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Dear Walking Awake Friends:
Nick and I extend warm greetings from our home in Scotland, to you and yours across the globe as we wend our way towards the Winter Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere.
It was lovely to see many of you in person during our recent trip to the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area; some at our annual Samhain/Celtic New Year Retreat at Kirkridge Retreat Center, others at Columcille Megalith Park as we gathered together to share our Iona and Blue Dragon connections, and of course, our nearby family members and close friends here and there along the way. And although we returned home to Scotland before the Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated in the United States, Nick and I sat here by the fire with a lovely meal that day sharing our reflections of gratitude for all the blessings in our lives, including the presence of each of you, as part of our Walking Awake community.
It's been awhile since we've offered a Walking Awake to the Rhythm of the Earth Zoom gathering and I've missed them! Therefor, I'd love to invite you to join me on Zoom this coming Saturday, December 7th at 11:00am EST. Whether you have been a regular on our Walking Awake to the Rhythm of the Earth Zooms or are a curious newbie, all are welcome! I realize it's a last minute invite. Come if you can. If you can't, we'll record it for you to view at a later time. You'll find the Zoom link and theme of our gathering within the content of this email.
As we head quickly now towards 2025, if you're looking for an adventure to embark on next year, we'd love for you to consider joining us on one of our 2025 pilgrimages here in Scotland. We are excited to journeyonce again to Orkney in April, and thrilled to return our beloved Isle of Iona in August. We will only be offering one Walking Awake pilgrimage to Iona in 2025 and as of today, it's nearly sold out with only 3 spaces open. If you feel one of these remains spaces is yours, be sure to contact me right away. Orkney, on the other hand, currently has 7 spots open. Visiting Orkney is a memorable experience. It's difficult to describe the feeling of touching or leaning your back against stones stood 5000 years ago by the hands of the ancestors or walking amongst their incredibly well-preserved settlement ruins in this breathtakingly gorgeous island landscape. For me, visiting Orkney and its many fascinating sites feels akin to being transported back in time. Orkney was on my bucket list for years, and it is now one of those sacred places that mysteriously calls me back again and again. And, like Iona, I love sharing it with others! Since we won't be offering another pilgrimage to Orkney until at least 2027, if you have been feeling the tug to join us on this journey, perhaps now is the time to say 'Yes!'. As you scroll down further you will notice I have included a wee bit more about both pilgrimages in this email along with a link that leads to the Walking Awake website for further information. The early discount rate for both ends January 1st, 2025. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
In regards to other Walking Awake events in 2025...We're thrilled to share we will definitely be returning to lead our annual Celtic New Year/Samhain Retreat October 31st - November 2nd, 2025 at Kirkridge Retreat Center. We look forward to spending this incredibly magical weekend with new friends and old every year. Since it tends to sell out early, if you'd like to join us for this event in 2025, you may wish to register early by placing a deposit to secure your place. Click here to learn more. There's more for 2025 still unfolding and we promise to keep you posted as new announcements arise. And, I am always open to exploring what it might look like to bring Walking Awake workshops and events to new locations. Please feel free to reach out if you have any requests or suggestions.
Looking ahead to 2026: We are excited to announce that plans are in motion to return to Iona in August 2026 in collaboration with Kirkridge and Columcille (more about this soon). I'm also dreaming up a wintry return for an Imbolc 2026 Retreat at Kirkridge, and Nick and I are beginning to work out the details for a Walking Awake in Ireland journey for spring of 2026. All of these events will be limited in numbers. If you'd like to be on our early announcement email list for one (or all), please drop me an email of interest soon.
That's all for now.
Sending Love and Blessing to All!
Denise and Nick
Pictured: Above: The fun photo (not the straight-faced one, lol!) of our 2024 Walking Awake into the Celtic New Year group at Kirkridge Retreat Center. Below: A few others photos taken during our retreat. NOTE TO THOSE WHO ATTENDED: If you wish to send me your photos taken during our retreat, I will happily share them in an exclusive group email sent to all who attended. Please send them to me prior to December 15th.
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