THE HOMECOMING
A rewilding retreat in Wicklow, Ireland
with Kathy Scott &
special guest Ajeet
Aug 25 ~ 30, 2024
“Dancing as if language had surrendered to movement - as if this ritual, this wordless ceremony, was now the way to speak, to whisper private and sacred things, to be in touch with some otherness. Dancing as if the very heart of life and all its hopes might be found in those assuaging notes and those hushed rhythms and in those silent and hypnotic movements. Dancing as if language no longer existed because words were no longer necessary...”
Homecoming
Homecoming is a 5 day in-person rewilding summer retreat led by Kathy Scott (Cultural Activist & Creatrix - The Trailblazery, Moon Medicine & The Hedge School) inspired by the beautiful landscape, sacred sites and ‘thin places’ close to her home in the Wicklow mountains. She will be joined by a very special guest and dear sister Ajeet (Musician, Songwriter & Carrier of ancient healing practices).
We will gather together to come home to ourselves, each other and the healing powers of the wild world during the luminous season of Lughnasa. This immersive retreat experience will be hosted at The Deerstone - a stunning luxury eco hideaway nestled between the rivers, lakes and woodlands of the ‘Garden of Ireland’. We will create time and space for creative explorations that weave rewilding with ritual & rest.
In Ireland, the ancient ones measured the movements of the earth in seasons and cycles and observed the cosmos in wheels and spirals. They bequeathed us with a wisdom technology known today as the Wheel of the Year. Each turning offers a pathway to trace our relationships with ancestral wisdom rooted in the soil and the evolutionary wisdom that sparks the soul so we can have a greater understanding of where we have come from and who we have come here to be.
This is an intimate gathering for a limited number of people. If you are feeling the pull to join us, please click on the button below to begin a short application process and we will notify you as soon as possible. Application deadline is Wednesday, May 8 at 5pm Irish time.
Lughnasa
Lughnasa marks the end of summer and the transition into Harvest Season. This was a time of great celebration in Ireland. Our ancestors gathered to honour the cycle of life and give thanks for the gifts of the bounty. Lughnasa assemblies have been recorded at special sites on this island since Neolithic times and echoes of these traditions continue today.
The name Lughnasa means the ‘Assembly of Lugh’. Lugh was the 'Shining One', a radiant sun god, warrior, hero and King. He was a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann - a supernatural tribe of gods in Ireland. The ancients understood the power of opposing forces – light & darkness, birth & death, planting & harvest. The dance between these forces have inspired many of symbols, stories, myths, and dreams across different cultures all around the world. The story of Lugh is an archetypal myth that has cropped up in many contexts. In Star Wars, George Lucas morphed the Sword-of-Light carrying Celtic warrior Lugh into the light-saber-wielding hero Luke Skywalker.
Lugh was a creative polymath, the patron of scholars, craftsmen, warriors and magicians. He was named Lugh with the Long Arm - Lugh Lámhfada because of his exemplary skill with his spear. He was also revered for his proficiency across a broad spectrum of disciplines — from music and poetry to healing and magic. He was also known as the One equally skilled in many Arts or Lugh Samildánach.
Gift - Dán
The word dán in Samildánach has many meanings. It mysteriously weaves together the realms of art and poetry, fate and faculty, skills and gifts. Our dán is our destiny code - our soul’s calling.
Our dán is a unique treasure that we were born to embody. It is a creative force field that shapes and forms us, if we are willing to flow with it.
Our dán is gift to be nurtured, and shared with the world. Some of us have heard the gentle whispers and persistent nudges of our soul calling us to participate in the inner journey of transformation. Some of us have discovered that our soul is calling us into being of service to something bigger than ourselves.
Joy - Spleodar
Homecoming is an invitation to align with our greatest destiny and step onto the path of our dán. Just as the tribes assembled to give thanks to the land for a bountiful yield which would sustain them during winter, this time-out-of-time experience is curated especially for us to harvest our gifts and taste the sweet medicine of our soul's calling with the support of our soul tribe.
Of the four great Celtic festivals on the Wheel of the Year - Samhain, Imbolc and Bealtaine, Lughnasa was considered the most joyous. Traditionally communities gathered at special meeting places in the hills, by a river or lake, or a holy well to celebrate the fresh abundance of a new harvest with joy and enjoyment. They honoured the bonds of kinship between the gods, the people and the spirits of the land through decorating wells and standing stones, the retelling of mythological tales, singing, dancing and acts of blessing and ritual. According to the great folklorist and writer Dr. Maire McNeill, Lughnasa was a time of “great festivity and merrymaking” while acclaimed scholar Alexei Kondratiev describes the Lughnasa celebration as “one of exuberance and joy”.
Finding our way home
Homecoming is a wild experiment dedicated to finding our way home through exuberance & joy.
We will return to our senses.
We will liberate what no longer serves us so that we can receive the full radiance of our light.
We will be guided by the Ancients & held by the powerful cosmology of this land.
We will explore new ways of belonging & kinship.
As ancestors-in-training we will reclaim our magic - draíocht.
We will dream into our dán, harvest our gifts & celebrate the fruits of our labour.
We will be inspired by the sacred alchemy of the creative process.
Together we will transform lead into gold.
May the force be with us...
What's involved
-
Curated learning and unlearning sessions with play time, free time & rest time
-
Exploration of a range of creative practices from meditation & movement to breathwork, sound healing, writing & wild bathing.
- Embodied inquiry and relationship with the wisdom of the Wheel of the Year.
-
Gratitude - counting our blessings & giving thanks for all that is ripe and bountiful in our lives
-
Celebration of our unique gifts and soul medicine
- Ceremonial practices & ritual on the land
- Guided excursions to sacred sites & secret hideaways with Kathy who will share the wild magic of these places of power.
-
Inner journeys to mystical realms with Ajeet who will share ancient practices, meditation, poetry & music to experience the stillness, peace freedom that is our most natural state.
-
Relaxation and restoration of mind, body and spirit in the surrounding woodland valley while enjoying a sauna, ice plunge pool, seaweed bath or wild river swim followed by a doze in a hammock .
- And dancing ‘as if language no longer existed because words were no longer necessary’
DAY 1
- Arrive & land.
- Opening circle.
- Welcome feast.
DAY 2
- Sensory Practices, Movement & Ritual.
- Stone Circle excursion.
- Rest & Receive.
DAY 3
- Sensory Practices, Movement & Ritual.
- Glendalough excursion.
- Rest & Receive.
DAY 4
- Practices, Inquiry & Ritual with Ajeet.
- Sacred Site excursion.
- Rest & Receive.
DAY 5
- Final Ritual & Blessings
- Gratitude practices & offerings to the Land.
- Closing Ceremony at a secret location.
The Deerstone
Your beautiful home away from home
The Deerstone is a luxury eco retreat located just an hour away from Dublin City nestled on the outskirts of Glendalough in the breathtaking natural beauty of the Wicklow mountains.
This stylish tranquil resort has been thoughtfully designed to provide everything you need to completely unwind, relax, and escape into nature.
Our Homcoming meals for this five-day retreat will be prepared by Kathy's dear sister, chef Isis Neal formerly third executive chef at Les Deux afés in LA and collaborator with Michèle Lamy. Our delicious menus will be locally sourced with seasonal ingredients to create dishes that are delicious and nourishing.
This is for you if:
- You are one of the 80 million people around the world who claim Irish ancestry
- You feel called to connect with your roots and discover the gifts of your cultural heritage
- You want to live in right relationship with your ancestors and the wisdom of the land of Ireland
- You are drawn to dive deep into the season of Lughnasa and rewild your body, mind & spirit.
- You can hear your soul calling you to participate in an inner journey of transformation
- You are ready to explore your deepest desires and activate your highest soul’s calling
- You feel something inside you that is curious, excited, resonant or resistant to this call to adventure
- You are ready to be of greater service to your life, community & our planet.
A Lughnasa love letter from Kathy
Dear ones
We are living in bewildering initiatory times. I believe are being nudged to wake up, rise up and show up as agents of evolution.
We have all signed up for this moment of planetary awakening but will we accept and incarnate our soul’s calling?
When our world shut down in 2020 I made a great escape to Wicklow and fell under a spell of wild enchantment. I was beautifully held in a challenging time and am so grateful to this sacred land and my kin and kindred who dwell here.
At The Trailblazery we responded to that crucible moment by creating small online pockets of connection for our audiences at home and abroad.
We gathered in circle under the moon and stars, in imaginary forests & fields by wild rivers & hedges.
Together, we found kinship, belonging, and hope.
Our first live lockdown guest was one of my very favourite artists and musicians. Ajeet came and shared her inspiring story and played to an enraptured bedroom audience from all over the world. She has since become my dear friend and sister and I am over the moon to collaborate with her for Homecoming.
It brings us great JOY to share this beautiful soul work with you in person on the magical land of Ireland.
We would be honoured if you could join us....
Beir bua agus Beannacht - may victory and blessings be yours,
Kathy Scott is a cultural activist, entrepreneur and curator of creative projects that animate the spirit of our times. A weaver of worlds, she is director of The Trailblazery with a mission to ‘nudge humanity forward’. She is also the founder of Moon Medicine, a transformative global women's movement and The Hedge School, an award-winning project celebrating Irish culture, heritage and language.
Kathy is a qualified coach and offers creative mentorship programmes for cultural creatives and visionary leaders to activate and elevate their trailblazing enterprise so that they can create a future that works for everyone. She is also a senior yoga and meditation teacher with 20+ years experience and trained formally in Sivananda, Anusara and Kundalini methods. She designs interdisciplinary immersive experiences as a form of cultural acupuncture, alchemy & kinship.
Her work is culturally led, somatically informed and trauma sensitive. She holds a Masters in Arts Criticism & Cultural Policy and has trained in trauma restoration with Thomas Hübl and Dr. Gabor Mate. Her creative fires are kindled by a passion to guide people through these initiatory times as ancestors-in-training.
Ajeet is a world music artist weaving inspiration from traditional folk to meditative soundscapes. She is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter from the granite hills and forests of New Hampshire.
Her music is dreamlike and carries a sense of the mystical. Drawing on the folk traditions of her own Irish background, and of her nomadic life gathering songs, her concerts and recordings are intended to offer an experience of healing and connection to the listener. Many experience Ajeet’s music as healing, rejuvenating, and a place of deep connection.
Collaboration is central in her work, and some of her collaborators include Trevor Hall, Aisling Urwin, Sukhmani Rayat, Rising Appalachia, Snatam Kaur, Seamus Egan and Peia. Her creative process extends beyond live performance to her recording studio, where she produces and engineers her own work and others. Celebrated as #1 on the iTunes World Chart and Billboard Top 10 New Age Chart, Ajeet’s music continues to be embraced by communities across the globe.
What people are saying:
"From the first note, Ajeet's voice feels like the warmth of the earth rising through your body, creating a sense of inexplicable peace that helps you suddenly relax in a knowing that you are connected to every living being through this sacred sound."
- Audience Member
Kathy Scott has been traveling the world as a passionate student and brave pioneer of practices that bring people into intimate contact with their creativity and power. As a teacher, she beautifully weaves together all that she has gathered into a rich and generous offering. This is a deeply nourishing and powerful brew, especially for women.
- Annie Ryan, Artistic Director Corn Exchange
“The Moon Medicine Academy is a soulful, sacred and safe space for women to develop a conscious relationship with the self and in turn the world. It’s a total privilege to join open minded, open hearted, strong, capable, fragile, extraordinary women from all around the globe with purpose. This journey is the most beautiful and satisfying journey a person can take.”
-Toni Colette, Award Winning Actress & Film Producer
"The Trailblazery connects us and elevates both our inner and outer conversations. Witnessing the creation of Moon Medicine and the Moon Medicine Academy has been a great privilege. Kathy Scott is creating rich, rousing body of work that inspires and reflects the spirit of our times."
- Elena Brower, Best Selling Author, Teacher, Artist
Investment
All-inclusive costing for this 5-nights luxury accommodation with delicious locally sourced food & local ground transport for private excursions ranges from €1999 euros per person for shared rooms to €2333 euros for a private room. This investment includes access to all of the facilities at The Deerstone (saunas, ice plunge pool, seaweed baths and secluded swim spa).
If your application is successful we will require a €850 euro deposit to secure your place.
We have worked closely with the host team and guides to make this week as financially accessible as possible. Arrangements for longer-term payment plans to spread out the cost can be arranged please ask for more information if you need it.