I don’t really know where to start so I will begin with the end. During the closing ceremony there was time for each of us to share what we felt we needed to say to the group in order to be complete. After listening to each of our 13 vixens speak so eloquently about their experience and what has changed for them, I was speechless for a moment. Gathering myself together, I shared how nervous I’d been before the retreat and how I’d worried I just wouldn’t have the energy to be as present as I wanted. (As it turns out my fears were unfounded.) I told them it had been an honour to witness their growth and spend this incredible time with them, and that I wished I had the energy (and personality type) to do retreats like this more often.  And that is the truth.

Just like last year’s Redfox retreat we all had a transformational week, made all the more enjoyable because we knew what to expect. This year’s retreat wasn’t “better” — it was just different. A different time of year with a different group of women. We made adjustments and tweaks to the programme as we went, checking in with our intuition and leaving plenty of space for the stuff we couldn’t predict. There was an ease and a softness to it all that felt good, and thanks to the amazing food Denise & Martin prepared for us, we were truly nourished from the inside out.

We certainly had the energy of the goddess in our corner, and not just because we were in deepest darkest Somerset. The four elements kept us grounded: the gusting winds at Glastonbury Tor, the rain failing in the moonlight, the mud under our bare feet and the heat of the fire burning in the grate. We were gifted with music from two of our vixens, an unexpected gift that moved me deeply (and inspired me to reconnect with my singing bowl and place an order for a drum!) We had the most powerful releasing ceremony I have ever experienced. We witnessed epiphanies and a-has every single day. And we watched 13 women blossom as they dared to own their incandescent light.

By the end I was reminded, yet again, that this is important work, and while I may not have the energy or the stamina to gather in person like this very often, I do know I want to weave even more connection and magic into the work I currently do. Because it really does make a difference. This deep connecting is so needed by women, a precious chance to refill our cups so we can return to our loved ones replenished and full.

Sharing our stories — in whatever form that takes — fosters empathy and awareness, the first crucial steps on the path to healing and wholeness. And to me, there’s no greater journey we can take. To be whole… to be whole… to be WHOLE.

* Thank you Becki, Caroline, Deb, Heather, Heather, Jen, Jo, Jocelyn, Johanna, Laurie, Michelle, Priya and Valerie for showing up as your true selves and trusting us to help you see your light xo