Who: This retreat is for seekers, writers, those who walk the healing path, women, the gender expansive, and the people who love them.
Where: Gift House Retreat Center in Reedville, VA
When: Thursday, October 23, 5 PM - Sunday, Oct. 26, 11 AM
Included: Meals, accommodations, workshops, creativity, and catharsis
Cost: $999 - $1515 (Limited scholarships available! Inquire at hello@valleyhaggard.com)

Whether your stories are burning to be shared or simmering in your subconscious, writing the truth about our experiences within the safety of sacred community has the power to transform our lives.

Alchemical Fire is a 4-day deep dive into the transformational power of writing as ritual, release, and reclamation, as we transmute the pain of our lives into stories that heal.

Through daily writing practices, ceremonies, shadow excavations, somatic experiences, and radical truth-telling, you’ll walk through the alchemical stages of death, dissolution, transmutation, and re-emergence. We descend together—and rise together.

We write what we were never allowed to say.
We honor the parts of ourselves that were silenced or shamed.
We meet our pain and praise our survival.
And in the flames of that honesty, we remember who we really are.

Whether you’ve been cracked open by grief, shaken by transition, or simply hear the call to return to your truth, this retreat will meet you at the threshold—and walk with you through the fire.

Payment: A $400 deposit is required to hold your space, but payment plans may be created as needed. Payments should be made in full by 10/22/25. Please email hello@valleyhaggard.com for assistance.

Provided Meals: Thursday: Dinner. Friday: Breakfast, Lunch + Dinner. Saturday: Breakfast, Lunch + Dinner. Sunday: Breakfast.

Cancellation Policy: The $400 deposit is nonrefundable. Cancellations on or before October 1, 2025, will receive a full refund minus the deposit if we are able to fill your space. Cancellations after October 1, 2025, are nonrefundable. Email hello@valleyhaggard for more information or assistance.

What You’ll Experience

Guided writing journeys rooted in catharsis, integration, and soul truth
Shamanic ceremonies to release, cleanse, and transmute
Somatic movement for emotional integration
Shadow writing, archetypal work, and voice activation
Creative storytelling as a path to self-reclamation
Sacred witnessing and being witnessed
Time for solitude, reflection, and integration in nature
A brave and compassionate circle of fellow seekers

Itinerary:

Thursday: IGNITE

5:00–6:00 PM – Arrival + Room Settling
6:00–7:00 PM – Opening Circle + Welcome Ritual
7:00–8:00 PM – Nourishing Dinner
8:00–9:00 PM – Firelight Ceremony: Setting Intentions, Burning the Old
(Optional writing prompt or silent journaling after)

Friday: RELEASE

8:00–9:00 AM – Light Breakfast
9:30–12:00 PM – Morning Writing Ritual: Writing What Was Never Said
12:00–1:30 PM – Lunch + Rest
2:00–4:00 PM – Somatic Movement + Shadow Writing
4:00–6:00 PM – Solo Reflection / Nature Walk / Optional 1:1s
6:30–7:30 PM – Dinner
8:00–9:00 PM – Shamanic Fire Ceremony: Release & Transmutation

Saturday: RECLAIM

8:00–9:00 AM – Breakfast
9:30–12:00 PM – Morning Writing Ritual: The Gold in the Ashes
12:00–1:30 PM – Lunch + Integration
2:00–4:00 PM – Archetypal Embodiment + Voice Activation
4:00–6:00 PM – Free Time / Art / Journaling
6:30–7:30 PM – Dinner
8:00–9:00 PM – Sacred Witnessing Circle (Readings, Reflections, Oracles)

Sunday: EMBODY

8:00–9:00 AM – Closing Breakfast
9:00–10:30 AM – Final Writing + Closing Circle: The Return
10:30–11:00 AM – Pack & Depart with Embers

No previous writing, movement, or ritual experience is needed - just a willing heart and a curious spirit.

Bring a journal, your favorite writing tools, and any sacred items you’d like to place on our communal altar.

We would love to write, move, play, and BE with you!