Day-long Groups in Nature
with Jenny Archard and Jane Embleton
These Journey Days are about nourishment and inspiration for humans, held deep in the woods and with nature and spirit as our guide.
We will do this by coming together in a compassionate, caring community: sitting in a circle, listening attentively, walking with nature, connecting with the seasons, the elementals and honouring the spirit of the place. These days can help you build ways of connecting and being, so that you can embody practices that will help both you and our wider community to flourish and thrive.
The Four Shields work that stands behind the work of the School of Lost Borders - and others - will support what we do. Steven Foster and Meredith Little's book "The Four Shields: The Initiatory Seasons of Human Nature" is a great source. Both Jenny and Jane have worked with Meredith Little.
To become flourishing beings perhaps we need these four things:
- The first, to be fully in our own circles - to know ourselves in a grounded and compassionate way, to know our joys and wounds. To know how to spend time alone, to be reflective, and not to get lost in the depths of our psyche.
- Second, to be in relationship with other humans, to listen deeply and witness others' stories. To be in community, in good times and in through hard places. This helps us move beyond our own selves and draws something from us and at the same time it feeds another.
- Third, to find ways to listen and attend to the beings that are not humans, the more-than-human - the creatures, plants, rocks, wind, sun and all the others, whom are our kin.
- Fourth, to welcome and honour spirit, God, Goddess, nature - whatever you call the being(s) that moves through all things, that is greater-than-us. Each Journey day links with the seasons and festivals of the time.
So these days are about bringing those four things together, and adding another magical ingredient. You!
We will do this by coming together in a compassionate, caring community: sitting in a circle, listening attentively, walking with nature, connecting with the seasons, the elementals and honouring the spirit of the place. These days can help you build ways of connecting and being, so that you can embody practices that will help both you and our wider community to flourish and thrive.
The Four Shields work that stands behind the work of the School of Lost Borders - and others - will support what we do. Steven Foster and Meredith Little's book "The Four Shields: The Initiatory Seasons of Human Nature" is a great source. Both Jenny and Jane have worked with Meredith Little.
To become flourishing beings perhaps we need these four things:
- The first, to be fully in our own circles - to know ourselves in a grounded and compassionate way, to know our joys and wounds. To know how to spend time alone, to be reflective, and not to get lost in the depths of our psyche.
- Second, to be in relationship with other humans, to listen deeply and witness others' stories. To be in community, in good times and in through hard places. This helps us move beyond our own selves and draws something from us and at the same time it feeds another.
- Third, to find ways to listen and attend to the beings that are not humans, the more-than-human - the creatures, plants, rocks, wind, sun and all the others, whom are our kin.
- Fourth, to welcome and honour spirit, God, Goddess, nature - whatever you call the being(s) that moves through all things, that is greater-than-us. Each Journey day links with the seasons and festivals of the time.
So these days are about bringing those four things together, and adding another magical ingredient. You!
Are these days what you are looking for? Are you...
- Wanting to find ways to listen to other humans that are beyond having conversations, that go deeper?
- Longing to find a sense of belonging with like-minded souls who care about the Earth and nature?
- Knowing that there is more to life than work-sleep-work?
- Wanting to find ways to connect with nature, to be in nature with others?
- Ready to explore what it means to develop relationship with a place and with other beings?
- Yearning to listen deeply to yourself and others?
- Longing to be in a group that is held safely by experienced guides?
- Ready to not be strong, to be vulnerable and allow yourself space to breathe, connect and grow?
Then join us.
- Longing to find a sense of belonging with like-minded souls who care about the Earth and nature?
- Knowing that there is more to life than work-sleep-work?
- Wanting to find ways to connect with nature, to be in nature with others?
- Ready to explore what it means to develop relationship with a place and with other beings?
- Yearning to listen deeply to yourself and others?
- Longing to be in a group that is held safely by experienced guides?
- Ready to not be strong, to be vulnerable and allow yourself space to breathe, connect and grow?
Then join us.
Previous Events
Lammas Journey Day, August 2023, at Young Wood near Taunton
We explored the feelings generated at the first harvest, especially the gathering in and separating the wheat from the chaff. This time in times gone by was a time for tribal gatherings, animal fairs and mass holiday making (wakes weeks) as factories would shut down the entire outfit and whole towns would go to the countryside or seaside together. It was a time to play, share stories, swap news and resources.
Led by Jenny Archard, Jane Embleton and the land itself
We explored the feelings generated at the first harvest, especially the gathering in and separating the wheat from the chaff. This time in times gone by was a time for tribal gatherings, animal fairs and mass holiday making (wakes weeks) as factories would shut down the entire outfit and whole towns would go to the countryside or seaside together. It was a time to play, share stories, swap news and resources.
Led by Jenny Archard, Jane Embleton and the land itself
Beltane Journey Day, April 2023, at Young Wood near Taunton
‘The day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom'
Anais Nin
Our Beltane gathering was a little early to coincide with St Georges Day, a potent time in the yearly calendar that neatly brings in the energy of dragons. Together we explored what this day really meant by inviting our dragons to join us and by listening to what they had to say.
It was a testing time; the energies were strong, fierce and uncompromising just like them, how could we work alongside these forces in a co creative relationship, without killing them off…even the phrase harnessing is too much like control over ! We planned to play, a wonderful way to learn, it might be messy and there might have been tears and falling-out… but in this, things can burst and sprout, shift, grow and blossom .
It was a potent time to be with others to share our stories heard by a supportive circle of fellow seekers of a spirit led life. Dragons Nature was our guide, and reciprocity part of our story. We honoured this time, marked new growth, moved our bodies, spent some solo time with nature/land/spirit and offered what gifts we had to the community and the land.
We evoked and attuned with the energies of the time, of the cusp between East and South Shields, discovering gifts that can come from knowing ourselves here. To do this, we touched lightly on all the other shields, so that all were safe and ready for what learning and experience needed to emerge.
Led by Jenny Archard, Jane Embleton and the land itself
Imbolc Journey Day, February 2023, at Young Wood near Taunton.
Clearing, by Martha Postlethwaite
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world
so worth of rescue.
This poem sums up the period between Midwinter and Imbolc which falls around the end of January. The time of Imbolc is when the energy starts to stir and awaken in our inner and outer landscapes. Until then we are still dreaming and waiting in the clearing for the first pure unfettered impulses to start to emerge. At Imbolc we started to tease out these impulses, begin new creations, crafted new words, deeds and promises for the following year in service of ourselves our land and our people.
It is a potent time to be with others and make pledges to ourselves witnessed by a supportive circle of fellow seekers of a spirit led life, with the spirit of nature as our guide, and with reciprocity as part of our story. We honoured this time and marked new beginnings, moved our bodies, spent some solo time with nature/land/spirit, and offered what gifts we had to the community and the land.
We evoked and attuned with the energies of the time, of the cusp between North and East Shields, discovering gifts that came from knowing ourselves here. To do this, we touched lightly on all the other shields, so that all were safe and ready for what learning and experience needed to emerge.
Led by Jenny Archard, Jane Embleton and the land itself
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world
so worth of rescue.
This poem sums up the period between Midwinter and Imbolc which falls around the end of January. The time of Imbolc is when the energy starts to stir and awaken in our inner and outer landscapes. Until then we are still dreaming and waiting in the clearing for the first pure unfettered impulses to start to emerge. At Imbolc we started to tease out these impulses, begin new creations, crafted new words, deeds and promises for the following year in service of ourselves our land and our people.
It is a potent time to be with others and make pledges to ourselves witnessed by a supportive circle of fellow seekers of a spirit led life, with the spirit of nature as our guide, and with reciprocity as part of our story. We honoured this time and marked new beginnings, moved our bodies, spent some solo time with nature/land/spirit, and offered what gifts we had to the community and the land.
We evoked and attuned with the energies of the time, of the cusp between North and East Shields, discovering gifts that came from knowing ourselves here. To do this, we touched lightly on all the other shields, so that all were safe and ready for what learning and experience needed to emerge.
Led by Jenny Archard, Jane Embleton and the land itself
Samhain Journey Day, October 2022, at Young Wood near Taunton.
Crossing the threshold into the new Celtic year with the spirit of nature as our guide, and with reciprocity as part of our story.
We honoured death and birth, the fire, mark new beginnings, move our bodies, spent some solo time with nature/land/spirit and offer what gifts we had to the community and the land.
We evoked and attuned with the energies of the time, of the West Shield, of descent and darkness, and gifts that can come from knowing ourselves here. To do this we touched lightly on all the other shields, so that all wered safe and ready for what learning and experience needs to emerge.
Led by Jenny Archard, Jane Embleton and the land itself
We honoured death and birth, the fire, mark new beginnings, move our bodies, spent some solo time with nature/land/spirit and offer what gifts we had to the community and the land.
We evoked and attuned with the energies of the time, of the West Shield, of descent and darkness, and gifts that can come from knowing ourselves here. To do this we touched lightly on all the other shields, so that all wered safe and ready for what learning and experience needs to emerge.
Led by Jenny Archard, Jane Embleton and the land itself
