coven of foxes; a journey into the dark

A gathering of womb folk in the sacred forest of Roslin Glen, meeting in the dark under the moon from Samhain to Yule. In the togetherness of our coven, we lean towards the unknown depths within us, exploring how darkness can be a portal to a richer connection with body, land and the unseen.

Coming together in the dark is a radical act. Since the Industrial Revolution, artificial light has spread through patriarchal and capitalist systems, facilitating relentless growth and extraction from our bodies, souls and the Earth. This 24/7 brightening has profoundly altered the rhythms of human life and those of our more-than-human kin, and is setting both the Earth and our nervous systems on fire. This suppression of the dark has domesticated us, and separated us from one another, land, plants, animals and spirit. The witch hunts and trials of these lands remind us of the violence through which this separation has been, and continues to be, enforced. In today's dazzling world, we have been sold stories that teach us to fear the darkness, both within and without. Darkness has been demonised, and whole industries are built upon this fear, seeking to control us. 

Coven of Foxes is an invitation to rewrite these stories by turning towards the darkness as our teacher, in the safety of the coven. We gather to remember how to be with the dark, within and without. We gather to question, what awakens inside of you/us in the darkness? How might a connection to darkness expand your sense of who you/we are? We explore this, and much more, through night-time forest bathing, ritual, cave immersion, voice and song, working with the elements, embodied meditations and sharing circles. The coven aims to help us reclaim our inner feral witch by using darkness to facilitate a new way of listening to the wisdom held in our bodies, land, and unseen kin. We honour our ancestors who were persecuted as witches and welcome the ancestral wounds carried through the witch hunts and hold each other as we tend to them.

Facilitators

• Nat (she/her) is a psychotherapist, dancer, artist, activist and mindfulness practitioner. With Sun, Moon, Venus, Pluto, Mercury in Scorpio, she has passion for the deep depths of the soul, is sensitive and intuitive, and swims in the watery feeling landscapes of existence. Nat has held spaces for womb folk for the last couple of years, together reclaiming cyclical connection to body and season through ceremony, ritual, fire, movement, meditation, reflection and community. She has 8 years of experience as a space holder, and is renowned for her sensitive perception, and capacity to facilitate both depth and humour simultaneously.

• Matti (they/them) is a queer wild being of the forests and rivers. They are an artist, poet, activist and dancer, who has been devoted to the practice of reweaving their connection to the landscapes of earth and body for many years. The richness and depth of their lived experience really creates the backbone and ribcage cradle for the work they offer, which is one of welcoming, attunement and strong rooted resilience. Their spaces celebrate infusions of land rooting, somatic embodying, queer curiosity and eros exploring. 

They have trained with the Relational Harmony Institute within the 800hr sexologist container, Womben Wellness within the womb circle facilitation model and Homebody Somatics within the certified clinical somatic therapist and educator training. They are also studying with Rooted Healing (year long slow study of apprenticing the land), and the Ogham Path (ancient Celtic tree language).

• Foxes are one of the beings that brought Nat and Matti together, and have called us to Roslin Glen. They are elusive, feral, magical creatures who have been associated with wise womban and witches for centuries. We welcome them as our guides and teachers.

Location:

Roslin Glen, near Edinburgh. 35 minute drive from Edinburgh City Center. More details to follow upon booking. You will require a car to get you to the location, and we aim to facilitate lift sharing so that everyone has a ride.

Dates/times:

• Saturday 31st October 2.30-6.30pm

• Saturday 21st November 2.30-6.30pm

• Saturday 19th December 2.30 – 6.30pm

Exchange information - sliding scale:

£200 – secure and able to save

£175 – money works out, but its pay cheque to pay cheque

£150 – stress, care responsibilities, health, systemic oppression mean that money is in short supply

It is important for us to find a balance of valuing the energy and resources we continuously invest in order to be able to hold spaces like these, whilst making the coven financially accessible. If you are really struggling with money please still contact us as we are open to negotiating exchanges of other kinds. Payment plans available too. 

Accessibility:

• We hold the coven over winter months so be prepared to put layers on to keep out the cold and wet. We will be a mix of outside and inside the cave, and shall go ahead whatever the weather.

• The terrain at Roslin Glen is uneven, with narrow paths, and steep drops. We will be crossing a narrow stream to reach the cave. If it rains there is the potential for it to be slippy. Good footwear and reasonable confidence on this kind of terrain is needed. Unfortunately it is not wheelchair accessible - we are sorry for this. Let us know if you have any access need requirements or questions

• We will meet before sunset, but please note that there will be explorations outside in the dark. This doesn’t have to be far, follow your comfort zone, you are in charge of how extensively you explore in this way

• No food or meals will be provided so please bring some snacks for yourself and maybe to share

• There is no toilet so be prepared for wild wees!

• This container is not therapy, although some may experience it as therapeutic. We aim to be collectively supportive of each other’s process, but ask that those attending are able to take a good amount of self-responsibility for self-care and their emotional health.

• Matti’s support dog Roo will be present

• Open to all womb folks, queer folks, disabled folks and people of colour

• We aim for coven of foxes to be an inclusive space. If you have questions that are not spoken to above then please contact us and we will do our best to respond and accommodate your needs.

• The group size will be a maximum of 11 including Nat and Matti to promote an intimate environment for sharing.

• The word “witch” can mean a lot of things to different people. You don’t need to identify with “witch” to attend and no previous experience is required. We invite you to bring your curiosity and see what evolves in you with the experience.