Journey into Winter Season

Through  image  and  symbol,  story  and  myth

Oct 25 - Nov 4, 2024

Would  you  like  to  enter  the  winter  season  more  purposefully? 

Find  nourishment  in  fellowship  as  we  gather  around  the  hearth  together… We  warmly  invite  you  into  a  space  for  reflection,  creative  exploration  and  communal  connection,  inspired  by  the  rich  symbolism  of  this  meaningful  time  of  year.

Embrace  and  prepare  for  the  seasonal  transition  into  winter

Join  us  on  the  Camino  during  the  liminal  days  of  the  late  October  festival  of  Samhain.  In  Celtic  mythology,  this  time was  considered  a  threshold  period,  marking  the  symbolic  end  of  summer  and  the  beginning  of  preparations  for  the  winter  period.  Gift  yourself  this  special  time  and  space  to  slow  down  and  be  present.  Journey  into  the  heart  of  winter’s  mysteries  through  daily  rhythm,  ritual  and  craft.

Our  daily  rhythm  will  be  grounded  in  morning  reflection  circles  and  themes  that  will  be  explored  creatively  throughout  the  day.  Connect  with  the  themes  of  thresholds,  ancestral  heritage  and  the  stories  deep  within.  Delve  into  image  and  symbol,  story  and  myth. 

Re-discover and connect with the natural environment and gifts of the land at this special time of year. Enjoy quiet walks foraging for pigments and other natural materials to use in our craft making. Create a personal visual journal inspired by all that you experierce. Explore mark-making, leaf printing, paper embroidery and other creative techniques. Discover, draw and decorate ancient symbols. Engage with their meaning. Connect with their timeless beauty and deep roots.

Special Visits 

Visit sacred sites in breathtaking surroundings: prehistoric petroglyphs and a dolmen with mid-season alignments; as well as an ancient Visigothic chapel where we will hold one of our morning circles. 

Is this retreat for me?

No prior skills or artistic abilities are required, only a curious and open mind. 

If the following describes you, then you are a perfect fit for this retreat:

• I appreciate moments of quietness & times of reflection.
• I give space to others and can listen.
• I value community experiences as well as my own  individual journey.

About your tutors

Bertrand Gamrowski (PhD)  is co-founder of Flores del Camino,   a craft practitioner,  skilled educator  and  leading  expert  in  the  use  of geometry in  sacred  architecture.  He  specialises  in  the  art  and architecture of  the  Camino  de  Santiago.  He  is  currently  co-authoring  a  book  which  contains  10  years  of  in -depth research  on  the  use  of  geometry  in  rose  windows  on  the  Camino.  He  finds  joy  in  teaching  geometry  as  a  contemplative  philosophy  and  a  mindful,  hands -on  practice  that  has  relevance  to  modern  times  and  to  every day  living. 

Basia Goodwin (MA)  is  an  alumnus  of  the  Prince's  School  of  Traditional  Arts,  specialising  in  the  use  of  geometry  in  traditional  arts, craft  &  philosophy.  She is  co-founder of  Flores  del  Camino,  an  artist,  educator,  and  passionate  retreat  facilitator.   She  is  dedicated  to  crafting  purposeful  space  for  creative  and  contemplative  journeys  and  leading  groups  on  the Camino  as  a  rite  of  passage  experience.  In  her  creative  practice  she  works  with  a  variety  of  mediums, including ceramics & glass. She  makes  &  paints  with  natural pigments,  using  local  Camino  ochre  earths.    She  is  currently  co-authoring  a  book  on  the  sacred  art  of  the  Camino  de  Santiago. 

Clarissa Grandi (MEd) is a geometric artist, author, and experienced teacher. First and foremost an educator, her passion is introducing beginner artists to the truly accessible art of geometry. She delights in sharing her ideas, materials, and techniques with others, and her background in mathematics teaching enables her to demonstrate and explain difficult concepts simply and clearly. In her own artmaking she enjoys exploring the interplay between the precision of human-made geometry and the more organic and chaotic geometries and symmetries found in nature.

Preliminary  Schedule 

Day 1 Arrival - Fri, 25 Oct 

Arrival  between 4 - 5pm

7pm: Evening dinner and welcome

Day 2 - Sat, 26 Oct  - Entering Liminal Space

Morning

Introduction to the schedule and themes.  Guided entry into liminal space, a time of slowing down and leaving everyday life behind.

Afternoon

Building shared “temenos” through a group activity: a walkable labyrinth.

Evening

We will close our day with the poem “Dusk as beginning”. 

Day 3- Sun, 27 Oct  -  Celtic New Year - Preparing for Winter

Morning

Morning reflection circle: exploration of the themes of Celtic New Year, entering winter and introspection. 

Morning activity: expedition into the local landscape to forage for pigments and natural materials.

Afternoon

Introduction to painting with natural pigments. Creating our personal journals. 

Evening

Dusk poem and end of day ritual.

Day 4- Mon, 28 Oct - Connecting With the Land

Morning

Morning reflection circle: connecting to our foraged natural materials through symbolic visualization and imaginative storytelling.

Afternoon

Creating tools from our foraged finds; introduction to expressive mark making and botanical printing.

Evening

Dusk poem and end of day ritual.

Day 5- Tue, 29 Oct  -  Ancestors

Morning

Morning reflection circle: exploring the themes of ancestors and roots.

Morning activity: We will explore how our ancestors experienced the land and its rhythms across time.  

Afternoon

Introduction to the solstitial calendar wheel in preparation for our visits to the petroglyphs and mid-season dolmens. Drawing 5000-year-old symbols including labyrinths, triskeles and other carved petroglyph motifs.

Evening

Dusk poem and end of day ritual

Day 6- Wed, 30 Oct - Preparing for the Liminal Days: Thresholds

Morning

Morning reflection circle: we will connect to themes of thresholds, thin spaces, the limen, exploring these through story and myth.

Afternoon

Working with our hands, paper stitching our labyrinths and other motifs. 

Evening

Dusk poem and end of day ritual.

Day 7- Thu, 31 Oct  - Crossing the Threshold

Sunrise visit to the Samhain dolmen, weather permitting.

Morning

Morning reflection circle: continuing the theme of thresholds. 

Afternoon

Introduction to the sacred geometry of woven Celtic knotwork.

Evening

Dusk poem and end of day ritual.

Day 8- Fri, 1 Nov   - Ancestors’ Fire 

Visit to the Visigothic monastery. 

Morning

Morning reflection circle: continuing the theme of thresholds. 

Afternoon

Introduction to gold leaf technique. Use of gold leaf to illuminate our art works.

Evening

Ancestors’ fire ritual.

Day 9 - Sat, 2 Nov - All Souls

Morning

Morning reflection circle: introduction to the theme and symbolism of the tree of life.

Morning activity: art making or journaling and an opportunity to create a communal nature mandala.

Afternoon

Drawing the tree of life.

Evening

Dusk poem and end of day ritual.

Day 10 - Sun, 3 Nov - Re-entry: Endings and Beginnings

Morning

Morning reflection circle: re-entry - endings and beginnings.

Morning activity: finishing our artworks and binding our journals.

Afternoon

Continuation of morning activities. 

Closing circle. 

Evening

Dusk poem and end of day ritual.

Departure  Mon, 4 Nov

Departure after breakfast

More information...

... about the retreat centre & our retreats, transport, location, how to get there on our website.

Important: terms & conditions

Before booking, please make sure that you have read carefully and understood the Terms & Conditions, so that you know what to expect from the retreat in all circumstances and cases. We are at your disposal if you have any questions.
We have reached the minimum number of participants for this retreat to go ahead.