Woodland Lantern Walk: The Animals Carry the Light
Oct
24
5:15 PM17:15

Woodland Lantern Walk: The Animals Carry the Light

  • East & West of the River Wellness, LLC (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Each autumn, as the evenings grow longer and the woodland prepares for winter, old stories tell of the animals gathering together.

Each one carries a different kind of light—not a light made of flame, but of courage, kindness, wonder, rest, gratitude, hope, and quiet wisdom. Before winter settles over the land, they welcome those willing to walk the forest paths and receive these gifts for the season ahead.

This year's Woodland Lantern Walk invites you into that story.

Whether you come with children, a friend, a partner, your grandchildren, or simply on your own, you'll be invited to step away from the busyness of everyday life and enter the slower rhythms of autumn. Together we'll gather at twilight, light our lanterns, and carry our own small lights into the woods, where the forest's animal keepers await with simple stories, blessings, and moments of reflection.

This is not a haunted walk or a theatrical performance. It is a gentle woodland experience inspired by seasonal folklore, imagination, music, and our enduring relationship with the living world. As we walk together, the lantern each of us carries becomes a quiet reminder that, even as the days grow darker, we each carry a light that can help illuminate the way.

Our evening concludes around a welcoming fire with warm cider, donuts, and time to linger in conversation beneath the autumn sky.

What to Expect

  • A welcoming gathering in the woodland amphitheater

  • A simple opening story and song

  • A twilight lantern walk through the forest

  • Encounters with woodland animal keepers who share seasonal wisdom

  • Live music woven through the trees

  • A glowing fire circle

  • Hot cider, donuts, and community at the journey's end

Families are encouraged to bring the lanterns they created during our Autumn Lantern Workshop, or simply come and enjoy the walk. Lanterns will also be available for those who need one.

Recommended for ages 4 and up, accompanied by an adult. Adults without children are warmly welcome. The walk follows woodland paths with gentle hills. Please dress warmly, wear sturdy shoes, and bring a sense of wonder.

A new story unfolds each autumn.

FEE: $25/FAMILY

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 Autumn Sanctuary: A Day to Return, Reflect, and Root
Sep
13
10:00 AM10:00

Autumn Sanctuary: A Day to Return, Reflect, and Root

  • East & West of the River Wellness, LLC (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

A Day to Return to What Sustains You

In a world that often pulls us in every direction, this retreat offers a full day to pause, reconnect, and remember what truly matters. This one-day retreat at The Forest House offers a space to reconnect with your inner sanctuary, clarify your path, and nourish your belonging to the living world.

This retreat is rooted in the teachings of relational healing and collective belonging to guide you through gentle silence, intuitive movement, creative reflection, and sacred community connection. Together, we’ll explore how to meet both our inner world and our outer reality with presence, compassion, and moral clarity.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by the world, seeking clarity for what's next, or simply longing for a breath of forest bathing—this retreat is for you.

We begin in stillness, walk with awareness, and return together—rooted and renewed.

RETREAT HOSTS

Robin Thompson Holistic nurse, mindfulness teacher, and a guide for seasonal and soul centered living;

Angela Hutchins Somatic trauma practitioner, grief worker, and yoga facilitator committed to individual, collective, and intergenerational healing and liberation.

TESTIMONIALS

“This retreat gave me peace in a chaotic, angry, volatile world. In the quiet, I found space to listen to my heart’s yearning, and I left with a sense of hope and trust in life’s cycles. The gentleness of the day created a rare sense of peace and belonging that I will carry home.”

🌿

“What stood out most was the deep connection — to myself, to community, and to nature’s gifts. The retreat offered a warm and welcoming group, led by knowledgeable facilitators who created space for authentic awareness. I left with gratitude, fierce love, and the reminder that trees are embodiments of equanimity.”

🌿

“This retreat was transformational. The quiet can be challenging — silence is not always easy — but it gave me the space to discern, to rest, and to hear what is seldom heard in the busyness of the world. What I took home was not just peace, but also ideas for how I can live more whole and aligned with my true self.”

🌿

“I came away with seeds of a shift toward opening. The retreat invited me to notice my cycles of contraction and expansion, and gave me practical ways to be in relationship with them. I carry home not only a sunflower, but also hope for the future and a renewed trust in the natural rhythms that hold us all.”


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A Council of All Beings: A Witches Dance &  Samhain Festival
Oct
19
12:30 PM12:30

A Council of All Beings: A Witches Dance & Samhain Festival

Stories help us to imagine a different relationship where people and land are good medicine for each other.
— Robin Wall Kimmerer ~Braiding Sweetgrass~

A Council of All Beings: The Samhain Festival celebrates and honors being in the right relationship with what is good and regenerative.

As the world becomes increasingly complex and challenging, our communities and connections are more important than ever for our well-being and sense of belonging.

The council of all beings: A Samhain Festival

At the heart of this festival is a dynamic performance of A Council of All Beings, an adaptation of Joanna Macy's transformative program. A council of witches and other characters embodying the presence of various species and ecosystems helps us peer into the world of nature to hear her wisdom and insights.

This enchanting festival is kid-family-friendly and interactive, featuring activities such as mask making, crystal bowl sound healing, a spirited parade, an ancestor altar, a fire ritual, tarot card readings, and more. These activities will enhance a sense of belonging and understanding of the world around you and the importance of conservation and sustainable living practices.

Join us for a magical experience to celebrate our connections with nature and the beings that inhabit it while inspiring our urgent need for greater stewardship of our planet.

Accessibility—Wheelchairs are welcome to navigate uneven lawn terrain. Special parking is available; please call when you get your tickets so we can discuss your needs and make appropriate arrangements.

RAIN DATe

Sunday, October 20, 2024, same time

FEE

$25/INDIVIDUAL RATE; $20/SENIOR DISCOUNT; $40/COUPLE RATE (Children under 17 FREE)

Please Bring:

Portable chairs for relaxation and sitting in our Amphitheater

Water Bottle

Wear sturdy footwear to help you navigate our grounds safely.

Dress up in family-friendly costumes (let's keep it fun and avoid anything violent or gory!)

A photo or a meaningful item to add to our Ancestor Altar for the day

Cash or credit card for tarot card readings and seasonal food/drink purchases

Location:

THE FOREST HOUSE - 147 Windy Hill Road, Hampton, CT

free PARKING

In the field before 147 Windy Hill mailbox

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

12:30 PM—2:30 PM: Choose from a variety of activities, including craft-making, a scenic woodland trail walk, tarot card readings, and delightful season food and drinks.

1:15 PM: Join us as we honor extinct species at our Ancestor Altar

1:30 PM: Experience the soothing Crystal Bowl Sound Healing

2:30 PM: Our Spirited Parade and the captivating Council of All Beings Performance.

4:30 PM: We'll wrap up the day with a heartfelt Closing Circle



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Dec
20
6:00 PM18:00

Winter Solstice Peace Fire

*** NOTE DATE CHANGE*** Due to the predicted rain on Saturday December 18th, we have decided to postpone our celebration until Monday, December 20th

The Forest House will be hosting our annual Winter Solstice Fire Circle to celebrate the darkest time of the year before the return of the sun.

Across the world our ancestors have held this time with sacred observance. No matter what tradition we observe, the interplay of light and dark, endings and beginnings, birth and renewal, can enliven our hearts and minds with wonder and a hint of magic

This Fire Circle is about tending the embers of our inner light and our community connections. We will honor both darkness and light with the medicine of story and the magic of fire.

An opening celebration and solstice story will start at 6:00 in The Forest House amphitheater. Lighting a community yule fire, song and dance, and other guided fire offerings will follow.

SUGGESTED CONTRIBUTION: $10- here’s the link

We'll have hot wassail drink and a hearty soup available.

YOU MUST let us know you are coming so we can prepare appropriately-- text 860 942 9046, or email eastandwestoftheriver.@gmail.com BEFORE DECEMBER 18

The Forest House Dancers will be de-lighting us with a dance prior to the lighting of the Solstice Yule Fire.

  • PLEASE BRING A LARGE MUG/ BOWL FOR YOUR WASSAIL or soup

  • Bring a chair to sit around the fire

  • Dress warmly, wear sturdy boots, the procession to the fire is in the woodlands.

  • Optional: Bring a flashlight, a poem, a story or anything else your heart desires to offer this community celebration.

We are doing our best to make this celebration an eco-friendly event. Here is how you can help: Carpool, and avoid plastic utensils.

Thanks for your consideration to support our sustainable and green aspirations.

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Oct
31
12:00 PM12:00

A Witches Dance and Samhain Festival

Have you ever seen witches dance?

No?

Well, you’re in for a treat when you come to The Forest House on the eve of All Hallows Eve.

This is a community, family friendly outdoor celebration.

Long before Halloween, the Celtic people had a celebration called Samhain, a Gaelic festival to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. 

Join us for outdoor fun with live music and dance performances, faceprinting, storytelling, food and drink, crafts, tarot card readings, and old world charm. 

We’ll have: 

  • Live Owl Presentation with Rose Cristi @ 12:30 p.m.

  • Live music in THE FOREST HOUSE Amphitheater with Kala Farnham @ 1:30 p.m.

  • A Coven of Witches performing A Witches Dance @ 2:30 p.m.

  • Tarot Card Readings (small additional fees apply)

  • Outdoor Ancestor Altar

  • Crafts- Corn Husk Doll Making,

  • Face Painting and games

  • Storytelling

Wheelchair accessible on uneven lawn terrain. Special parking available, please call when you get your tickets to discuss arrangements.

October 31, 2021 RAIN DATE IS NOW IN EFFECT

Become a subscriber of East and West of the River Wellness (it's free) and get a $10 voucher to be used at this event

  • FEE

  • $15/per person (Children under 16 FREE)

  • Subscribers receive a $10 coupon/voucher to use for a Tarot Card Reading

    • Become a subscriber! (fill out our website’s POP UP form to receive a voucher)

      Please Bring:

  • A lawn chair, if you can

  • Your water bottle

  • Wear sturdy footwear, this is an outdoor event on unleveled ground

  • Location:

    THE FOREST HOUSE - 147 Windy Hill Road, Hampton, CT

    PARKING IN FIELD BEFORE HOUSE

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