Sacred Earth: A Contemplative Spiritual Retreat

Iona, Scotland, UK

Ld
Linden de Voil
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3 reviews
Sep 3 - 10, 2022
Group size: 12 - 18
Sacred Earth: A Contemplative Spiritual Retreat
Iona, Scotland, UK

Linden de Voil
  • Email address verified
  • Facebook verified
3 reviews

Sep 3 - 10, 2022
Group size: 12 - 18

About this trip

Come to the sacred island of Iona, where together we will practice listening to the voice of Creation within and all around us.


We will gather at the “thin place” of Iona, off the coast of Scotland, where heaven and earth are said to press very close to one another. Barely three miles long and one mile wide, this small sacred isle holds a profound peace and breathtaking beauty that touches everyone who goes there. St. Columba (or Colum Cille, in Gaelic) established the first Celtic Church and monastic community here in 563 CE, and it is to the roots of that tradition that we will turn, to explore how contemporary spiritual practices converge with the ancient wisdom of the monks.


Join us for a 7-night / 8-day transformational journey, deepening our connection to the sacred through our relationship with the natural world and through mindful spiritual practices. Ritual, community worship, poetry, body prayer, meditation, journaling, music and movement will be our tools to deeply listen to the voice of The Great Mystery. We will walk the landscape of Iona together as pilgrims, wandering to special places on the island to embrace the wilderness and to pray with nature.


For more details, please go to https://simondevoil.com/iona-2022


Your Guides

Pilgrimage Leaders: Simon Ruth de Voil, David Wallace, Jurian Hughes, Linden de Voil


You will be in excellent hands on this journey. Retreat leader Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil was born and raised in Scotland, and knows the island well. He first came to Iona as a baby in his mother’s womb, and he spent much of his childhood roaming her rocky hills and beaches. Simon returned to live and work at the Abbey at Iona from 2006 to 2008. Simon says of Iona, “She is ‘my island’ because in some inexplicable way I belong to her, and I am in her service.” Simon will be joined by his teacher, fellow interfaith minister and dean of One Spirit Seminary, Rev. David Wallace; Linden de Voil, clinical herbalist and plant medicine educator; and Jurian Hughes, senior yoga and movement master at Kripalu Yoga Center. Together we will gather as a community of kindred spirits to worship in a myriad of ways – to give thanks; to celebrate beauty; to share our awe; and to cultivate authentic connection -- to one another, to ourselves, to the land, and to the Exquisite Invisible.

What’s included

  • Island transport
    Round trip ferry and coach travel from Oban to Iona
  • Accommodation
    Lodging and three daily meals at Bishop's House Island Retreat Centre
  • Retreat program
    All program sessions, worship services, and experiences
  • Staffa day trip
    Boat trip to nearby isle of Staffa

What’s not included

  • Air travel to Scotland
  • Travel to Oban
  • Off-site meals/drinks
    Any food and drink beyond the three daily meals provided by Bishop's House is not included.

Available Packages

Single Occupancy Room
$2,600
Deposit: $595
Double Occupancy Room (per person)
$2,200
Deposit: $595


Itinerary

September 3
The Pilgrimage Begins

Meet your guides at the ferry terminal in Oban. Travel to Iona is a pilgrimage in itself; we’ll travel together by ferry, coach across the island, and another ferry to arrive on Iona. 

Oban is a three hour train journey from Glasgow; we recommend that you arrive in Oban on Friday and stay overnight at your choice of hotel or B&B to avoid a very early-morning train journey from Glasgow.

Your Organizer


Ld
Linden de Voil
3 reviews
Joined in March 2019
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Reviews

The week on Iona was magical — good company, good food, good accommodations. Linden, Simon, David and Jurian did a great job of facilitating. Now the real challenge will be to keep the peace of Iona with me as I return home.
By Judith R for Sacred Earth: A Contemplative Spiritual Retreat on Sep 20, 2022
Soul-nourishing!
By Kathy S for Sacred Earth: A Contemplative Spiritual Retreat on Sep 20, 2022
A very special week with Simon, Linden, David & Jurian. The acommodations were good, the food very good, travel and side trips wonderful and well scheduled. All in all it was a memorable time meeting a lot of special people.
By Linda M for Sacred Earth: A Contemplative Spiritual Retreat on Sep 13, 2022