Bear Awakens 2025

If you are getting this email it is because you have signed up for, or are part of the holding team for, the BEAR AWAKENS retreat 2025.

Tuomas and myself, Alexandra, are so very excited and already in great anticipation of the time we will spend together in March.

This email gives you the basics of what you need to know in order to support you to prepare. We have created a WhatsApp group if you would like to coordinate with others for travel or to chat in advance of our gathering: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C40T1VxCWN4Lpdd2ZSVoP1

We will send you through a "Group Agreement" around 2 week prior to our gathering which we ask that you read, absorb and confirm to us that you have done so. It just gives loving, gentle ground rules about how we wish to be together borne of a lot of experience of group facilitation; you are welcome to add or question anything that is on the agreement.

Preparation for the Bear Awakens is both practical and emotional / spiritual...

Let's start with the practical things

Address: Trefacwn, Llanrhian, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, SA62 6DP
Date: Friday 7th March - Monday 10th March 2025
Arrival Time: from 4pm before 6pm on Friday - leave after 11 on Monday
Travel: nearest train station is Fishguard, please plan to travel with lots of grace and time, don't rush, better to arrive early and go to see the ocean first, than arrive last minute or late. Please do not be late or plan to leave early. Once we start, every moment counts.

Dietary Needs: on our list we have vegans, vegetarians, dairy intolerance, gluten intolerance (no one has let us know of severe allergies, please correct this if you do have one), egg intolerance, no refined sugar - if your dietary needs are not listed here drop us an email at sacredcirclecic@gmail.com ASAP to let us know.

What to expect of the place and terrain: We are sleeping in the main house, very comfortable, a couple of stone steps at the entrance, all but one bedroom is up at least one flight of stairs, the bunk room is in the attic which is another set of narrower stairs. The land is mostly lawned grass, with driveway and footpath connecting the main house with Ty Sanctaidd, the roundhouse where we will be working. You will need good solid outdoors footwear that you can slip on and off as the house and the Ty Sanctaidd are shoe free zones. Bring slippers. If you are unsteady on your feet bring a walking pole.

What to bring: Layers of comfortable clothing, outdoor and indoor footwear, if you have a fold up camping chair you might appreciate it so bring it as seating in the roundhouse is wooden benches or floor, there will be cushions and mats. Waterproof coat. Towels, extra towel if you plan to swim outside. Swimwear optional (!) also please bring an item to the Altar that represents your grief at this time also something ancestral, if you wish. Drums, rattles, instruments of any kind. A notebook if you wish for your own process but we don't need you to be journalling in the sessions. You might enjoy a hot water bottle for comfort at night but not because the place is cold, it is a lovely temperature.

Risk Assessment: neither Sacred Circle, nor the venue and certainly neither Tuomas nor Alexandra is going to take any responsibility for you if you choose to use the cold fresh water pool, you do that entirely at your own risk, the same applies to the sauna and if you choose to go off site to the cliffs or beaches. We will have you sign a waver that absolves us of responsibility because these beautiful things are inherently risky - both in terms of slippy at times and also the temperatures depending on individuals health.

Then how to prepare emotionally and spiritually...

What to expect from the space we create: Expect Beauty, the Ty Sanctaidd roundhouse has the most exquisite acoustics, those with noise sensitivity / neurodiversity might initially find the acoustics "different" but they need not be unsettling if you are prepared. One person speaks in the roundhouse and everyone hears it crystal clearly; if you stand in the centre you hear yourself in your own ears before you hear what you said as you normally would. These acoustics are Cosmic, and we play with them as part of the lament process.

Expect a well held, integral ceremonial container with two of the world's most experienced lamenters and group facilitators. "Emotional safety" will find this space conducive but we know this is an inside job for many. What we create by use of ceremony, ritual, strong group agreement, invocation of the loving Unseen... all this makes this an ideal space to meet your own Wild Edges. So expect to be lovingly held as you encounter these edges, by "held" we mean emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. See group agreement for guidelines on touch and consent as not everyone wants or needs to be held physically.

We welcome discomfort, we welcome all the parts of you that you mask and avoid in social spaces. Expect there to be catharsis, yours and others. Expect there to be at times loud catharsis, yours and others. There will also be silence, gentleness and rest. We will be sitting for long periods of time sometimes so be comfortable, lie down if needed, only leave if it is essential and this is covered in group agreement too. We will dance. There will be art and creativity. We will laugh, a LOT.

Journal and dreams: pay attention in the weeks leading up to our gathering of dreams, insights, inspirations, symbols anything that feels like it is giving you information about your grief and your process.

Fears and Resistance: A couple of people have already expressed to us a wavering or uncertainty about how it will be for them. Within the group we have some people who consider themselves to have never really accessed their grief and others more seasoned. ALL are welcome, equally, there is no hierarchy in grief. We provide a step by step journey into your grief and lament, we are offering skills and tools for you to take away to help you in your grief over time. This is the place to learn how to grieve deeply and well.

Self care and self responsibility: These 2 days together will not "fix" you, it will not be where ALL your grief is suddenly released... you are not broken and grief is not a particular event, grief is waveform as it is the Love without its object. Grief is Love... it is part of the fabric of who we really are. So you are not going to "get over it all" in one retreat - we aim to recalibrate our collective understanding of Grief as something we tend to, always. Your needs are your responsibility and we take shared responsibility by first looking after ourselves.

We will also be tending together to the space and to the duties around mealtimes so a rota will be in place for serving and clearing up before and after meals and snacks.

For now... this is enough! The BEARS are still slumbering at the moment, but in the weeks as we lead up to the gathering they will stir a little and we will send communications regarding our group agreement and to respond to any questions we receive from you all.

Any questions please email sacredcirclecic@gmail.com or put them in the WhatsApp group x