So the retreat was over Samhain, which is the Celtic festival to celebrate the ancient New Year. I also felt strange that I wasn’t going to be in my Celtic land for this and England didn’t have this vibration but Still I went. "Samhain was traditionally a time for connecting with the wisdom teachings of our ancestors and a point in the year when the veil between realms was thinnest for divination and seeing the hidden/unseen.”
The words that attracted me were Wild, the whole concept and idea of Rewilding with women was seductive and Exactly where I’ve been. The retreat was offered as space to remember and recall our true passionate female nature. I was drawn to unleashing the untamed, naturally wild, undomesticated wise and beautiful nature of who I am through stories of wisdom that point to the truth of my feminine essence.
The retreat was in Sussex in the South Downs in a tiny little placed called Alfriston. To get there I traveled from Edinburgh with my darling friend overnight by Gold Megabus to London. We had kind of a double bed at the front of the bus which was a giggle. The beds were narrow and Every corner, I felt like I was going to fall out into the galley. However, we Did get ‘some’ sleep. We arrived into London as it was Just waking up. We sat by the river and had some breakfast in the art college before meeting up with my friend’s daughter and going to see some art in Tate Britain. I Utterly Hated the Turner Prize Excuses for art – So depressing if That’s what is considered the best these days – So soulless, uninspiring… it made me feel angry. I had to fill with something of Quality so I went to see the Pre-Raphaelite Magnificence of Dante Gabriel Rossetti – Stunning, Exquisite, Magnificent work which filled my heart again. Then the journey moved on and we were off on the next train. The woman opposite had The most Beautiful dog that looked like a fox that climbed onto me and snuggled into my lap and just wanted Love and to give love, So beautiful. Another change of train and a short cab ride and arrived. Our B&B was Very Quirky and unusual but it had character and the people that ran it were Gorgeous (she was into Angels and crystals so that felt great!) I went off on my own to explore where I was and to get a sense of the place and to really Land and Arrive. I fell in love with the the place, it felt old, with lots of history and soul. I loved walking out of the village and just exploring. It was So very still and so very quiet and I could Breathe!
We started to gather on the first night, the eve of Samhain. We were in a beautiful church hall that Sally and Jo Beth had decorated with purple fabrics and carved pumpkins, candles and there was Isis watching over it all. We arrived in silence and Jo Beth immediately gave each person a sacred initiation to welcome us into the space. As Jo Beth talked of Samahain and the village I felt the energy deeply. There Used to be 2 Huge stone circles and the point where they crossed over was the exact location of the hall we were in . I was in alignment with the center of the hall facing Isis and I felt I was sitting Right in the throne of the Priestess.
I watched as I resonated Incredibly with what Jo Beth was sharing like I deeply understood and Knew what she was saying as it was like a reawakening and a remembering about the Goddess. I Adore the goddess archetype energies and I have deeply resisted the Truth that I carry and bring through the Divine Feminine Goddess Energy. This Entire Journey and the reason I was really there was to Finally get me to Accept this and to see this and to feel it and know it in Every cell how embodied and soaked in this energy I truly am and to Stop pushing it away. I Got it that this time was to Very Very deeply honour and celebrate my Goddess energies, Everything I have been working on and with and through to lead me to this point. This was my sacred celebration of homecoming.
I Loved Witnessing my Sisters, I Love working with Women. I sat quietly as they looped and hooked into their stories and showered them with Love. I watched any irritation in me, to them going on and on, and brought myself back to Quiet presence and rooted deeper into the Witness to Let them express what they needed, in Their way, and Kept dropping subtle judgements if they popped up, just to Be with them.
I Love Storytelling and Every tiny bit of the creation story of the Goddess through Hathor and Sekhmet made Complete Sense to me. I went to Hathors Temple in Egypt so I resonate Strongly with that energy anyway. I Do have that soft, Loving, open, welcoming Hathor energy on the outside Plus the fierce, strong passionate Sekhment on the inside. When I got back to the B&B later and checked what Goddess I would be working with in November through my Goddess group I was wonderfully Delighted that it was Bast. Bast is the middle sister of this trinity and has the essence of her sisters. (Another Beautiful sensual month ahead – How Fabulous!!!) By listening to the Sekhmet story and resonating with it showed me how much I have Slain the “Good Girl” archetype, how much that has been burned away. Yes I Can occasionally be ‘Good’ but this is Not where I live anymore. I am Unleashed and the Good Girl is No longer required!!!! (Love the line in Mary Oliver's beautiful poem - “You Do NOT have to be good…..”)
We were working quite a lot with the Illumination Oracle Cards and Every card I had was Incredible and Just right for me!!! I have a few packs of cards and this is my favourite, the quality and energy from this pack is exceptional. Sally channelled the words and Jo Beth shared her incredible soul paintings, so very beautiful. The cards "offer heart-centred and positive insight that takes you far beyond the normal ‘fortune telling’ of many oracle and tarot card readings. The deeply transformative energy of love that flows through the channelled words, touches your heart and initiates the necessary inner healing shifts to unlock the answers that you are looking for.”
The meditation at the end with “Channel Love” vibration was Stunning. I have worked in Many temples of Light and I was taken to another one and I often get given gifts and crowns. This time my crown was upgraded once more to a Gold one with the Kundalini serpent writhing and rubies, it was Stunning!!! My Grandmother also came through to me and thanked me for all the work I have been doing on myself which in turn has had the effect of assisting, cleansing and clearing my ancestral lineage. I was Deeply moved!!!!
When we did an exercise to look at the tree of who we are I kind of expected it to be like what I’ve experienced before, Lots of colour and abundance and all sorts going on, lots of flowers, animals, fairy lights, children playing and giggling in my branches, lots of animals and lots of elemental energies…. Yes all that came in and then opened out to revel the True tree of who I AM. It was the Tree of Souls as represented in the film Avatar!!!! I was Soooo shocked and wanted to turn away and Not accept that THAT is who I am. But it was a Very Intense transmition to Stay with this and Accept that I AM That Powerful and Magnificent. It was like Who am I to Dare to say I am That! Who do I think I am!!!! I was Angry and Resisting a bit and could feel All these other energies judging me for accepting my truth and trying to cut me down. I AM That Rooted, That connected, Have That much light, wisdom and Knowledge (All of it has just been waiting patiently to be Witnessed, honoured and acknowledged in its Divine Perfection and Beauty).
I Adored the Isis chakra clearing with sound from Jo Beth – So special and sacred. I really felt Goddess Rhiannon as she invoked her and felt she will be coming in to work with me as a guide and friend with more sensual/ sexual Priestess work. The ceremony involved Tuning forks and with the base chakra I giggled as the word passion nearly ignited my knickers – Very funny!!! When she was working on my solar plexus I felt Incredibly Regal and Queen like and Very Very Royal. The Power of Love at the Heart was Intense and the Enchantress at the Throat was Perfect! Finishing with Ecstasy – Oh Yeah!
I loved singing the Mantras with Jo Beth’s energy. I Loved Lakshmi coming in, so gorgeous to feel that energy as well.
As I sat with Sally and the energy that she brings through I Immediately felt bathed in Love. I kept hearing I AM Love. This changed into We Are Love as there was NO separation.
Where does it go from here????? I do Not need to know, I can rest deeply in the Mystery. Life will come to Me. I do not need to struggle or effort or try. All I will do is be myself – all of it and That is enough. The Rest will take care of itself and show however it wants to show.
More info about Jo Beth and Sally at:
Jo Beth Young: http://www.jobethyoung.co.uk/ Sally Claridge Texeira http://channellinglove.com/
http://www.theilluminationoracle.com/