The Clearing poetic medicine circle is a place to pause. To listen. To find words for what has been difficult to name. To encounter yourself in the company of others.Over twelve evenings, we will walk through a carefully held seasonal journey.We begin with arrival.We move into the darker ground: grief, loss, what has been left unspoken, and the parts of ourselves we sometimes keep from the light.Then we turn.Towards mercy. Towards hope. Towards homecoming.And finally, towards joy – arriving there as the year itself begins to turn back towards the light.The journey is not about forcing ourselves towards a particular outcome. It is about making space for whatever is present, and allowing poetry to become a companion along the way. The words don’t need to be clever. They only need to be true.

Therapy sessions typically last for 1 hour and offer the following benefits: Emotional Regulation and Anxiety Reduction : Interacting with alpacas can lower blood pressure and alleviate anxiety. Their calm presence helps people feel safer and less threatened, making it easier to express emotions and process difficult experiences.  Enhanced Social and Communication Skills : Alpacas respond to human behaviour and engagement, and this helps raise awareness of our own body language. This encourages individuals, particularly those with social challenges, to improve attention, empathy, and communication skills.  Building Confidence and Self-Esteem : Caring for and nurturing alpacas fosters a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. Activities like feeding and grooming help build self-worth. Safe Touch and Trauma Recovery : For survivors of abuse or neglect, camelids offer “safe touch” due to their non-judgmental nature. Their gentle, accepting behaviour allows individuals to reconnect with physical affection in a controlled and comforting environment.  Development of Flexibility and Coping Skills : Because alpacas are emotionally responsive and not easily controlled like dogs or horses, they require adaptability. This teaches individuals to manage unpredictability, practice patience, and respond constructively to change – skills that generalise to real-life situations.

The seasonal cycle provides a natural framework for life’s phases, guiding when to work, rest, reflect, and grow.  Ignoring these rhythms, as modern society often does by maintaining constant productivity, can lead to burnout and chronic fatigue.  In contrast, living in harmony with the seasons supports optimal physical health, including better sleep, hormone regulation, and immune function.  It also promotes emotional resilience and life satisfaction by encouraging individuals to embrace change and find joy in the present moment. The Wheel Of The Year was first popularised in the mid-twentieth century and is made up of eight seasonal festivals marking the solstices, equinoxes and midpoints between them.  This gives us time as a community to meet up every six weeks to check in and refocus in a day of contemplation and celebration. In this ceremony we celebrate Ostara, also know as Spring Equinox .  Marking the return of the light and balance between night and day.  After a long period of dark hibernation, we will celebrate the fresh energy of renewal and bring hope into our lives.   One way to mark this is by planting seeds, literally and metaphorically and in this celebration, this is what we will be doing.  Decorating your own plant pots and planting seeds to take home and nurture, along with your intentions for 2026. We will also discuss the symbolism behind Easter and also connect with the herbs and plants that are beginning to show themselves which you can include in your diet The ceremony will include poetry and rituals and takes place (mainly inside, as we can't guarantee dry weather) at a smallholding just outside Chippenham from 14:00-16:00.  You can learn more about the host The Willow Tree Foundation here N.B Please note that there is parking on site and this is an adult only event, where dogs are not allowed.

The seasonal cycle provides a natural framework for life’s phases, guiding when to work, rest, reflect, and grow.  Ignoring these rhythms, as modern society often does by maintaining constant productivity, can lead to burnout and chronic fatigue.  In contrast, living in harmony with the seasons supports optimal physical health, including better sleep, hormone regulation, and immune function.  It also promotes emotional resilience and life satisfaction by encouraging individuals to embrace change and find joy in the present moment. The Wheel Of The Year was first popularised in the mid-twentieth century and is made up of eight seasonal festivals marking the solstices, equinoxes and midpoints between them.  This gives us time as a community to meet up every six weeks to check in and refocus in a day of contemplation and celebration. In this ceremony we celebrate Yule, also know as Winter Solstice or Midwinter .  Marking the shortest day and longest night, symbolising a time to rest and pause in the stillness.  The encouragement in Yule is to bring the outside in, as we spend more time in our homes.  So in this ceremony we will be getting creative by making natural yule decorations and infusing them with our intentions, spells and wishes. Come and warm your souls & your bellies with ritual, community and cacao around the fire in our farmhouse.   Kati Vernon  will be holding a wonderful ritual ceremony to help us set our intentions for 2026 & we will provide all of the resources to create your own Witches Balls (as seen in the image above) along with evergreen, orange & cinnamon decorations to take home with you. The ceremony takes places at a smallholding just outside Chippenham from 13:00-15:30.  You can learn more about the host The Willow Tree Foundation here N.B Please note that there is parking on site and this is an adult only event where dogs are not allowed.

The seasonal cycle provides a natural framework for life’s phases, guiding when to work, rest, reflect, and grow.  Ignoring these rhythms, as modern society often does by maintaining constant productivity, can lead to burnout and chronic fatigue.  In contrast, living in harmony with the seasons supports optimal physical health, including better sleep, hormone regulation, and immune function.  It also promotes emotional resilience and life satisfaction by encouraging individuals to embrace change and find joy in the present moment. The Wheel Of The Year was first popularised in the mid-twentieth century and is made up of eight seasonal festivals marking the solstices, equinoxes and midpoints between them.  This gives us time as a community to meet up every six weeks to check in and refocus in a day of contemplation and celebration. In this ceremony we celebrate Samhain . Also known as Halloween or All Hallow's Eve. It is the most well-known Pagan holiday, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker and colder half of the year.It is a time to honor ancestors, reflect on death, and recognise the thinning of the veil between worlds. Come and warm your souls & your bellies with ritual, community and toasted marshmallows around the fire.   Kati Vernon  will be holding a wonderful ritual ceremony to help us acknowledge that death is part of the cycle of life. Rebekah , from Somerset Soul Food, will taking us on a journey of myth, meditation and mugwort whilst we warm ourselves around the fire. Please bring a notebook, pen and an empty jam jar with you to take part in these activities. The ceremony takes places at a smallholding just outside Chippenham from 16:00-18:30.  You can learn more about the host The Willow Tree Foundation here N.B Please note that there is parking on site and this is an adult only event where dogs are not allowed.

The seasonal cycle provides a natural framework for life’s phases, guiding when to work, rest, reflect, and grow.  Ignoring these rhythms, as modern society often does by maintaining constant productivity, can lead to burnout and chronic fatigue.  In contrast, living in harmony with the seasons supports optimal physical health, including better sleep, hormone regulation, and immune function.  It also promotes emotional resilience and life satisfaction by encouraging individuals to embrace change and find joy in the present moment. The Wheel Of The Year was first popularised in the mid-twentieth century and is made up of eight seasonal festivals marking the solstices, equinoxes and midpoints between them.  This gives us time as a community to meet up every six weeks to check in and refocus in a day of contemplation and celebration. In this ceremony we celebrate  Mabon . Also known as the Autumn Equinox. Mabon is a time of thanksgiving for the fullness of the harvest and a celebration of balance as the days grow shorter.  Come and warm your souls & your bellies with ritual, folksong and toasted marshmallows around the fire.   Kati Vee will be holding a wonderful ritual ceremony to acknowlegde and connect to the changing of the seasons and to help resource us for the upcoming darker and colder days. Emily Heuvel , from the Birch Tree Folk Choir, will be warming our souls and our signing voices by leading us in folk song connected to this time of year.  The ceremony takes places at a smallholding just outside Chippenham from 18:00-20:30

More Than Human workshops are an invitation to step away from the noise and return to something more real - a sanctuary in Wiltshire where you can rest, reconnect, and rejuvenate. They are a Convivium (a Latin word meaning a joyful gathering of kindred spirits), where we share nourishing food, explore life through the rhythms of nature and find connection in community. 🌿 Forage, cook and share wholesome food, and gather new seasonal recipes  🐾 Ease anxiety, stress, burnout, insomnia or loneliness through grounding, meditation and mindful time 🎨 Reignite your creativity with natural art and craft activities 🤝 Connect with like-minded kin and find a sense of belonging in your local community This September we will be foraging for winter berries in order to make a tincture to help combat the flu season & we will include a visit to a local megathilic site! The workshop runs from 12.30pm-6pm with refreshments and food included BONUS EVENT: Included in your ticket will be an evening Mabon / Autumn Equinox Celebration  🎃, where we will celebrate this turn of the 'Wheel Of Life' with ceremony and song around the fire.  This celebration is optional to attend and takes place from 6-8.30pm, at the same venue.  You can learn more here: https://thewillowtreefoundation.com/wheel-of-the-year-ceremonies

Meet the Herd! From our cheekiest alpaca Dickie, to the charmer Harry, you get to meet and feed them all and learn more about Alpacas

The walk will be led by Richard Tyler, an experienced therapist and grief tender. His gentle spirit will hold the group firmly as he prompts you to reflect on certain questions and themes, offering both food for thought and medicine for your soul.

More Than Human workshops are an invitation to step away from the noise and return to something more real - a sanctuary in Wiltshire where you can rest, reconnect, and rejuvenate. They are a Convivium (a Latin word meaning a joyful gathering of kindred spirits), where we share nourishing food, explore life through the rhythms of nature and find connection in community. 🌿 Forage, cook and share wholesome food, and gather new seasonal recipes 🐾 Ease anxiety, stress, burnout, insomnia or loneliness through grounding, meditation and mindful time with animals 🎨 Reignite your creativity with natural art and craft activities 🤝 Connect with like-minded kin and find a sense of belonging in your local community The workshop runs from 1pm-4pm with refreshments and food included