An archetypal retreat
for women, story, soul, & stillness.
We gather in the bones of winter, when the veil is thin and the stories buried beneath the surface begin to stir. We gather in a Bohemian home nestled in the ancient mountains of Western North Carolina. Here, the forest whispers; the bare branches writing poems in the sky.
This is a retreat for the woman who feels something shifting.
The one who has shed, who is shedding still.
The one with a story. The woman who desires to be around other women in community. The woman craving nourishment and stillness, expression and aliveness. The woman standing at a threshold.
Over the course of three nights and four days, we enter the hush of winter together through movement and rest, through ritual and poetry, through fire and silence.
Mornings begin with nourishment, community, and stillness. Midday, we write and move guided from the deep, inviting the raw, the unspoken, the sacred. Evenings are marked by warmth: candlelight, ceremony, shared meals, quiet integration.
Spaces are intentionally intimate and limited. This experience is a collaboration of women, storytellers, yogis, artists, and healers who are rooted in their craft.
1-1 Sessions & Yoga nidra
Each of you will receive a private Reiki session with your host, Kate Wargo, as well as Reiki-infused Yoga Nidra. A certified Yoga Nidra facilitator in the ISHTA lineage and a Holy Fire® III Karuna Reiki® Master Teacher, she is also a mother, writer, poet, and storyteller who explores the thresholds of transformation through language and rest.
"The session was a powerful one. she took us into deep, but alert relaxation, and took us on what I liken to the shamanic journeying I've done. Toward the end, as we lay there, she came by to do hands-on Reiki on our crown chakras, and that felt like a high-energy blessing." -TForest bathing
Christa Hebal from Asheville Wellness Tours will lead us into the forest to explore what stories the land holds, feel the hum of the earth beneath our feet, and sink into its rhythm - a quiet remembering. Christa is an ANFT certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide who feels deeply inspired to share forest bathing as an integral experience for our personal and collective remembrance, and evolution during these transformative times.
"Christa teaches us to walk as though we are kissing the earth with our feet."-Eyoga
Tara Eschenroeder is a 500 hour E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, CTA Certified Coach, and self-published author who weaves movement with poetry from her self-published collections Collecting Feathers, Landing hOMe, and Sacred Details. Guided by breath and heartbeat, you’ll listen more deeply, sensing when to move and when to be still. Together we’ll reconnect to the sacred animal within and the poetry of practice. This journey reminds us how to be free on and off the mat as we continue authoring the epic novel of our lives.
"To be in the presence of Tara is a present. Whether it is in a retreat or activity she is leading, her written word, or in moments of collective silence. I left my experience with her with a profound sense of joy, encouragement, and gratitude."-Cwww.greatabidingyoga.com Poetry of woman ceremony
Poetry of Woman led by Morgan Woelflein is a ritual of writing, movement, and sisterhood that reclaims the ancient lineage of priestesses, poets, and oracles. Together we will nourish the female body and nervous system, awakening the creative current that lives in womb and pussy. Through story, dance, and prompts inspired by women’s wisdom, you will unearth the language of your soul. This is a safe space for women to be witnessed in truth, whether clothed or bare, always held in respect and care. Morgan is a feminine wisdom keeper, writer, yoga teacher, and guide for women. Her work is a spell to awaken the Goddess, a spell to soothe the soul and body of woman.
www.morganofthemoon.comPoetry writing workshop
Let’s come together to slow into our senses, nourish our bodies with gentle, sensual movement, and allow our poetry to emerge as prayer. Local writer, Tiffany Narron, will guide with somatic practices, weaving slow movement with poems to read, explore, and respond to through writing prompts. No writing experience is needed. Come as you are, share as you wish, and nourish your body while planting seeds for winter dreaming.
www.tiffanynarron.comlive concert
A special live performance by local popular singer/songwriter, Lillie Syracuse.
https://lilliesyracuse.com/Archetypal dinner
Saturday evening will be more than a meal, it is an embodied celebration of the stories we carry and the selves we are becoming. You are invited to arrive dressed as an archetype you are embracing in this season, The Wild Woman, The Poet, The Mystic, The Lover, or another figure that calls to your soul. Your outfit can be subtle or bold, from symbolic jewelry to flowing layers that hold meaning for you. Together we will witness, reflect, and weave our archetypal energies into a night of transformation, expression, and deep connection.
Reiki & Yoga Nidra with your host, Kate Wargo
Forest Bathing with Christa
Poetry Inspired Yoga with Tara Eschenroeder
Poetry of Woman Ceremony with Morgan Woelflein
A soul-stirring and nourishing writing workshop with Tiffany Narron
Songs that pour deep from the heart of the in-between from Lillie Syracuse
Archetypal Dinner
Price Includes
~
~ 3 + full days of retreat
~ 1-1 Reiki session w/ Kate
~ Daily guided practices to speak to the creatrix within
~ Full moon ceremony
~ Forest Bathing
~ All meals
~ Tea & coffee
~ Live concert
A $3,000 value
Price does
not include
~
~ Lodging
~ Flights / transport there
~ $72/night nightly fee if staying in bunk room
*Note: There is a $0 nightly fee if staying downstairs on a Tempur-Pedic floor bed
exchange
$1,997
Payment Plan Available through Klarna.
$500 scholarship opportunity available
Accomodations
stay on-site
commute
One final room left
The Poet’s Nest | Bunk Room
-
Ascend the stairway to a shared or Private dreamy cocoon
This room offers a full-sized bed and top twin-sized bed with a shared half bath, and a full bath with a clawfoot tub just down the hall.
-
Bunk Room November Offer
Enjoy 50% off nightly fee
$144/night
$72/night
stay downstairs on a floor bed
This cozy nest is set up in a shared space downstairs with the possibility of one other woman in her own Tempur-Pedic floor bed nearby. A privacy wall is provided with access to a half bath. Upstairs, you have access to a gorgeous full bath with shower and clawfoot tub.
You are also welcome to book off-site accommodations in town.
Kate has recommendations for a cute inn, bed and breakfast, and other hotels nearby.
Or if you are local to the area and would like to commute each day.
Please check the box on the retreat application form that you would like these recommendations, if interested.
Our Bohemian Abode in the Mountains
01
Getting Here
Nearest Airport: Asheville Regional Airport
1 hour from Asheville, NC
872 Freemantown Rd, Rutherfordton, NC 28139
02
Arrivals/Departure
Arrive: Dec. 4 from 2:00-5:30 pm
Depart: Dec. 7 from 1:00-3:00 pm
03
Accomodations
On-site accommodations are available. You may also commute from home or book a recommended place to stay nearby.
-
Day 1
2:00 PM - Arrival begins with landing snacks
6:00PM - Welcome/Opening Ceremony
7:30 PM - Dinner
-
Day 2
6:30 AM - Coffee/tea/light snacks
8:30 - 10:00 AM - Breakfast
10:00 - 12:30PM -Tending the Threads Circle &Yoga Nidra & Reiki with Kate
1:00 PM - Lunch
2:00-4:30 PM - Forest Bathing with Christa
4:30 - 6:00 PM - Integration time (journaling, walk, rest, read, etc.)
6:00 PM - Dinner
8:30 PM - Live performance by Lillie Syracuse
-
Day 3
6:30 AM - Coffee/tea/light snacks
8:30 - 10:00 AM - Breakfast
10:00 - 12:30 PM - Tending the Threads Circle & Yoga with Tara
1:00 PM - Lunch
2:00-4:30 PM - Poetry of Woman with Morgan
4:30 - 6:00 PM - Integration time (journaling, walk, rest, read, etc.)
7:00 PM - Archetypal Dinner
9:00 PM Fireside Ceremony/Reflections
-
Day 4
6:30 AM - Coffee/tea/light snacks
10:00 - 11:00 - Brunch
11:00-12:30 PM - Poetry as Prayer with Tiffany Narron
12:30-1:00 PM - Closing Ceremony and To Go chef goodies
nourishment by chef evie
A soulful, sensory dining experience rooted in the seasons and sourced from the land. Each meal is a celebration of local farms, wild ingredients, deeply nourishing, and wildly flavorful. Meals are designed to be both grounding and elevating, offering us a true taste of place and presence.
“From my work in food trucks to fine dining, upscale event planning to barnyard birthday parties, I pull eclectic inspiration from foraging in our abundant forests, to cuisines from around the world, and love to offer them in an artistic and easeful way. I believe that absolutely everything, from the quality of the ingredients, to the compilation of flavors, textures, heart felt preparation and curated presentation, lends itself to the complete experience.” -Evie
https://www.ayurvedawithevie.com/
Full Cup Catering Co. Asheville, NC
-
This retreat is a women’s only retreat ages 18 and up. We will be in close circles and we know how much safety and inspiration that creates. Every woman is welcome.
-
Enrollment opens on Tuesday, April 22nd and closes Saturday, November 27th
Payment plans are available through Klarna integrated on the invoice that would be sent to you - a buy now, pay later 0% interest free service, allowing you to pay for the retreat in installments.
-
Not at all! This is for anyone who feels called to explore self-expression, creativity, and inner reflection—whether through movement, stillness, or words. No writing experience is necessary; this retreat is about discovering and honoring your unique voice in whatever form it wishes to emerge.
-
The $400 deposit is non-refundable, as it holds your space and helps cover planning costs.
More than 30 days before the retreat – You’ll receive a refund of any amount paid beyond the deposit, minus a small processing fee.
21-29 days before the retreat – You’ll get a 50% refund of any amount paid beyond the deposit or can apply the full amount (minus the deposit) toward a future retreat.
20 days or less before the retreat – No refunds, but you’re welcome to transfer your spot to someone else.
If for any reason I need to cancel the retreat, you’ll receive a full refund, including your deposit, or the option to roll your payment forward to a future experience.
-
Warm and cozy layers, and outdoor footwear – We’ll be moving, resting, and spending some time in nature, so bring clothes that help you feel comfortable and grounded.
A journal and pen/pencil
A Yoga mat and any comfort items such as a bolster or eye pillow
A special item for our storytelling altar
An outfit embodying an archetype you’re embracing in this season(optional but encouraged!) – For our Saturday evening dinner, we’ll gather in a space of celebration, storytelling, and shared transformation. This is your chance to step fully into an aspect of yourself that’s calling to be expressed.
Think of an archetype that resonates with you right now - The Wild Woman, The Poet, The Mystic, The Lover, The Healer, The Queen, The Warrior, The Seer, etc. whoever is whispering to you in this season of your life. Your outfit can be as subtle or as bold as you’d like, whether it’s flowing fabrics, earthy tones, dramatic textures, or a single piece ( accessory or object, for example) that makes you feel like you’re stepping into this energy fully.
Toiletries (high quality shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are also available at the venue)
Any foods/drinks (non-alcoholic, please) you would like to bring - Our chef is accommodating all dietary restrictions, allergies, and preferences, but you are always welcome to bring food and drink, as well. There is plenty of space in our refrigerator!
-
House Boheme is at 872 Freemantown Road, Rutherfordton, NC 28139
Note that google maps sometimes directs people to the wrong house. Waze and Apple Maps work great. There will be a red lantern placed on the mailbox to indicate the correct driveway for House Boheme, as well as a yard sign that says “Woven Word Retreat”. When turning into the driveway, stay to the right, as indicated by a wooden red arrow, and you will find plenty of parking available.
-
You may arrive to House Boheme as early as 2:00pm on Dec. 4.
Opening circle begins at 6:00PM
The retreat ends Sunday, Dec. 7 at 1:00 PM, but we can leave as late as 3:00 PM.
Brunch will be provided, as well as snacks, and To Go foods from our chef on the final day.
-
In early December, Rutherfordton, NC, typically experiences cool temperatures with highs around the mid-50s°F and lows in the mid-30s°F. The weather is generally crisp and dry, though occasional rain showers are possible. It’s a transitional period into winter, so expect a mix of sunny days and overcast skies.
As of now (11/20/25) there is no projected snow. It does look like rain early in the day on Dec. 4, but clearing up later on.
Plan to dress in layers, bring a medium-weight jacket, and closed-toe shoes or boots to keep your feet warm. Mornings and evenings can be chilly, so bring a scarf, gloves, and a hat just in case.
-
Yes, all meals are included with the exception of lunch and dinner on Sunday. Snacks are always available, as well as To Go goodies from our chef.
You can absolutely bring your own food and drink (non-alcoholic, please). We have plenty of space in our refrigerator.
Our amazing chef is accommodating all of our dietary needs.
If you have any further requests or questions/concerns about food, please email Chef Evie at fullcupcateringco@gmail.com
Note the “co” in her email, make sure to include that.
-
Itinerary Taste:
Morning Quiet Time/Coffee & Tea
A nourishing home cooked breakfast
Community Circle
Workshop
A delicious lunch
Workshop
Rest and snacks or a walk
Dinner by our private chef
A more detailed itinerary is provided on the main page of the website.
-
Every room has either a private or shared gorgeous bathroom.
We are blessed with mineral rich, clean drinking water from the well system that all of us are welcome to enjoy.
Enjoy the serene natural surroundings with a panoramic view of the mountains.
22 acres of forested trails leading to a private waterfall
Appreciate art collected from around the world.
-
Yes, there may be opportunities for intentional, sacred nudity during the retreat. This could look like dancing under the moonlight, baring our breasts during Poetry of Woman, or simply reclaiming the body in safe, consensual spaces. Nothing is ever required—each invitation is just that: an invitation. You are always encouraged to honor your own boundaries and choose what feels right for you. This is a space of reverence, liberation, and deep self-trust.
Please take that into consideration as you apply.
-
No problem! Contact Kate through the form at the bottom of this page titled “Contact” or more directly at wovenlightavl@gmail.com
