Beneath the Emerald Boughs
discovering the hidden language of trees
Wednesday 9th - Sunday 13th August 2023
Fully booked
It's time to turn to the wisdom of trees.
An awakening brings about a different way of viewing the world, and many of us are feeling a heightened sense of uncertainly as we make our way through this decade.
We can see an unprecedented change ahead of us like nothing humanity has ever seen before.
This could leave us feeling anxious and unable to be able to do anything about it. Not knowing which way to turn is a difficult place to be. Through this extended retreat away we are going to present an antidote to the turmoil. For there is a wisdom held in the woodlands and tree dotted meadows which can guide us to a place of stillness and comfort.
It is time to turn to the trees for the answers and ask them to help us forge the path ahead.
Environmental philosopher John Muir spoke of this when he said, “the clearest way into the universe is through a wilderness forest.”
Environmental philosopher John Muir spoke of this when he said, “the clearest way into the universe is through a wilderness forest.”
The more we work with the trees in a deep way the more we will come to learn that they have the answers we seek in these turbulent times.
Trees have been on earth for far, far longer than we have, nearly 400 million years longer in fact.
They have the ability to balance global systems and create entire ecosystems and sustain life. There is much they can teach us. Our ancestors knew this.
They went to the trees for guidance and healing. They honoured and revered them for the knowledge they held in their roots, trunks, branches and leaves. Our Celtic ancestors held trees in such high regard they created their entire alphabet around them, with each of 20 species forming a different letter.
We have been separated from nature for too long.
Now is the time to reclaim what was naturally ours.
A Five Day Woodland Hideaway
During this extended eco-retreat at Cae Mabon in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park, we will be tuning our ears to the deep language of trees and connecting with their ancient healing power as we drop into the slower pace of woodland time.
There will be plenty of time to unwind, to connect with the natural surroundings and allow your soul to reach out to the oak, ash, yew, rowan, birch, pine and more, drawing on their wisdom to guide you on your path through life. This will also be an opportunity to begin to master the Celtic tree ogham adding to your repertoire of sacred tools.
This retreat is a jewel in our year. Cae Mabon is a truly stunning forest location, with a rushing river, Celtic roundhouse, strawbale hobbit houses, labyrinth and even a hot tub.
Are the trees calling you to connect with them in a deeper way?
Would you like to learn of their secret language?
Nicola & Jason - a little about us
Between us, Jason and Nicola, we have trodden this path for many decades working to deepen our spiritual connection through immersing ourselves in the natural world.
Through our experiences and insights drawn from nature we have found a place of stillness in the eye of the storm. We have learnt how to draw on the healing power of nature for our mental, spiritual and emotional well-being. Through walking with the trees we have found some peace in a chaotic world.
Because of this we are excited and passionate about working with others so they too can learn how to connect deeply with nature.
We are delighted to be able to offer you this unique, extended break in the Snowdonia National Park, in the beautiful Cae Mabon woodland retreat space.
Gratitude from Retreat Attendees:
"A perfect mix of different activities"
"I booked Beneath the Emerald Boughs to learn more about connecting with the trees. The agenda was a perfect mix of different activities. I loved singing around the campfire, eating together, wild swimming and learning together."
Rachel // Beneath the Emerald Boughs Retreat Attendee
"There were so many magical moments"
"The community that we created was so beautiful. I loved sharing everything we did together, from eating, singing, swimming, journeying, and so much more. There were so many magical moments, but the most impactful ones were choosing our Ogham and Aspen calling to me. WOW!"
Jacinta // Beneath the Emerald Boughs Retreat Attendee
"I have found what has been missing in my life."
"I was expecting to immerse myself in the woodland. What I didn't expect was the magic of immersing into the community and an awareness that this is what has been missing in my life. I was able to visualise when journeying for the first time and received a message which was a huge milestone for me."
Sarah // Beneath the Emerald Boughs Retreat Attendee
"I truly loved everything about the whole weekend."
"I've had a real interest in the Celtic ogham for a while, so this retreat was a great opportunity to find out more about it. I loved walking through the woods with my mask on, seeing through the eyes of the wood as well as the time around the campfire drumming, singing, listening to poems & stories. . I truly loved everything about the whole weekend."
Gaynor // Beneath the Emerald Boughs Retreat Attendee
What will the retreat involve?
This is an extended retreat running over five days from Wednesday afternoon to Sunday lunch time.
During this time, you will be immersed in nature in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park in a truly stunning forest location, Cae Mabon, with its hobbit houses, sacred spaces and plenty of trees to bathe under.
We have enough beds for everyone in shared dwellings (separate men's and women's) ranging from cob-built houses to wooden cabins, as well as a small number of suitable places for tents if you would like to camp.
On the Wednesday afternoon once you arrive there will be time to settle in. We will enjoy an evening meal together and then settle down by the campfire, introduce ourselves and explain the programme for the weekend.
Over Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we will spend our time between gathering in the Celtic roundhouse and time out under the trees. You will learn the theory of deep nature connection and gain an understanding of the language of the trees, along with going out into the woodland to put this into practice.
There will be shamanic journeying to the spirit of the woodland as well as to the spirit of your tree which you will be working with through the weekend. There will be tree divination using the Celtic Ogham alphabet as well as a tree identification walk to help you learn to spot many of our native woodland species.
Each morning we will begin our day with several choices of wake-up sessions: singing, meditation and creative writing.
Evenings will be spent relaxing around the campfire together, sharing stories, poems, writings, songs, drumming and good fun.
Throughout our time together you will have plenty of space to enjoy all that Cae Mabon has to offer, with is hideaway places, labyrinth, hot tub and wild swimming spot.
You will learn or deepen further into ancient shamanic techniques of British Shamanism, including shamanic journeying, divination, ceremony and nature connection.
Your breakfast and evening meals, as well as drinks and snacks are included in the price of the retreat. We ask you just to bring along your lunches. It is fine to bring alcohol to enjoy in the evenings (in moderation).
We will round off our time together with a fire ceremony to close the circle and will be wrapped up and ready to leave by lunch time on Sunday.
Why not join us and drop deeply into nature time?
Tune into the secret language of the trees and strengthen your spiritual connection.
Yes, it will mean investing a little of your time and money and take you away from your day-to-day responsibilities. It may even feel overindulgent, and raise a conflict inside you about whether you can justify the outlay.
But we know that something needs to change. We all need to reclaim our spiritual connection and there is no time like the present to reach out and get a little help to do so.
Once we open up our channels of communication with spirit more fully, we become more open to receiving the guidance we need to move further along our path in life, and come closer to achieving our dreams.
Maybe you are thinking that now we are civilised we no longer need to draw on the healing power of the trees to live our lives anymore. Yet deep in us we have a calling to rekindle the flame and claim back the old ways which have been taken from us; practices that makes us more human, and more in balance with the Earth and ourselves.
Our ancestors held trees in the highest regard and our fall from nature has been our undoing. In the past, laws have been written forbidding us from ‘honouring the trees’ so let’s run away to the woods and together right this wrong.
To make the retreat even more accessible we have a payment plan, so you can spread the cost over several months.
There are so many benefits to joining us.
Here are our top 5.
The Wisdom of the Land
Spending time connecting with nature gives us insights which have a profound impact on our lives. These techniques have been used by humanity for at least 50,000 years. It is an incredible and easy way to access deep universal wisdom. Why leave it to your limited conscious mind to come up with all the answers
A Homecoming
Something happens deep within us when we are in nature. When we still ourselves amongst the beauty we can hear ourselves more clearly. We can come home.
A Regular Practice
Experience a regular creative practice that will lead you to a more spacious life, a deep connection to your true self, and a real sense of achievement.
An Iconic Location
Cae Mabon is a slice of heaven nestled at the foot of Mount Snowdon which has been lovingly created for just this purpose, to support like-minded travellers to drop into a different space so nature can work her magic on us.
Setting Intentions
Without a clear intention we don’t know where we will be heading, so by deciding this and putting it out there in ceremony, we give ourselves the best chance of realising our dreams.
Coming Back To Nature
Our stiffness is softening as we take the winding road back to nature. We follow the gentle contours, noticing more and more the magic around us.
Only three generations ago all we knew were factory chimneys, air thick with smoke, the constant noise of the industrial unmaking of ourselves.
We knew no flower meadows or autumn woodlands, we had never seen a waterfall, or walked barefoot on a beach feeling the sand between our toes. The sound of the ocean was unknown to us, as was the call of the cuckoo announcing spring.
We hadn’t seen a sunset over the snowy mountain top or looked into the pond at our own reflection. Now we have choices and freedom fought for us.
Now it is our time to become nature once again.
Learning in community
We learn so much in community. It can be hard to find that community in a world where people who think and feel completely differently to us surround us every day.
The Way of the Buzzard is a place where we can gather.
Where those people who don’t fit into a world they don’t understand congregate, because they were born to create a different one.
And where better to do this than around the campfire.
In the evenings we will warm our bodies and our hearts next to the soft orange glow of hot embers and flickering flames.
We will share stories, poems, sorrows and joys, and awaken the deep bone memory of what community is really about.
There are limited spaces on this retreat and we expect it will be popular so we advise booking sooner rather than later to avoid being disappointed.
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