“Women’s Christmas” Epiphany Retreat: The Treasures We Bring
with Aisling Richmond, Deirdre Ní Chinnéide, and Christine Valters Paintner
Friday, January 6, 2022
9am-12pm Pacific
12-3pm Eastern
5-8 pm Ireland/UK time
Program Description
Join us for the Feast of Epiphany, a time calling us to awaken into new insight and renewing vision, a season inviting us to consider “the treasures we bring” in our lives.
Epiphany has a special resonance in Ireland where it is celebrated as “Women’s Christmas” or Nollaig na mBan as it is known in the Irish language. Traditionally it was a day of rest for women after the fullness of the holiday festivities. The men would take on the household duties to allow this to happen. Now it is honored as a time for women to gather together, to rest and reflect, to contemplate their desires for the new year ahead, and to be nourished and nurtured through story and sharing.
This feast day is a threshold moment when we will pause to consider the treasures of our lives. Just as the magi brought gifts to the Christ child in Bethlehem, so too are we called to honor and birth the gifts we have to offer which make love incarnate in the world. What are our own versions of gold, frankincense, and myrrh? What particular medicine do we each carry to bring healing to a world in need? We will also ask what is it the season for? How am I being called to share this gift in a particular way in the months ahead?
Through the wisdom of Celtic saints, poetry, song, story, meditation, gentle movement, writing, and opportunity to share with one another, we will practice wonder, awe, and gratitude for what is our gift to share. As the magi followed the guidance of the star to arrive to the dwelling place of the sacred presence, we also are invited to look for the ways the cosmos is calling us forward into the year ahead.
The retreat will be recorded for those who pre-register but are unable to attend at the scheduled time.
Your Guides for the Journey
Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE
Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE is the online Abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery and global community integrating contemplative practice and creative expression. Her programs draw on the wisdom of the desert, Celtic, and Benedictine spiritual traditions as well as the joy of the expressive arts, embodied practice, and Earth-cherishing wisdom. Christine is the author of numerous books on spirituality and creativity, including three collections of poetry. She lives on the west coast of Ireland with her husband John and dog Sourney. Find out more about her here.
Aisling Richmond
Aisling Richmond is a Somatic Therapist and transformative guide who is deeply inspired by nature and the wisdom of the soul. Aisling is currently undertaking a PhD in Psychology and Transformative Leadership to work with cultural change. She shares a home with her partner in the rugged wildness of Donegal, North West Ireland. Aisling works as a therapist, supporting people to resolve trauma and life challenges through body-psyche-soul wisdom. She also mentors people in finding their deep soul purpose, and teaches a rich range of transformative programs online. Aisling is passionate about soul centred living, where nature and the feminine are deeply valued. Having worked collaboratively with many organisations including Amnesty International, Aisling has also been a guest lecturer with both Galway and Limerick Universities. Visit Aisling’s website here.
Deirdre Ní Chinnéide
Deirdre Ní Chinnéide is trained as a psychotherapist / spiritual director and workshop facilitator. She has worked all over Ireland, the U.S.A. and Europe including Bosnia and Kosovo. The Aran Islands with its unique history, culture and natural beauty provides a special setting for the retreat work, and was the place of inspiration for Celtic Passage, a journey of the heart which she leads through music, reflection and prayer.
Deirdre divides her time between the Aran Islands and the mainland offering retreats, workshops and performances of spiritual music. Music is a core element of her ministry and she has recorded two albums Celtic Passage and I will sing for you – Songs to soothe the soul. Deirdre also co-authored the book Journey to the Well: Connecting to Celtic Ways and Wisdom. Visit Deirdre’s website here.
Registration
Please be careful to enter your correct email address when you register.
If you need a different payment plan or a greater scholarship to make this program accessible, please get in touch with us.
Terms and Conditions
Please consider your purchase carefully and review the many free materials we have on our website to make sure the program will be a good fit or get in touch with any questions.
We ask that you honor our work by not sharing the program materials with others who are not enrolled.
Please contact us for permission to quote in settings beyond the program
These videos are made available to registered participants and may also be included in future versions of the program including self-study. If you choose to speak during a recorded gathering, you are giving us your consent to record that contribution. If you prefer not to be seen or heard, you can of course switch off or mute your camera or microphone at any time. Chat sessions are recorded and posted as well. Participation in the chat function is also giving consent to their recording. Breakout groups are never recorded.
If you choose a payment plan and stop payment before fulfilling the commitment without contacting us to make other arrangements, your access to the program will be removed.
