A women's wellness retreat
Ashanti Moon Grief Ritual
Art, Nature & Community
Rosemerryn Wood, Cornwall, UK
20th - 25th October 2024
If you’re a woman* who’s struggling with feelings of grief & sadness who yearns for a way to move forward with your life, then join me and other heart centred women for an unforgettable creative healing journey amidst the magical vortexes and earth energies of West Cornwall.
*All women and those who identify as women are welcome.
The Grief Ritual
Imagine…
The sound of the Udu Drums and Spirit Rattles guiding you as you walk towards the woodland grove with your Sisters in Sorrow.
The smell of wood smoke and incense reminds you of an ancient time when coming together in ceremony was as essential as breathing.
You have created your own Adinkra Spirit Rattle which you hold in your hand as you sit at the Ancestral Altar.
The sounds of the drums and rattles is behind you as your sisters hold the space for you to access your deepest feelings of loss and grief.
The sacred Grief Ritual is a magical space that feels outside of time.
Imagine…
You feel safe and supported as you allow the waves of grief to bubble up from deep inside your body. You choose an Adinkra Spirit Stone to take to the Grief Shrine.
Your tears flow and the sounds of your grief combine with the sound of the sacred drums as you sit before the waters of the Grief Shrine.
You pour your grief into the sacred waters and allow your pain to be transformed.
When you are ready, you place your Adinkra Spirit Stone into the Grief Shrine and walk slowly back to your sisters and take your place in the ceremonial village.
Art, Nature, Ritual & Community
You are warmly invited to attend a sacred week of love and sisterhood amidst the powerful vortexes and earth energies of magical west Cornwall.
Create Ceremonial Ceramics, connect with your wise and loving ancestors through art, writing and ritual. Release your pain and sorrow with the Ashanti Moon Grief Ritual and take part in a healing Ocean Blessing Ceremony.
Experience the therapeutic power of art, nature, ritual and community in the stunning location of Rosemerryn Wood, Lamorna, West Cornwall, UK. Rosemerryn Wood is a magical place close to Merry Maidens Stone Circle and a 10-minute drive from Penzance. Lifts from Penzance train station are available on request.
The Grief Ritual is calling me…..
The Grief Ritual will allow you to spend time in nature and community to explore and release deep sorrow and grief in a safe and supportive sacred circle.
Catherine will guide you to explore creative ways of connecting with and healing your deep feelings of grief and loss by connecting with your wise and vibrant ancestors. Create Ceremonial Ceramics using clay create sacred elements to use during the powerful Grief Ritual and to honour your ancestors and lost loved ones.
Use natural materials to build the special Grief Shrine and add images of your lost loved ones to the Ancestral Altar
The Sacred Fire Ceremony will begin to connect you with the alchemical healing power of creating with clay as your sacred spirit rattles are transformed from clay to ceramic in preparation for the Ashanti Moon Grief Ritual.
“By allowing ourselves to spend time to acknowledge the pain of grief in our lives, we create the space for joy to return.”
This Retreat is TOTALLY FOR YOU if…
You are searching for a deeper meaning in your life and in your heart you have a belief in a spiritual dimension (or you are open to exploring the possibility).
You would like to connect with your wise and loving ancestors through art and ritual.
You yearn for a sense of community and ceremony and are open to sharing your experiences of grief and loss in a safe and supportive circle of women.
You are ready to use your creativity and art to help with healing your broken heart.
You have feelings of grief, sadness and loss that you can’t move past or you think may be holding you back from realising your full potential in life.
You are okay with being vulnerable within a safe environment where there is no criticism or judgement.
You need a BREAK from your daily life to sort things out and reset your life.
This retreat excites you and taking part in a Grief Ritual is pulling hard on your heart.
You would like to learn more about how to use rituals in your own life and connect with your loving ancestors once you are home.
No sorrow is too big or too small for the Grief Circle to welcome and hold.
We all carry feelings of loss and grief, whether that is the death of a loved one or beloved pet, the loss of a way of life or the difference between what we expected and wanted our lives to be like and the reality of the way things are.
You may be grieving the fate of our beloved Mother Earth during this time of ecological crisis.
Grieving is not a once and done process, it is something that comes and goes like the waves of the ocean.
During the Grief Ritual we allow the waves of grief to flow through our bodies and let the ritual transmute the grief into a soul nourishing connection with nature, art and community allowing space for joy to return.
You will leave with a greater sense of peace and joy and return home feeling stronger and with a supportive connection with your wise ancestors.
During our time together we create a temporary ‘village’ as a safe haven to explore recent or long held feelings of grief. What you choose to share within the ritual is confidential and you are free to participate as little or as much as you feel comfortable with.
The ceremony centres around the Ancestral Altar and the Grief Shrine. All participants contribute to creating these so you feel a sense of ownership and connection.
There will be plenty of time for rest and integration and you’re very welcome to explore the local area or sink into a comfy armchair by the fire and read a book.
The energy of the sacred space is held together by original artworks inspired by elements from Catherine’s African and Celtic heritage.
Sculptures and sacred ceramics will also be available to purchase.
You will be using therapeutic art techniques including clay & natural materials, visual journaling and mixed media/collage, movement and meditation.
Spend time in ritual space connecting with your wise and loving ancestors and create Ceremonial Ceramics to honour your vibrant elder ancestors.
Experience the Alchemical Magic of the Sacred Fire Ceremony as your clay creations are turned to ceramic in an Ancient Pit-firing.
A special aspect of the retreat is the use of Adinkra Spirit Stones that Catherine has handcrafted and blessed especially for the ritual.
Each retreat participant will receive their own Adinkra Stone which contains a sacred message from the ancestral realm, and is a talisman for healing beyond the Grief Ritual.
Your curated experience includes:
The following is included:
4 days and 5 nights in the beautiful cosy Cornish Rosemerryn House nestled in 7 acres of magical woodland. We will have full use of Rosmerryn which is a former artist’s residence built at the turn of the twentieth century and is full of character.
Lifts from Penzance train station available by request
Nourishing meals freshly prepared with locally sourced Cornish produce. Plus a Cornish cream tea and afternoon tea & cake
All dietary requirements can be catered for by request,
Non-alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee and snacks freely available
Ceremonial Ceramics session
Sacred Fire Ceremony & Ancient Pit Firing
Mixed Media Visual Journaling
Ashanti Moon Grief Ritual
Ancestral Healing Circles
Ocean Blessing Ceremony
Ashanti Moon Gift Bag on arrival (with special gifts made by Catherine especially for you).
Your Accommodation
Rosemerryn Wood is a magical place close to Merry Maidens Stone Circle and a 10 minute drive from Penzance. Lifts from Penzance train station are available on request.
We will have the full use of the beautiful cosy Cornish Rosemerryn House, nestled in 7 acres of magical woodland, within minutes of Merry Maidens Stone Circle, the wild Cornish coast and main transport links.
Rosmerryn is a former artist’s residence built at the turn of the twentieth century and is full of character. We have full use of the house with beautiful conservatory and private garden with fire pit. There is also our own private studio space.
The Location
West Cornwall is a magical place scattered with sacred sites such as Stone Circles, Sacred Wells and Fogous. A beautiful and wild corner of England close to stunning cliff top walks, hidden coves and sandy beaches with turquoise seas.
Catherine Nana Yaa Appiah Lucktaylor
I’m passionate about sharing my experience of using art as a tool for healing and I’m so excited that you’ll be joining me for the Ashanti Moon Grief Ritual in the incredible Rosemerryn Wood near my home in West Cornwall. I incorporate my Ghanaian/west African and British/Celtic heritage within my artwork combining this with my love of nature and connection with nature spirits.
I love to create unique sacred spaces for rituals and ceremonies for people to come together to honour the needs of the soul in expressing grief and sorrow. I use my direct connection with source and messages from my ancestors to create my artwork and exclusive rituals. Each ritual is carefully crafted for the place and people taking part.
The Grief Rituals have been inspired by the work I’ve done with Sobonfu Somé and the Grief Rituals of the Dagara Tribe of Burkina Faso. I’ve travelled in west Africa and Brazil and was blessed with Ifa Beads whilst in Nigeria and received blessings from Priestesses of Oshun and Yemoja.
I am an artist, ritualist and Ancestral Lineage Healing Practitioner. I’ve studied Tarot and divination for over 30 years and have always naturally used my creative practice therapeutically both for myself and others.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything or know more before you book, set up a 20 minute discovery call with me by clicking on the button below or send an email with any questions to: info@lucktaylorceramics.co.uk