Weaving Wild Story: Finding the Threads of Belonging
October 21-25, 2026
Acorn Inn, Faber, Virginia
After a wildly expansive and beautiful first run in New Mexico, I am beyond thrilled to announce that writer and story midwife Christian Leahy and I will be offering an East Coast version of our 5-day writing retreat in the Blue Ridge of Virginia. This retreat is for creatives who want to deeply ponder the connections between story, landscape and language. We’ll be shepherding a small group of writers through an immersive experience, during the peak of autumn, in the forests and meadows of the lovely Acorn Inn.
In ancient stories the world over, women have returned to the loom when chaos descends and the web of life unravels. Could these guiding myths about the nature of creation and creating hold clues about where we might catalyze renewal in our own urgent times through our writing?
From the Greek texto, we know there is a profound connection between stories, weaving, and the web of life. What is the relationship between story and the wellbeing of the land? Might the land be dreaming and storying through each of us? How? … And how can we become available to these unseen possibilities and to these forces—what indigenous author and teacher Martin Prechtel calls the “wild holy in nature”—to reweave our own belonging and renew the world through our stories?
Well beyond the confines of traditional nature writing, we will track the wilder realms of story—attuning to the land and listening for all that may guide us to the beautiful thread we are each carrying within to create new texts. Key to our explorations is the notion of stepping off the path—both the familiar trails of our writing processes and habits, and the ways we typically encounter the wild by having set destinations and summits to scale. Instead, we will step off the path and wander to discover our primal sources—deeper wells of inspiration and wonder.
Rather than a workshop, our time together will be an expansive immersion in story, creative practice, community-building, and the land itself.
Our days will include solo time for writing and reflection along with communal sharing. Sessions will include group and individual practices; sit spots, mindful wanders and deep listening in place; journaling; and responding to the stories we bring with us and the experiences that are arising on the mountainous site.
What our previous participants are saying:
“Erika and Christian are powerful space holdrs. They exude and create an incredibly safe and intentional space–one of the best I’ve felt from facilitators…There is no question or challenge too tangled or knotted for these two…After our retreat, I have felt inspired to stop forcing my writing and instead, to let it unfurl naturally out of me, like a wild wind. I feel embodied, clera, and powerful after this retreat. Able to not only approach my writing with a fresh heart, but my entire life.”
“This retreat was a game changer. Due to mirroring, caring, honoring, I reclaimed dormant parts of myself after a very long absence. The participants, the facilitators, the content, the land, all mirrors–real, rich and aware. No wonder I found me.”
The location:
This immersive experience will take place in a wild and nourishing environment at the Acorn Inn on the eastern side of Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Accommodations will be in a European-style inn on a quiet country road. We’ll gather daily outdoors and wander freely through the grounds, where wildlife abounds. Each participant will have a private room with shared bathroom, and all meals will be provided. We will enjoy access to a yoga room, covered patio and deck, a mother oak tree in the meadow, and a mountain stream.
The Acorn Inn is known as a gem among local stays for its friendly hosts and lovely views. Lots more photos are at their website!
My co-facilitator:
Christian Leahy lives and dreams in El Prado, New Mexico. She is a story midwife, developmental editor, facilitator of radical imaginings and healed futures, and the writer of little stories of wonder. Most often, she can be found reverently wandering the high-mountain forests, tracking with all that is wild and holy. More at www.christianleahy.com.
Our cohort will be small and spaces are limited. Please be in touch for further details and pricing!
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A few pictures from our June 2026 retreat at Ocamora Retreat Center in New Mexico:
