Claiming the crone
A sacred weekend of remembrance, release, and reclamation.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH
VANESSA CRITES & URSULA LENTINE
Just Love Forest, Poetry, Georgia
In early cultures, the female elder was revered as the wise woman - healer, teacher, and keeper of sacred knowledge who guided her people through life's deepest mysteries.
This retreat honors your sacred transition into Cronehood, that threshold where lived experience transforms into timeless wisdom. You stand at the crossroads, holding space for the profound knowing that comes only from having survived your own story.
You have tasted life's full spectrum - joy and sorrow, triumph and loss, love and grief. What emerges now is not who you were, but what you've been distilled into: medicine for a world that desperately needs your particular wisdom.
It’s time - come claim your crown.
A SACRED RITES OF PASSAGE
For women in their post-reproductive years ready to embrace their wise woman. Your bodies and souls know that a profound threshold awaits - emergence into your most powerful self.
Over three transformative days, you'll move through the ancient rhythm of initiation: releasing what no longer serves you, receiving what wants to emerge, and returning home crowned with your wise woman power. Through sacred fire ceremony, labyrinth walking, cacao dance, and forest immersion, you'll formally cross the threshold into Cronehood.
This is a sacred space of transformation, for embracing the unshakeable confidence, for remembering your worth, for claiming your purpose.
RETREAT ETHOS
Sacred Rites: We gather to descend - into the body, into the Earth, into the fertile darkness where the Crone dwells.
Embodied Wisdom: We recognize the Crone as a portal of power, wholeness, and ancestral knowing.
Grief as Initiation: We honor grief as holy and hold space for what must be mourned in order for wisdom to emerge.
Collective Ritual, Personal Revelation: Through shared ceremony and personal reflection, we tend to the soul's maturation and honor the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Nature as Elder: The forest becomes our temple, our teacher, our mirror - holding us in the sacred silence of becoming.
Death as Teacher: We welcome mortality as advisor, knowing our finite time makes every choice sacred.
"Cure yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon... Heal yourself with beautiful love and always remember... you are the medicine." - Maria Sabina Magdalena Garcia
WHAT AWAITS YOU
Women have traditionally gathered for transformation and healing - in circles, around fires, sharing stories, creating with their hands, supporting each other through life transitions. These are timeless patterns of feminine wisdom traditions in community and ritual.
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Sacred Fire Ceremony - Release what no longer serves you through ritual fire offering
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Labyrinth Walk of Receiving - Claim your Crone gifts at the mystical center stone
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Waning Moon Ceremony - Gather under the last light of Luna's power for blessing and flower foot washing
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Cacao Heart Dance - Embody your wild, wise nature through movement medicine
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Forest Immersion - Held by the embrace of sacred land and the ancient wisdom of trees
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Sacred Crone Crowning Ceremony - Formal initiation into your wise woman power
THIS RETREAT IS FOR YOU IF
You feel the stirring of something deeper calling - a knowing that your most powerful years are ahead
You're ready to release the roles and stories that no longer fit the woman you're becoming
You desire to connect with other women walking this sacred threshold into their wise woman years
You feel called to honor your life experience as the medicine it has become and claim your place as keeper of wisdom
You're ready to take the steps that mark your formal transition into the Crone archetype
Who is this retreat for?
This gathering is designed for women who are in their post-productive years who feel called to embrace their wise woman “Elder” archetype - those experiencing or approaching major life transitions such as menopause, empty nest, career shifts, or spiritual awakening. This is sacred work for women ready to step into their power as wise woman & elders.
What should i expect from the weekend?
You'll participate in sacred ceremonies including fire ritual, labyrinth walking, full moon blessing, cacao ceremony, and the formal Crone Crowning Ceremony. Expect deep personal reflection, connection with other women on similar journeys, and immersion in nature's healing presence. This is transformative work - come prepared to release old patterns and beliefs and embrace your emerging wise woman self.
What is a croning Ceremony?
A Croning is an ancient rite of passage that honors a woman's transition into her wise woman years. Traditionally marking the completion of the Mother phase and entry into the Crone archetype, this ceremony celebrates accumulated wisdom, spiritual power, and freedom from societal expectations. Our weekend culminates in a formal Crone Crowning ritual where you'll be witnessed and blessed as you step fully into your role as wisdom keeper.
What do I need to bring?
We'll provide a detailed packing list upon registration. Essentials include comfortable outdoor clothing, layers for mountain weather, journal, personal items for the Sacred Altar and fire release ceremony, and an open heart. Bedding and ritual items are provided.
I’m new to spiritual work. Will I Fit IN?
The circle welcomes women at all stages of their spiritual journey. Whether you're well-versed in ritual work or completely new to ceremony, our facilitators create inclusive space for every participant. What matters most is your willingness to engage authentically with the process.
What is your cancellation policy?
We operate with a no-cancellation policy. This sacred commitment to yourself and the circle requires the same dedication as ancient initiations. Please register only when you're certain of your participation.
How do I know if I'm ready for this work?
If you're questioning whether you're ready, you probably are. The call to Cronehood often comes with uncertainty - that's part of the initiation. Trust the part of you that feels drawn to this gathering and knows it's time to step into your full power.
Can I come if I'm not yet in menopause?
The Crone archetype isn't strictly about biological markers. Some women feel called to this wisdom phase earlier due to life experiences, spiritual awakening, or simply an inner knowing. Trust your intuition - if you feel drawn to claim your wise woman power, you belong here.
What makes this different from other women’s retreats?
This isn't about self-care or temporary renewal - it's a true rite of passage marking your transition into a new life phase. The weekend focuses specifically on claiming your power as a wise woman and elder, with ceremonies designed to facilitate deep spiritual transformation rather than surface-level healing.
What if the weather doesn’t cooperate?
Mountain weather in November can be unpredictable. We have covered spaces for ceremonies if needed, and some activities may be adapted for weather conditions. The Earth's wisdom speaks through all seasons - rain, wind, and cold are also part of the initiation. If it’s exceptionally cold, we can have a slumber party in the heated main space.
Will there be time for rest & solitude?
Absolutely. While we'll gather for shared ceremonies, you'll also have periods for personal reflection, forest wandering, and integration. The schedule honors both collective ritual and individual processing time.
What should I do to prepare?
Begin journaling about what you're ready to release and what wisdom you've gained through your life experiences. Spend time in nature reflecting on your journey. Most importantly, come with openness to transformation and willingness to be witnessed in your truth.
Come experience
Sacred fire ceremony to release what no longer serves you
A labyrinth walk to claim your Crone gifts at the center stone
Cacao heart dance to awaken your wild, wise nature
Waning moon blessings with ceremonial flower foot washing
Forest immersion guided by the wisdom of the land
The creation of handmade flower crowns as ritual adornment
Intimate circles of story, song, and soul-sharing
The sacred Crone Crowning Ceremony to mark your initiation
Your forest home awaits
We offer you a large, beautiful canvas bell tent with your own luxury tempurpedic mattress.
716 acres of pristine protected forest
Our gathering space
A hand-built intentional yurt
WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR YOU
This three-day journey honors the ancient rhythm of transformation: releasing what no longer serves you, receiving what wants to emerge, and returning home crowned with your wise woman power. Each day holds its own sacred rhythm and intention, guiding you deeper into the initiation that awaits.
Friday welcomes you into sacred space with a tea ceremony and land offering, handcrafted prayer bundles, and evening intentions shared around the sacred fire before our releasing ceremony.
Saturday moves us through morning meditation, deep group work exploring what we're ready to release, cacao dance that opens the heart, evening moon blessing with ceremonial foot washing as night falls.
Sunday brings flower crown creation with our own hands, the sacred Croning Ceremony itself, then nourishing lunch before you return home as an initiated wise woman.
Our beloved forest holds space for you to remember who you are. Not who you were taught to be, not who others needed you to become, but who you have always been beneath the layers of expectation and performance. Here, you have the opportunity to touch the unshakeable knowing that your wisdom matters, your voice deserves to be heard, and this glorious life is yours to claim.
Your crown awaits.
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Your Guides
Vanessa Crites
Ceremonialist · Certified Integration Specialist · Earth-Based Spiritual Practitioner · Grandmother
Vanessa Crites is a respected ceremonial guide and certified integration specialist with over 20 years of personal and professional experience in the healing arts. Her work integrates trauma-informed care, recovery wisdom, Earth-based ritual practices, and deep spiritual presence.
She has facilitated over 1,500 people through rites of passage - grief, death, recovery, psychospiritual transformations - and is known for creating containers that are both emotionally safe and spiritually alive.
Vanessa’s path includes her own recovery from addiction, healing through chronic illness, and decades of inner work. As a mother of three and now a grandmother, she brings a rare kind of lived wisdom to every space she holds.
Her work honors the wisdom in the body, the intelligence of the land, and the medicine that lives within every unique human being.
URSULA LENTINE
Doctorate of Consciousness Studies - quantum, metaphysics and spirituality intersection
Ursula has facilitated over 6400 private sessions and worked with various organizational groups since 2010. She works individually with clients to reveal and remove internally embedded beliefs and physical conditions. These symptoms are predispositions from inherited legacy burdens or activated by traumas and life circumstances. She is also a Subconscious work specialist using Internal Family Systems, a Pranic Healing teacher and leads a weekly meditation that you are invited to.
RETREAT INVESTMENT
November 14-16, 2025
Arrival Friday 12pm & 2pm • Departure Sunday 4pm
Packages include all retreat activities, vegan chef-prepared meals, expertly guided workshops, cacao & croning ceremonies, and take-home ritual items.
Shared Glamping
Share a beautiful, spacious canvas bell tent with another guest.
Early bird pricing until October 1st: $1,000 + tax per person
Standard Pricing after October 1st: $1,200 + tax per person
Private Glamping
A private teepee tent with a single mattress all to yourself.
Early bird pricing until October 1st: $1,300 + tax per person
Standard Pricing after October 1st: $1,500 + tax per person
Self-Camp
$500 + tax
Ready to claim your crown?
SPECIAL RATES APPLY FOR MEMBERS
Up to two members are eligible for a limited 25% off. Read more here.