UNTAMED
REWILDING THE FEMININE
A Four-Day Women’s Initiation in the Forest
June 11–14, 2026
VANESSA CRITES
JUST LOVE FOREST, POETRY, GEORGIA
Since before memory, women have gathered like this.
Around fire. In the wild. Outside of roles, outside of what they owed everyone else. In moon lodges and medicine circles and sacred groves, women have always found their way back to themselves — and to each other — in spaces that belonged only to them.
That knowing didn't disappear. It was silenced.
Modern life isolated us from the circle. From the fire. From the particular kind of truth that only surfaces when women gather without performance, without hierarchy, without the weight of being needed by everyone else first.
UNTAMED is a return to that.
Not as ritual for ritual's sake, but because something in you has always known this was missing. And because the women who came before you, in every culture that remembered how to tend the feminine, knew that this gathering was not indulgent.
It was how they stayed whole.
Some women arrive here feeling like a concrete pillar.
Steady. Dependable. Necessary. Holding everything up — including themselves — for so long they’ve forgotten what it feels like to bend.
Some arrive cracked open already. Grief close to the surface. Something pressing for space.
Some don’t have language for it at all. Just a quiet knowing that something needs to shift.
Wherever you are — we meet you there.
It is four days in the belly of Just Love Forest, 716 acres of protected land that has held ceremony for years. This work lives in its roots, its soil, its silence. This land is not a venue. It is a living partner. It has been tending something here long before you arrive.
We work with what the elements have always known how to do.
Earth that steadies you.
Fire that changes things.
Water that moves what has been stuck.
Air that reminds you how to breathe again.
We don’t know what you’re carrying or how long you’ve been carrying it.
We bring the bolt cutters.
You bring yourself, the inconvenient parts, the too-much parts, the parts that have been waiting so long for permission they’ve almost forgotten what they were waiting for.
Come find out what you are when nothing is required of you.
"You were wild once. Don't let them tame you." - Isadora Duncan
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.
WHAT THIS IS
Four days in the belly of the forest, moving through the elemental gateways of earth, fire, water, and sky — not as metaphor, but as direct experience of rewilding in the body.
We work with fire and sound and silence and circle. With grief and joy as twin teachers rather than opposites. With the losses that broke you, the longings you have not yet spoken, the quiet wisdom you are learning to trust again.
This is where what has been held alone for too long finally has somewhere to go. Without performance. Without managing how it looks. Without needing it to be anything other than true.
There is a before.
There is an after.
What happens between them changes everything.
"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
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Sacred Fire Ceremony
We build the fire. We circle. We sing and drum and share our voices — from prompts that will take you somewhere you haven’t been in a while. And then each woman makes her offering. The prayers she’s been carrying. The version of herself she’s ready to release. What she built for survival that she no longer needs to keep. The fire is our alchemist.
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Sound Healing
The bowls speak in frequencies your thinking mind doesn't have access to. Something in the body recognizes it before you do. You don't work at this one. You just receive it — and receiving, for most women in that circle, will be the hardest and most necessary thing they do all weekend.
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Cacao Ceremony & Embodied Movement
The heart opens first. Then the body follows. What has been held tightly begins to move — through sound, through breath, through whatever wants to come through when nothing is being performed and nothing is being managed. This is where the wild in you remembers itself.
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Forest Immersion
Unstructured time with the land. No destination. No task. Nothing being asked of you. The forest holds you in a particular way when you release expectation. Most women are surprised by what surfaces when they finally get quiet enough to listen.
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Circle & Reflection
All of you is welcome here. You speak the stories that need to be told. You hear yourself without interruption. You are met without performance. This is where you begin to see clearly where you have chosen self-abandonment over self-truth — not as judgment, but as the beginning of the end of it.
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Ritual Evenings
After dark, around the fire. Drum. Song. Silence. The conversations that only happen when the day is over and nothing is being managed. You will say things here you haven’t said anywhere else. So will the women beside you.
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The Labyrinth Walk of Return
On the final morning, we walk the labyrinth. One path in. One path out. You walk toward your own center — and you walk back out into your life carrying what has been reclaimed. This is the closing rite. It earns its place.
THIS RETREAT IS FOR YOU IF
You have done the work. Therapy, courses, spiritual practices, years of trying to understand yourself. And still, something hasn’t moved. Not because you haven’t tried hard enough — because some things don’t shift until they are met in the body, in a circle of women, on land that knows how to hold what we carry.
You are tired of managing yourself to keep things intact. The connection. The approval. The version of your life that works for everyone else.
You notice where you override your own knowing — especially in the moments where something feels at risk. Being understood. Being chosen. Keeping the peace.
You are holding something that hasn’t had a place to land. Grief. Rage. Desire. Truth. Or something you don’t yet have words for.
You have adapted in ways that made your life work — and in the process, something in you went quiet.
You want connection that doesn’t require you to abandon yourself to have it.
You want to be more at ease in your body. More honest in your voice. More available for the life and love you actually want — unapologetically.
You are not looking for another experience.
You are ready for something to actually change.
Come exactly as you are — especially the parts that feel inconvenient, too much, not enough, or still finding their voice. Bring your grief. Bring your wonder. Bring the wild threads of yourself that have waited for a place to belong.
We will hold them all.
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: $800 + tax per person
Standard Pricing after October 1st: $1,000 + tax per person
Private Glamping
A private teepee tent with a single mattress all to yourself.
Early bird pricing until October 1st: $1,000 + tax per person
Standard Pricing after October 1st: $1,200 + tax per person
Self-Camp
$400 + 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.