Last weekend was a total rite of passage for me and felt like a blossoming of the apex of my life’s work and purpose so far. A couple of months ago, I was invited through my recipe/photography blog’s Instagram (@roottoskykitchen) to devise healthier recipes in a 4 course feast for my first ever women’s circle/wellness retreat with Elementa Rituals on Treaty 6/Edmonton, Alberta. Yes, my first women’s circle was one I catered at and played a big role in dreaming up and creating!

This was their Elemental Embodiment retreat, and I was happy this was the one I was invited to create for, as it turned out to be totally my kind of thing. It was an indulgent weekend of pure love, sisterhood and support among everyone from maidens to elders, and a great way to connect with similar souls without the use of alcohol. Everything was very professional as a structured container (the facilitators have qualifications in areas like yoga teaching, mindfulness and meditation, shamanic practitionerships, and personal development!), yet felt natural, creative, wholesome, relaxed and welcoming. There was no certain way I felt I had to be, and our pure experiences were all valid. From the simple acts of sitting in a circle, earthed on the ground around the fire, the drum, and using my voice, this space has changed me in incredible ways, and I will carry it with me always. It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done, especially in contrast to sitting on a computer indoors for many years on end.

*The menu I designed and created, printed with* *Moo, who have great service and quick turnarounds.*

*Nourishing, cleansing bath of love on the last day of the retreat (with all natural herbs, it smelled amazing).*

I only have a Bachelor’s degree in illustration under my belt right now, yet my independent holistic nutrition and health research, being a crunchy type living with integrity, personal embodied experience and intuition as someone with a womb, previous collaborations with Wild Bloom Botanicals and creative recipes on my blog apparently demonstrated that I knew something that was worth sharing and being paid for. Insanely nervous yet excited for this rare creative opportunity, I hopped on a plane solo from Treaty 13/Ontario, rented my first car with half a driver’s licence, navigated unfamiliar lands, and managed to go wild at the best health food stores in the city (hello, Amaranth). I drove on muddy dirt roads out in the country, almost got lost, and I figured out how to use a stranger’s kitchen in an off-grid paradise in the middle of nowhere (who’s no longer a stranger!). It all felt like a dream, and I really felt like I understood the wild woman archetype without having even read the classic Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. My energy field was in a really cool place. I met some interesting and magical humans, made a prayer for the land and all those affected by the Jasper fires, petted llamas, solo camped, picked organic vegetables, herbs and fruit to cook with, got to soak up the medicine of the off-grid, self-sufficient community paradise, jumped on the trampoline and played tag with the kids, nurturing my inner child. It all filled a gap that I felt was missing in my daily life. I also left feeling surprisingly thankful for my life as it is, rather than constantly pushing for some dream off-grid life in the imaginary future.

*At this retreat space, llamas naturally help keep the local predators away.*

Will I ever drop the cash to formally study holistic nutrition at an accredited institution? Maybe eventually… but for now, I’m happy just to be an embodied creative whose life experience, inner authority and personal journey speaks for itself. The feast was a hit among the attendees, and even if not, there was plenty of birch smoked sea salt and black pepper for those who wanted adjustments to the flavour. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the co-creation of this magical space, and to the kitchen assistants who helped bring our visions to life and made this weekend transformative and memorable with valuable lessons.

Together, we rise. Let’s sit around the fire for eternity.