In Between: a Retreat on Iona
An Invitation to join us in a thin place, a sacred space
Hi I’m Debbie, a spiritual director and mother based in Glasgow. I offer stories, ponderings and gentle invitations to share a moment with your soul.
Hello friends,
Some decisions are tricky. I recently got lost in an overthinking spiral researching City Centre restaurants to meet a friend. In the end we found ourselves in a, let’s say ‘classic’ cosy Indian restaurant eating delicious Saag Paneer. There are choices I’ve sat with for years (not about dinner thankfully) and there are choices I’ve left unmade in sheer overwhelm.
And then there was the time in May while the twins happily wandered the park picking dandelion clocks. I pulled my phone out and read a text from my friend and fellow spiritual director Fiona Koefoed-Jesperson in Copenhagen.
“I have a dream of hosting a retreat on Iona that won’t go away. Would you be interested in co-hosting it together?”
There was no overthinking this time, just a simple Oh Yes Please!
Because I love Iona. Because I trust Fiona, and was excited about the opportunity to work with her. Because we share a hope to hold expansive spaces of connection with ourselves and the Divine. You can find more of Fiona’s words and work here at Ordinary Pilgrim.
Between then and now there has been lots of plotting and dreaming and today we’re finally extending this invitation out to our In Between Retreat on Iona. See below for all the lovely details.
A thin place, a sacred space
in between ancient faith and your own sacred story,
between the sea and the land,
between the comfort and the wild,
between the past and the future,
between certainty and mystery.
This is for you if…
You are rewilding your faith, leaning into the mystery of what it means to be deeply connected to yourself, to each other, to the earth and to God.
You are craving some time away to rest, reconnect and reimagine what a deeply nourishing spirituality might look like.
You value the opportunity to pause and consider the landscape of your soul, with guides who will hold gentle and hopeful space for whatever invitations Spirit has for you.
You would love to connect with other women like you, who are seeking to wander on the wild edges of faith, who are willing to stay with the wrestling and the wondering in search of a deeply rooted spirituality.
You’d love a retreat that isn’t all seriousness, but engages with playfulness, creativity and joy, and is intentional about cultivating an embodied connection with the land.
The idea of a retreat on an ancient holy island in Scotland makes your spirit skip with delight!
The Details
When: 24th - 28th April 2024
Where: Shared Accommodation at The Green Shed on the Island of Iona, Scotland
Cost: £520
See our website for the full details.
This was an easy yes for me, I am excited to hold and share this soul space with the women who come. Maybe this isn’t for you at all (thanks for being here all the same). Maybe this isn’t for you but you know someone else who might appreciate it, if so please pass it on. And maybe this sounds like a breath of fresh air for you, if so, come and join us!
With love,
Debbie
I love this Debbie. I took a retreat to Iona about 5 years ago (quite the journey from here in Omaha, NE), and yours is a reminder of that beautiful time and place. Thank you!