UPDATE: 15 july 2022
Thank you for your interest.
This offering is now FULL.
If you would like to be on the waiting list,
please send an email to: hello AT squamartworkshops DOT com
“This retreat is so wonderful, so nourishing, and so magical! The small group and the full week allow for an introvert like me to sink in deeply, have time to play, time to develop lasting friendships as well as plenty of time to wander and contemplate. The small sharing circles of women’s wisdom and authenticity are so powerful.I love all the Squam gatherings I’ve been to, but Into the Mystic is truly special and I hope you continue to have it.” – Anjanette Bunce
photo credit: Bella Cirovic
We are bringing some of our favorite things together
for a most magical Into the Mystic gathering: painting,
collage, journaling, stitching, making, inspired photo walks
plus time to hit the beach, the farmer’s market,
as well as time to explore all the rich goodness
of beautiful, historic Providence.
Squam in the City 2014 Providence, RI
photo credit: Xanthe Berkeley
This will be our second adventure in Providence as back in 2014 we hosted Squam in the City in this fascinating, historic, wildly creative, super chill town and it was all that and a bag of chips!
“Into the Mystic gave me an opportunity to create
new ways to envision my life.” — Artemis O’Connor
If you are not familiar with Into the Mystic, it is slightly different than our annual events on Squam lake as it is a full week long with a smaller group. Though each one is unique, what defines an Into the Mystic gathering is a magical location with a focus on nurturing our spirit through:
IMMERSION IN CREATIVITY * EASE * CONNECTION
Our group will be small, just sixteen attendees and our intention is to offer a space for artistic exploration while nourishing mind, body, and spirit. The focus will be on supporting your specific creative interest by providing a wide and rich offering of possibilities.
The three teachers who will be holding space offering guidance are:
Jenny Brown, Ann Wood,
and Elizabeth Duvivier
The week begins with a new moon, an ideal season to ground into fresh beginnings, clarify goals and reset your compass for the direction that best serves you at this time. We will definitely have rituals and ceremony around this lunar energy to help bring all of that vision into being. Central to our time together will be the exploration of the fairy tale of SIX SWANS which will inform so much of the ways we explore and expand our daily life—more on that in class description.
Our group will be limited to 16 attendees so that we have the entire space to spread out, breathe deeply and take advantage of the environment around us which includes:
- a fabulously equipped art studio
- quiet garden and outdoor fire pit
- a sanctuary of cozy quiet spaces to sink into for rest and restoration
- located in the heart of Providence where there is no shortage of architectural inspiration, vintage + second-hand shops, close to the beach (a 45 minute drive from Newport for those who wish to go further afield) and loads of cafes, bakeries and top-notch restaurants.
Our meals together will be catered and promise to be both nurturing and in full alignment with the light and healing energies we are calling in for ourselves. Special dietary needs can be readily accommodated.
bottom row images of Providence courtesy of OnBenefit
“I just wanted to share that I absolutely loved this retreat. The smaller group setting and longer time really allowed me the time needed to rest and become refreshed. In addition, the relationships I made with the lovely ladies has lasted through these last few years.” — Angela McCutcheon
Of course the core of what brings us together is the intention to spend time together for inspiration and creative exploration. This gathering is designed for each of us to focus on those aspects of our life we want to expand into with more light, more ease.
In other words, wherever you are on your journey, whether you are at the beginning, middle or end of a chapter in your life, this week will help you make the transition to the next place sweetly and filled with grace.
With our gentle-hearted teachers offering classes to support and inspire you, be ready for exploration into spirit as well as fun in a range of making. The pace of the gathering is all about easy, nurturing energies that will allow us to let go and sink into our own individual ways of creative expression. The schedule is designed so that each workshop weaves organically into the next. That way, the central theme(s) you choose to explore can carry over seamlessly and your work will be enriched and expanded from each of these different access points.
As with all Squam gatherings, each person will be encouraged to listen to their heart and follow their own drummer to create the experience they most want and need. However, if there were a way to describe what will be true for us all, it could be said that our time together we will be grounded in:
-
process versus productivity
-
creativity as a central way of being in the world
-
sharing stories and laughter
-
finding more ease, more joy and more light in our hearts.
With this as our intention, we can expect to return home feeling more deeply aligned with our core self which allows us to provide greater service to our families and communities as we can feel refreshed with renewed clarity, vision and vitality.
The retreat will run from 9am each morning until 4pm each afternoon.
Attendees will secure their own accommodations (we will provide the exact address upon registration so you can review the plentiful hotels, inns, airbnbs, etc that are all within close proximity).
We have chosen to create the gathering this way so that you have complete control over your personal and private space.
Classes:
Instructors:
Register
Registration is closed.Location & Travel Info
Click to view details
LOCATION
We will be in the heart of beautiful, historic, wildly creative PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island. As luck would have it, October happens to be one of the most wonderful times of year to visit this region of the country. Because we have the full week together, there will be time to visit some of the fabulous restaurants, beaches, the RISD museum, take in a farmers’ market, and explore the incredible architecture of this old city—should any of that call to your heart. (We also encourage big rest, sitting, lingering, observing, not doing, too—the week is yours to customize.) We just want you to know that should you want to get out and about, there is no shortage of fabulous mini-excursions we can make to take advantage of the unique offerings of this region. These will be shaped around your preferences and dialed in for the group.
Present-day Rhode Island has been inhabited for thousands of years. The people living in Rhode Island were predominantly Narragansett and Wampanoag when the first Europeans arrived. For anyone wanting to learn more about the history of this region there are a wealth of resources including the Tomaquag Museum and the Providence Atheneum; a great intro is in this ESSENCE article.
When you arrive, you will receive a resource guide loaded with our favorite nooks, bookstores, parks, walks, restaurants, cafes, etc. Here are a few to give you a sense of what awaits:
BOOKSTORES: Paper Nautilus :: RiffRaff Books :: Twenty Stories (next to Aleppo Sweets)
Travel + Leisure celebrates BEATRICE
Too (too!) many fabulous food, coffee, sweets, shops to mention but here are a few: Madrid, Talulah’s Taqueria, Plant City, Seven Stars, NAVA, a list of 9 top Italian restaurants.
Plus if you want to travel the region while you are here there are so many places to discover including: Tomaquag Museum and the Sachusett Point National Wildlife Refuge among so many other points of interest including Newport, Watch Hill, and the Farm Coast.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Once you are registered, you will receive the precise address of ITM :: Provylove and a list of suggested nearby accommodations.
For planning purposes, the location is
- 13 miles from the Providence Airport
- 50 miles from Boston Airport
- 180 miles from New York City
- 355 miles from Montreal, Canada (just thought I’d throw that last one in there for fun!)
You can link up with other attendees in our Squamlove Community to coordinate flights and ride-sharing. You can also email us directly and we can help get you connected!
FAQ
Click to view detailsWhat is the accessibility like for me at Into the Mystic :: Provylove?
For someone with health or mobility issues, it is an ongoing challenge to navigate the daily world so the idea of going on a retreat where the same issues or additional frustrations are waiting can be in direct opposition to the comfort, ease and self-care that is being sought by attending a retreat in the first place. We are aware of this issue and do our best, on a case-by-case basis, to help attendees navigate the venue where we hold our retreats. As each person with a disability has unique needs specific to them, we work with each person to establish what will best support their experience. So please, we welcome your questions and trust that you will feel comfortable reaching out to us with your concerns. We especially want to encourage anyone who may have invisible challenges too. Of course, there are limits to what we have to offer, but we are always open to trying to make things work to the best of our ability. *PLEASE NOTE for Into the Mystic :: Provylove there are two sets of stairs to reach the studio.
What else of interest is nearby for me to see and do while I’m in class?
Wow. Are you in luck. Providence, Rhode Island is an exceptional part of the world and there is no shortage of fabulous things in the city proper plus natural beauty, places to hike, vintage shops and a most fabulous art museum. Take a look at the Travel + Location page where we listed out a glimpse of what is on offer.
What about meals? I have food allergies/ I am vegetarian/ vegan.
We are prepared to cater to various food allergies such as gluten or lactose-intolerance. Meals are vegetarian and are offered buffet-style and always have a wide variety of options, including a huge salad with all the fixings. Contact us if you have major concerns.
Are there any scholarships available?
Thanks to our sponsors, we do have a fully paid spot available for someone who would like to attend but does not have the means at this time. This will be kept entirely confidential for the scholarship recipient’s privacy. To request this spot, simply send an email to: hello AT squamartworkshops DOT com
Also, some Squammies have had success with a number of different approaches to securing the funds to attend: a few put up contests at their social media and over the years many teachers have asked their schools to pay the tuition as part of their continuing education (we provide certificates).
What’s the weather like? What clothes should I bring?
Late October is an especially gorgeous season in Providence. However, be prepared for all weather conditions, as though we are making all the prayers for lots of blue skies and sunshine, it can also rain. Do check into weather.com for updates as the time approaches.
What other things should I bring?
Whatever will make you feel comfortable! We will have beverages and snacks throughout the day, but if there is something you like to have with you, be sure to bring it. Please wear comfortable shoes (feel free to bring slippers!). An apron or clothes you don’t mind getting messy in. And, soft, easy yoga type clothes will be great for those time we are doing some movement and stretching.
May I attend just one day, one workshop or an evening event?
We are not able to offer single day options at this time.
What contact information should I leave for my family?
We will send this information to you prior to the retreat.
