The Story
When the winds herald the crisp bite of autumn chill ... when the sap begins its slow descent to the root ... when the light begins to weaken and wane ... we will gather.
Anything can be healed...
We will gather in the harvest month and share a communal fire. We will tell stories to help keep us warm in the winter to come. We will seek answers in the depths and healing among our community.
Persephone holds the power of regeneration...
We will honor the changing season. We will pray for renewal. We will dream of warmth. We will have faith in the miracle that is the potential of a seed. We will seek the mysteries of the union of life and death. We will remember the cycles.
That which you give to Her you must relinquish...
We will give up what is not ours to carry. We will abandon our attachment to what is to come. We will be amazed at the power of life and death and life again. We will trust. We will trust. We will trust.
The journey to the Underworld must be made alone...
We will all take our own steps. We will all find our own path. We will descend - for no one else can do our work or tell our truest story.
You must turn prayer into promise...
When the spring comes, we will live. When the light returns, we will act. When land is reborn, so are we.
Join Expanding Inward on a journey to the Underworld as guests of Hades, Lord of the realm and his Queen, Persephone. We are excited to offer the theme of the Five Truths of the Underworld, work inspired and originally developed by Cynthea Jones of Diana's Grove and some of the most powerful work we know to empower release, healing and regeneration. Is there something you finally, finally have to let go of? Is there a wounded place in you that you thought could never heal? Come with us and you may, through the smoke of the fires of the Underworld, glimpse the version of you that can walk whole and clear and strong into the Spring. The depths are waiting…
Registration and Logistics
This residential event will be held at Toddhall Retreat Center, approximately 40 minutes from the St. Louis International Airport. Your registration will include all programming, meals and housing for the event.
Please plan to arrive by 5:00pm on Thursday for dinner. The event ends at 12:00pm on Sunday.
For those traveling by plane or train, we will offer a shuttle service before and after the event for a nominal fee. For those using this service we will suggest arrival and departure parameters at a later date.
Please note: Meals at Toddhall are served cafeteria-style. A sample menu is listed below, but should not be considered an official menu for the event.
BREAKFAST
Pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, fruit, cereal, yogurt
Biscuits, gravy, sausage, fried eggs, cereal, yogurt
French toast, bacon, fruit, scrambled eggs, cereal, yogurt
LUNCH
Chili or soup, Deli sandwiches, chips (diced onion, cheese & crackers for chili)
Hamburgers, chips, baked beans, pasta salad, (lettuce, tomato, onions) cookies
Cheese steak sandwiches, chips, salad, soup, cookies
Taco salad, corn chips and salsa, brownies or cookies
Chicken Cesar wrap (with lettuce and tomato), chips, fruit salad, cookies
Chicken or Tuna salad sandwiches, soup, chips, cookies
DINNER
Chicken parmesan, pasta, broccoli, garlic bread, salad, cheesecake
Roast beef, roasted potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, pie or cobbler
Roasted pork loin, sweet potatoes with apples, vegetables
Baked chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans, salad, rolls, cake
**Please note: This sample menu is representative of the meals served at Toddhall Retreat Center, and should not be considered an official menu for the event. For specific questions (food-related or otherwise), please contact [email protected]**
