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Women’s Fire Circle: 12:00–2:00 PM or 7:00–9:00 PM | Women 18+
Sometimes we need somewhere to go where nothing is required of us. Our monthly Women's Fire Circle is a place for meditation, conversation, listening, laughter, reflection, and the kind of connection that can only happen when we stop rushing long enough to truly meet one another.
A chair beside the fire.
A warm drink in our hands.
Women gathered beneath the shelter.
A little room to breathe.
You are welcome to share.
You are welcome to listen.
You are welcome to arrive tired, joyful, grieving, uncertain, curious—or simply ready for an evening away from everything asking something of you.
There is nothing to perform here.
We begin with a guided meditation and allow the circle to unfold from there.
Sometimes someone tells a story.
Someone else quietly says, me too.
A little distance disappears.
And for a while, no one has to carry everything alone.
Tea and hot chocolate will be waiting.
Bring a camp chair, a jacket, and yourself.
Come as you are.
Tea and hot chocolate will be available.
Please bring a camp chair and a jacket.
Women ages 18 and older are welcome. No pets, please, unless they are service animals.
Choose your preferred date & time from the dropdown below, then click “Reserve Your Place” to complete your registration.
A Rite of Release, Remembrance & Renewal | Crossing the Threshold from Harvest into Inner Light | Time: 1:00–8:00 PM
Step into a day of ceremony, courage, and sacred transformation at an intimate one-day retreat created to help you release what has completed its season and reconnect with the steady flame within you.
By mid-November, the trees have surrendered much of what they once held. The days are growing shorter, the nights are deepening, and the Earth is beginning her quiet turn inward.
Nature reminds us that letting go is not an ending to fear. It is part of the sacred cycle. It creates space for rest, renewal, and what will one day begin again.
You are invited to gather at Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove for a deeply guided ceremonial firewalk honoring this threshold between the harvest of autumn and the stillness of winter.
This is not about proving your strength or conquering fear. It is an invitation to listen closely to what is ready to be released, honor what this season has taught you, and choose what you are willing to carry forward.
The firewalk is offered as a sacred crossing, a physical and spiritual threshold where intention becomes an embodied choice.
Each step may become a declaration:
I release what has completed its season.
I honor what has brought me here.
I trust the wisdom of letting go.
I carry my own light into the darkness.
I choose to begin again.
Walking the fire is always optional. You will be supported and honored exactly where you are.
✨ Retreat Highlights
Honoring the Harvest
Pause and acknowledge what this season of your life has given you, the lessons, growth, courage, relationships, and moments that have shaped you.
Releasing and Letting Go
Through intentional ceremony, you will be invited to release old patterns, identities, expectations, and stories that no longer belong in the season ahead.
Remembering Your Inner Flame
As the outer world grows darker, we turn toward the light that lives within. The fire becomes a reminder of the warmth, truth, and wisdom you already carry.
Crossing the Threshold
This gathering creates space to consciously move from one season into another—not by rushing toward what is next, but by honoring where you have been and listening for your quiet inner yes.
🔥 Unique and Meaningful Practices
Firewalk Ceremony
The firewalk is a powerful rite of passage and an embodied crossing into a new season of your life. With trained guidance and community support, you will be invited to meet the fire with presence, intention, and respect.
Elemental Rituals
Engage with the elements through meaningful practices created to support cleansing, release, grounding, and renewal.
Reflection and Intention
Take time to recognize what you have gathered, what you have survived, what you have outgrown, and what you wish to carry with you into the quieter season.
Connection With Nature
Spend intentional time within the Sacred Grove, allowing the land, trees, water, changing light, and late-autumn landscape to become companions in your experience.
Sacred Fire Circle
Gather beside the fire to share, witness, listen, and receive the strength of being held in a circle of women.
🌿 This Retreat May Be for You If:
- You feel yourself standing at a personal threshold.
- You are moving through change, transition, or a new chapter.
- Something in your life feels complete and ready to be released.
- You want to honor what you have lived through before moving forward.
- You feel called to slow down and listen more deeply.
- You desire ceremony, nature, reflection, and meaningful connection.
- You are ready to trust the wisdom of the inward season.
- You want to remember the steady light that remains within you.
You do not need to arrive with everything figured out. You do not need to know exactly what you are releasing or what comes next.
Simply come as you are.
🍲 Nourishment and Integration
A nourishing dinner, drink station, and snacks will be provided throughout the retreat.
Following the firewalk, time will be intentionally held for stillness, reflection, and gentle integration, allowing the experience to settle into your body and being before you return home.
This gathering is intentionally small to protect the depth, safety, presence, and sacred pacing of the experience.
Event Details
Location: Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove, Nebo, North Carolina
*Registration Deadline: November 9, 2026
Limited to 10 women, ages 18 and older.
No pets, please.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
Refunds are available, minus a $50 processing fee, for cancellations made on or before November 9, 2026.
*After November 9, refunds will not be available. If something comes up and you are unable to attend, you are welcome to gift or transfer your place to another woman.
Thank you for honoring the planning, food preparation, and energy devoted to creating and holding this experience.
🌙 Preparing for Your Experience
Please bring:
- A camp chair
- Warm layers for the evening
- Comfortable clothing that does not drag on the ground
- Closed-toe shoes to wear before and after the firewalk
- A water bottle
- A journal, if desired
- An open heart and a willingness to listen
*This is an outdoor retreat. Please dress for the November weather and the cooler evening temperatures.
Trained facilitation and a dedicated support team will be present to help create a safe, respectful, and well-held experience.
🍂 Your Threshold Awaits
This retreat is more than an event. It is a sacred pause between seasons—a place to honor what has been, release what is complete, and remember the light you carry into the darker months.
If something within you is asking to be laid down…
If you are ready to stop carrying what no longer belongs to you…
If you are standing between who you have been and who you are becoming…
If you feel a quiet inner yes…
This may be your threshold.
The fire does not ask you to become someone new.
It invites you to release what has covered your light and step more fully into the truth of who you already are.
Meet Your Guide
Danelle is the founder of Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove, a Rites of Passage Council Wilderness Guide, and a Certified Sundoor Firewalk Facilitator.
Through nature-based practices, ceremony, fire, and intentional community, she creates spaces where women can slow down, listen deeply, honor life’s thresholds, and remember the wisdom already living within them.
Danelle has held a Sundoor Firewalking Facilitator Certification since 2021 and brings experience, presence, and heartfelt care to every gathering.
She will be joined by the Whispers of Nature Support Team, whose grounded presence helps create a nurturing, respectful, and deeply supported experience for every participant.
Join Us
Come gather beneath the late-autumn sky.
Come sit beside the fire.
Come honor what you have gathered and release what has completed its season.
Come remember the light that remains.
Together, we will cross this threshold through fire, nature, ceremony, and community.
For questions or additional information, contact:
Much love,
Danelle
Rites of Passage Wilderness Guide
Certified Sundoor Firewalk Facilitator
Holder of Sacred Space
Founder, Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove
A Medicine Wheel Experience | 11:00 AM–6:00 PM | Women 18+
Spend a day in the grove exploring the Medicine Wheel, the four directions, and the wisdom of the seasons through nature, reflection, walking, and fire. A gentle invitation to slow down, listen, and notice where you are in your own season of life.
What if the seasons are more than changes happening around us?
What if they can also help us recognize what is happening within us?
There are seasons of beginning.
Seasons of growing and tending.
Seasons of gathering the harvest.
Seasons of letting go.
And seasons when the deepest wisdom may be found in becoming still.
Nature moves through these cycles without rushing them.
Together, we’ll explore how the rhythms of nature can become a mirror for the rhythms within our own lives.
Not as a map telling you where you should be.
Simply as a way of noticing where you are.
There is nothing you need to arrive ready to fix, change, or release.
We’ll learn. Wander the land. Reflect. Gather in circle. Listen.
And make room for whatever may emerge.
Sometimes we simply need enough quiet to hear what we already know.
Walking the Wheel
Throughout the day, we’ll explore the four directions and the seasons, elements, and energies traditionally associated with them.
East • Spring
Beginnings. Awakening. Possibility. Vision.
The place where something new begins to stir.
South • Summer
Growth. Action. Passion. Tending.
The season of nurturing what has begun and experiencing life in its fullness.
West • Fall
Harvest. Gratitude. Discernment. Release. Turning inward.
A time to gather what has grown, recognize what nourishes us, and notice what may be complete.
North • Winter
Rest. Stillness. Wisdom. Integration.
The quiet season of listening, restoring, and allowing experience to settle.
At the center of the Wheel, we return to ourselves, Spirit, and our interconnectedness with all life.
We move through these directions again and again—within a year, a lifetime, a relationship, a creative season, a beginning, or an ending.
Sometimes one part of life is standing in the East while another has already reached the West.
There is wisdom in noticing.
West & Fall — Our September Guide
Because we gather on the threshold of autumn, West and Fall will become our primary guide for the day.
And before there is letting go, there is harvest.
Nature does not simply discard what has grown.
There is gathering.
Nourishment.
Gratitude.
Seeds worth saving.
Then comes discernment about what will be carried forward and what has completed its season.
Perhaps West invites us to ask:
What has grown in my life?
What have I learned?
What deserves to be gathered in gratitude?
What still nourishes me?
What am I ready to carry forward?
What feels complete?
You do not need to arrive knowing the answers.
Perhaps something becomes clear. Perhaps a different question emerges. Perhaps you simply spend a day noticing the season in a way you haven’t before.
Nothing needs to be forced.
Nature as Teacher
The forest does not remain in spring because beginning feels exciting.
The garden does not produce endlessly.
The leaves do not cling forever to the branches that held them.
Nature understands cycles:
Beginning.
Growing.
Ripening.
Harvesting.
Releasing.
Resting.
Beginning again.
Nature does not tell us what our answer should be.
It invites us into relationship.
And when we become quiet enough, we may begin to hear our own knowing alongside the whispers of nature.
The Experience
This is not a day spent sitting and listening to someone talk about the Medicine Wheel.
We will experience it.
Our time together may include:
Medicine Walk
Walking the land with intention, practicing observation and noticing what draws your attention.
Walking the Medicine Wheel
Experiencing the four directions and exploring where their seasonal energies may already be present in your life.
Nature & Element Practices
Working with the land, elements, and seasonal rhythms as invitations for reflection, grounding, and deeper listening.
Personal Reflection
Space to journal, wander, sit quietly, and notice what arises.
Fire & Sharing Circle
Gathering in a supportive circle to share what we choose, listen to one another, and allow the day’s experience to settle.
There will be teaching and guidance throughout the day.
There will also be silence.
Sometimes what happens between the teachings is where we hear the most.
The Setting
Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove is a sanctuary beneath the trees, beside a flowing stream in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Here, nature is not simply the backdrop.
The land is part of the experience.
We’ll walk it. Sit with it. Gather around the fire. Listen to the water. Notice the season changing around us.
And, for a while, move at a different pace.
Who This Is For
This gathering is open to women ages 18 and older.
No previous experience with the Medicine Wheel, nature-based practices, or seasonal wisdom traditions is needed.
You do not need to consider yourself spiritual.
You do not need to know what you are looking for.
Curiosity and a willingness to listen are enough.
This is not about teaching one “right” interpretation of the Medicine Wheel. We will respectfully explore seasonal wisdom and Medicine Wheel teachings while remaining rooted in relationship with the living landscape and honoring each person’s own inner compass.
Nourishment
A nourishing lunch will be provided, along with tea, coffee, water, and snacks throughout the day.
Please bring a camp chair, weather-appropriate clothing, comfortable walking shoes, a journal if you enjoy writing, and anything else that helps you feel comfortable outdoors.
Investment & Registration
Investment: $129
Sunday, September 20, 2026
11:00 AM–6:00 PM
Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove | Nebo, NC
Limited to 10 women to preserve the intimacy of the gathering.
Registration deadline: September 13, 2026
Refunds are available for cancellations made on or before September 13, minus a $50 non-refundable portion. No refunds are available after September 13.
Come walk the Wheel.
Come sit beside the fire.
Come wander beneath the trees.
Come notice the season outside of you—and the seasons moving within you.
Nothing to prove.
Nothing to perform.
Nothing that must happen.
Come as you are.
Listen.
And perhaps, somewhere along the way, you’ll hear the whispers of nature, and your own quiet knowing within them.
Women’s Weekend of Fire, Nature & Remembering | Friday at 4:00 PM through Sunday at 1:00 PM | Women 18+
A weekend of nature, ceremony, and community centered around the experience of meeting the fire as a personal threshold. Whether you choose to walk the coals or simply stand beside them, the invitation is to pause, listen, and notice what you are ready to carry forward as autumn begins its turn inward.
There comes a time when something within us begins to stir.
Maybe life has changed.
Maybe we have changed.
Maybe we have walked through a season that brought us to our knees—or revealed a strength we did not know we carried.
Maybe nothing is wrong at all.
We simply hear the quiet call to step away for a while. To come closer to the earth. To sit beside a fire. To listen. To remember.
What Has This Season Given You?
Before the leaves fall, there is harvest.
Before the earth rests, she gathers what has grown.
Perhaps there are things worth gathering from your own season:
The wisdom you earned the hard way.
The joy you almost forgot to notice.
The parts of yourself you rediscovered.
The things you now know for certain.
And perhaps there are things whose season is complete.
You do not need to decide any of that before you arrive.
You do not need an intention carefully written in a journal. You do not need something to fix. You do not need to know what you are looking for.
Come exactly as you are.
Throughout the weekend, we will slow down enough to notice.
Through ceremony, Nature Prescriptions, time on the land, elemental practices, circle, shared meals, silence, laughter, and connection, we will create room for whatever wants to emerge.
And some of that room will remain beautifully empty.
Sometimes we do not need another person talking.
Sometimes we need the sound of water moving over stone. Wind through the trees. A crackling fire. Our own breath.
There is power in the silence.
And Then There Is Fire
On Saturday, we build the fire together.
We tend it.
We watch wood become flame.
Flame become ember.
Eventually, before us lies a pathway of glowing coals.
The firewalk is a threshold.
It is not a stunt.
It is not a test.
It is not something you need to conquer.
You may stand before the fire knowing exactly what it represents, or you may have no words at all.
You may be standing there for something you are ready to leave behind. Something you are ready to walk toward. Something you have survived. Something you are choosing. Something you are remembering.
And then you listen.
Do I cross?
The answer belongs entirely to you.
Walking the fire is always optional. There is no pressure to step onto the coals.
Sometimes courage looks like walking.
Sometimes courage looks like honoring what your own body is telling you.
Either way, the threshold is yours.
From Fire to Ash
By morning, the fire will be different.
The flames will be gone.
The night will have passed.
What remains will tell its own story.
Ash.
We often think of ashes as the end of something, but nature knows differently.
Ash returns to the earth. It becomes part of the soil. Part of what nourishes what comes next.
Perhaps that is why the image of rising from the ashes has lived with us for so long.
We have all walked through fire in one form or another.
Loss.
Change.
Heartbreak.
Beginnings we did not choose.
Endings we were not ready for.
And yet, here we are.
Not untouched.
Not unchanged.
But still here.
Perhaps this weekend is not about becoming someone new.
Perhaps it is about remembering:
I am still here.
There is still life in me.
There is still something growing.
And when the time is right…
I rise.
A Weekend Held by Nature
Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove is nestled among the trees beside a flowing stream in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
For three days, we will live close to the earth.
We will share nourishing meals, wander the land, gather in ceremony, sit around the fire, sleep beneath the trees, laugh, rest, talk, and make room for quiet.
Tent camping, car camping, and simple boondocking are welcome.
Meals, snacks, coffee, tea, and water are included throughout the retreat.
This intimate gathering is for women ages 18 and older. No previous experience with firewalking, ceremony, or retreats is necessary.
Danelle is a Certified Sundoor Firewalk Facilitator and trained Rites of Passage Wilderness Guide. The firewalk is approached with preparation, safety instruction, respect, and choice.
You will never be required to walk the fire.
You will never be required to share.
Nothing needs to be forced here.
After registration, you will receive everything needed to prepare, including a packing list, dietary questionnaire, and waiver.
No pets, please, except service animals.
A Gentle Invitation
Space is intentionally limited to preserve the intimacy and sacredness of the gathering.
Maybe you have walked through some fire already.
Maybe you are standing at a threshold now.
Maybe you are simply ready to spend a weekend beneath the trees, remembering what the noise of life has made difficult to hear.
You already carry more than you know.
Come sit beside the fire.
Come listen.
Come remember.
Come honor what has been.
Come gather what remains.
And when you are ready…
Rise from the ashes.
Not as someone new.
As yourself.
The fire is waiting.
The threshold is yours.
An Enchanted Harvest Tea Party & Stargazing Experience: 5:00–10:00 PM
You are invited to experience a little seasonal magic at Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove—an evening that begins among the warm colors and comforting flavors of fall, then slowly unfolds beneath the wonder of the night sky.
Follow the path into an autumn evening where the harvest table is waiting, the fire is glowing, and the stars are preparing to tell their stories.
Come dressed in whatever autumn or starlight inspires in you. You might arrive as a woodland creature, forest fairy, harvest queen, celestial being, moon goddess, or simply adorned in the rich colors of the season.
Elaborate, playful, or beautifully simple—come in whatever makes you feel magical and comfortable.
An Enchanted Harvest Tea Party
As you enter the gathering space, you will be welcomed by the colors and natural beauty of the harvest season.
Settle into the Grove, find your place at the table, and allow yourself to exhale into the evening.
A beautiful harvest spread of simple seasonal foods, savory bites, fresh fruit, breads, cheeses, and sweet treats will be waiting, along with assorted hot herbal teas, infused water, and warm apple cider.
If you feel inspired to bring a favorite harvest dish or treat to add to the table, you are warmly welcome to do so—but it is completely optional.
There will be time to linger over tea, enjoy the food, take photographs, wander the land, follow the path to the river, and connect with one another.
We will pause together in gratitude, honoring the abundance of the season and all that has carried us here.
A Journey into the Stars
As the light softens and dusk settles over the land, our attention will turn from the beauty gathered around the harvest table to the vast wonder gathering above us.
John Tracy, an avid stargazing enthusiast and gifted storyteller, will guide us on a journey through the autumn sky.
With his knowledge, curiosity, and wonderful way of bringing stories to life, John will help us discover the constellations, celestial wonders, and ancient stories written among the stars, along with a fun astronomy trivia contest filled with laughter, friendly competition, and prizes.
Bring a reclining chair or a cozy blanket, lean back beneath the open sky, and allow yourself to be filled with the mystery and beauty above us.
Firelight Beneath the Stars
Our journey through the evening will bring us at last to the fire.
Together, we will gather in its warmth beneath the stars, with space for music, stories, laughter, quiet conversation, and the simple gift of being present with one another.
For those who would like the evening to continue, optional overnight camping is available.
Linger beside the fire, sleep beneath the autumn sky, and awaken to the quiet morning beauty of Whispers of Nature.
Admission
Individual Admission — $45
Two-Person Admission — $80
Optional Overnight Camping — $20 per tent
A couple attending and sharing one tent will pay $100 total.
Advance registration is required. Space is intentionally limited to preserve the intimate, welcoming feeling of this experience.
Camping is primitive, with no electrical or water hookups. Campers should bring their own tent and everything needed for a comfortable night.
Car camping and boondocking are welcome, too.
Come dressed in a little autumn or celestial magic.
Follow the path from the harvest table to the river, from twilight to starlight, and from the wonder of the night sky to the warmth of the fire.
We would love to share this enchanting autumn evening with you.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Due to the planning, food preparation, and energy that go into creating this experience, all registration fees are nonrefundable.
Women’s Autumn Campout | Friday at 4:00 PM through Sunday at 12:00 PM | Women 18+
A slow autumn weekend of firelight, shared meals, cool mornings, long conversations, and time beneath the trees—an invitation to step away from the noise, settle into the rhythm of the season, and simply enjoy being together. Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove · Nebo, North Carolina
Can you feel it?
That subtle shift that happens in autumn.
The days grow shorter. The evenings become cooler. The leaves begin letting go. Nature seems to invite us to slow down and draw a little closer.
What if, for one weekend, you listened?
What if you traded the noise of everyday life for crackling firelight, cool autumn air, warm drinks, shared meals, laughter, long conversations, and nights beneath the trees?
What if you gave yourself permission to have nowhere else you needed to be?
Maybe you don’t need to do more.
Maybe, like nature, there are seasons when we are meant to slow down.
The Women’s Autumn Gathering & Campout is an invitation to spend a beautiful October weekend doing exactly that.
We’ll gather beneath the changing trees, share food around the table, drink warm coffee and tea, sit around the fire, create, wander, laugh, tell stories, and enjoy the simple pleasure of being together.
Bring a warm blanket and your favorite mug.
String up your hammock.
Pull your chair close to the fire.
Wander the land and notice what autumn is doing all around you.
Or simply sit somewhere quiet and listen.
There will be gentle invitations throughout the weekend for connection, reflection, creativity, and time in nature—but no packed schedule and no expectation that you need to accomplish anything.
Friday Evening — Come to the Table
Our weekend begins Friday at 4:00 PM.
Arrive, choose your camping spot, make yourself cozy, and begin settling into the slower rhythm of the weekend.
For our first evening together, bring something you love to share at our community table.
It doesn’t need to be homemade or elaborate. Bring a favorite dish, appetizer, bread, fruit, dessert—or simply something that feels good to offer.
We’ll place everything together and share our first meal: women arriving from different places, carrying different stories, each bringing a little something to the table.
As evening settles over the Grove, we’ll pull our chairs closer to the fire, wrap ourselves in blankets, and let the weekend begin.
There is already a place for you at the table and around the fire.
Saturday — Follow the Rhythm of the Day
Wake beneath the trees to a cool October morning.
Coffee and tea will be waiting, along with breakfast.
And then we’ll give the day room to unfold.
Maybe you’ll wander.
Maybe you’ll create.
Maybe you’ll spend hours talking with women you just met.
Maybe you’ll curl up with a book, take a nap, sit beside the water, or spend some quiet time alone.
There will be opportunities to gather throughout the day, along with plenty of room to follow your own rhythm.
Later, we’ll come together for Saturday dinner before settling around the fire for another autumn evening beneath the trees.
No rushing. No performing. No agenda.
Just warmth, nature, food, fire, conversation, laughter, silence, and community.
Sunday — One More Morning Together
Sunday morning begins slowly with breakfast, coffee, and tea.
One more morning around the table.
One more conversation.
One more walk beneath the trees.
One more opportunity to notice how different life can feel when we aren’t rushing through it.
We’ll share a gentle closing before breaking camp, and our weekend will end at 12:00 PM.
Camp Your Way
Pitch a tent.
Sleep in your vehicle.
Set yourself up for simple boondock camping.
Create a cozy autumn nest beneath the trees.
Bring extra blankets, warm clothing, and whatever helps you feel comfortable.
This isn’t about proving that you’re good at camping. It’s about staying close enough to nature to experience its rhythm for an entire weekend.
Come Alone. Really.
You don’t need someone to come with you.
Some of the most beautiful connections begin between women who arrived not knowing anyone.
Someone offers you coffee.
You pull up a chair.
A conversation starts.
Stories are shared.
The laughter grows louder.
And somewhere between Friday evening and Sunday morning, the women who arrived as strangers begin to feel like community.
Come as strangers. Leave as friends.
Let Nature Remind You
Autumn doesn’t struggle to hold on to summer.
The trees don’t question whether it is time to change.
Nature simply moves with the season.
Come as you are.
Gather close.
Listen.
And somewhere between the falling leaves, the crackling fire, and the quiet spaces in between…
Perhaps you’ll hear the whispers of nature.
Registration Options
Full Weekend Experience — $125
Friday, October 16 at 4:00 PM through Sunday, October 18 at 12:00 PM
Overnight attendance is limited to 20 women.
Your Full Weekend Experience includes:
Two nights at Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove
Tent, vehicle, or simple boondock camping
Friday evening community table
Saturday breakfast and dinner
Sunday breakfast
Snacks throughout the weekend
Coffee, tea, and water
Evening fires
Access to the land and gathering spaces
Gentle, optional invitations for connection and reflection
Plenty of unstructured time
For Friday evening, please bring something you love to share at our community table.
Weekend Day Pass — $50
Day-pass attendance is limited to 10 women.
Not a camper? Come spend time with us during the weekend without staying overnight.
Bring your chair, hammock, book, craft, and favorite mug—or simply bring yourself. Your registration information will include day-pass arrival and departure times, meal details, and everything you need to know before attending.
One-Night Camping — $75
Five one-night camping spaces are available for either Friday or Saturday night.
Full Weekend Experience registrations receive priority for the 20 overnight spaces. One-night registrations are subject to remaining availability.
Nourishment
Saturday breakfast and dinner, Sunday breakfast, snacks, coffee, tea, and water are included with the Full Weekend Experience.
Friday evening will be a community meal created from the dishes each woman brings to share.
We will do our best to accommodate specific dietary needs. After registering, you will receive a dietary questionnaire so that meals can be planned and prepared thoughtfully.
About Sacred Grove
Sacred Grove, the woodland home of Whispers of Nature, is a beautiful primitive campground nestled among the trees beside a flowing stream in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The land includes a covered community fire area, an outdoor kitchen, changing stations, and a porta-potty.
Please understand that this is a rustic camping experience. There are no electrical hookups and no showers. Participants are responsible for bringing their own tent or sleeping arrangement, bedding, chair, and personal camping supplies.
A detailed list of suggested items to bring will be sent to everyone who registers.
Registration, Cancellation & Refund Policy
The registration deadline is October 9, 2026, or when all available spaces have been filled.
Cancellations made before October 9 will receive a refund minus a $30 cancellation fee.
Because food, supplies, and preparations are planned according to registration, there will be no refunds for cancellations after October 9.
If something unexpected arises after the deadline, you are welcome to transfer your registration to another woman age 18 or older.
Thank you for honoring the planning, food preparation, supplies, and loving energy that go into creating and holding this experience.
A Few Important Details
This gathering is for women ages 18 and older.
No pets are permitted.
Registration is required. We are unable to accommodate unregistered guests.
Overnight attendance is limited to 20 women.
Day-pass attendance is limited to 10 women.
Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove is a primitive campground with no electrical hookups or showers.
A porta-potty, outdoor kitchen, changing stations, and covered community fire area are available.
Registered participants will receive a waiver, dietary questionnaire, directions, camping information, meal details, and a suggested packing list before the gathering.
You don’t need to do more.
You don’t need to become more.
You don’t have to know anyone.
Bring something to share.
Bring something that makes you cozy.
Bring your stories and your laughter.
Or simply bring yourself.
There is already a place for you at the table and around the fire.
Come as you are.
Community is waiting.
Danelle Hallenbeck, M.A.
Rites of Passage Wilderness Guide, Firewalk Facilitator, Holder of Sacred Space
Whispers of Nature at Sacred Grove
Heal · Connect · Revive
A Sacred Grief Ritual Weekend: Friday, October 23, 5:00 PM through Sunday, October 25, 2026, at noon | Women 18+
Grief needs somewhere to go. It lives within the stories we have never spoken, the tears we have held back, the endings we did not choose, and the love that remains when someone, or something, precious is no longer with us.
There comes a moment when being “the strong one” begins to feel unbearably lonely.
You have carried what happened.
You have carried the memories.
The unanswered questions.
The anger.
The ache.
The love that still reaches for someone, or something, that is no longer there.
You have carried it while continuing to work, care for others, answer “I’m fine,” and live in a world that did not stop simply because yours changed forever.
But beneath everything you have learned to manage, perhaps there is a quieter truth:
You are tired of carrying this alone.
Not because you are weak.
Because grief was never meant to be hidden away in one human heart without witness, tenderness, or somewhere sacred to go.
Grief is not only the death of someone we love.
Sometimes we grieve the family we hoped to have.
The relationship we could not save.
The body or health we once knew.
The child who grew up and away.
The years we cannot get back.
The dream that never came true.
The home, identity, safety, or belonging we lost.
The person we were before life changed us.
And sometimes, grief has no single name.
We only know that something inside us feels heavy, and has for a very long time.
The Grief We Carry: A Sacred Grief Ritual Weekend is a place where you no longer have to pretend the weight is not there.
For one autumn weekend, we will leave behind the noise and expectations of everyday life and gather in the sanctuary of nature.
The forest will hold what words cannot.
The water will receive what is ready to move.
The fire will witness what you are ready to name.
And a small circle of women will remind you that you are not alone.
Through meaningful ritual, reflection, movement, silence, shared meals, time in nature, and sacred community, we will gently make room for the grief that has been waiting for your attention.
There will be no pressure to share more than you wish.
No one will rush your tears.
No one will ask you to look for the silver lining.
No one will tell you it is time to move on.
Your grief will be welcomed exactly as it is.
This weekend is not about forgetting.
It is not about closing a chapter before you are ready.
It is about honoring what mattered.
Giving expression to what hurts.
Allowing yourself to be witnessed.
And discovering that perhaps you can carry the love forward without continuing to carry all of the pain in silence.
What might become possible if you allowed yourself to be held, too?
What if, for one weekend, you did not have to be the strong one?
What if you gave yourself the same compassion, presence, and care you so freely offer to everyone else?
Dear One, you do not have to wait until you are falling apart to receive support.
You do not have to justify your grief.
And you do not have to carry it alone.
Continued Care After the Weekend
The care will not simply end when the weekend is over.
You will not be invited to open the tender places within you and then be sent home to navigate everything alone.
Before leaving, each woman will be supported in creating a personal aftercare plan for the days ahead. There will be gentle check-ins after the retreat, resources for continued grief support, and an invitation to remain connected to the circle of women who witnessed and walked beside you.
Because grief does not follow a weekend schedule.
And neither should the care surrounding it.
If something within you softened, ached, or whispered “I need this” while reading these words, listen.
That quiet inner yes may be your heart asking you to choose yourself.
A place beside the fire is waiting for you.
Come as you are.
Bring the love.
Bring the sorrow.
Bring the story you have carried for too long.
You will be met with tenderness.
You will be nourished and held in community.
And when the weekend ends, you will not have to walk away alone. 🕯️🍂
Event Details
Dates: Friday, October 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM through Sunday, October 25, 2026, at noon
Location: Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove in Nebo, North Carolina, a beautiful sacred space nestled among the trees beside a flowing stream in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Investment: $350 per person
Who May Attend: Women ages 18 and older
Capacity: This retreat is limited to 10 women so that we can preserve an intimate, personal, and carefully held experience.
Pets: Please leave pets at home.
About the Setting
Whispers of Nature is a primitive outdoor campground and retreat space. The land offers peaceful camping areas, a large covered community fire space, an outdoor kitchen, changing stations, and a portable restroom. Please come prepared for a rustic weekend immersed in nature. There are no electrical hookups or showers available.
Nourishment
Wholesome, nourishing meals will be lovingly prepared and shared throughout the retreat. Tea, coffee, drinking water, and snacks will also be available.
Registration and Cancellation
The registration deadline is October 16, 2026, or when all 10 spaces have been filled.
Cancellations received before October 16, are eligible for a refund, less a $100 cancellation fee.
Because food, supplies, and preparations are planned according to registration, there are no refunds for cancellations after October 16th.
If something unexpected arises after the deadline, you are welcome to transfer your registration to another woman who is 18 or older.
Thank you for honoring the time, care, nourishment, supplies, preparation, and energy that go into creating and holding this sacred weekend.
After You Register
After registering, you will receive follow-up emails to help you prepare for the retreat, including:
A suggested packing list
Camping information
Directions, arrival, and parking instructions
Any additional details you will need before the weekend
Meet Your Guide
This sacred grief ritual weekend will be guided by Danelle Hallenbeck, M.A., a Rites of Passage Wilderness Guide, Sundoor Certified Firewalk Facilitator, and Holder of Sacred Space.
Danelle’s own journey through love, loss, grief, and healing deeply informs the compassionate presence she brings to this work. Rather than asking anyone to arrive at a particular outcome, she creates and tends a safe, nurturing container where each woman can listen to her own inner wisdom and allow her experience to unfold naturally.
Held with the support of the Whispers of Nature team, the land, the river, the fire, and the circle of women, this weekend offers a place for your grief to be witnessed, honored, and held with tenderness.
We are deeply honored to hold this sacred space with you and will care for every detail with the intention of creating a meaningful and extraordinary experience.
Danelle Hallenbeck, M.A.
Rites of Passage Wilderness Guide, Firewalk Facilitator, Holder of Sacred Space
A Weekend to Exhale, Reconnect & Remember: Friday at 4:00 PM through Sunday at 12:00 PM | Women 18+
Spend a relaxed weekend beneath the trees with shared meals, evening fires, nature, conversation, and plenty of unstructured time to read, wander, create, nap, laugh, or simply be. Come for the community, the slower pace, and the freedom to let the weekend unfold.
When was the last time you had nowhere else you needed to be?
When was the last time you sat around a fire with other women and talked until you lost track of time? Drank your morning coffee slowly? Curled up in a hammock with a book? Wandered beneath the trees? Laughed until your belly hurt—or simply sat quietly and listened?
Maybe you do not need another workshop.
Maybe you simply need some space to exhale.
Because you do not have to fill the weekend.
That is kind of the point.
Bring the book you keep meaning to read. Your journal. A craft you have not started—or finished. String up your hammock. Bring a comfortable chair, a cozy blanket, and your favorite mug.
Walk the land. Sit beside the water. Take an afternoon nap. Have coffee with someone you met an hour ago and somehow find yourselves still talking two hours later.
Or find a quiet place beneath the trees and simply be.
There will be gentle invitations for gathering, connection, reflection, and time in nature, but no agenda for what you are supposed to experience.
Come exactly as you are.
Friday Evening — Come to the Table
Our weekend begins Friday at 4:00 PM.
Arrive, choose your camping spot, settle in, wander the land, and begin meeting the women you will share the weekend with.
For our first evening together, bring something you love to share for our community table.
It does not need to be homemade or elaborate—a favorite dish, appetizer, bread, fruit, dessert, or simply something that feels good to offer.
We will put it all together and share our first meal.
There is something beautifully simple about beginning this way: women arriving from different places, carrying different stories, each bringing a little something to the table.
Then we’ll pull our chairs around the fire, settle beneath the September sky, and let the weekend begin.
There is already a place for you at the table and around the fire.
Saturday — Let the Day Unfold
Wake slowly.
Coffee and tea will be waiting, along with breakfast.
Then we’ll give the day room to breathe.
There will be gentle opportunities to gather and connect, along with spacious time to make the day your own.
Read. Create. Walk. Nap. Talk.
Sit beside the water. Spend some time alone. Pull your chair beside someone else’s and make a new friend.
Or do absolutely nothing.
Later, we’ll gather again around the table for dinner and spend the evening together around the fire.
No rushing. No packed schedule. Just women, nature, food, fire, conversation, silence, laughter, and room to breathe.
Sunday — One More Slow Morning
Sunday morning begins with breakfast, coffee, and tea.
There will be time for conversation, one more walk, another cup of coffee, and a gentle closing before we begin packing up.
Our weekend ends at 12:00 PM Sunday.
Perhaps you’ll carry a little of that spaciousness home with you.
Camp Your Way
You do not need to be an experienced camper to come.
Pitch a tent beneath the trees. Sleep in your vehicle. Set yourself up for simple boondocking.
Create your own cozy little home beneath the trees for the weekend.
This is not about roughing it or proving anything.
Make yourself comfortable. Make the weekend yours.
Come Alone. Really.
Please do not let not having someone to come with stop you.
You will not be the only woman arriving alone.
Something beautiful happens when women from different places, with different stories and different lives, gather without needing to impress one another.
We share food.
Someone pulls her chair closer to the fire.
A conversation begins.
Someone laughs.
Someone tells a story.
Another woman realizes, me too.
Little by little, strangers are not quite strangers anymore.
Come as strangers. Leave as friends.
Community is waiting.
You Already Carry What You Need
Beneath everything offered at Whispers of Nature is a simple belief:
You already carry so much of what you need within you.
Danelle’s role is to guide and hold the space—the trees, the fire, the land, the silence, the laughter, the conversations—and allow each woman’s experience to remain her own.
Maybe something softens.
Maybe you remember a part of yourself that has gotten buried beneath responsibilities and everyday life.
Maybe you make a new friend.
Maybe you laugh harder than you have in months.
Maybe you sleep deeply beneath the trees.
Or maybe you simply remember what it feels like to have nowhere else you need to be.
There is no prescribed experience waiting for you here.
Come as you are.
Exhale.
Let the weekend unfold.
And when everything becomes quiet enough, perhaps you’ll hear the whispers of nature—and your own quiet knowing alongside them.
Choose Your Weekend Experience
Full Weekend Experience — $125
Friday, September 11 at 4:00 PM through Sunday, September 13 at 12:00 PM
Limited to 20 women to preserve the intimacy of the weekend.
Includes:
Two nights at Whispers of Nature Sacred Grove
Tent camping, car camping, or simple boondocking
Friday evening community table
Saturday breakfast and dinner
Sunday breakfast
Snacks throughout the weekend
Coffee, tea, and water station
Access to the land and gathering spaces
Evening fires
Gentle optional gatherings
Plenty of unstructured time to rest, create, wander, and connect
For Friday evening, please bring something you love to share at our community table.
Weekend Day Pass — $50
Limited to 10 women.
Not a camper? You can still be part of the weekend.
Come spend the day at the grove, wander the land, sit around the fire, meet new women, and give yourself permission to slow down.
Bring your chair, hammock, book, craft—or simply yourself.
One-Night Camping — $75
Prefer to join us for just one night?
A limited number of one-night camping spaces are available for either Friday or Saturday night.
Five spaces are available each night.
Choose the evening that works best for you and enjoy time around the fire, connection with community, and waking beneath the trees.
Registration & Cancellation
Registration deadline: September 8, 2026
Because food, supplies, and preparations are planned according to registration, no refunds will be available after September 8.
If something comes up after the cancellation deadline, you are welcome to give or transfer your ticket to another woman so your place around the fire does not go unused.
A Few Important Details
This gathering is for women ages 18 and older.
Please leave pets at home to protect the experience of the group and the animals and wildlife who call this land home. Service animals are welcome.
Registered participants will receive additional information about camping, meals, what to bring, and preparing for the weekend.
You do not have to earn rest.
You do not need a reason to come.
Bring your favorite mug.
Bring something to share.
Bring your hammock, your book, your craft, your stories, and your laughter.
Or simply bring yourself.
There is already a place for you at the table and around the fire.
Come as you are.
Community is waiting.
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