About this Retreat
remembers when her childhood fear of night became the experience of a safe, gentle, and Holy Dark—a numinous experience still shaping her cosmology. She seeks community experiences that help us lean into the long view of Spirit—and the imperative to BE love—as vision and practice equal to the precariousness of our times. Lois worked at Wood Lake Publishing for 30 years, was a program mentor for the Pacific Jubilee SoulGuiding program, and was director of spiritual nurture at Naramata Centre. Now Lois offers spiritual accompaniment to her multi-generational household (age six to 83) as well as individual spiritual direction and online (mostly) retreat leadership.
Learn about Lois’ spiritual accompaniment practice here.
www.canadianjubilee.ca/spiritual-directors/lois-huey-heck
The Reverend Doctor Murray Groom is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada. Retired from parish ministry, he now exercises his vocation as a spiritual director/soul guide. He regularly conducts extended retreats into Silence at Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo and at Naramata Centre in the Okanagan Valley. His prevailing interests include the role of the guide on pilgrimage, the interface of the wild with the tame, the wisdom of global mythologies and the well-being of his family. When not travelling with his wife Susan, he lives in the South Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.
Learn about Murray’s
spiritual accompaniment practice.
Details of this retreat
As Earth tilts on her axis and the nights grow long in the north, we’re invited into a season including both quiet reflection and gatherings around the fire. Fire, light and darkness are featured in many festivals such as Advent, Winter Solstice, 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany, New Years and myriad rituals from many world traditions.
This year it seems more poignant than ever to be preparing for, and celebrating the planet’s turn back toward light as we wait, work and pray for love reborn.
These three nights in December, we’ll be companioned by word and image, music and silence, and one another.
May we quiet into deep reflection.
May we practice being present to beauty as food for our spirits.
Let’s risk asking ourselves the depth of questions that solace needs and offers. In the Mystery of winter’s darkest days let’s gather around the warmth of the virtual hearth with kindred souls both familiar and soon-to-be-met.
Beauty & Solace for Midwinter is the fourth in this series of contemplative online events for “times like these" offered in 2025 through the partnership of Naramata Centre and Pacific Jubilee.
AGES: 18+
The cost for these three sessions via Zoom is on a sliding scale of $45 to $110
BURSARY AVAILABLE: The Naramata Centre Heartwood Bursary is available for most programs,
based on financial need. If cost is a barrier to participating in this program, please consider applying for
the bursary. Click here to apply https://www.naramatacentresociety.org/personal-retreats/#bursary
This event is offered through the partnership of
Pacific Jubilee and Naramata Centre
Bursary funds are available through Naramata Centre.
Artwork Credit: Lois Huey-Heck
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