10 - 15 November 2021,
Langeberg Mountains, Garden Route
South Africa
5-NIGHT RETREAT - WRITING, STORY AND MYTHS FROM THE SOIL
with Sarah Bullen and Niall Campbell
So I have to tell the story while we sit together. |
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In ancient times our ancestors were a part of the environment they lived in. Their lives were determined by the nature of the place. The seasons, the climate and those they shared the land with, were the powers that determined their lives.
Culture grows out of many generations of living in a place.
How has land shaped you through the generations?
This is a unique opportunity to join writing mentor Sarah Bullen and shaman Niall Campbell for a deep exploration into your personal mythology, relationship with the wild inner self.
We are working with wilderness as a portal into the mythological landscape.
Come and sit for a while.
Listen to some stories from older times. Open your ears to myths and tales from the soil.
In our lives, as modern Western people we are constantly subtly influenced. New technological myths are being created and fed to us. Technology is now the God. It promises convenience. Less effort. Less risk. Less danger of failure. Less time. Less connection.
Over the course of the six days we will strip away these things to open the possibility that you may uncover another path, another story. You may uncover in writing, in the earth or in quietness another story to live into.
What happens when we avail ourselves to what is bigger?
Myth and the symbolic language is how we convey “soul material” and it is this we will explore in language, writing, and in the land.
EXPECT
Writing
Storytelling,
Listen to the Stories of Old
Exploring Personal Mythology
Dreaming with Wilderness
Exploring Wildness and the Wilderness
The power of place, participation and reconnecting.
Exploring belonging on all levels.
Working with the four communities (the living, the non human, the ancestors, the descendants)
This is an invitation to step out of the world of function and productivity and join the world of myth and magic, in a land where even whispers have meaning.
We will gather in the Langeberg mountains in the southern Cape, South Africa, in a wilderness retreat which enables the living flow of nature to be present in all aspects of life.
When we slow down and connect with the rhythms of nature, our activities and our thinking become more rhythmic, more enlivened, more whole.
This is the space – inner and outer – that this immersion offers. It is a place for open conversation, between ourselves who are there, between ourselves and our world, and within ourselves.
We will invite you to seek out and uncover the story of where you've been, what has happened and where you are now. Of those who came before you walked on this earth.
Sarah Bullen is a storyteller, author and has been running international creative writing retreats and workshops for a decade all over the world. Niall Campbell is a shaman, a storyteller, a weaver of magic and a traditional nyanga (medicine man). Niall has over 25 years of apprenticeship with African teachers in ancestral and nature spirits, divination and medicinal herbalism. He facilitates rites of passage, coming into adulthood and manhood and is widely regarded as one of the foremost holders of traditional ways.
Culture grows out of many generations of living in a place.
How has land shaped you through the generations?
This is a unique opportunity to join writing mentor Sarah Bullen and shaman Niall Campbell for a deep exploration into your personal mythology, relationship with the wild inner self.
We are working with wilderness as a portal into the mythological landscape.
Come and sit for a while.
Listen to some stories from older times. Open your ears to myths and tales from the soil.
In our lives, as modern Western people we are constantly subtly influenced. New technological myths are being created and fed to us. Technology is now the God. It promises convenience. Less effort. Less risk. Less danger of failure. Less time. Less connection.
Over the course of the six days we will strip away these things to open the possibility that you may uncover another path, another story. You may uncover in writing, in the earth or in quietness another story to live into.
What happens when we avail ourselves to what is bigger?
Myth and the symbolic language is how we convey “soul material” and it is this we will explore in language, writing, and in the land.
EXPECT
Writing
Storytelling,
Listen to the Stories of Old
Exploring Personal Mythology
Dreaming with Wilderness
Exploring Wildness and the Wilderness
The power of place, participation and reconnecting.
Exploring belonging on all levels.
Working with the four communities (the living, the non human, the ancestors, the descendants)
This is an invitation to step out of the world of function and productivity and join the world of myth and magic, in a land where even whispers have meaning.
We will gather in the Langeberg mountains in the southern Cape, South Africa, in a wilderness retreat which enables the living flow of nature to be present in all aspects of life.
When we slow down and connect with the rhythms of nature, our activities and our thinking become more rhythmic, more enlivened, more whole.
This is the space – inner and outer – that this immersion offers. It is a place for open conversation, between ourselves who are there, between ourselves and our world, and within ourselves.
We will invite you to seek out and uncover the story of where you've been, what has happened and where you are now. Of those who came before you walked on this earth.
Sarah Bullen is a storyteller, author and has been running international creative writing retreats and workshops for a decade all over the world. Niall Campbell is a shaman, a storyteller, a weaver of magic and a traditional nyanga (medicine man). Niall has over 25 years of apprenticeship with African teachers in ancestral and nature spirits, divination and medicinal herbalism. He facilitates rites of passage, coming into adulthood and manhood and is widely regarded as one of the foremost holders of traditional ways.
THE LOCATION
Towerland Wilderness is in the Western Cape region of South Africa in the Garden Route area. It is 5 hours by car from Cape Town and an hour from the GEORGE AIRPORT. It is a rare place. Surrounded by mountains, riverine valleys, exultant fynbos and abundant wildlife, it offers a space to reconnect with yourself – a place where you can walk far, swim in crystal clear rivers, watch the stars, sink deep into silence, let your thoughts unfurl in freedom, enjoy rigorous conversation and much laughter, and be nourished by great food.
ACCOMMODATION
The accommodation consists of 10 units built from natural materials of clay, straw and wood, all situated at the top of a hill amongst pristine fynbos, giving a beautiful perspective of the surrounding area. The units are thoughtfully situated in relation to one another to allow both privacy and a sense of interconnectedness. All the units are pentagonal in shape, with a pentagon of glass in the ceiling through which the night sky can be observed. Generous windows offer beautiful views to the surrounds, and stable doors extend the flow between inside and outside, whilst the living roofs keep the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. With single, double and twin options, the units are tastefully yet simply furnished to enhance the overall intention of Towerland: to experience oneself and nature in an ongoing interdependent dance.
A carefully designed ablution block with two composting toilets and four gas-powered showers serves all the units. The showers are designed with two doors, one of which can open to the outside with views of the valley extending below.
Towerland Wilderness is in the Western Cape region of South Africa in the Garden Route area. It is 5 hours by car from Cape Town and an hour from the GEORGE AIRPORT. It is a rare place. Surrounded by mountains, riverine valleys, exultant fynbos and abundant wildlife, it offers a space to reconnect with yourself – a place where you can walk far, swim in crystal clear rivers, watch the stars, sink deep into silence, let your thoughts unfurl in freedom, enjoy rigorous conversation and much laughter, and be nourished by great food.
ACCOMMODATION
The accommodation consists of 10 units built from natural materials of clay, straw and wood, all situated at the top of a hill amongst pristine fynbos, giving a beautiful perspective of the surrounding area. The units are thoughtfully situated in relation to one another to allow both privacy and a sense of interconnectedness. All the units are pentagonal in shape, with a pentagon of glass in the ceiling through which the night sky can be observed. Generous windows offer beautiful views to the surrounds, and stable doors extend the flow between inside and outside, whilst the living roofs keep the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. With single, double and twin options, the units are tastefully yet simply furnished to enhance the overall intention of Towerland: to experience oneself and nature in an ongoing interdependent dance.
A carefully designed ablution block with two composting toilets and four gas-powered showers serves all the units. The showers are designed with two doors, one of which can open to the outside with views of the valley extending below.
ITINERARY WEDNESDAY
Arrival by 3pm Settle in and explore this land 5pm opening fire circle and session THURSDAY The Ordinary World vs The Special World The power of place, participation and reconnecting. The promise of convenience and the three addictions of security, comfort and entertainment. Can we enter the he world of risk. The world of Magic. The world of Wild. The upside down world. The Red Queen's World. FRIDAY Crossing the Threshold We explore the four communities of the living, the non human, the ancestors and the descendants. SATURDAY The Innermost Cave When last did you confront your discomfort? How invested are you in convenience? How scared are you of snakes? Would you be willing to meet one? What would happen if it spoke to you? SUNDAY Return with the Elixir This gentle day is about bringing back your story, your myth. What happens when we avail ourselves to what is bigger. Am I on a hero's journey or fool's escapade? MONDAY Farewell breakfast and departure |
COSTS 2021R18,000 - only 10 single rooms available
Deposit R8,000 Balance of payments by 15 October 2021. COST INCLUDES * 5 nights / 6 days * Single occupation * All meals for the duration * All tuition and group material. COST EXCLUDES * Cost of flights, travel insurance, VISAS * Transfers from George airport |
Niall Campbell
Sarah Bullen
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Niall Campbell is a shaman, a storyteller, a weaver of magic and a traditional nyanga (medicine man). Niall has over 25 years of apprenticeship with African teachers in ancestral and nature spirits, divination and medicinal herbalism. He facilitates rites of passage, coming into adulthood and manhood and is widely regarded as one of the foremost holders of traditional ways. He and his brother Colin Campbell are the subject of numerous international documentaries on shamanic healers and both consult and work all over the world.
*He is an ancestral family constellations specialist * He is a doctor of ritual and ceremonies * Facilitator of a large number of public & corporate courses, drawing on traditional medicine, Western complimentary medicine, and process-oriented psychology. * Working and teaching indigenous Amazonian peoples, and Cree and Algonquin traditional healers in Canada in partnership with the Gaia Foundation and Gaia Amazonas. * Consulting with indigenous shamanic elders in the Altai region of Siberia Sarah Bullen is a writing coach and literary agent. She has run writing retreats and processes since 2003. Sarah weaves some ancient stories into modern life. In telling them she asks what stories in your life have connected you to a larger community, time or place? What are the stories that have shaped your life? Who tells you these stories? How do you know a true one from a tale? And are tales even more important than real life ones?
"I believe that writing is both a deeply creative journey, and an investment in your story. It is a big, brave and bold move to share yourself with the world, to gather all your thoughts, lessons and expertise in one place - a book." As an agent she represents (by invitation) authors of non-fiction and breathtaking memoir. Sarah is a regular guest on talk shows, podcasts and writers circles. |
On Stories by Niall Campbell
Long long ago, when the earth was still soft. In the time when people and animals spoke the same language....
So many oral myths start this way. They start in a way that removes us from our present rational restrictions. They take us to another place and time, where things are matted and tangled. Where things are murky, where the boundary between the dream and our daily drive is blurred together in a multilayered tapestry. These kind of stories are the heritage of cultures the world over. Fireside narrations have had listeners spellbound for millennia. Maybe even going back to times before we were fully human.
Modern culture is marked by a plethora of addictions. Excitement and it’s twin, entertainment are often overlooked in the long list of substances and habits that we are addicted to. But we can wonder if ‘entertainment’ was always an end in itself. Nowadays, history, psychology and religion would not be classed as entertainment. But poetry, ‘fairy tales’ and the epics and sagas fall into this category of things. Yet there was a time when they served as the conduit through which these subjects were broached.
Mythic stories serve a purpose, and, well told, they have a powerful effect. They take the listener first out of the humdrum, day to day rationale of existence. They entice by drawing us close to familiar scenarios, domestic, familial or humorous. Once caught, they take us slowly into the deep. Like Alice down the rabbit hole. They take us clinging to our now beloved hero, into worlds of utter insanity. Places where logic is contorted. Thought and reality are interchangeable, and space and time follow rules beyond our daily capacity.
Once in the depths of the realm of chaos, the story moulds and shapes us. We are now malleable, ductile, soft and vulnerable. Ready for the story to do its work. Our soul is bare and open, the thread of Ariadne the only thing that keeps us vaguely in touch with the upper day to day world.
The telling of these stories is a performance. Maybe not a drama or a play, but like a poem (which many of them are) it’s a rhythmic, repetitive chant. The teller seems to be elsewhere, to be not them self. Maybe taken over, inspired as the ancients say. Bringing forth a whole world, the narration becoming both a music, a dreamscape and a worship of the ancestral realm.
In Africa these are called Potent stories, or Stories with Power.
They change you, they draw you in so deep that you become a part of them. Then they stay with you, as if your deepest most ancient ancestral taproot has tapped a mystic water.
You know there are stories and there are stories.
There are those you read, that can be long, that draw you in, that influence your life during the time you read them.
There are those you hear. Told by our friends. Embroidered and embellished to suit the mood.
Then there are those ancient stories. Those stories that seem to grip the deep, old knowing part of us.
Why did the bards recite the epics and sagas.
Why do the griots sing about a king for four nights running.
Why, to what end.
There are the legends of the heroes
The history of the tribe.
There are the descriptions of places and how one might visit them.
There are the cautionary tales of dire warning
There are the instructive stories that help one find the way.
But these are a layer in a soil that runs deep. This layer is where the tap roots of the giant trees lie. Here in the dark, the ancient and mysterious underworld. Here lie the stories that carry our communal soul.
A good poet may not be a student of grammar. A good poet may not know the names for different forms, or the definition of a metaphor or onomatopoeia. Yet a good poet feels a good poem, and a good poem arises from the poet. The poet may obey the rules without knowing them, or break them exactly where their breaking would work best.
Long long ago, when the earth was still soft. In the time when people and animals spoke the same language....
So many oral myths start this way. They start in a way that removes us from our present rational restrictions. They take us to another place and time, where things are matted and tangled. Where things are murky, where the boundary between the dream and our daily drive is blurred together in a multilayered tapestry. These kind of stories are the heritage of cultures the world over. Fireside narrations have had listeners spellbound for millennia. Maybe even going back to times before we were fully human.
Modern culture is marked by a plethora of addictions. Excitement and it’s twin, entertainment are often overlooked in the long list of substances and habits that we are addicted to. But we can wonder if ‘entertainment’ was always an end in itself. Nowadays, history, psychology and religion would not be classed as entertainment. But poetry, ‘fairy tales’ and the epics and sagas fall into this category of things. Yet there was a time when they served as the conduit through which these subjects were broached.
Mythic stories serve a purpose, and, well told, they have a powerful effect. They take the listener first out of the humdrum, day to day rationale of existence. They entice by drawing us close to familiar scenarios, domestic, familial or humorous. Once caught, they take us slowly into the deep. Like Alice down the rabbit hole. They take us clinging to our now beloved hero, into worlds of utter insanity. Places where logic is contorted. Thought and reality are interchangeable, and space and time follow rules beyond our daily capacity.
Once in the depths of the realm of chaos, the story moulds and shapes us. We are now malleable, ductile, soft and vulnerable. Ready for the story to do its work. Our soul is bare and open, the thread of Ariadne the only thing that keeps us vaguely in touch with the upper day to day world.
The telling of these stories is a performance. Maybe not a drama or a play, but like a poem (which many of them are) it’s a rhythmic, repetitive chant. The teller seems to be elsewhere, to be not them self. Maybe taken over, inspired as the ancients say. Bringing forth a whole world, the narration becoming both a music, a dreamscape and a worship of the ancestral realm.
In Africa these are called Potent stories, or Stories with Power.
They change you, they draw you in so deep that you become a part of them. Then they stay with you, as if your deepest most ancient ancestral taproot has tapped a mystic water.
You know there are stories and there are stories.
There are those you read, that can be long, that draw you in, that influence your life during the time you read them.
There are those you hear. Told by our friends. Embroidered and embellished to suit the mood.
Then there are those ancient stories. Those stories that seem to grip the deep, old knowing part of us.
Why did the bards recite the epics and sagas.
Why do the griots sing about a king for four nights running.
Why, to what end.
There are the legends of the heroes
The history of the tribe.
There are the descriptions of places and how one might visit them.
There are the cautionary tales of dire warning
There are the instructive stories that help one find the way.
But these are a layer in a soil that runs deep. This layer is where the tap roots of the giant trees lie. Here in the dark, the ancient and mysterious underworld. Here lie the stories that carry our communal soul.
A good poet may not be a student of grammar. A good poet may not know the names for different forms, or the definition of a metaphor or onomatopoeia. Yet a good poet feels a good poem, and a good poem arises from the poet. The poet may obey the rules without knowing them, or break them exactly where their breaking would work best.
TESTIMONIALS
"Thank you so much for an unforgettable week in Tulbach. The beautiful feminine energy, the gentle, nurturing environment that blended with the physical care taken with the healthy, organic food, yoga sessions and massages all conspired to bringing about a luxurious introspection into spaces that I have allowed to become dusty corners of my imagination."
- Carin Combrink, Forgotten Waterfall, 2019
"I spent this last week with Sarah and the other writers at the Write your Novel Retreat in the Cape. This was truly the most inspiring and motivating thing I have ever done for myself. Sarah's guidance is invaluable. Working our way through the writing process with Sarah has left me feeling far more equipped to pursue my dream. And her personal insights into my project has taken it to another level. I highly recommend this retreat to anyone, regardless of where you are writing wise. Amazing experience."
- Hanri Mostert, 2017
"This 'write a novel' course was the best birthday present I ever gave myself. It was set in a beautiful and peaceful environment, was well paced, was information packed with all the basics of how to really write a book, had surprising acts of art and physical exercise included to move the thinking through the body, was practical and honest about how dedicated one must really be to write, and was delicious to be around such inspiring facilitators who are warm, caring and so professional too. Thank you Sarah and Anel!"
- Kate, 2017
"Dear Sarah. That was the best writing course I’ve ever been on. Thank you so much. I learned so much, and I can apply it immediately to my third novel."
- Helen Brain (Elevation Trilogy) 2018
"This retreat was the best birthday present I ever gave myself. It was set in a beautiful and peaceful environment, was well paced, was information packed with all the basics of how to really write a book, had surprising acts of art and physical exercise included to move the thinking through the body, was practical and honest about how dedicated one must really be to write, and was delicious to be around such inspiring facilitators who are warm, caring and so professional too. Thank you Sarah and Anel!"
- Kate Baxter, 2017
- Carin Combrink, Forgotten Waterfall, 2019
"I spent this last week with Sarah and the other writers at the Write your Novel Retreat in the Cape. This was truly the most inspiring and motivating thing I have ever done for myself. Sarah's guidance is invaluable. Working our way through the writing process with Sarah has left me feeling far more equipped to pursue my dream. And her personal insights into my project has taken it to another level. I highly recommend this retreat to anyone, regardless of where you are writing wise. Amazing experience."
- Hanri Mostert, 2017
"This 'write a novel' course was the best birthday present I ever gave myself. It was set in a beautiful and peaceful environment, was well paced, was information packed with all the basics of how to really write a book, had surprising acts of art and physical exercise included to move the thinking through the body, was practical and honest about how dedicated one must really be to write, and was delicious to be around such inspiring facilitators who are warm, caring and so professional too. Thank you Sarah and Anel!"
- Kate, 2017
"Dear Sarah. That was the best writing course I’ve ever been on. Thank you so much. I learned so much, and I can apply it immediately to my third novel."
- Helen Brain (Elevation Trilogy) 2018
"This retreat was the best birthday present I ever gave myself. It was set in a beautiful and peaceful environment, was well paced, was information packed with all the basics of how to really write a book, had surprising acts of art and physical exercise included to move the thinking through the body, was practical and honest about how dedicated one must really be to write, and was delicious to be around such inspiring facilitators who are warm, caring and so professional too. Thank you Sarah and Anel!"
- Kate Baxter, 2017
