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- Botanical Sound Exploration Retreat
Botanical Sound Exploration Retreat
Saturday, July 24 • 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SoulFire Sanctuary, Swannanoa, NC
Sliding Scale $150-75
Pre-registration required
Join us for a day of exploring Plants and Sound in the beauty of nature at SoulFire Sanctuary. The gift of this retreat is to settle into the circle and unplug from the daily routines, deepening our KINnection with the spirit of place, our personal presence, the plants and our collective capacity. The call and response of the plants and the people invites a sense of peace and resonance that naturally rises when we gather to co-create a community experience through walks in the forest, collaborative music making and sound sessions in the chamber and on the land.
Giving ourselves thyme and space like this is radical self care for the senses. We do this WErk to nourish our heARTs, spirits, minds and bodies, so that when we return to the WErld, we are renewed and recharged, more able to respond to these interesting and shifting thymes.
Abby will lead us on a plant walk to learn about the plants that thrive here in western North Carolina - one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. We will learn about wild edible plants and herbs - how to recognize them and harvest them, and a bit about how to process them for food and medicine. We will perch on the land together listening to the sounds of the forest as Mz. imani plays music, holding sonic space for all to deepen our KINnections to the eARTh Mother and the plants who are calling us.
This will be predominantly outside, we suggest you dress in layers, bring bug spray if you use it and wear boots and long pants for the plant walk. Please bring a blanket and/or a chair to sit on, your instruments (or some will be available to borrow) for our music circles and your own lunch, snacks, a water bottle and dishes. A light dinner and tea will be included and we ask that you list any food allergies/needs you may have (we may not be able to accomodate severe allergies).
Register soon, as space is limited to 15 cars. Please let us know if you are willing to carpool or be dropped off, in the dropdown menu, to accommodate more people coming to the experience, and have fewer cars on site.
Sliding Scale Reciprocity:
$150 - $75
Sliding scale provided to make this experience accessible, we also have a few work trade positions (email abby@thewanderschool.com).
Rustic Camping is available Saturday night for $25, please choose this option in the dropdown menu.
Mz. Imani's Bio:
As a drummer, Handpan player, singer, poet, minister, instigator and artist, Mz. imani honors the sacred and encourages people to explore music, art and ceremony as one way to nourish the heART and care for our personal and planetary wellbeing. As a ceremonial musician and sacred activist she holds the medicine of SoulFire ceremony. In the late 80’s she was given the drum and the fire by Babatunde Olatunji. Being radically transformed by Olatunji, the presence of the sacred fire and the drum, she began seeing and experiencing miraculous healings and transformation occur time and thyme again. Mz. imani’s walk is a testimony to her dedication to drumming, dancing and praying for peace and in sharing the healing practices, transmissions and teachings she has received throughout her life.