Invoking Robin Hood
Shamanic weekend retreat in the Peak District
Friday 16th - Sunday 18th November 2018
Commune with the Last of the Free Folk
Call on their Wisdom for Support and Guidance
Do you feel like you are the one who is holding you back?
Would you like to free yourself from the prison of your mind so you can step forward towards your true purpose in life and your most authentic self?
This modern world seems geared to keeping us down, keeping us enslaved to routine and duty, living a life which we aren’t designed for.
It hasn’t always been this way.
There was a time back in our distant past when the Free Folk walked our land.
They were autonomous. They were true to themselves. They were born free and they lived free.
Come with us and travel back to that time. Breathe one of our most well known and well loved of our old legends through into your being, the story of Robin Hood.
Tap into the story of the men of the greenwood and tune into the message that is waiting for you, held for almost 1000 years, poised waiting for this moment when you can ignite their passion for freedom and bring it into your life right now.
By tapping into this energy we can move closer to understanding who we really are, what really makes us tick and how we can stand head and shoulders above the chaos so evident in the World today.
Would you like to explore your inner Robin Hood with us?
Invoking Robin Hood to Break Free from the Oppressor
We are going to spend the weekend in one of England's secret places, Lud's Church, a deep fern filled chasm hidden in the forest close to Buxton in the Peak District National Park.
Nestled in the heart of Back Forest, this is the kind of place that Robin Hood and the men of the greenwood would have retreated to in order to draw on their spiritual guidance and surrender to the divine. From this place they would have fought the mass enslavement and devastation in the years and centuries which followed William the Conquer's victory in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
This band of survivors, the last of the Free Folk, launched attacks on the Normans as they penetrated inland and imposed their oppressive regime, in an attempt to fight and hold on to their autonomy, their freedom and everything they knew to be right.
Entwining ourselves in the marriage of landscape and story, using age old shamanic connection and journeying techniques we will begin the process of coming home to nature and unleashing that part of us that lies dormant, curled up deep inside waiting for your call.
Drawing on the energy of Robin Hood and the last of the free folk we will look to step into our authentic selves, reignite our personal power and ignite the process of becoming uncivilised once again.
We are going to work with this most famous of stories of oppression and freedomtso see what it invokes within us.
Recognising that we all have our own inner Sheriff of Nottingham and band of merry men is a big part of our story, as we can then step outside of the cage we have built for ourselves in our own mind and see how things really are and that we do have an option, that we do have a choice.
Would You Like to come with us and Invoke Your Inner Robin Hood?
Come and share a soulful experience in the majestic Peak District National Park.
Hide away in the secret places of our most beautiful of landscapes.
Explore your inner oppressor and break free from the prison of your mind.
Rediscover your free and creative self.
The Magic of The Weekend
A Homecoming
Something happens deep within us when we are in nature. When we still ourselves amongst the beauty and hear ourselves more clearly. We can come home.
A Creative Practice
Experience a regular creative practice that will lead you to a more spacious life, deep connection with your true self and a real sense of achievement.
Finding Your Purpose
By setting our clear intention, celebrating it in a ceremony and seeking the cooperation of our guides we give ourselves the best chance of realising our dreams.
The Wisdom of The Land
Spending time with ancient places is so powerful. It gives us insights which can have a profound impact on our lives and is an easy way to access universal wisdom.
An Iconic Location
Lud's Church is a deep chasm carved into Back Forest and a place of worship formed by the Earth itself. Be bewitched by its ancient atmosphere and powerful sense of mystery which on entering causes one to sink to your knees.
Embrace Shamanic Tools
Working with Shamanic Journeying, deep nature connection, ancient myth and divination through the Runes or the Celtic Tree Ogham, we access life-changing tools our ancestors used for guidance and healing.
The Call of Our Inner Robin Hood
Your time has come.
When we awaken and press against the confines of our invisible walls and cage bars we remember that we were born free.
Our spiritual path leads to us being true, walking our talk, owning our power and having control of our own destiny.
It also reminds us not to neglect that which nurtures us and to have a healthy degree of self-love.
By invoking our own inner Robin Hood, we can begin to align our lives with what it means to be truly human again, working to a higher agenda than that which is imposed on us by others.
We can find that inner part of us which disappeared through oppression and which is waiting to be reclaimed back. Then we can begin once more living a full, stylish and honourable life.
It is time to invoke our own inner Robin Hood.
Yes, it will mean investing a little of your time and money and take yourself away from your day-to-day responsibilities. It may even feel over-indulgent and raise a conflict inside you about whether you can justify the outlay.
But what is clear is that something needs to change, and there is no time like the present to reach out and get a little help to do so. Once you engage more fully with your inner Robin Hood, the momentum will drive you forward to make changes in your life.
Maybe you are thinking that now we are civilised we don’t need that energy in our lives any more. Yet deep down we have a calling to rekindle the flame and claim back something really precious which has been lost - a part of us that makes us more human, and more in balance with the Earth and ourselves.
Our ancestors embraced this freedom, and their passion lives on through stories which have survived through the test of time. So let's go and seek support to bring back Robin Hood and the men of the Greenwood once again.
Nicola & Jason - a little about us
Between us we have trodden this path for many decades working to release the invisible shackles given to us by culture and unleashing our inner wild.
We have moved from being in stagnant and unfulfilling work to fully embracing our creativity and discovering the true depths of ourselves and the joy that this can bring us.
Because of this we are excited and passionate about working with and helping others master their own wild potential.
We are delighted to be able to bring you this unique experience in the iconic Peak District National Park landscape, working at the turn of the Wheel as we move into the darker months of the year, and linking in with one of our most well known and well loved stories, Robin Hood.
What the Workshop Entails
You will spend the weekend in the beautiful Peak District National Park, amongst the ancient trees, meadow glades and granite outcrops of Back Forest. Our base will be the stunning and recently renovated Gradbach Mill, with luxury bedrooms, spacious hangout areas including a fire pit where we can enjoy wholesome community living.
Friday evening
Once you arrive there will be time to settle in. We will have tea around 6.30pm, which will be cooked for us by the Mill chefs, and then we will settle down in our cosy indoor workspace. We will introduce ourselves and the programme for the weekend will be explained, before settling down to experience the Robin Hood story. Afterwards we will retire and gather around the campfire under the night sky.
Saturday and Sunday
During the day time we will work with the legend of Robin Hood and the ancient landscape of Back Forest to view the hidden depths within us and our own inner story of oppression and freedom. We will see how we can draw on this time in our history to bring forward the energy Robin Hood embodied in our lives now as we step forward on our path through life.
We will work with the land in a deep way, including spending time in the incredible Lud's Church, a spiritual corridor deep in the ground, and a place of secret ceremony in times gone past.
Through the practices of Shamanic Journeying and time alone in nature, we will listen for the messages which are waiting for us, preserved in time by the greenmen of the wood. We will commune with Herne The Hunter himself, one of our ancient deities more commonly known as the Green Man, to draw on his wisdom and spiritual guidance to bring through into our lives today.
Towards the end of the weekend you will have the opportunity to work with divination to help you on your path, with a choice of using the Celtic Tree Ogham set or the Runes, as a way to get insights into your journey.
Saturday evening
We will share stories around the campfire, poems and writings, songs and laughter, before retiring to you cosy bed in the Mill.
Each morning we will begin our day by sharing our dreams and flexing our creative muscles with a little poetry.
There will be plenty of space to explore the immediate area, with includes a delightful river, woodland, moorland, meadows and ancient trees.
You will learn to deepen further info ancient shamanic techniques of British Shamanism, including journeying, ritual, nature connection and divination.
A Fire Ceremony
The weekend will be rounded off with a fire ceremony, where you will make an affirmation to step further into your freedom. We will complete our weekend together at 5pm on Sunday.
Food
Your breakfast and evening meal are included and will be cooked for us by the Mill chefs. We ask you to bring a packed lunch for both days, and any snacks you might like. We are able to accommodate the majority of dietary requirements so please contact us with your specific needs.
Accessibility
We will be working out in the landscape of Back Forest. Lud's Church is around a 1 km walk from the Mill where we are staying, through the woodland. The walk will include a stepped climb up a short hill. There are steep steps to walk down in order to gain access to Lud's Church. Please bear this in mind when deciding whether to come along, as we will be running part of each day out in this landscape.
Location and Accommodation
We will be staying in Gradbach Mill in the small hamlet of Gradbach, which is close to Macclesfield and Buxton, just off the A54.
The bedrooms are multiple occupancy, on a twin or more basis. Single occupancy rooms have now all been allocated.
Fully Booked
The full weekend workshop which runs from 5pm on Friday 16th November to 5pm on Sunday 19th of November is £245 per person
The price includes the following:
- A warm bed in the high quality accomodation
- Your breakfast and evening meals
- All tuition over the weekend to reconnect with your inner wild
- Access to woodlands, meadows, riverbank and the chasm
The Mill at Gradbach
Words from Previous Workshop Participants
"Everything was so well organised."
"I enjoyed being in like-minded and supportive company in a beautiful location, and it has led me to realise that we are just a speck on the Earth's timeline and that there is so much wisdom to discover.
Everything was so well organised”
JEAN // Workshop participant
"...actually just hanging out with Nicola and Jason was wonderful - I love you guys."
“Highlights for the weekend were connecting to the ancient animal bones and swimming in the waterfall pond : )
But actually just hanging out with Nicola and Jason was wonderful - I love you guys xx
I had a few aha moments during the weekend but I was particularly proud that I shared a piece of writing in circle despite sobbing whilst reading it! I challenged myself to show my vulnerability (historically very difficult for me) and I did exactly that - and survived to tell the tale!”
LISA // Workshop participant
"I feel as though I finally belong somewhere. Clan. Fireside revelations. Waterfall challenges... Best weekend ever!"
“I enjoyed all of my time at last weekends retreat. Being in community with like minded souls so nurturing and empowering.
I feel as though I finally belong somewhere. Clan. Fireside revelations. Waterfall challenges.
Fleeting visit to another ancient world to reconnect with a wise, ancient aspect if me, melding with her and becoming somehow different and more than I was.
Being wilder each and every day. Best weekend ever!”
ALISON // Workshop participant
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the accommodation like?
What facilities are available?
What about meals?
What do I need to bring with me for the weekend?
Do I need any shamanic experience?
What ABOUT THE WEATHER?
Gradbach Mill is in the hamlet of Gradbach which is close to Buxton. It is 30 miles South of Manchester and also easily accessible from Sheffield and Derby, and within 40 miles of the M6 and M1 motorways. The address is Quarnford, Buxton, Staffordshire, SK17 0SU.
Stepping Through The Bars
We hold hope that one day
We will all leave our imprisonment and return to nature.
Bend our ear to the wind and step through the invisible bars
Created only by our own minds.
That day will be as glorious as they come,
With a golden sunrise that will be spoken of around the fireside.
Forever and beyond.
The birds will sing a new chorus in the trees on that day,
So sweet that it will bring tears to the woodcutters eyes.
Even the rivers will shed tears of joy,
And so many that their waters will turn as salty as the sea.
Every living being will turn to face the East
And watch the dawn of new possibilities, and sigh ‘at last’.
At last we can all live again
As the old stories tell us we once did.
Nicola Smalley
If you would like any point clarifying, or have any questions you'd like answered please don't hesitate to get in touch. Email us at jason@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk