Upcoming events
Contemplative Day
A favorite month for retreat gatherings, this May offering will feature an opening of nature readings, followed by a Wander on the retreat land. You may wish to bring your journal to make a quick sketch or note of what is shimmering for you on your Wander. In our closing gathering we will share the gleanings of the day. If you have a favorite spring poem, please bring it to share with the group. If the weather is rainy, we will have indoor gazing on the outdoors. Please register for this free offering so that you may be advised of any changes due to weather. Contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Sacred Encounters
A favorite month for retreat gatherings, this May offering will feature an opening of nature readings, followed by a Wander on the retreat land. You may wish to bring your journal to make a quick sketch or note of what is shimmering for you on your Wander. In our closing gathering we will share the gleanings of the day. If you have a favorite spring poem, please bring it to share with the group. If the weather is rainy, we will have indoor gazing on the outdoors. Please register for this free offering so that you may be advised of any changes due to weather. Contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Vision Quest Day Retreat
Searching for a Vision?
Mountain Light will host a series of one-day vision quests this year for one to two people at a time. The retreats include a deep meditation and spiritual shield making led by Louise M. Mitchell (Laughing Waters) a local nature spiritualist and gifted intuitive.
In meditation a shield maker experiences their personal connection to power (Spirit) and envisions their path and purpose. The process has been called “awesome,” “unbelievable,” “elevating,” and often brings elation to participants.
At Mountain Light, these retreats will be a serene experience in the cozy Cottage. Participants receive a vision, and with Louise’s assistance, interpret the vision and use crafting and materials from nature to create a unique twelve-inch shield imbued with spiritual energy and inspiration for its owner to use daily.
A shield is a circle, reflecting the spirit of its owner, like a mirror into the soul, reminding its owner of who they really are.
Louise has led shield making retreats for hundreds of women, men, and children since the 1990s. She is dedicated to a life of spiritual growth, deepening her connection to nature and spirit, and sharing the light, and recently teamed with Debbie Scott to lead the first Forest Bathing Retreat at Mountain Light. Louise is a certified Reiki and Crystal healer, certified Sylvotherapy (Forest Bathing) Practitioner, has published six books on spirituality (fiction and non-fiction), and her articles have appea in newspapers and magazines.
Next Shield Retreat: Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The July 29 Shield Retreat is full. Fall Shield Retreat dates are September 30, October 28.
Cost: $100, including materials and a snack.
Register or waitlist with Debbie Scott at debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com. For questions, email Louise shieldmaker@comcast.net.
Reiki Level 1 Instruction
Reiki is a form of energy healing, an alternative healing art. The system for how to work with Reiki was created by Mikao Usui in Japan in the 1920s. Level I Reiki practitioners use hands-on healing through which a "universal energy" is transferred through the palms of the practitioner to the client, to encourage emotional or physical healing. It is based on qi, a universal life force.
Mary Ann Wamhoff is a Reiki Master Healer and Teacher. She has practiced Reiki daily for almost thirty years. While she practiced therapeutic massage, she incorporated Reiki into every session—often 3 or 4—usually 6 days a week.
Mary Ann will offer Level I instruction at Mountain Light on Sunday, June 14, 2026. The best way to learn this practice is to bring a Reiki buddy—someone to learn and practice with later. If you don’t have a buddy, don’t let that stop you. You’ll probably make a new friend!
Who will benefit? Virtually everyone! Definitely anyone interested in or currently practicing the healing arts. Mary Ann found Reiki to be an extremely beneficial asset while she practiced massage. Therapists, please bring your tables.
· You will be introduced to basic concepts.
· You will be attuned to the first Level.
· Then you will immediately practice on yourself.
· It’s important to bring a bag lunch or substantial snack for a break to help ground you at this point. This is especially important for those who have never worked with energy before.
· Mary Ann will demonstrate practicing on someone.
· Then you will give Reiki to your buddy and receive Reiki from your buddy in return.
We’ll meet from 1:00 pm until about 6:30 pm. We recommend securing accommodations at Mountain Light (https://www.mountainlightretreatva.com/) prior to or following the workshop. Why not make a retreat of this special weekend in your life?
The cost for five hours of instruction and three free check-ins* (Please see below.) is $200, but no one will be turned away. (Discuss this with the instructor beforehand. There will be an automatic scholarship offered to students.) If you have questions or want to register, please contact Mary Ann directly: cslabyrinth@outlook.com We plan to limit this event to 6 participants. Register early!
*Mary Ann will offer optional “check-in sessions” before full moon walks this summer. These are on Monday, June 29th; Wednesday, July 29th; and Friday, August 28th. Meet at 6:00 p.m. at Mountain Light. These are free opportunities to clarify your practice. We can also practice on one another! Why not plan to stay for the full moon walk at 7:00 ?!
T'ai Chi Chih
T’ai Chi Chih
A mindful, moving meditation. Move towards better health and more happiness.
“Nothing is more important than knowing how to circulate and balance the Intrinsic Energy, the Vital Force of the body, known as Chi in Chinese. The rewards in good health, wisdom, serenity, and longevity are great for the one who learns the ancient principles and applies them in a modern way.”–T’ai Chi Chih® founder Justin Stone, who lived to be 95 years old.
T'ai Chi Chih, abbreviated as TCC, is a series of 19 movements and 1 pose that together make up a meditative form of movement to which practitioners attribute physical, personal, and spiritual health benefits. Some studies have found the practice to reduce stress and relieve certain ailments.
It’s easy to learn and usually takes about two months (or eight classes). T’ai Chi Chih is not a martial art. T’ai Chi Chih is completely non-violent. T’ai Chi Chih does not require a particular level of physical fitness or coordination. The very old and very young alike can learn it. (For those with physical limitations, movements may be done seated–with some modification.) No special clothing or equipment is required.
T’ai Chi Chih is not organized, nor does it have a hierarchical organization, as the originator intended. As Justin Stone said, “T’ai Chi Chih is a service to mankind.”
Mary Ann Wamhoff is an accredited TCC instructor and is pleased to bring this practice to Mountain Light this summer. We’ll meet 8 times for about 90 minutes each. You may wish to come early and stay afterwards to enjoy your bag lunch—relish the Mountain Light atmosphere. Walk the labyrinth!
When? Tuesday mornings, June 16th, 23rd, 30th, July 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, and August 4—all at 10:30 until about noon.
Cost? $96 (or $8/hour), but no one will be turned away. Contact Mary Ann with questions and to register cslabyrinth@outlook.com
Summer Solstice Retreat
In Ireland, honoring Aine is traditional on the summer solstice. The solar goddess Aine becomes St. Anne over time, but her day continues to embrace the joy and radiance of this longest day of light. Enjoy a meditation and stories about Aine and a ritual in which we will bless seeds and send them forth with our hopes, dreams, and visions of the future. Dinner will feature dishes that celebrate summer (think watermelon, garden salads, hand held sandwiches, cold soup), hopefully picnic style, followed by a labyrinth walk with the theme of abundance. To close, we will have a bonfire to celebrate the light.
The retreat leader is Ayn Cates Sullivan, Ph.D., a local award winning and best selling author. She holds a master’s degree in spiritual psychology from USM, and a master’s and doctorate in literature from Columbia and University and King’s College London.
To reserve your space for this day retreat, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com. The cost for the retreat is $50. For an additional fee, overnight accommodation at the retreat is available.
Labyrinth Walk with Strawberry Full Moon
Join Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitators Amy Epp, Debbie Scott, and Mary Ann Wamhoff for a Walk in Gratitude with the Strawberry Full Moon on the outdoor labyrinth. To celebrate the summer season, join us for the wonders of fireflies and starlight, and some strawberry treats. In case of rain, we will use the indoor labyrinth. Bring a flashlight. For our planning purposes, please RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Contemplative Day Retreat
Let the sights, smells, and sounds of spring bring you rejuvenation as you retreat to a place where cell phone service is limited and distractions are sudden breezes and cawing crows. Bring your journal, reading, watercolors or other contemplative way of resting in this lovely, historic place. A morning coffee and lunch are served, to be enjoyed on your own or with our small group. Event fee is $20. RSVP to Debbie with your food allergies/preferences: Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Tree Time Day Retreat
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree” wrote the poet Joyce Kilmer. We will spend a contemplative day with the trees, beginning with gratitude for the trees, some QiGong, and then spending the day with them. So as not to interrupt the peace of this time, please bring your own bag lunch and water bottle. Folding chairs are available. In closing we will share some tea and talk about the blessings received. This retreat is led by Louise Mitchell, author and nature Shaman, and Sue Dilbeck, nature communicator, who have both spent time with trees at Mountain Light and will share their experience of trees, and Debbie Scott, Franciscan Companion and eco spiritual director. Together we hope to delight in forest bathing and finding our own connections with trees by tapping into our senses and experience of them.
To register for this event, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com. Cost is $20, payable at event by check or Venmo.
Sacred Encounters
Encounter the season of spring as the greening of the mountain begins. We gather in the stone cottage to begin opening to the offerings that nature extends, followed by a Wander on the property, and a time of thanks for renewal. Social time follows with tea and treats! RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Springtime Solace
Join Karla for a nurturing and supportive 3-night retreat under the Spring Equinox new moon, at the peaceful and calming Mountain Light Retreat Center in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
This is your invitation to unplug from the rush and distraction of day to day life and engage in this sacred time for yourself. Take space and time to nurture your broken heart, explore your emotions, attend to your body, mind and spirit, while you allow Mother Earth and the renewing energy of the new moon to soothe your soul.
Experience thoughtfully curated activities designed to help you renew and rebuild your vital energy, which is so drastically depleted in the experiences of deep grief. Your days will be balanced with supportive, holistic activities for all layers of your being, allowing space for reflection, integration, and personal time. We will create art, write, engage in ritual, share nourishing meals, experience sound and energy healing, and connect with the beauty of nature.
Your retreat experience will begin with dinner and a sacred fire on Thursday evening. Each day after tea, coffee and breakfast, all with time to take your time, we'll meet for morning meditation, centering, grounding, connecting and some gentle movement. Creative, reflective, and heart-supporting activities will be woven into each day with time and space for connecting and sharing. Each evening will include easeful movement and guided yoga nidra and sound baths. We'll conclude on Sunday morning after breakfast with an integrative closing circle.
Directions to Mountain Light Retreat and all details will be sent to you prior to the retreat following your completed registration and payment. Contact Karla Helbert to register: https://www.karlahelbert.com/spring-retreat.html.
We have very limited space for no more than 12 attendees.
This retreat is especially for those who are navigating traumatic grief due to the death of a loved one.
Deep Rest Day Retreat
Are you feeling exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually? Join Barb Germershausen to experience gentle yoga, breathing practices, meditation, and Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep) in the retreat chapel. A vegetarian lunch is provided. No prior experience is needed—just a desire for peace and calm.
Early bird registration fee is $108 by 2/14, and then $150 after 2/14. No one is turned away for lack of funds, so please contact Barb about financial assistance. To register for this retreat with Barb: simplyyogacville@gmail.com. Website: simplyyogacville.com. Phone or text: 434-760-3669.
Finding Presence: A Day of Mindfulness, Art, + Movement
Join us for a daylong retreat—show up as you are, experienced or new to meditation, movement and art—all are welcome. Space is limited!
The day will begin with registration at 9:45 am. The morning will include mindfulness and meditation sessions guided by Christine Gyovai followed by time for reflection, discussion, and lunch. The afternoon will include nature connection through art guided by Amber Ellis, followed by movement and dance guided by Samantha Lane. This will be followed with open time to further explore meditation, art, journaling, or other practices that feel right for you. We'll close with additional reflection and connection time before the day wraps up at 4:30 pm.
Price is on a sliding scale from $75 - $250. Space is limited. Please let us know if cost is a barrier. For registration or more information: Amber.findyournature@gmail.com.
Overnight lodging is available for Friday or Saturday. Contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Contemplative Day
Give yourself the gift of slowing in this fast-moving month. Take time for your favorite way of turning inward and drawing on your source of renewal, whether that is walking, gazing at art, creating a poem, or reading in a place of stillness. We gather in the cottage to begin the day with some inspirational thoughts, and then have free time until lunch. Gather together to be served or take lunch in solitude. After lunch, enjoy the spaciousness of the retreat vistas before the return of spring. Consider what the Land may be leading you to discover. We conclude with a circle to share the goodness of the day.
To reserve your space, contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com. Please advise of any food allergies/preferences in your email. Event cost is $20.
Sacred Encounters
The stark landscape of winter invites us to look at our own framework for living, to contemplate our core. We will listen to the wisdom of nature poets as well as the life of Jane Goodall in our gathering before the Wander on the retreat land. In our closing gathering we will share the gleanings of the day. If you have a favorite winter poem, please bring it to share with the group. If the weather is too frosty, we will have indoor gazing on the outdoors. Please register for this free offering so that you may be advised of any changes due to weather. Contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Spring Cleaning for Body & Soul: Practices, Chakras, The Magdalene, and Different Ways of Fasting
This is our second collaborative effort between Creation Spirituality Communities and Mountain Light Retreat at following a book by Christine Valters Paintner in order to have discussion and an in-home retreat for what many hold as a sacred season in which to focus on what to leave behind and what to grow into more. It is hoped to be a forty-day sacred journey through the wilderness—right in our own homes, on our own schedules. Our guide will be Mary Ann Wamhoff of Creation Spirituality Communities, an international group which helps us feel connected in our desire to live fully into respectful community. We will meet on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30 pm on zoom on the following dates: 2/11, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8. The meetings will be recorded. Reserve your space for this free offering now by contacting Debbie: Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Join us this spring to practice ways to embrace presence, abundance, slowness, tenderness, unfolding, and mystery. We’ll read and discuss. We’ll journal and pray. We’ll walk the labyrinth. The registration for the zoom link will be through Creation Spirituality Communities.
Hopefully, we’ll strengthen some practices we can carry with us into the rest of the year. As Paintner says: “our invitation is to practice here and now.” We shall attempt to empty in order to be filled.
Brigit & The Secrets of Mary of the Gael
“BRIGIT & The Secrets of Mary of the Gael” – The Brigit Virtual Retreat will begin Friday afternoon at 4pm, there are two sessions on Saturday at 12 noon and 4pm, and on Sunday at 12noon. Each module lasts 90 minutes. We are in Virginia with an EST time zone. They will be recorded. (Start time: 4pm is 1pm Pacific Time and 9pm in the UK.)
Due to inclement weather the Brigit Retreat will be held virtually on zoom. The four Brigit teachings will be offered as four modules which will be live and also recorded for future students to enjoy. The work can continue as powerfully virtually as in person, and perhaps even more so, since now national and international students can join our community of Inspired Seers and Dreamweaver.
During the virtual retreat we will cover four arms of Brigit’s Cross including: Brigit as Poetic Inspiration and Celtic Seer; Brigid as Goddess, Smith & Druidess; Mary of the Gael as Miracle Worker; Brigit & The Rose of Ancestral Wisdom.
Each of the four modules have three parts – a teaching, an experiential exercise & group sharing. Questions can be asked during the live zoom sessions and there will be time for exploration of individual insights.
Please note that these modules will be recorded and other students will hear and benefit from what you share. Option: Upon request, we can make a separate private Zoom for sharing that will not be recorded.
ITEMS YOU WILL NEED
Candle & Matches or Lighter
Vessel for Water
Pen & Paper
Ribbon or strip of cloth
Clothing that can stay out overnight
COST : The Brigit Virtual Retreat is $222. Digital payments can be made via PayPal ayn@infinitelightpublishing.comor Venmo Ayn Cates@Ayn-Sullivan. A check can be sent to Ayn Cates Sullivan, 3176 Peavine Hollow Rd, Crozet, VA 22932. All proceeds go toward supporting our ongoing literary work and retreats. If you have financial difficulty, please email me at grailheroine@gmail.com.
Unbound: A Daylong Retreat for Women
Come explore the roots of female power as you step into the new year with clarity, authenticity and clear intentions. In this daylong workshop, award-winning author and Sacred Feminine educator Liz Childs Kelly will guide you through embodiment exercises, mythic frameworks and sacred stories, circle dialogue and small group exercises, and more. Learn more and register here:
Contemplative Day
Shifting into the new year, we give time and attention to what may be percolating within us. Are new directions calling, or are well worn paths seeking an even deeper commitment? What has this season of the Holy in-breaking brought up for you? What gifts would you like to bequeath?
We begin with some readings for inspiration, and then there is free time for contemplative walks indoors or outdoors on the labyrinths, time in the church for meditation, or use of indoor spaces for art or writing projects. Bring whatever aids your spiritual walk as you notice what is nudging your heart. Lunch and coffee/tea is provided. The cost of this retreat is $20, and may be paid on the day of the event. To reserve your space and advise of food allergies/preferences, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.org.
Sacred Encounters
Begin the new year with a peaceful time of relating to the land and to each other in this contemplative, eco spiritual retreat. With inspirational readings from John Philip Newell, Thomas Berry, Victoria Loorz, and Mary Oliver, together with a wander at the retreat to sense our connections to this land we call home, we appreciate and renew our interconnections with our world. Please RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreat.org so you may be advised of weather-related changes to this retreat.
Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal
For those registered in this online program offered by Mary Ann Wamhoff through Creation Spirituality Communities, this event will include a labyrinth walk, ritual, and lunch.
Please RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com with food allergies/preferences.
Contemplative Day
As the Winter Solstice arrives, relax into a season of deepening awareness. What still holds true, what needs to be let go, how may peace be cultivated? We begin with some readings for inspiration, and then there is free time for contemplative walks indoors or outdoors on the labyrinths, time in the church for meditation, or use of indoor spaces for art or writing projects. Bring whatever aids your pilgrim walk. Lunch and coffee/tea is provided. The cost of this retreat is $20, and may be paid on the day of the event. To reserve your space and advise of food allergies/preferences, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.org.
Contemplative Day Retreat
Taking a day to be present to the season of Advent, to express oneself in artistic endeavors, to walk and reflect on how the outer world mirrors our inner world—all these ways and more are welcome as we enjoy a restful retreat day. Lunch is provided, but please advise Debbie of food preferences/allergies. The fee for the day is $20 and may be paid on arrival. Please RSVP to Debbie so that you may be advised of change in plans due to weather: Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
This event is cancelled for Friday, December 5 because of impending weather conditions. It is rescheduled for Thursday, December 18, 9:30 am-2:30 pm. Please contact Debbie to re-register.
Sacred Encounters
Attune to the changes in our environment, attending to the invitation the late fall offers for turning inward with the season of Advent. How is nature signaling a shift from busyness to stillness? Join Br. Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship, and Debbie Scott, eco spiritual director and Wild Guide, for a wander on the retreat property and reflection afterwards. Please RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com, so you may be contacted with weather-related change in plans.
Yoga Weekend Retreat
Join Wendy and other healers for a weekend of restoration, peace and fellowship as a community. WE will offer an all levels:
gentle yoga, place a yin offering, a little rocket inspired vinyasa, a yoga nidra, and also
offering 9dbreathwork and a soundbath.
We will eat clean healthy meals with vegan options, and cook our breakfast/brunch together. On Saturday, we will walk the labyrinth that is on site, do some more yoga, and go to Coconut Thai restaurant Sat. night.
Come back and have a lovely soundbath with Lynn.
9dbreathwork offering with Kristy late morning on Sat.
Yoga with the lovely Clair Norman also offered.
This will be a lovely way to invite peace back to yourself before the holidays!
$775 for the weekend include your lovely room all your food all the classes and dinner out.
$100 off early bird if booked by 9/22/25
($350 non refundable deposit balance due by 10/15/25)
Venmo Wendy
@Wendy-Phillips-90
or check
13148 Depot Rd
Hanover Va 23069
e mail with any questions in2ashtanga@yahoo.com
Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal
A Creation Spirituality Community zoom/in person event led by Mary Ann Wamhoff, the series is based on Christine Valters Paintner’s book by the same title. An initial zoom meeting orients us to the series, and then resumes on Wednesdays after Thanksgiving until December 17. A concluding ritual and lunch will be offered at the Retreat on December 19, with zoom access for those enrolled in the series. To enroll or for more information, contact Mary Ann Wamhoff: cslabyrinth@outlook.com.
Winter Wellness Mini-Retreat
What if you could mindfully glide into the winter holiday season instead of stumbling through the inevitable chaos, finding yourself thoroughly exhausted by the new year? The good news is you have a choice: holiday chaos or heavenly peace. If you choose peace over chaos, join Barb Germershausen for an afternoon of gentle yoga, breathing practices, meditation and yoga nidre (aka Yogic “sleep” or deep rest). No prior yoga experience necessary. Retreat fee is $110. Vegetarian lunch provided.
Instructor Barb Germershausen has been teaching yoga since 1984. Her goal as a yoga teacher is to help you feel into your body, to understand you are experiencing the practice in your own unique way, with no preconceived notions or expectations for how a pose should feel. Yoga is not all about the body. It is the union of body, mind, and spirit.
For more information or to register for the retreat, contact Barb Germershausen.
Website: simplyyogacville.com. Email: simplyyogacville@gmail.com. Phone: 434-760-3669
Aligning Five Levels of Soul
During this week of deep exploration, you will be guided in a sacred movement journey, through Four Worlds and Five Levels of Soul. The Jewish mystical tradition teaches that our souls descend from Source to be clothed in our bodies. Together we will explore these Five Soul Levels, each of which carry a unique gift and experience.
Through guided and exploratory movement, supported by music and creative process, Authentic Movement, embodied prayer and text study, we awaken body heart and soul. By discovering what enlivens and nourishes each Soul Level, a pathway opens to living in clear alignment with your Authentic self and direct experience of your soul’s purpose.
This experience naturally heals us, as the sparks of our souls that are undeveloped, shattered or disconnected, reconnect more fully and form a stronger light vessel. We feel ourselves lighter, more whole and alive, more integrated, and aware of our vital connection with the Divine embodied in us. Our week together will culminate with a joyful Shabbat celebration.
Join us as we gather and are nourished in a sacred rural setting, remembering the sparks of our Souls, bringing ourselves – and perhaps other worlds – back to balance.
No movement or Kabbalah experience is needed.
Come grow the roots of your spiritual aliveness, watered by the wellsprings of your body’s wisdom.
Reb Simona Aronow (BC-DTR, CMA, NCC, BCTMB) is a Dance/Movement therapist, student of Kabbalah, and educator for 45 years. She was empowered by Rabbi Zalman z”l, as Reverend and Sacred Minister, Sacred Movement and Spiritual Embodiment Guide, Morat Torah, Ritualist, and Life Cycle Officiate. Reb Simona has taught the material privately and at retreat centers, including Isabella Freedman, The National Havurah Institute, Gesher Jewish Center, Aleph’s Tikshoret program, and Kallah. In addition, she was on faculty for Aleph’s Embodying Spirit, En-Spiriting Body Program, directed by Rabbi Diane Elliot, and the Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies Certification Program. As director and faculty for “Embodying the Great Mystery”, a 2-year embodied Kabbalistic learning program, she joins her passion for traditional Jewish learning and love of movement to help others find personal meaning. Her love for movement and somatic healing is inspiring. For more information or to register contact saronow@verizon.net or text 434.282.6863.
Awen: Inspiration from the Ancient Irish Ancestors
In the Celtic tradition, Awen refers to inspiration or divine spark. This weekend retreat aligns with the Celtic Holiday of Samhain (pronounced “sow-wen”), which became popularized as Halloween. In Ireland, wood is gathered, and fires lit to mark the end of harvest and the approach of winter. A time when the veils between the Otherworld is thin, we take a few days to honor our forebears, and offer their stories of wisdom and hope to the next generation.
This retreat will be the perfect moment to turn within and give thanks to the ancestors that brought us life, to forgive any lingering issues, and to connect with our ancient ancestors who can give us renewed strength and courage. This retreat will involve Storytelling from the Irish & British traditions. We will also explore the Divine Feminine in Celtic Spirituality, particularly the many faces of St. Brigit/Bride/Brighid and the Cailleach. We will use meditation, self-inquiry and visualization techniques for personal reflection in a framework based on the open embrace of Celtic Spirituality. All are welcome.
The Awen Retreat is designed and led by Ayn Cates Sullivan, who attended Hollins University and then went on to earn a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, a Masters in Spiritual Psychology (USM), as well as a doctorate degree in Anglo-Irish Literature from King’s College London. She combined these degrees to create her “Awen” workshops, which help people develop poetic, creative, intuitive and mystical skillsets. Ayn Cates Sullivan makes an annual pilgrimage to Britain, where she often meets with her mentor, author Caitlin Matthews. Dr. Sullivan has written twenty-four books and has won over sixty literary awards.
Meals and overnight accommodations are available at the retreat. The fees are $333 for residents of the retreat, and $222 for non-residents. The overnight rooms are full, but day reatanTo register or for more information, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com by October 17.
Decoupage Oyster Shells
Would you enjoy an afternoon of creating a gift or ornament for yourself or a friend?
With the holiday season coming, this workshop offers an opportunity to craft gifts using oyster shells of different sizes to decoupage, using designs from nature or the holiday season. Kathy Wesson instructs on the method and guides the process from start to finish. A tea is offered to refresh us as we complete our chosen project. To attend or for more information, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Your donation for this workshop is gratefully accepted, and all proceeds will go to dogsdeservebetter.org. Check their website to learn more about this labor of love.
2nd Annual Women's Fall R&R Experience
This retreat is now private. If you would like to talk with Barb about hosting this kind of retreat for your small group or friends, use her contact information below!
Join a small group of like-minded spiritual-seeking wise women for a nourishing weekend in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Soak in the smells and sounds of nature in the fall. Practice slow, mindful Gentle Yoga. Explore the benefits of meditation. Relax with Yoga Nidre. Experience the magic of a crystal bowl sound bath in the beautiful historic chapel. Gather around an evening fire.
Read - Rest - Relax - Rejuvenate - Renew
For more information or to register, please contact simplyyogacville@gmail.com, or call/text retreat leader Barb Germershausen at 434-760-3669. Check out the website for more about Barb’s offerings: simplyyogacville.com.
Labyrinth Encounters
Be in the moment in a labyrinth walk that invites opening and deepening through this ancient spiritual practice. Whether the walk is inside under the dark wooden beams of our historic church, or outside facing Loft Mountain, the practice of releasing, receiving, and returning brings clarity, insight, and serenity. Join Veriditas trained labyrinth facilitators Amy Epp and Debbie Scott as we create a walk that is inspired by the living moment, followed by journaling and sharing. Tea will be served, and all are welcome to a time of refreshment in the stone cottage.
To RSVP, contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com. Your RSVP allows us to contact you if there is a change in plans due to weather.
Contemplative Prayer Beads Day Retreat
Prayer beads are treasured in many faiths for daily spiritual practice, and are often passed down as family heirlooms. Join Deacon Salli Hartman as she leads a contemplative way of exploring our intention in praying with the beads, of creating our own prayer beads using the Episcopal tradition, and praying with them in this retreat. Participants are invited to bring beads or small crosses that they may have from family to recycle into prayer beads. Beads and supplies will be available. Lunch will be provided. The retreat fee is $20.
For questions about the Prayer Beads retreat, contact Salli: sjhinva@gmail.com. RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Sacred Encounters
Listening to the mountains, and the more-than-human that call Mountain Light home, encourages awareness of our indebtedness to Earth for sustaining our lives. In this meditative gathering, we respond to the offering of a country afternoon spent in a wander on the property, strengthening our connections to all. Join Brother Thomas Kildare, Anam Cara Fellowship, and Debbie Scott, eco spiritual director and Wild Guide, for this gathering. All are welcome! For questions or to RSVP, contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Charlottesville Area Spiritual Companions
Spiritual Companions/Directors, both active /inactive, and those considering a call to this ministry, are welcome to attend a day retreat to enjoy a time of inspiration, fellowship, and relaxation. The day begins with a Meet & Greet, with morning refreshments. Our special guest speaker is Valerie Luna Serrells, Co-Founder & Director of Wild Church Network and an eco spiritual director. Lunch provides a time for sharing, followed by quiet time for walking the labyrinth, rest, and reflection. The event is hosted by the CASC committee, Kathy Doby, Liz Emry, Debbie Scott, and Karen Skidmore. For more information or to register, please contact Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
New Moon Labyrinth Walk
Walking the outdoor labyrinth on the night of a new moon is an unfolding experience, that begins with contemplating the intention of one’s walk, and then unfolds in the walk and in the peace of contemplating what has been received in the walk. Described as “walking prayer” and as “moving meditation,” all are invited to this group walk led my Veriditas-trained labyrinth facilitator Mary Ann Wamhoff. Rain cancels.
RSVP to Debbie@mountainlightretreatva.com.
Paint + Sip: "Streamside Serenity"
Join Blue Ridge Brushes at the Retreat to learn how to paint the “Streamside Serenity” design in a step by step format, no experience necessary! Your ticket includes an 11×14 canvas and acrylic paint. Each class is taught by a professional artist who will guide you through various techniques at a comfortable pace.
Snacks and nonalcoholic beverages provided. Come a bit early and view the historic grounds and church.
To register, go to www.blueridgebrushes.com. Cost per painter is $36.
One ticket per painter. Beverage NOT included in price. Paint is permanent so dress accordingly. Refunds available up until the time of the class, but not after. Class will be cancelled if there are less than 6 sign ups. In the case of potential cancellation customers will be informed via email the day before. If class is cancelled customers will be notified via email and text and be fully refunded.