![]() By this I mean I avoid meat, fried foods, heavy foods, too much dairy, and the like, and stick to light, fresh foods for the three days prior to my retreat. If you are going to be fasting, or even if you are taking my advice of “eating lighter” during the retreat, I find that being mindful of my eating for a few days prior to the retreat can set my body up for deep healing work. Understand that these are some starting places for you–but the spirits will likely have their own work they want you to do. Keep a pen and paper handy, craft your goals, and return to them at least once or twice in the days and weeks leading to the retreat to have a clear vision for your retreat.Īt the same time, don’t let the goals limit the scope of your retreat. When I am preparing for the retreat, I find that a series of meditations and nature walks will help reveal what is weighing on me or what needs I have concerning the retreat. Write your goals down and have them accessible somewhere during your retreat. Before your retreat, spend some time in meditation and consider what you might need out of the retreat at this time. They might be really broad (personal healing, spiritual rejuvenation, etc) or they might be quite specific (a new life path for myself clarity on an important decision, etc). ![]() It is a wise idea to articulate some basic goals for your druid retreat prior to actually going to the retreat. Setting goals and intentions for the retreat. Here are the things I do to transition into this retreat space. This requires some work on our parts, of course. Dusk: Leading into your RetreatĪs I’ve hopefully illustrated above, transitioning in and out of your retreat is just as important as the retreat itself–we must help our bodies, minds, and souls enter into the sacred space of retreat and then exit peacefully again. This second post talks about the retreat itself: what do do leading up to the retreat, what to do when you get there, and how to transition back into everyday living. ![]() ![]() Last week, I introduced the idea of the Druid Retreat, discussing what it was, preparation for the retreat, decisions to make about the retreat, the possibility of fasting, what to take and what to leave behind, and herbal allies for your retreat. You transition out of the retreat and return once more to the sunlight once again to live your everyday life–rejuvenated, healed, and whole. The stars slowly fade (always there, but not always visible). As you begin exiting the retreat, the sun’s energy begins to rise once again, and dawn approaches. You spend time in that darkness, exploring what you need to explore, letting go of what you need to let go of, scrubbing your lightbulb (discussed in part I of this article) clean so that shines upon the world clean. The sun may allow your physical body to cast a shadow, but the moon shows the shadow of your soul. Then, the retreat occurs: night is here, and the incredible full moon and blanket of stars provide a different kind of vision and illumination. ![]() You set your goals for the retreat you pack your bags, and you do some initial spiritual work. As the retreat grows near, the sun begins to set, and things begin transitioning. Retreat allows us to transition out of that sunlight for a bit and have respite. We scurry about, we live our busy lives, and the sun blazes down upon us. The daylight offers us a particular way of seeing the world, of interacting in it, and while everything is bright and illuminated, it is so bright that we see only what is there. The daylight is where we typically live–it is bright, it is loud, people are about, and lots of activity is taking place. The interplay of light and darkness on the landscape of Western PAįollowing the path of the sun and the moon, we can learn much about the work of a druid retreat in our lives. ![]()
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