ray Griffin will lead a session on writing Tanka poetry that includes its cousin, Kyoka, a short form that pokes fun at life. It can be snarky, cutting, slang, parody, or ironic. So, not all writing will be serious and profound. Of interest, Ray is an accomplished expert in short-form Japanese poetry and published a book on the subject, Under the Ginkgo Tree, available from Amazon.

The concurrent afternoon session is free writing time on-site at Mountain Light. May the whim of the universe flow through your senses and draw you to join the gathering of poets. A light breakfast is provided. Bring your own lunch and snacks. (The snow day for the event is February 13.)

Ahhh . . . the divine pleasure of taking time to go deep, to listen to the quieter but wiser voice within. The sacredness of pressing pause to reacquaint us with our most authentic selves, wisdom, longings, and unique gifts so that we may live a more joyful, insightful, graceful & empowered life.

We all need regular rituals throughout the year to keep us on our best path.  

The heart of winter is an especially fertile time to pause and take stock, to re-orient the direction of our lives to get us closer to realizing our dreams. Discover what is ready to be left behind, and fine-tune your vision for your life as you take your first steps into the new year.   

Join this mini-retreat to connect with other wonderful women ~ like you ~ to discover what your heart & soul longs for . . . then create a map to help you get there, for your best year yet!  When you come to this soulful retreat you will be nurtured with quiet, beauty, and a vegetarian lunch.

The time will fly as we journey together through experiential exercises, gentle yoga, guided meditation, reflection, and journaling to chart a new course towards greater fulfillment and authenticity. 

The journal you create will become your map for the year ahead, and beyond.

 When we come together, we each have so much wisdom to share––more than we know––and we will all support each other in reaching a new level of knowledge, insight, skill, and inspiration.

Yes, I want to reset my compass!

For more information about Retreat Leader Mia White, please go to her website, www.MiaWhiteWellness.com.

Before our House Gathering at 11 am, feel free to come early and wander the property to listen for earth’s winter call, or walk the outdoor or indoor labyrinth. Our House Gathering begins at 11 am, and all are welcome to participate in the program led by Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship. The readings and prayers from the works of John Philip Newell and other Celtic sources offer ways to consider the holiness of creation, which we discuss in small groups. You are also welcome to bring a lunch and stay afterwards for a social gathering in the dining hall. Warm cider, coffee, and tea provided! Your rsvp is appreciated but not required. For more information, contact Debbie @mountainlightretreatva.com.

Engage in listening to the sacred stories that lift us and renew us in this ceilidh communion service from the Iona Abbey Worship Book. The Rev. William “Dawg” String leads us, and Eve Watters gifts us with Celtic harp and flute. Following the service we gather around the fire pit for cider and s’mores, or in the dining hall for treats of the season! Feel welcome to arrive at 2:30 to park and to transition into this “thin” space. All ages are welcome. Your RSVP is appreciated for planning our gathering. Contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

Celtic Christians throughout the ages have always understood that in order to sustain the feast, we must first keep the fast.  In other words, any party worth throwing and any party worth attending takes some serious preparation.  Christmas is no different.  Experience a deeper and more meaningful Christmas this year by walking through Advent with Celtic saints and Gospel figures:  Saints Brendan and Brigid along with Mary and Saint Joseph.

 The Celts spent the time of Adventus (Latin for “arrival”) preparing for Christ’s coming by focusing on his arrival in Bethlehem 2000 years ago; his arrival daily in our hearts; and his arrival on the Last Day.  We begin with St Brendan, that great Celtic pilgrim, who can show us how to prepare for our journey.  With Mary, we will remember Jesus’ earthly birth and what that teaches us about God.  With St Brigid, we will help give birth to Jesus in our own lives here and now.  With Joseph, we will learn to navigate an uncertain future by listening to our dreams.

Join us on Zoom, Thursday evenings from 7 to 8:30:

Ø  December 7th – “Beginning in Darkness” with Mary, Christ’s Mother

Ø  December 14th – “Midwifing Christ” with Saint Brigid

Ø  December 21st – “Honoring Our Dreams” with Saint Joseph

 Rev. William “Dawg” Strong – Preacher, Teacher, & Spiritual Friend – offers retreats, workshops and preaching that explores the intersection of daily life, scripture, and contemplative living, with a particular interest in practices of Christian mindfulness.  Rev. Dawg believes in the power of beauty, the importance of kindness, and the need for quiet.  He reads poetry.  He likes trees.  He loves his family, his dogs, and living near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Get your holiday season started with this fun, informative, delicious, and healthy cooking class! There’s nothing like sharing beautiful food with loved ones during the holidays. Come spend a few delightful hours learning how to make a variety of beautiful healthy baked goods––ranging from humble to elegant––in the English basement kitchen of this beautiful, soulful & historic property.

All recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and organic as much as possible, featuring the most classic seasonal and well-loved holiday ingredients and flavors. These baked goods have such good flavor and texture, no one will guess they’re GF!

Learn many good baking techniques to ensure success, beautiful presentation, healthy and delicious baked goods, including tips on making ahead and freezing.

After we make all our recipes, you’ll be served a vegetarian lunch followed by a sampling of every dessert we make with your choice of teas.  You’ll also enjoy a brief tour of the retreat.  Take home all the recipes, complete with a list of tools you’ll see used in the class, and tips to ensure success and beautiful presentation.

Your time at this special property and on the country roads leading to it will rpovide a feast for all the senses and awaken your holiday spirit.

This is an ideal event to share with a friend or relative—or to give as a gift to a loved one! Event is limited to 10 bakers, $75 per baker.

Save your place HERE! Class is now full; you are welcome join the waiting list!

Your host for this event is Mia White, who draws from her decades of healing arts background to bring you this class.  If you’ve ever been disappointed by “healthy” recipes you‘ve tried that turn out gooey or dry or flavorless, this is the baking class you’ve been looking for!  She is deeply grateful to Debbie Scott––owner and spiritual leader of Mountain Light Retreat Center, for having us! When she’s not baking, Mia is a yoga and Pilates teacher, a massage therapist, a life guide, hiker, cyclist, and grandma.  Learn more about her at www.miawhitewellness.com.

Celtic Christians throughout the ages have always understood that in order to sustain the feast, we must first keep the fast.  In other words, any party worth throwing and any party worth attending takes some serious preparation.  Christmas is no different.  Experience a deeper and more meaningful Christmas this year by walking through Advent with Celtic saints and Gospel figures:  Saints Brendan and Brigid along with Mary and Saint Joseph.

The Celts spent the time of Adventus (Latin for “arrival”) preparing for Christ’s coming by focusing on his arrival in Bethlehem 2000 years ago; his arrival daily in our hearts; and his arrival on the Last Day.  We begin with St Brendan, that great Celtic pilgrim, who can show us how to prepare for our journey.  With Mary, we will remember Jesus’ earthly birth and what that teaches us about God.  With St Brigid, we will help give birth to Jesus in our own lives here and now.  With Joseph, we will learn to navigate an uncertain future by listening to our dreams.

Join us on Zoom, Thursday evenings from 7 to 8…

Ø  November 30th – “Preparations for the Journey” with Saint Brendan the Voyager

Ø  December 7th – “Beginning in Darkness” with Mary, Christ’s Mother

Ø  December 14th – “Midwifing Christ” with Saint Brigid

Ø  December 21st – “Honoring Our Dreams” with Saint Joseph

 This pilgrimage is led by the Rev. William “Dawg” Strong—Preacher, Teacher, & Spiritual Friend, who offers retreats, workshops, and preaching that explores the intersection of daily life, scripture, and contemplative living, with a particular interest in practices of Christian mindfulness. Rev. Dawg believes in the power of beauty the importance of kindness, and the need for quiet. He reads poetry. He likes trees. He loves his family, his dos, and living near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

To join this zoom program, please email Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

Come and deepen your writing practice with a day of contemplative co-working at Mountain Light Retreat. The session is open to writers of all levels and working in any genre. Participants will have access to five and a half acres with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as indoor working spaces in Stone Cottage, Emerson House, and Church buildings. Local emerging writer Mallessa James will facilitate introductions and intention setting at the start of the session, as well as time for debriefing and optional sharing at the end. The rest of our time will be devoted to individual writing and related self-guided practices (prayer or meditation, drawing, yoga, etc).

Beverages and light snacks will be available in the kitchen / dining area of Emerson House throughout the day. You are welcome to bring a lunch. The suggested donation is $15 (cash or check), and may be paid on arrival. Space is limited to 20 participants, so please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com  to RSVP and save your spot!

Join our House Gathering at Debbie Scott’s home, 4102 Luxor Terrace Drive, Charlottesville 22901. We relocate today for this time of gathering to read from John Philip Newell’s book, chapter 8 “Sacred Journey: Kenneth White.” Please join this contemplative group led by Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship. For more information, contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.

Private Day Retreat

Give yourself the gift of a day retreat to contemplate the theme of what to let go as the falling leaves signal change. To begin, Louise Mitchell offers an opening of gentle qigong movement with a fire in the new fire pit, weather permitting. Our retreat facilitator Ray Griffin will lead a meet & greet in the dining hall with coffee, tea, and goodies, and then we will progress to the church for our program. Included are poetry sharing time with Ray as well as a meditation led by Louise, both published writers. Their books will be available for sale during the retreat. BYO lunch, good walking shoes, and $15 fee. Bring one of your short poems to share with the group. Plenty of free time for writing is provided during the day, so feel free to bring your. props—some enjoy painting a watercolor or bird watching from the screen porch. Limit of 10 participants.

To register, to spend the night before or after the retreat, or for more information, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.