The Gates of Grief
Tuesday, November 26th | 6:15pm EST
online via zoom
Join us during the waning moon, as we gather to discuss and feel the importance of honoring our grief throughout our life.
Grief is not reserved for losing a loved one to death. There are many different types of grief, including loss from separation, from inevitable change, grief around aging, grief around what we feel we should have received but didn’t, the grief for the world, for others, for our loss of communal and ancestral ways, and MORE.
We will take some time to explore the Five Gates of Grief as defined by Francis Weller in his book The Wild Edge of Sorrow. For more information on the Gates of Grief, see below:
The First Gate of Grief -- Everything We Love We Will Lose
The first gate of grief is the one with which we are most familiar.
Deaths of loved and dear ones fall into this category. This could be loss of someone due to the ending of a relationship. Loss of ways of life or identity due to illness also fall into this gate.
The Second Gate of Grief -- The Places That Have Not Known Love
We all carry a grief around the parts of ourselves that we have decided are unloveable or unworthy, the parts that get relegated to the shadow - the unseen, unconscious. This can create ongoing shame for who we are, until we reclaim all parts of ourselves, and reintegrate the soul. Regret also lives inside this gate, as it is connected to shame.
The Third Gate of Grief -- The Sorrows of the World
This gate of grief describes our communal grief for the ailing and abused planet, and all of its inhabitants. We feel the grief that the earth feels. Our souls are deeply entwined with the anima mundi - the soul of the world - and we feel the pain running through its veins. We grieve for the oceans, the forests, the animal habitats, the cultures and languages that are dying out, war, hunger, and more.
The Fourth Gate of Grief -- What We Expected And Did Not Receive
We have an inheritance that is supposed to include deep love, strong community, a sense of belonging, being truly seen and heard, and being held and supported. When we do not receive these things, it can form a lasting inner grief that can manifest as a form of emptiness or hollowness that we desperately try to fill with our addictions, excessive consumption, and materialism.
The Fifth Gate of Grief -- Ancestral Grief
We may be carrying grief that is simply not ours. This is the grief that we inherit - it could be grief from our ancestors' general struggles or it could be very specific events and instances those in our lineage have gone through. In addition, it is the loss of our ancestors and our ancestors' cultures that is part of this grief we carry.
Join us
Tuesday, November 26th
6:15pm - 8:45pm
BOOK HERE
*Please note that since honoring our grief is so important, Jen is offering financial assistance to those who have true financial need and could not otherwise attend the workshop. Please email Jen directly at jen@wanderfreewellness.com if you feel this applies to you.
What to bring:
:: A journal and writing utensil
:: An item (or more) that symbolizes something you are grieving, for your mini grief altar
:: A bowl of water and an item or more from the natural world (i.e. leaves, acorns, shells, etc.)
:: A candle or anything else you need to create sacred space
ABOUT THE COMMUNAL COVEN:
This is a circle of wild. A ritual space to be free.
These monthly circles are filled with:
. meaningful creative ritual
. communal spellwork
. deep visualization and meditative practices
. intuitive & guided movement
. profound reflection and writing exercises
. transformative sharing and storytelling
We do the deep work. This is not fluffy. It's not all "love and light" and "good vibes only. "Some experiences are intense. Some are light-hearted. Some allow us to play, be carefree, be wild. Some hit us right where we need to grow. We dig deep into the soul. We excavate our truth from the depths within us. We alchemize our pain, blockages, and shadowinto soul-aligned intentions, manifestations, and healing.
In each circle we use a variety of tools at our disposal such as meditation & visualization, intuitive movement and yoga, writing, art-making, creative crafts, herbal allies, divination in many forms, and other intuitive practices.
Shed your skin. Reveal your truth. Wander free.
www.wanderfreewellness.com/coven
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ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR:
Jen Wyatt, owner of Wander Free Wellness, is a teacher and facilitator of yoga experiences, moon circles, ritual, and retreats. She has a Master of Arts degree in Teaching, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, is a certified yoga teacher at the 500-hour level, and is a Reiki healer. She believes that liberation of the true authentic self - in all its weirdness and wildness - is the key to lasting happiness and fulfillment. Jen guides others to come home to themselves by connecting deeply with the earth, with nature's cycles and rhythms, and with the depths of our often buried imagination and creativity.
She facilitates guided unique experiences that offer a safe space to unravel our layers of conditioning and suppression of the true self, to access the intuitive wisdom within, and to unveil our own limitless creativity. Through movement, ritual, story medicine, and activating imagination, Jen guides you to find freedom and homecoming within your own being. Jen strives always to embrace the magic of the tiniest moments, and vows to never let go of wonder and curiosity. Jen loves to write, make beaded jewelry, create art, and be in nature in all forms. You can find her in her greatest joy talking to the animals around her and singing to snails.
May all beings be wild and free.
