Camping with Ceridwen at Canyon of the Eagles
PLEASE NOTE: Registration for this event is currently CLOSED/FULL.
After a LONG hiatus courtesy of the pandemic and last Spring’s Round Rock tornado, I am thrilled to be offering another group camping adventure. This Spring’s excursion will center around the Welsh initiatory and transformational myth of the crone and witch, Ceridwen, and the young boy, Gwion Bach, who becomes Taliesin, one of the most revered and beloved Welsh bards.
Turning towards the Celtic crones like the Cailleach in Ireland, Beira in Scotland and Ceridwen in Wales, can feel like a daunting proposition as their power and fierceness at the edge of the veil demands respect and humility. However, when we are able to turn towards them and patiently drink and learn from the deep and labyrinthine well of their wisdom, there are oh so many gifts to be gleaned! This particular myth focuses on the evolution of our own masculine in relationship to this wisdom and, as Ceridwen shapeshifts into a hawk during part of the myth, Canyon of the Eagles feels like a wonderful backdrop to hold the exploration of all that this ancient story has to offer.
I find myself returning to Canyon of the Eagles again and again for its protected sanctuary feel that draws and honors so many creatures of the air, earth and water. Located on Lake Buchanan, this beautifully tended respite is not only the seasonal home of the endangered American bald eagle from October to March each year, but it also offers protected breeding grounds for the equally endangered black-capped vireo and golden-cheeked warbler. Rabbits, snakes, bobcats, deer, armadillo, roadrunner and feral pigs are also part of the ecosystem so there is much to draw from in terms of the gifts and medicine of the many plants and animals during our time together there.
In the spirit of interdependence, we will form our own traveling ecosystem for the weekend, caravanning from the Healing House early Friday afternoon and working to collectively ensure that the group’s campsite, tent and food needs are met with each contributing from the place of their own gifts and areas of interest as the weekend evolves. This being said, there will be plenty of space for individual exploration, reflection, rest and/or play interspersed with opportunities for group hikes, meals, reflection/processing, storytelling and journeying with the drum.
No prior camping experience is required. Group will be capped at 7 campers. Specifics about the weekend are as follows:
When: Fri., 3/31/23 ETD @ 12:30 – Sun., 4/2/23, ETA @ 2pm
Where: Canyon of the Eagles, Burnet, TX
Investment: $250 (all park camping and day use fees included) – A $100 deposit paid by 3/15/23 (cash, check, credit card or Venmo) reserves your spot.
To register: Registration for this event is currently CLOSED/FULL.
“Walking with the Ancestors” Monthly Drop-in Group
Prerequisite: Participants are asked to have attended a previous series of “Opening to the Ancestors” or to have an already established relationship with a resourceful ancestor/ancestral presence.
This monthly drop-in group affords those who are actively working to integrate their connection to the ancestors into their daily lives and personal journeys a place to drop back into that connection with the support of others who are also open to and/or immersed in this work.
When: The 1st or 2nd Wednesday of most months
Dates for Spring/Summer 2023: 4/12, 5/10, 6/7, 7/5
Time: 6:30 – 8:00pm
Investment: Sliding scale from $25-$45 payable via cash, personal check, credit card or Venmo
To register: Contact Eamon Willow at (512) 560-7294 or e-mail at eamonwillow@seawyndaustin.com if you plan on attending.
*Please note: In the spirit of reconciliation practice and reparative action, 50% of fees/investment collected for these monthly Ancestors groups is returned to the service of Indigenous and Black people, communities and narratives through the following organizations:
Tonkawa Education Fund – https://www.tonkawa.k12.ok.us/94312_2
Sía, the Comanche Nation Ethno-Ornathological Initiative – http://www.comancheeagle.org/home.html
Society of Native Nations – http://societyofnativenations.org
International African American Museum – https://iaamuseum.org
Evolving Gifts Support & Mentorship Group
This bi-weekly in-person group held over an 9-month period is for those working in some sort of healing capacity with people, animals, plants and/or the land who would like more witnessing and integrative support and mentorship regarding care and tending of body, heart, mind & soul within this context.
As dynamic beings ever evolving ourselves forward through the life/death/rebirth cycle of the Sacred Feminine, this group offers a holding container for curiosity and not-knowing as parts and pieces of old patterns and cycles are honored and released and new seeds are pondered, tended and brought forward in their own time.
Practical tools from the seven spokes of shamanic practice (the directions, elements, animals, plants, sound, movement & the ancestors) will be woven in and throughout the exploration as ever available supports in this dynamic journey. Group will be capped at 5 participants.
When: 17 bi-weekly Thursdays (see below for exact dates) from 9:30-11:30am
Exact 2023 dates: 4/6, 4/20, 5/4, 5/18, 6/1, 6/15, 6/29, 7/13, 7/27, 8/24, 9/7, 9/21, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, 11/30 & 12/14
Where: The Healing House, 701 Morrow Street, Austin, TX
Investment: $1,190 payable in $70 installments at each group session
To register: Contact Eamon Willow at (512) 560-7294 or eamonwillow@seawyndaustin.com
Saturday Gatherings:
(To register for any of the Saturday Gatherings below, contact Eamon Willow at (512) 560-7294 or eamonwillow@seawyndaustin.com.)
Moving Soul
Give yourself the gift of an hour to enter into deeper communication with your body in a supported way. This exploration includes a brief orienting/arrival check-in followed by approximately 30 minutes of nonverbal movement supported by music based on Gabrielle Roth’s 5 Rhythms (flow, staccato, chaos, lyrical, stillness) and gentle, periodic facilitation based on what is emerging authentically within the group experience. Ample time for transition out of such a deep, internal space is also provided as well as opportunity for more verbal processing and witnessing before bringing things to a close. Emphasis during Moving Soul is on each participant staying connected and true to their authentic experience, needs and curiosity in an embodied way within the group movement context. Space is limited to 8 participants per group session.
When: 4 separate offerings for Spring/Summer 2023 – all Saturdays from 9:30-10:30am. Feel free to sign up for one or all of them! – 4/8, 5/13, 6/10 & 7/15
Investment: $20 per session
Fun with Welsh!/Hwyl gyda’r Gymraeg!
The language of a people holds a part of the medicine of the people in it’s structure, intonations and flow. Some people mistakenly think that the Welsh language is a dead language or on its way to extinction…but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth! Despite many attempts by the dominant forces in Britain in recent centuries to extinguish Welsh in favor of the English language, it has resisted and survived and is currently in the midst of hearty and thriving resurgence. Whether you have Welsh ancestors or are simply interested in learning this fun and beautiful tongue, come let your curiosity and a spirit of playful exploration be your guide as we explore the beginning building blocks of Welsh together, one step at a time. Space is limited to 8 participants per group session.
When: 4 separate offerings for Spring/Summer 2023 – all Saturdays from 10:45 -11:45am. Feel free to sign up for one or all of them! – 4/8, 5/13, 6/10 & 7/15
Investment: $20 per session
Fiber Arts Circle
In honor and celebration of spinning and weaving Goddesses around the globe, come gather with your knitting, crochet, macrame, cross-stitch, embroidery, spinning and/or weaving projects, etc. to work on together in a spirit of connection, mutual support and creative inspiration. Whether you are beginner with fiber arts and are just getting started or a master of your craft, we would love to have you come join the fun!
When: 4 separate offerings for Spring/Summer 2023 – all Saturdays from 12:00-1:30pm. Feel free to sign up for one or all of them! – 4/8, 5/13, 6/10 & 7/15
Investment: $5 per session