THIS IS FOR YOU IF...
You are rewilding your faith, leaning into the mystery of what it means to be deeply connected to yourself, to each other, to the earth and to God.
You are craving some time away to rest, reconnect and reimagine what a deeply nourishing spirituality might look like.
You value the opportunity to pause and consider the landscape of your soul, with guides who will hold gentle and hopeful space for whatever invitations Spirit has for you.
You would love to connect with other women like you, who are seeking to wander on the wild edges of faith, who are willing to stay with the wrestling and the wondering in search of a deeply rooted spirituality.
You’d love a retreat that isn’t all seriousness, but engages with playfulness, creativity and joy, and is intentional about cultivating an embodied connection with the land.
The idea of a retreat on an ancient tidal island in Northumbria makes your spirit skip with delight!
YOUR RETREAT GUIDES
FIONA KOEFOED-JESPERSEN
Fiona is a Spiritual Director living in Copenhagen. She is rooted in the contemplative and mystical branches of Christianity and particularly delights in accompanying those whose faith is shifting towards a more expansive, mysterious and liberating experience of God.
She loves long walks, cold swims and the kind of conversation that dives deep in minutes.
She is most looking forward to walking the paths of the island together, and letting the elements and creatures become retreat companions!
DEBBIE HORROCKS
Debbie loves to host soul spaces and extend gentle invitations towards reflection and contemplation. Her journey into spiritual accompaniment has been formed and shaped by her life with four young children. Searching for her own peace in the midst of beautiful chaos and faith shift, she has found home in the listening space.
Debbie is involved in community work in the East of Glasgow where she lives with her family, and is often pondering what it means to live a connected life in her neighbourhood.
Over the past few years she has rediscovered her childhood passions for reading and swimming, and she also loves trees and tea.
WHAT PAST RETREATANTS SAID...
I'm taking away so many things! The permission to be myself. The loosening up in remembering God is bigger than the boxes we put him (and her) in. The FEELING of the island and how I was on the island.
I am changed but in a way that has sloughed off some adhesions and brought me back to more authentic me! The feeling of having been thoroughly seen and affirmed as myself.
"I found a sense of community in being surrounded by so many curious and kind people all exploring different questions in their faith.
I found affirmation and love, a sense of enough.
I listened to others' stories and am carrying wider understandings from what was shared.
I have been encouraged to lean into wonder, delight, playfulness."
OUR CORE VALUES
CO-CREATION
We trust that each participant has something to bring to our space that we will be incomplete without. We will invite you to contribute in whatever way feels most life-giving and true to who you are.
LOCALLY GROUNDED
Lindisfarne is not just a beautiful backdrop but host and participant in our gathering. We will seek to learn from her landscape, her nature, her stories and her inhabitants past and present.
A RHYTHM OF PRAYER
Using creative, natural and playful elements, we will allow a rhythm of prayer to be the trellis around which our retreat grows.
EXPANSIVE
We’re less interested in labels and definitions than in the wild, messy and joyful daily experience of the Divine. We’ll hold space for differences in language and belief while trusting that Spirit inhabits the space between us.
HOW WE'LL SPEND OUR TIME
Our days will be held in a rhythm of circle times together - a morning gathering to begin the day with intention together, a moment to check in with one another during the day, and an evening circle to hold it all.
Those circles will include simple liturgies to help us open to God's presence, and will also include time for sharing and the chance to bring to the space what is most meaningful to you.
We'll offer different ways to explore our theme of "in between", allowing the conversation to be guided by the places we find ourselves, the stories held in those places, and the unique experiences and God-encounters we each bring.
Between those grounding moments, we will journey together around the island, visiting both the human and the natural sites and receiving the invitations they have for us. We'll encounter the Priory, the tidal pilgrim path across the sea, and explore the hidden corners of the island.
There will be time to experience the island together as well as moments to find a space to yourself to process, rest and reflect. There will be opportunities to take part in the prayer services at the local church for those who would like to.
Retreating together
Why might you consider joining a group retreat? We really believe in the delight of gathering together. Something very special happens when we intentional hold space for one another, bearing sacred witness to the movements of heart and spirit together, and trusting in the power of community. Here are some of the ways we build that sense of belonging together on this retreat...
Video calls
Once a group is formed, we will find dates to gather online before the retreat - at least twice - to get to know one another, set expectations, and begin the "journey in". We'll also schedule a post-retreat call to share what has continued to unfold on our return home.
Co-created Retreat
We use lots of creative and fun ways to create our retreat together - from shared poems and prayers, to a co-created spotify playlist! We are bringing some of what makes us uniquely us, and combining it into something beautiful.
Whatsapp Group
We create a Whatsapp group to stay connected with our preparations and to keep in touch after the event.
We promise not to spam you with messages! But we also see the groups from the past two retreats continuing to connect and even meet up - lasting friendships have formed.
LINDISFARNE -
A THIN PLACE
"For with the flow and ebb, its style
Varies from continent to isle;
Dry shod o’er sands, twice every day,
The pilgrims to the shrine find way;
Twice every day the waves efface
Of staves and sandelled feet the trace."
- Sir Walter Scott
Discover this ancient holy island in the wild northeast of England that has been an important pilgrim destination for centuries.
Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a small tidal island on the northeast coast of England, close to the Scottish border. It is surrounded by tidal mudflats, rich in bird and wildlife, and much of the area is a designated nature reserve. The island is about 1.5 miles from north to south, and is home to around 180 inhabitants, but welcomes many more pilgrims and visitors every year.
In 635AD Saint Aidan came to Lindisfarne from Iona and chose to found his monastery here.
St Cuthbert was his successor, and both men were deeply influential in spreading the Celtic Christian message across the British Isles.
We know that the magic of the island - its history, its ecology, its hidden stories - will captivate you and speak to the thin places you encounter in your own soul.
MARYGATE
Located right in the village, Marygate House is our home for the weekend. It is a beautiful Georgian house, run as a Christian retreat centre on the principle monastic hospitality since 1970, enabling people of all backgrounds to visit and retreat on Holy Island.
Within its doors, we'll create a space of warm friendship and togetherness, sleeping in cozy bedrooms and enjoying a wonderful menu of home cooked meals.
Our vision is a retreat where you know yourself to be held within a supportive group of strangers-become-friends and Marygate House is the perfect place to make that possible.
All accommodation is in shared rooms of two people per room, with shared bathrooms. If you book with a friend, we will make sure to place you in the same room!
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED...
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
The total cost for the retreat is £620 and includes:
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Three nights accommodation in shared rooms of two people.
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All meals from lunch on Thursday until breakfast on Sunday.
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Entrance to the Lindisfarne Priory complex for a group visit.
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An expansive and creative retreat programme to help you engage your own sacred in-between, including guided walks and creative circle times.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
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Your transport to and from Lindisfarne.
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Any additional accommodation needed before or after the retreat.
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All your personal items for the weekend, and any souvenirs you might want to purchase.
We have limited partial scholarships available if finances are an issue for you. Please contact us to discuss this further.
DO I HAVE TO TAKE PART IN EVERYTHING?
We know and expect that different people have different energy levels for group activities, and we are carefully planning a schedule for our time that combines time to be together - to share, laugh, learn, pray - and plenty of expansive space to be still, to reflect and (especially for our introvert guests) to restore energy in solitude.
That said, this is a group retreat experience that we are creating together, and we would encourage you to come with a commitment to be part of the core schedule of activities (particularly meals and circle times). We will be responsive to the needs of the group and adjust as we go to ensure it is a life-giving experience for everyone.
IS THIS A CHRISTIAN RETREAT?
We are both deeply rooted in the Christian faith - it is our mother tongue and where we find our spiritual nourishment.
But, as we wrote above, we’re less interested in labels and definitions than in the wild, messy and joyful daily experience of the Divine. We’ll hold space for differences in language and belief while trusting that Spirit inhabits the space between us.
Much of the language and stories we use will be sourced in Christianity, so you should be open to that, but know that we invite you to come with your own experience of the Divine and we will welcome that!
HOW DO I GET THERE?
You will need to plan your own travel to Lindisfarne, aiming to arrive by lunchtime on Thursday.
Car is the simplest way to get to Holy Island. If you drive a fully electric car there are four Type 2 7kv public charges in Green Lane car park a five minute walk from Marygate House. You need your own type 2 cable.
If coming by train, the nearest station is Berwick-upon-Tweed. From there, you will need to arrange a taxi to the island. It may be possible to arrange to share a taxi with other participants.
It is only possible to arrive on Holy Island when the tides are out.
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On Thursday 8th, that is from 04:50 until 11:55 and then from 17:30 until midnight.
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On Sunday 11th, safe crossings are from 7:40 until 13:35, and then from 19:45-1:50.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SPREAD PAYMENTS?
Yes! We ask for a non-refundable deposit of £150 when you register, and the remainder of the payment can either be made in one payment or split into up to two or three payments, all payable by one month before the retreat.
WHEN DOES THE RETREAT START AND FINISH?
Our timings are dictated by the safe crossing times to and from the island!
On Thursday, the retreat will begin at lunchtime - please plan to arrive on the island during the morning safe crossing period (if you're travelling from further afield, you might want to arrange your own accommodation on Wednesday night on Lindisfarne or in Berwick-upon-Tweed).
On Sunday, we will close our retreat with breakfast and a final circle together. You are then free to depart when you wish. There is the option to go to church at St Mary's at 10:45.
WHAT ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY?
We are committed to making this as accessible as we can, and we would encourage you to message us directly should you have particular accessibility needs you are wondering about.
Lindisfarne is an island best experienced by walking, and so we are planning to take some walks to different parts of the island along unpaved tracks and paths. You do not need to be ultra-fit, but you should be able to walk (with a few moderate hills) for a couple of hours a day without problems.
CAN I HAVE MY OWN ROOM?
Sorry, there is no possibility to have your own room on this trip. Rooms sleep two people in single beds, with shared bathrooms. If you register with a friend, you are welcome to request to share a room together.