Wild Woman
Coming home to the wild feminine in you
Guided by Alex Hatfield, co-founder of Wild Rites, with Fi Macmillan, apprentice Guide.
Places limited to 10. Lake District National Park.
A pre-requisite for attending Wild Woman is either “Entering the Women’s Lodge” or “Call of the Wild Soul”.
this programme will run again in 2025
“As a woman lives them, she will understand more and more her interior feminine rhythms. The rhythms of creativity, of solitude, of play, of rest, of sexuality, and of the hunt.” ”
Are you ready to find belonging in the nature of your Life? Are you called to liberate from your imagination new forms, and bring to life new images of yourself? Are you willing to enter into your own wilder-ness? Then a rite of passage into wild womanhood is waiting for you.
Wild Woman is about exploring the different aspects of the archetypal feminine within yourself and in Nature.
You will come to know your wild woman Soul through myth, image, ceremony, self-discovery and metaphor. You will walk together in ceremony and self leadership as Wild Women, guided by the archetypal feminine and the rhythms of Nature.
““Only by discovering and loving the goddess lost within our rejected body can we hear our own authentic voice.”
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Why Wild Woman?
“When we talk about wild we refer to your untamed, un-caged and un-adapted True Self. The innate you that is always seeking greater expression in the world. Your soul. The you that knows soul and nature are non-separate.
For us at Wild Rites nature is Life taking form, whether that’s our inner life or the life of the natural world. In every woman there lies a core that seeks and longs to live her story of being wild, authentic woman, embodies in her own life, her way.
Exploring and rediscovering what the feminine means to you in a world where the masculine has been valued at the expense of the feminine, and the devouring aspects of the feminine hidden in plane sight, is the work of our times. By feminine and masculine I am talking about deep archetypal forces or energies in us, not our genders.
This journey over four long weekends is an opportunity to unearth, explore and redefine your spiritual life within the context of the embodied feminine both in our bodies and in the body of nature.
As women our bodies have natural rites of passage and yet we are culturally lacking in the soulful ceremonies, rites and gatherings where we can fully own-up to our authenticity and grow-up to our potential. The Wild Woman process has been designed with this end in mind. It catalyses a spiritual awakening and actualising of your feminine/masculine energies. It will awaken you to the Goddess within and in Nature. It will provide space for you to embody and self-lead.” (A. Hatfield, 2019)
What to expect:
You will learn about the seasons and cycles of feminine archetypal symbols and forms through ceremony, council, self-reflection, medicine walks, mirroring and of course nature.
We will form a bond of sisterhood and journey together to discover each aspect of the Wild Woman – Virgin/Maiden, Lover, Mother and Crone Initiator.
We will each share our wisdom, experiences and stories to discover together how they play out in our own lives.
Through myth and storytelling we connect to the archetypal feminine and discover how her symbols move though and within us.
We learn about our light and shadow and allow ourselves to make room in our psyche for the emergent Wild Woman and self leadership - we learn to accept what gets in our way and be gentle with our inner landscapes.
You will encounter the Goddess in Her many names and faces within your inner self and in the wild landscape of our venue.
You will encounter your own rhythms and the rhythms of the Earth Mother in the northern hemisphere.
You will lead your own personal regeneration ceremony at the Winter Solstice.
You will reclaim what has been disavowed.
You will come know your light and your shadow.
What others say about attending Wild Woman
“I know my wild woman through being with nature, dreams, stories, myths, open ended generative conversations, attending to the ‘I’ who feels and listening to whispers in the wind.
My relationship to the feminine has transformed my sense of self, by re-membering and reclaiming my inner power, authority and authenticity.”
“Attending wild woman has given me a direct line to the deepest connection I have with myself, with others, and our beautiful earth. My wild woman stands tall as a guardian for all that is precious and vulnerable in our world. I know her through my call to the wild, the hum of my voice, my blood and my bones, all made of this earth. My relationship to the feminine has been enlivened, awakened – she is passionate, activated, and ready to create beauty in the world.”
“Attending wild woman has given me the confidence to be me, I feel freer. My relationship to the feminine has deepened and expanded and I feel confidence in speaking my truth, claiming my ground and a much deeper connection to the whole of life. Its been a journey of creating, dance, play, making, laughing, crying, loving, wandering, and singing! ”
“Attending wild woman has given me a sense of who I truly am. I know my wild woman through my connection and dialogue with my intuition and instinct. My relationship to the feminine has opened immensely.”
Dates
We will run this programme again in 2025.
Costs: The total cost for this rite of passage is £2295. A £495 non-refundable deposit secures your place followed by 2 x £900 instalments on 1st February and 1st April 2024 . All fees must be paid in full before the start of the programme. Please click here to read our booking and payment policies before you book.
Fees include all guiding, facilitation, accommodation (in bunk barn or camping with your own equipment), welcome meal on Friday. All other meals are self-catering.
The group is limited to 12 participants so there is plenty of time and space for you and your wild woman process.
Booking Form
About your Guides
The rite of passage is guided by Alex Hatfield. You can learn more on our guides page.
Accommodation, Logistics and Base Camp
The base-camp has a wild-wood, fire-pit, beautiful river running through and is in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria. Our base-camp is a rustic place with a bunk-barn, camping ground, toilet/shower block and a main gathering/cooking barn with full cooking facilities. There is no central heating, although there is a large wood burner in the main barn and the showers are hot. Please prepare for rustic and natural, its part of the charm of the place!
What you will need to bring:
Camping and/or sleeping equipment including your pillow and warm sleeping bag if staying in the bunk barn (the bunk barn has no central heating so bring what you need to be warm at night).
Your food, except the welcome meal on the Friday.
Fully waterproof jacket and over trousers and waterproof boots. These need to be fully waterproof, (e.g. Goretex) not water resistant, you will be spending time on the land and it might rain.
All personal items such as toiletries, clothes, towels etc.
A small day backpack with enough space for spare clothes and a water bottle.
A rattle, drum or instrument (optional).
A notepad/journal and pens.
Poetry and songs that inspire you (optional).
Logistics:
Arrival is on the Friday at 1pm and we begin our circles at 2pm. This will give you time to pitch your tent or find your bed and get to know the base-camp. A vegetarian dinner will be provided in the main barn on each Friday night (we cater for all dietary needs so please let us know your needs).
We will finish each weekend with a final thanksgiving ceremony and be ready to leave at 1pm on the Monday. Each weekend we will also clean-up as a group and community leaving the base camp as we found it for the next group.
Travel: If you are coming by car there is parking available. Directions to base-camp will be provided upon booking. If you are travelling by train you can arrange a pick-up and drop-off with us from Oxenholme Lake District mainline station.