Coming Soon
It’s the equinox. Mabon is upon us.
The sun falls lower in the sky.
Soon the trees will fan into flame sending their final melodies skyward.
The underworld is calling…
…but first you have a very important farewell party to attend.
This may or may not be an eerily accurate portrayal of happenings at last year’s Root & Flame
Here we are holding Persephone’s beautiful hand in an ancient circle dance…and Dionysus is here pouring the flowered wine & Pan is playing the pipes & we all have everything we need—right here, right now—to watch the sun fall with a smile.
We will handle each part of Persephone and Dionysus’ elemental beings before we bid them farewell— birthing an eternal beauty and potent medicines with their vital life-force, as well our own unique geometries of light.
We will work their earthy flesh with plant medicines and pleasure; their fires with trial and transmutation; their waters with song and sweat; their breath with story and spells.
This medicine will light up the underworld with all of the shimmering stones of Hades’ hordes, leaving us rich beyond measure…and at peace in even the darkest of winter’s nights.
AT Root and Flame you will…
Practice morning and evening star and tea meditations to connect to both your primordial and bodily ancestors.
Harvest medicine roots as an initiatory rite and meeting of the gods
Engage in alchemical medicine making ceremonies on an open fire
Sing and share dream journeys at nightly bonfires
Perform ritual dance to world-class live music
Pray and connect to the elements in a wood-fired sauna
Feast daily on the locally grown fruits of the harvest
Learn how to surrender to the flow of power within you with daily Tai Chi and Qi Gong
Practice the transmutation and expansive powers of opening to pleasure and tantra
Engage in sacred herbal full-body skincare ritual
Practice cold and dark exposure in a safe and sacred environment to harness your inner sunlight for the deepening fall
Past R &F participants have reported that
You Will Leave Root & Flame With…
A newfound sense of confidence that you can not only make it in this world and through the winter, but that you can thrive with joy, abundance, and supportive community
A lighter heart…sure not to tip the Libran scales as you make your passage to the underworld
The inspiration and new tools to craft your world, your environment and your soul into shapes that make you want to sing, dance, and celebrate
Enjoyable, potent, and ancient daily practices to build your internal fires, protect your energy field, and channel your will so that creativity flows freely throughout your day
New plant allies and means of connecting with and crafting medicines to keep you in synchronicity and conversation with your environment so that you are never alone and are always guided
A ton of new human friends, teachers, and allies that you can call upon when you need reminded of your magic
About the Land
We gather to welcome fall in a valley of pure and sacred mineral waters in West Virginia.
The laughter of generations of children and music resounds in this hidden valley.
A handcrafted woodfired sauna sits on the waters edge where we will sweat, sing, and plunge into the mysterious darkness that awaits us as the sun’s protective light dims.
We will float and recite poetry from the docks and canoes; pray the songs the plant teach us as we gather leaves for tea; and with widened gaze walk the creek’s edge slowly feeling each step like a goodnight kiss upon the earth.
We have wildness within us that remembers what it is to be truly human…
How to read the language of God in every stone, root, and twist of tree bark…
How to hear the guidance of angels in every sigh, sob, and giggle from a dear friend…
How to slip between worlds and craft new realities with a movement of a wrist and a loosening of the eyes.
How to enjoy all of it…all of your humanity: hot or cold, pain or pleasure, friend or enemy, light or dark.
This is a celebration, a dance, a successful harvest, a reaping….
…an expression of gratitude for life, for grain, for grape, for apple, for honey, and root & flame.
The underworld is calling, but it can wait.
A long deep sleep will be just what the ancient doctors ordered after this fête.
Deadline to Register is August 21
Your Guides on the Journey
Crystal Woodling
Mistress of Ceremonies
Crystal is a Clinical and Folk Herbalist, Yogini, Traditional Astrologer, Journey Work Practitioner, and Story Teller.
She combines all of these healing tools in her one-on-one healing work with clients, in her courses on plant magic and writing, and in her yearly retreat series: Root & Flame.
Her magical work started young, palm reading in middle school and giving tarot readings in high school everywhere from AP Bio to the office of her gas station job where she also happened to work as the town “herb”alist.
After leaving her career as a professor of poetry and literature, she spent a decade studying with healers from various traditions around the globe in pursuit of freeing herself from debilitating chronic illnesses.
After passing the gifts that she gleaned from that healing on to numerous suffering friends and family members, she decided to follow her calling as the legs of the plants and the voice of the stars.
Eric RandolpH
Master of Chi
Master Eric Randolph has studied TaijiQuan and Taoist Practices of Healing for over 25 years with many masters of acclaimed status, most notably Glenn Hairston of the Bending Bamboo Association, Zhang Yun Specialist in Self-Defense Training of the Wu style family of Taijiquan, and Master Xu of Shanghai, China -esteemed member of the Combined Form Lineage.
Through his studies he has attained a very rare understanding of taijiquan meditation and accupressure knowledge giving him the ability to help people in all walks of life to gain true balance and success in whatever path they have chosen. Through his tutelage he has brought many through various chronic diseases who have found total rehabilitation through practicing his methods of Taoist meditation and movement.
He is noted for his success in assisting others to overcome chronic illnesses like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Colitis, Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, Muscular Dystrophy, Rare forms of Seizures, and Brain Cancer with measurable improvements attained by both clients and students.
Master Eric has taught his unique methods to groups and individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and organizations including the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Forbes Metropolitan Hospital, Deloitte and associates, and the Grogan and Graffam law firm.
Matthew Merlin
Master of Stars and ritual magic
Matthew “Merlin” Kenney is a practicing classical astrologer, a theurgist and hermetic magician, a yogi, a translator of Ancient Greek and Sanskrit, a journeyman herbalist, and an energy healer trained in several traditions.
As an academic and a scholar, Matthew utilizes intellectual rigor to restore the worldview and magical prowess of the ancient world and apply it to the modern day. Matthew has read and translated ancient texts on hatha yoga, Kashmiri tantra, Hellenistic astrology, and ceremonial magic, and applies their wisdom into his own practice and teachings.
As a dedicated spiritual practitioner, Matthew uses the information that his own research and spiritual practices yield to guide his clients and students on their paths towards spiritual flourishing. Matthew emphasizes total embodiment and magical empowerment, restoring the birthright of godhood within all of us.
He will be generously sharing from his wealth of knowledge and wisdom with us at Root & Flame.
Emiliano Ena
Master of Dance and Drum
A freeform DJ for over two decades, Emiliano creates and shares music that facilitates movement and inner listening throughout its broad spectrum. He was called to work with sound in 2007 while living in Australia and had the opportunity to explore the native indigenous culture. Here, he began a deeper dive into the most ancient forms of cross-cultural healing that exists: Music.
Emiliano is a Sound Journey Artist, 5Rhythms Space Holder, event producer, and an international travel guide. Currently is under the mentorship of SVARAM Sound Experience Institute developing a Sonic Experience Installation. He is also studying ceremonial drumming and REI (Rhythmic Entraiment Intervention) with Jeff Strong.
All of the above will be integrated in to his offerings at Root & Flame.
Stay tuned on his Mixcloud Channel, where you can hear sounds from all around the globe transcending borders. #OpenHearts #OpenRoads.
Jean Brown
Herbal Ritual Facilitator
Jeana Brown finds joy in making botanically potent body care that brings magic and healing to the body. Her potions, lotions, and balms are formulated with reverence to the deep wisdom of the plants whose generosity have kept us alive and thriving throughout the ages. Her recent work focuses on bringing ritual to the body as a way to deepen our connection to the healer that exists within all of us. We are the medicine.
Jeana is founder of The Sweet Dark, an all natural body care shop.
Juici J
Mistress of Pleasure
@alkemistsanonymous aka janellebaranco bka Juici J (she/they) is a pleasure and intimacy activist, alkemist, coach and facilitator based in New Orleans, Lousiana.
Pleasure is necessary for our collective liberation. Juici J combines her unique training with Earth medicines, various pleasure practices, and breathwork to intuitively midwife humans into more intimacy and connectivity with themselves and all they touch.
Knowing and learning how to support and nurture all aspects of oneself intimately – especially the parts that we routinely reject, suppress and deny - allows us to show up as our full selves in spaces and places that so desperately need us in this moment.
Juici is an afro-futurist and like Toni Cade-Bombara believes the revolution must be irresistible.
She loves dancing vigorously and like no one is watching even though hopefully someone is watching and joins in because nothing is sustainable outside of community; deep stretching, deep breathing and any activity that facilitates re-membering how orgasmic and cosmic we all are.
Milly RAccon
Ceremonial Fiddler
Fiddler and singer Milly Raccoon’s songs are most loved by her fellow nerdy magicians. She draws from a variety of magical and mythical traditions to blaze her own unique spiritual trail. A connecting thread of spirituality, healing, and liberation weaves through her work.
She is joined by guitar wizard Frank Rische to generate inter-dimensional vibrations of scandalous piety and merriment.
Getting To the Party
(Click Text to Purchase)
Cabins have kitchens, full bathrooms, linens, electricity, and heating/cooling units
Camp spots have access to larger shared cabin kitchen units and bathroom facilities
Ample electricity and Wi-Fi access is available, though unplugging is encouraged
Buffalo Gap Retreat
229 Cool Creek Rd. Capon Bridge, WV 26711
Cell phone service is unreliable in the mountains.
You should print the directions and not rely on google maps for navigation
By Car:
Heading west on U.S. Rt. 50 through the town of Capon Bridge, make the first right turn onto Coldstream Rd. just after crossing over the green truss bridge and Cacapon River.
Proceed up Coldstream Road about 4.5 miles to H. Rubenstein Road-- bear left onto Rubenstein Rd. (gravel)
(top of a hill, old blank sign boards still up -- small sign says Chaos Off Road Park, and Buffalo Gap Retreat vinyl banners displayed by row of mailboxes).
Proceed about 0.4 miles on Rubenstein Road to a pair of red gates on right hand side and entrance to camp -- gates should be open.
Look for Buffalo Gap vinyl banner mounted to tree.
Arriving by air:
You will be flying into DC Dulles International Airport.
This is an approximate 1 hour and 40 minute drive to the retreat center (depending on traffic)
You may travel from Dulles to Buffalo Gap by:
Rental Car / Taxi
We will be coordinating travel in a private Facebook group after retreat registration has ended. We are hoping that many can carpool, share rental cars, and coordinate flight/train times for shuttles with one another.
We will be providing limited assistance shuttling participants from the DC and Pittsburgh areas. This limited assistance will be dependent on need and may require extra payment. We will figure it out in the Facebook group!
If you have concerns over travel, or special needs please reach out.
Actual prophetic painting of us at Root & Flame this year