Journeys Guided by the Ineffable Earth Energies of Headwaters Outdoor School
Facilitated by Jean Sage
Grief to Gratitude Rite of Passage
Descend in Despair, Rise in Joy
July 29 – August 1, 2022
Headwaters Outdoor School
Price: $450.00
Includes all meals, evening of the first day through lunch on the last day, and rustic lodging.
Michael Meade states, “when we descend in despair, we rise in joy.” Descent is a key element of mythic stories. Persephone, Dante’s Inferno and the Hobbit Trilogy enlighten us with characters descending into their inner dark realms, returning renewed, even transformed.
The Grief to Gratitude Rite of Passage offers the opportunity to trace this mythic pattern in our own lives. It is a personal and communal descent into and through the despair we feel for the earth, for the political divisiveness, the mutating virus, the loss of old ways and personal grief. We give our grief to mother earth and to the bountiful and beautiful natural surroundings on our land through communal ritual practices and your own personal earth art creation. We emerge in joy from this shared journey.
We ask that you bring personal items that express grief and gratitude that you will use in artful ways. We ask that you bring personal items that express grief and gratitude that can be burned or buried. Bring a poem that expresses grief and a poem that expresses gratitude that have special meaning for you, and bring a journal. Come with an open mind and heart as the two days will be filled with your personal journey, a partner journey and a communal journey.
The Grief to Gratitude Rite of Passage will be two full days on the land, beginning the early evening of July 29 and concluding after lunch on August 1. We encourage teens, young adults, older adults and elders to join us to transform grief into hope.
Jean’s Reflections:
“The last year and a half Tim and I have keenly felt earth’s sorrow. Living close to the land the realities of climate change are daily occurrences. Yet, I have seen signs of hope as well. I encountered one of the Oregon release wolves on a morning walk who had traveled into our Mt. Shasta area last summer. More birds of all varieties and more hummingbirds are coming to the feeders. Though no toads were born near Hammond Pond due to lack of water, toads and frogs are everywhere on the land. Even Vegas the devil rooster that Tim loves, and I would easily put in a stew pot, is still alive after 10 plus years. (Sadly for Tim, I must update the demise of Vegas. He is in the freezer awaiting a proper burial in the memorial garden.)”
Cell phones and electronic devices are left at the office or in your belongings, the world is temporarily left behind for you to focus on our journey together.
We invite you to join us in July/August for this opportunity to allow the rich language of the land at Headwaters Outdoor School to guide you to “rise in joy.”
QUESTIONS? Call Jean Sage: (530) 227-3962
We invite you to join us in June for this opportunity to allow the rich language of the land at Headwaters Outdoor School to guide you into the gifts of elderhood.
What people say about their experiences at Headwaters:
“With the Headwaters Outdoor School I’ve seen more and done more in the wilderness than I’d ever do on my own! From these many wonderful experiences I find my life richer, deeper and stronger for it.”
– Judy Grant, Grant and Associates
“I think sometimes people come along that create a ‘before and after’ for you, and I’ve personally experienced (and watched other people experience) this with Jean Sage. There’s life before I met Jean, and life after. After is much better.”
– Jane Stapleton, Artist
