This retreat is now full

Celebrating your true nature and the song of your soul

Do you feel the call to embrace and integrate all parts of yourself as a divine expression of Nature, embodied in human form with unique gifts to bring to Life? Is there a voice stirring within that is asking you to come home to yourself, to love and revere every fibre of your being as Sacred?

This weekend of ceremony is a journey of active re-membrance as we weave together the elements you are made of to create balance, restore your power and open your heart to the fullness of who and what you are. Coming home to yourself with love, acceptance and wonder - for the extraordinary gift of being alive in human form.

The Elements are keys to unlock the potential within to transform and awaken your inner knowing - that you are woven with Nature: Your body carved from Earth, flowing with the Waters of Life, activated by the Air of your voice, enlivened by the creative power of Fire.

Through a lovingly curated journey, you will explore the qualities of these Elements within you and be offered playful and creative ways to engage with them, lifting the veil of separation between you and the world around you.

The Summer Solstice beckons us to shine our innner light and expand our sense of self to include the fullness of the natural world. As we give thanks to the power of the Sun for supporting our growth and guiding our way, we celebrate our gifts and what is growing and blossoming in our life.

With the trees as our guides, the magical woodland of Hazel Hill will provide the crucible for gathering the wisdom and power of this circle of women as we create a generous offering for Life to feast upon.

what to expect

A Journey with the Elements

Exploring the qualities of Earth, Air, Fire and Water through movement, voice, ritual, crafting and creavtive play.

The Wisdom of Trees

Immersed in the woodland, you will be shown ways to connect with the more-than-human world and how to nurture this relationship, learning from the wisdom of trees and holding council with them.

Connect with the Power of your True Voice

Delve deep with the power of your voice in group and solo practices that support you to share the sound of your soul, as a tool for prayer and expression.

Walking the Land

Connecting through our feet, awakening the senses, we will embody our wild nature and learn to listen through our body.

Fire Ceremony & Celebration of the Sun

Celebrating the Summer Solstice with a ceremonial fire to connect with our creative impulse and wild ways.

Sacred crafting

Activating ancient pathways of memory my making with our hands, elemental crafts that weave with natural beings.

Embodiment Practices

Learning the wisdom of our bodies through energy movement with the trees, group exercises and dance.

Rite of Passage Closing Ceremony

Our journey will culminate with a threshold crossing and elemental blessing, to celebrate your wholeness and empower your intention to embody your gifts.

Words from previous retreatants

"Isla curated a wonderfully diverse range of practices / activities over the weekend which led to us feeling deeply connected to one another and to nature very quickly. She held us in such a loving and inclusive way that we all felt very safe to dive deep into our healing process. Isla's wisdom and knowledge left me feeling incredibly inspired and hungry for more. She has such a big heart and radiates so much peace and beauty."

- Erika

"No words describe my gratitude for how you gently, yet strongly, led us last weekend. This feels like the tangible beginnings to aspects of my life that have always been present but never fully articulated."

- George

"The retreat was spiritually and emotionally uplifting. Isla is a very empathetic and open facilitator who weaves a wonderful warm energy throughout the weekend and holds a beautiful safe space to 'just be'. My lasting memory was the drumming and dancing around the fire in such a beautiful space! Who needs Ayahuasca !?"

- Sue

"For me the whole experience was a beautiful exploration of how to dance lightly and wildly with our own remembering and becoming. I feel that this soul work is simply necessary medicine for humanity at this time of collective forgetting and distraction from our own grief and separation from nature. So heartfelt gratitude to Isla being one of the ones to courageously step up and truly honour and inspire a way back to belonging on this earth."

- Sophie

The details

Dates & Times

Arrive: 5pm Friday 23rd June 2023

Depart: 3pm Sunday 25th June 2023

Venue

Hazel Hill Wood, Grimstead Road, Salisbury, SP5 1AU

Nestled amongst 70 acres of conservation woodland, Hazel Hill Wood is a magical off-grid retreat where people can nourish their connection with the land, themselves and each other, helping them to develop personal resilience, well-being and a greater understanding of living sustainably.

The beauty is in its rustic simplicity. Our home for the weekend is set in handcrafted, sustainable, eco buildings - all off grid and free from the distractions of modern life. Buildings are heated by wood-burning stoves and fuelled by the wood from the surrounding forest. Electricity is limited and waste is taken away by the retreat guides, so you are encouraged to consider your footprint on the Earth.

There is limited phone signal, no wi-fi and only one plug socket onsite, providing the perfect opportunity to log off from the digital world and reconnect with a simpler way of being.

Location & Transport

Hazel Hill Wood is located just 6 miles East of Salisbury near the picturesque village of Farley. Less than an hours drive from Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Winchester, Andover, Basingstoke and Newbury, and two hours from London by train.

For those travelling by public transport, Salisbury station is 20 minutes away by taxi.

I also encourage lift-sharing where possible and will share more on this closer to the time.

Accommodation

There are a mixture of shared rooms available in two separate buildings, and one double room, each with access to a shared shower and toilet facilities.

Owing to its rustic charm, you will need to bring your own bedding, ie. a sheet and duvet/sleeping bag and pillow.

(A suggestion packing list will be provided in your welcome pack after booking).

What's Included

Teachings and guidance from Isla
Materials for crafting
Fire ceremony
Access to beautiful woodland and natural surroundings
Delicious plant-based seasonal food (other dietary requirements catered for)
Unlimited herbal tea infusions, tea/coffee, fresh fruit & snacks
Accommodation in sustainable, eco log-cabins

Investment

£475 - Single room with shared bathroom

£395 - Twin room with shared bathroom

£350 - Shared room (up to 4) with shared bathroom

There are several concessionary places available for those folks from marginalised communities or with challenging social-economic backgrounds.

£150 non-refundable deposit required to confirm your place.

It is also possible to pay in instalments.

Your Guide

Isla Macleod is a modern-day medicine woman, attending to the threshold between the visible and invisible realms, in service to the Earth community. Her work as a ritualist and healer is informed and inspired by her relationship with the natural world and devoted towards helping others to remember what is Sacred in their lives by creating rituals and facilitating journeys that reconnect them with a sense of meaning and belonging.

Isla has a wealth of experience holding retreats and guiding others through earth-honouring ceremonies, that are accessible and inclusive. She has worked extensively in the terrain of ancestral healing, grief tending, nature connection and rites of passage, crafting journeys that help others to honour significant transitions and experience the hidden realms of psyche and spirit in a safe and grounded way.

It is part of her ongoing commitment to her ancestors to listen to the more-than-human world and dream into the indigenous ceremonies of these Celtic lands, weaving together the wisdom that is embedded in the land to craft rituals that honour our native lineages, whilst making them relevant for these times.

For more information about her inspiration and training, visit 'Who Am I?'