“In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer”
SOLSTICE - a winter warming mountain retreat on Sunday Dec 22 at Orlagh Estate, Rathfarnham
Solstice is a one-day heart warming immersion for men and women to celebrate this special turning point of the wheel of the year. This special Solstice experience is brought to you in the deep midwinter by The Trailblazery. We are the people behind Moon Medicine, Census of the Heart, We Need to Talk about Ireland, Rites of Passage and the ireland : iceland project.
Following our sold out summer Solstice gathering in June, our winter immersion is a cosy wellbeing retreat that is all about Yule. The winter Solstice marks the still point of the sun. As the earth sleeps and the animals hibernate we will gather to welcome the return of new light in the same tradition as our ancestors throughout the ages. You can book your place now. Individual tickets are €150.
SOLD OUT
Or click below to avail of our special discounted rate for Couples/ Besties (or simply groups of 2!) rate of €260 which is a saving of €40.00!!
SOLD OUT
You can get a taste of what awaits by watching our Summer Solstice video below
Solstice is a collective experience set at Orlagh House on a beautiful country estate with panoramic views across the Dublin Mountains and the Irish Sea. In the darkest part of the year when the days are shortest, Nature asks us humans to pause, draw inward and connect with our own still point. Amidst acres of winter wonderland we intend to unwind and attune to the rhythms of the natural world. We will be nourished by delicious warming foods, hot spiced drinks, candlelight rituals and blazing fires under the roof of our favourite rambling Georgian mansion.
Solstice weaves human connection with nature, conversation, movement, music, food, meditation, ritual and other creative experiences. Our intention is to invite people together to share a sense of belonging and participation with our wild selves and the wild world that nourishes us. We have gathered some of Ireland’s leading blazers of trails to guide us through these Solstice celebrations. As ancestors-in-training we will honour some of the ancient indigenous practices in our native tradition. We will learn from the land through foraging and wildcrafting. There will be fireside talks with some of our own wisdom keepers and keepers of the flame. Expect some choral adventures and live music performance from I have a Tribe and Anna Mieke.
“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year's threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.”
Margaret Atwood
Other adventures in store include experiential practices like dance, meditation, breath work, visualisation, yoga nidra, sound baths, fire ceremony, ritual and a communal sit down winter Solstice feast with delicious food from our friend Natasha at The Vegan Kitchen. Our informal faculty includes Anna Mieke {Musician & Songwriter}, Carol McInerney {Movement therapist & Dance Teacher}, Chloe McHugh {Sonas Sound Therapy}, Diarmuid Lyng {Father, Hurler, Campaigner), Laura Murphy {Artist & Creator of IMBAS}, Patrick O'Laoghaire {Artist & Musician} Siobhan de Paor {Poet, Activist & Performance Artist} with more to be announced
If you are feeling a call to adventure to celebrate the winter Solstice and reclaim your wild soul then this is for you…
Solstice Experiences in store for you
· Wilderness Workshops
· Earth Medicine Practices
· Conversation + Storysharing
· Movement Sessions
· Sound Baths
· Yoga Nidra
· Healing Visualisations
· Live Music Performance
· Fire Ceremony Ritual
· Acoustic Meditation
· Communal Supper with delicious food from our friends at The Vegan Kitchen
Event detail:
Date: Sunday Dec 22 from 1-10pm
Tickets: €150.00
*Your ticket price includes a sit down supper
Children are welcome. Prices for children's tickets are:
Children's Tickets aged from 2 - 8 years = €35.00
Children's Tickets from 8 -16 years = €50.00
Under 2's go free.
Please email us at about Children’s Tickets at hello@thetrailblazery.com
About The Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice (also known as Saturnalia) has been celebrated for thousands of years, and many of the traditions now associated with Christmas had their roots in winter solstice celebrations – including Yule logs, mistletoe and Christmas trees. The Druids used evergreen trees, holly and mistletoe as symbols of everlasting life during winter solstice rituals.
About The Trailblazery
Solstice is brought to you by The Trailblazery. We are the people behind Moon Medicine, Wonderlust, Census of the Heart, We Need to Talk about Ireland, Rites of Passage and the ireland : iceland project. The Trailblazery is a cultural agency dedicated to creatively activating the spirit of our times so that we can take better care of ourselves, each other and this place we call home. We do this by designing and producing live events, learning experiences, mentorship programmes and cross-disciplinary research projects that tackle wicked problem solving. We champion and celebrate people who challenge the status quo and blaze trails in their own spectacular or intimate way.
The Trailblazery was created as a response to a need for deeper human connection and belonging in our society. We are committed to exploring a shared future that orients around our innate heart-centered values of courage, compassion and care. We believe in harnessing the power of inspiring stories as medicine for the times we live in. Our live events have been described as “nourishment for the soul” and we partner with incredibly talented people to deliver inspirational experiences that celebrate storytelling, music, performance, poetry, film and choral spectacle. We have hosted over 500 trailblazers, reached live audiences of 100,000+ people, received national and global media attention and impacted over 2.5 million people around the world. We have a track record in successfully designing, delivering and communicating large-scale cultural projects.