A Circle of Stories
A Soul Spiral Retreat - Following Spirals Through Art, Movement, Nature & Shared Stories
What story is waiting to emerge when you give yourself time to slow down and listen?
A Woman's Creative Retreat on the Dingle Peninsula
Dingle, Ireland - June 27, 2027 to July 5, 2027
Join us in Ireland on June 27, 2027 to July 5, 2027
Cost $3,900
Early Bird Pricing until March 15, 2027 $3,400
Earlybird code: Dingle
Imagine slowing down enough to truly see the world around you.
The movement of the sea. The shape of an ancient stone. The changing light across the hills. The stories held in the land, in our memories, and in the quiet places within us.
Imagine gathering with a circle of women to paint, write, wander, wonder, laugh, cry, dance, and tell stories. To share what has shaped us, celebrate what makes us extraordinary, and dream into what might be possible.
In this creative retreat on Ireland's wild Dingle Peninsula, we will explore the art of following a spiral into our story.
With pen, watercolor, poetry, the land, and the wisdom of Celtic folklore, we will create a series of spiral paintings that become maps of our lives and landscapes of our inner worlds.
Through spirals, we will explore our beginnings, uncover our hidden gems, release what we are ready to leave behind, claim what we want to call into being, and honor the guides and sources of strength that accompany us.
We will follow the line without knowing exactly where it will take us.
A memory may appear. An animal, a grandmother, a childhood home, a dream, a symbol, a poem, or an imagined landscape.
Fragments of experience and imagination gather into color, image, and meaning.
Slowly, a personal mythology begins to emerge: a story of who we have been, who we are, and who we are becoming.
We will leave room in our paintings for the unimaginable. We will listen to the land and sea, draw inspiration from ancient stories, and make space for what we cannot yet know.
This is not about painting something perfect. It is about following a line, trusting your imagination, and discovering what happens when you give your own story room to unfold.
For more information email: [email protected]
Cost Includes:
8 nights lodging at An Capall Dubh in the heart of Dingle.
Lunch and dinner during the retreat And CAKE in Penny's Pottery in Ventry.
Public bus transportation fee to and from our adventure sites.
Ventry Beach Celtic Story day with Celtic Nature Tours.
Entry into The Blasket Center
All supplies: Painting/writing journal, Two Viviva Watercolor sets, 8 watercolor brushes, Black ink pens compatible with watercolor, and Cavas supply tote.
Cost Does Not Include:
Airfare to Ireland or *Travel/Trip Insurance.
Transportation to Dingle. Bus information from Shannon Airport below.
Breakfast on own - Nourish Cafe is in the courtyard with our lodging and they serve amazing coffee and sourdough delights.
Pub dinners or drinks out.
* It is recommended that you purchase trip or travel insurance. Partial refunds available on a one to one basis.
Travel Logistics
It is easiest to fly in and out of Shannon Airport. You can also travel from Dublin.
From Shannon Airport to Dingle one can take the public bus, hire a car service or car Rental
During the retreat, we will be taking the public bus everywhere we go - it is easy and convenient and a great way to experience the locals.
The power of being witnessed.
We tell our stories, invent tall tales, laugh, cry, dance, and listen. We discover the strength of a community where our experiences are welcomed and our wisdom is reflected back to us.
How Soul Spirals will unfold during the retreat:
Each spiral will have a similar process, but may unfold in different sequence. Some days we will be indoors, other days on the land with this process. Each spiral will start with sharing and story, and move to pen and watercolor. We will reflect on Celtic lore that relates to each spiral theme. We will write stories, poetry or journal each spiral. We will add movement, reflection and lots of time for sharing.
There is power in sharing and being witnessed in the group. You will only need share what you feel called to share.
The first spiral will take us through the story of our lives - gathering the moments, people, places, and experiences that have shaped us.
In the second spiral we will discover our hidden gems—our gifts, passions, strengths, and delights.
The third spiral we will explore what we are ready to release to make room for something new.
In the fourth spiral, we turn toward our dreams and desires, giving shape and color to what we wish to claim and bring into being.
The fifth spiral invites us to connect with the people, animals, ancestors, plants, places, and spiritual presences that offer guidance, companionship, and wisdom.
Finally, we enter the Soul Spiral, where all that has emerged becomes the inspiration for a new creation. Each woman weaves together the threads that feel true to her, allowing a personal mythology to unfold through images, symbols, colors, and stories.
The Soul Spiral is not simply a reflection of the journey behind us, but an invitation to become the author of what comes next, leaving space for the mystery, possibility, and unwritten stories that lie ahead.
Some of Our Adventures Include:
Walk out to the Folly and the Lighthouse in Dingle. Steps from our lodging. Spend time on the land creating. If it is warm enough a dip in the sea, there are several beautiful semi secluded beaches along this walk. Many spots to sit, rest and write perched above the sea.
Public bus to Ventry beach and Penny's Pottery cafe, where you can purchase beautiful pottery, AND a piece of cake an coffee. We will meet up with Kevin O'Shea - Celtic folklore and history artisan. He will share the Finn McCool story and share the epic Battle of Ventry, a tale from Irish mythology. There is a Sacred Well out at the end of Ventry Beach that we will look for.
Bus to Dunquin and The Blasket Center. We will Learn the history of the Blasket islands. We will walk a short way along the magical Dingle Way and spend time on a beach with sage and lavender colored rocks!
Take the ferry to The Great Blasket island. We will have three hours on the island to explore, write and create spirals. There are seals that inhabit the island along the shore. There is a spot to get a warm cuppa tea/coffee and restrooms. This adventure is weather permitting, as the ferry doesn't run in all weather.
Take the bus out to Inch Beach - a five km long beach. If it warm enough a dip in the sea.
A possible side trip to Tobar Eoin, a Sacred Well tucked away in a quiet wooded alcove, a short walk from the Minard Castle - a 16th century tower house perched above Minard Bay and Killmurry beach.
We will find some Irish music in one of the many pubs.
And many more!
Mamma and Baby overlooking Shea Head
Inch Beach
Dingle Town
Dingle Town, Ireland & Surrounding Area
Dunquin, Ireland
My feet after a swim in the sea
Minard Castle
Your guides for A Circle of Stories
Terre Willow Rose and Sandra Hayes
I am an artist, a teacher, a healer and a mother of young adults.
I have been leading art retreats and workshops in California and abroad for over 10 years. My teaching style is light and fun. I truly love people and connecting on a heart level. I like to laugh and play and get messy. My artistic style is whimsical, filled with scribbles and crooked lines, bright colors, spirals and stories.
I dance, paint and make up stories - usually all at the same time.
I love the power and the beauty of the creative process in helping us transform and step more fully into our greater selves. I love when people come together to create, build community, explore possibilities, laugh, play, and share stories.
Magic happens when women gather! I truly believe that. We each bring our lived wisdom to group, and when we gather the wisdom potentiates! We bounce off each others wisdom and create something so much more.
My mission is to remind myself and others, that we can live a joyous, creative life filled with love and delight, while honoring our messy human selves.
My professional training is as a healer. I received a Bachelors degree in Nursing from Southern Oregon University and a Masters degree in Public Health and Community Development from the University of Hawaii. I have Worked as a Public Health Nurse, Health Educator, and a School Nurse.
For more information you can also email: terrewillowrose@gmail.
Dance & Movement Therapist | Creative Therapist | Yoga Teacher | Vedic Astrologer
I am a dance and movement therapist, creative therapist, yoga teacher and Vedic astrologer, but above all, I am someone who loves exploring the mysteries of being human.
For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to stories, mythology, movement and the deeper questions of life. What makes us who we are? What hidden treasures might we discover within ourselves if we begin to look? And how can we find our way back to the parts of ourselves that may have been forgotten along the way?
My own journey has taken me through many magical places and different traditions, from yoga and Vedic philosophy to psychology, creative therapy, writing and expressive movement. Over time, I have come to see how beautifully these different approaches can weave together into something deeply meaningful. They open pathways into our innermost caves, where forgotten parts of ourselves are hidden, waiting to be brought into the light.
I truly believe that the body is a divine, intelligent organism that holds many of our secrets. When we learn to listen and reconnect with its innate wisdom, we can begin to discover and embrace our most authentic selves.
I feel honoured and excited to be part of the Soul Spirals Retreat. I look forward to bringing our stories into movement, exploring the wisdom of Irish mythology and introducing you to your own personal Soul Star. Most of all, I look forward to sharing this wonderful journey of creativity, discovery and connection with you.
I believe that our lives are stories still being written, and that there is always another chapter waiting to unfold.
Find out more about my work: sandrahayes.eu
For more information email: [email protected]
Soul Spirals - The Art of Following Line and Color into Your Story.
The spiral is the doorway into the self. Follow pen, watercolor, story, the land, and ancient Celtic wisdom.
The story of you unfurls one spiral at a time.
