Winter Solstice Portal Retreat

The ancient medicine of the Winter Solstice offers us the opportunity for metamorphosis and rebirth as we move through the darkest day and welcome the return of the light. 

We invite you to harness the potential of this potent moment at one of the most powerful energetic spots in the world. Working with practices for deep embodied transformation and soul alchemy, we will guide you on a journey to the depths of your love and magic through the portals of the land. 

When we come together in community to do inner work in energetically powerful places, the work is deeply amplified within us and the collective. For those of you curious about the science behind this, check out the work of Rory Duff.

Be guided through a weaving of ancient and modern day practices for soul alchemy, transformation and healing at the heart chakra of Mother Earth, in private ceremonies amidst her sacred wells and springs. 

If you feel a call to remember your deeper self, open your heart, deeply resource your being and experience a land overflowing with myth, magic and portals, perhaps this journey is for you. 

"Already a month after it happened, the experience of connection at this retreat still permeates every fiber of my being. I still find astounding how they managed to create such a bubble of heightened consciousness over a weekend where connecting with one's self and the rest of beautiful souls on the same journey felt as easy and fulfilling as it could get. Spiritual growth and a renewed sense of connection with my self were marks this retreat left in me I can now confirm are not fading away." David G 

★★★★★

You will be guided through a safely held intertwining of practices such as Somatic Experiencing, Daoist practices for rebalancing our energetic, emotional and physical system, trauma release work, vocal opening and expression work, mantra, shamanic quantum prayer (manifestation work), dream work and astral connection, celtic ceremony to access the power of the land, the otherworld and the healing available to us at this ancient spot of pilgrimage. 

Highlights: 

Plant medicine & dream work 

Experience plants grown in the local area to assist with healing and astral connection including wild lettuce, Californian Poppy, Mugwort & specially curated herbal blends associated with the solstice to heighten your connection to your dreams and astral realms. 

Experience Glastonbury's sacred wells and springs & power spots in private ceremonies 

Including a ceremony at the White Spring: One of the main portals to the otherworld & another more secret portal spot only known to a few people. 

Cacao Ceremony 

Hot tub, fire ceremony & Sauna on the Tor 

Stargaze from a hot tub on the side of Glastonbury's Tor overlooking Wearyall Hill in a secret portal orchard & sauna, plunge pool & fire ceremony. 

Ancient Fire Ceremony 

Winter Solstice ceremony guided by ancient pagan techniques 

Laura has been connected to and studying these ancient Pagan rites since she was a young child. We will connecting to the land of the South West and its mythical Celtic lineage, weaving Celtic rituals and practices for deepening in connection with land and spirit to harness the energy of the Solstice. 

Trauma-informed work for working through our inner blockages 

Informed by the work of Peter Levine and Gabor Mate led by Josh, Somatic Experiencing & trauma-informed practitioner. 

Channeled musical medicine 

With an opportunity to open the passages of your own vibration - your voice! With experienced & renowned medicine musicians. 

The power of mantra 

Experience this ancient technique of opening up to the codes of Sanskrit to transform your consciousness. 

Community building 

Experience heart centred intentional community working with powerful intentions for vulnerability, openness, boundaries, radical self acceptance & expression & more. 

“The other people attending the retreat became family..the Ceremonies ran by Laura and Josh were executed with every inch of their being, the music was angelic... the only negative was that we didn't have another day. I departed full of love light peace in my soul and forever grateful to Laura and Josh for everything they did for us that weekend and can't wait for the next retreat, I will be there. Forever grateful.” Leon ★★★★★

What's included: 

• Held activities & support for the entirety of the retreat,
• Full board accommodation in beautiful retreat venue with views over the Somerset Levels and Glastonbury Tor
• All meals: Nourishing vegan food - breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Facilitation of practices and support throughout the process,
• Private access to the spring
• Cacao and other plant medicines (a combination of Dream herbs, St. John's wort, Lady's Mantle & others depending on the needs of the group)
• Live music
• Access to wattsapp group for carpooling options

Your Facilitators

Laura Reeves

Laura has facilitated with Psychedelic Society since 2017. After a decade of working with shamanic plant medicine, she offers transformational spaces designed to explore the darker parts of our psyche in order to experience deeper love, expansion and liberation. 

Over a decade ago, she travelled the Americas working in NGOs focusing on ecological sustainability before discovering the ancient keys to the psyche found in the plants of the rainforest. Experiencing a deeper sense of reality inspired the creation of transformative arts company Infinite Experience, who travelled the world with their interactive theatre piece designed to transcend separateness. She now holds workshops, ceremonies, retreats and 1-1 sessions designed to connect people to their deeper essence guided by her experience and years of training in healing modalities. 

Training: 

• The Wisdom of Trauma course with Gabor Mate 

• QiGong teacher training - 1 year - Mimi Kuo Deemer 

• Craniosacral therapy training - 1 year (in progress - CCST) in depth work with the Nervous System (anatomy & pathology); trauma informed study

• Somatic Experiencing - short course - Peter Levine 

• Reclaiming your six body wisdom areas course with Suzanne Scurlock

• 10 years working with shamanic diets, techniques and practice 

• Masters in Acting from East 15 (Alexandra technique; somatic practice & training; Meisner technique; physical theatre; body connection work; Clown studies; Bouffon)

• BA (hons) Philosophy and Theology - consciousness studies/metaphysics - University of Nottingham and Melbourne 

More about Laura: www.laurareeves.co.uk 

Josh Swords 

Josh is somatic coach and breathwork facilitator with a speciality in neuroscience and trauma informed techniques. The core of his work is to reconnect you to your deeper truth and divine essence through releasing fear and trauma. 

Training: 

• The Wisdom of Trauma course with Gabor Mate 

• Trained Somatic Experiencing practitioner - SOS Internationale - 3 years 

• 1 year breathwork training - Alchemy of Breath 

• Trauma informed coaching certificate 

• Polyvagal practice certification training 

• BA (hons) Sport Rehabilitation and Medicine - St Mary's University London 
 

Additional Facilitators & musicians TBA soon 

EVENT TIMES: 16:00 on the 16th of December - 12:00p.m. on the 18th of December 

LOCATION: Healing Waters, 1 The Roman Way, Glastonbury BA6 8AB

PAYMENT PLANS: Available on request. 

ALL ENQUIRIES: coaching@joshuaswords.com 

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

Our facilitators have agreed to our code of conduct. Learn about our procedure for raising concerns

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