GATHERING AT THE WELL
A Three-Day Grief and Belonging Ritual
Facilitated by Holly Truhlar, Jessica Radovich and Brian 'Yam' Dwyer
- - - - - - - -
Facilitated by Holly Truhlar, Jessica Radovich and Brian 'Yam' Dwyer
- - - - - - - -
"Rituals are the churches without walls, the antidote to our denial.
Feeling together can both bring us together and free us."
- Prentis Hemphill
WHAT IS IT?
In these precious times, ritual is one of our greatest allies for alchemizing the intensity we face. Gathering at the Well is a friendship-led, community-fed ritual container with the capacity to hold the immensity of our personal and collective grief, as well our deep, essential need for belonging.
We will be gathering in Evergreen, Colorado for three days (Friday June 27th - Sunday June 29th) in a private location at the foothills of the Asinîwaciy ('Rocky') Mountains in honor of the tremendous grief, bewilderment and resilient praise that so many of us carry in our bodies. Grief ritual practices, group connection, nourishing meals, rest and plenty of vibrant community music will carry us along as we journey into depth, presence and mystery together.
- - - - - - - -
"Grief is praise, because it is the natural way love honors what it misses."
- Martín Prechtel
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
Expect tears, big laughs, tender heartache and healing attention. Expect to feel things. Expect realness and an encouragement to be vibrant, beautiful, and messy in our aspirations toward wholeness. Expect to be offered a courageous space to loosen your armor, let go of your masks, and break down (see also: break through!) with the essential aid of supportive community and care.
This is a come-as-you-are gathering with no expectation or pressure on how your grief is (or is not) expressed. It's a place to try things out, unlock our hearts and encourage one another to explore our depths as human beings. No one's grief will be "fixed", explained or "healed"; grief does not show up on demand and its expressions can include weeping, numbness, outrage, quiet witness and more. Trust that your presence, however you arrive, is a valuable thread in the shared tapestry and will be met with respect.
Through us gathering, in presence and emergence, we will cocreate a space together that leans into the collective intelligence of the group for its wisdom and direction. We will come together in this way in order to allow and trust a greater current to carry us into waters we cannot reach alone, to go further in to the places where a broken heart can mysteriously become a heart-broken-open.
From this open-heartedness, we replenish each other with our wisdom, our honesty and our care made visible.
By way of land-based practices, emergent ritual, collaborative singing, music, rhythm, nourishing seasonal food, embodied movement, writing practice, and more we will access and express our grief, our gratitude, our desire, and the many emotional currents that move in our depths but are so often ignored, rejected or shamed in our pre-dominant monoculture. We do this with the intention of learning how to acknowledge and transform our personal and global grief into something that opens us up to the true preciousness of life—something that is beautiful, generative and nourishing for each of us, our loved ones and the greater web of life of which we are all a part.
- - - - - - - -
"We need ritual because it is an expression of the fact that we recognize the difficulty of creating a different and special kind of community. A community that does not have ritual does not exist."
- Malidoma Patrice Somé
LINEAGE OF TEACHERS
The style of grief ritual in this container is informed by - but not a direct descendant of - the teachings and offerings of Malidoma Patrice Somé, Sobonfu Somé, The Dagara People of Burkina Faso, West Africa, Resmaa Menakem, Francis Weller, Clarissa Pinkola Estés Réyes, Joanna Macy, Martín Prechtel, Laurence Cole, Thérèse Charvet, donkeys, and others. We give thanks and praise to each of them for their ongoing guidance, and recognize that none of what we are offering would be possible without their vital contributions to the world of grief-tending.
Feeling together can both bring us together and free us."
- Prentis Hemphill
WHAT IS IT?
In these precious times, ritual is one of our greatest allies for alchemizing the intensity we face. Gathering at the Well is a friendship-led, community-fed ritual container with the capacity to hold the immensity of our personal and collective grief, as well our deep, essential need for belonging.
We will be gathering in Evergreen, Colorado for three days (Friday June 27th - Sunday June 29th) in a private location at the foothills of the Asinîwaciy ('Rocky') Mountains in honor of the tremendous grief, bewilderment and resilient praise that so many of us carry in our bodies. Grief ritual practices, group connection, nourishing meals, rest and plenty of vibrant community music will carry us along as we journey into depth, presence and mystery together.
- - - - - - - -
"Grief is praise, because it is the natural way love honors what it misses."
- Martín Prechtel
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
Expect tears, big laughs, tender heartache and healing attention. Expect to feel things. Expect realness and an encouragement to be vibrant, beautiful, and messy in our aspirations toward wholeness. Expect to be offered a courageous space to loosen your armor, let go of your masks, and break down (see also: break through!) with the essential aid of supportive community and care.
This is a come-as-you-are gathering with no expectation or pressure on how your grief is (or is not) expressed. It's a place to try things out, unlock our hearts and encourage one another to explore our depths as human beings. No one's grief will be "fixed", explained or "healed"; grief does not show up on demand and its expressions can include weeping, numbness, outrage, quiet witness and more. Trust that your presence, however you arrive, is a valuable thread in the shared tapestry and will be met with respect.
Through us gathering, in presence and emergence, we will cocreate a space together that leans into the collective intelligence of the group for its wisdom and direction. We will come together in this way in order to allow and trust a greater current to carry us into waters we cannot reach alone, to go further in to the places where a broken heart can mysteriously become a heart-broken-open.
From this open-heartedness, we replenish each other with our wisdom, our honesty and our care made visible.
By way of land-based practices, emergent ritual, collaborative singing, music, rhythm, nourishing seasonal food, embodied movement, writing practice, and more we will access and express our grief, our gratitude, our desire, and the many emotional currents that move in our depths but are so often ignored, rejected or shamed in our pre-dominant monoculture. We do this with the intention of learning how to acknowledge and transform our personal and global grief into something that opens us up to the true preciousness of life—something that is beautiful, generative and nourishing for each of us, our loved ones and the greater web of life of which we are all a part.
- - - - - - - -
"We need ritual because it is an expression of the fact that we recognize the difficulty of creating a different and special kind of community. A community that does not have ritual does not exist."
- Malidoma Patrice Somé
LINEAGE OF TEACHERS
The style of grief ritual in this container is informed by - but not a direct descendant of - the teachings and offerings of Malidoma Patrice Somé, Sobonfu Somé, The Dagara People of Burkina Faso, West Africa, Resmaa Menakem, Francis Weller, Clarissa Pinkola Estés Réyes, Joanna Macy, Martín Prechtel, Laurence Cole, Thérèse Charvet, donkeys, and others. We give thanks and praise to each of them for their ongoing guidance, and recognize that none of what we are offering would be possible without their vital contributions to the world of grief-tending.
Location
Agua Kodera Ranch
(address shared with registration)
Evergreen, CO 80439
(address shared with registration)
Evergreen, CO 80439
Date & Time
6/27/25 4:00 PM - 6/29/25
4:00 PM
4:00 PM
our team of facilitators
This offering comes from the hearts, minds and souls of Holly Truhlar, Jessica Radovich and Brian 'Yam' Dwyer.
HOLLY TRUHLAR
Holly Truhlar (she/they) is a collapse psychologist, politicized grief tender, and soul activist. Her body of work is a remembering and revisioning of what it means to be people of potency and culture. She mentors individuals and facilitates groups through ritual, storytelling, imagination, creative practices, and Deep Democracy work. She holds a Doctorate in Law and Masters in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, though she learns most deeply from her relationships with the Wild, including the land she inhabits, Ancestors, Hekate, and donkeys. In 2023, she co-facilitated a 5-month grief ritual training alongside Francis Weller with over 700 participants; they are currently co-facilitating another training cohort with the Centre for Climate Psychology.
Holly Truhlar (she/they) is a collapse psychologist, politicized grief tender, and soul activist. Her body of work is a remembering and revisioning of what it means to be people of potency and culture. She mentors individuals and facilitates groups through ritual, storytelling, imagination, creative practices, and Deep Democracy work. She holds a Doctorate in Law and Masters in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, though she learns most deeply from her relationships with the Wild, including the land she inhabits, Ancestors, Hekate, and donkeys. In 2023, she co-facilitated a 5-month grief ritual training alongside Francis Weller with over 700 participants; they are currently co-facilitating another training cohort with the Centre for Climate Psychology.
JESSICA RADOVICH
Jessica ‘Jessi’ Radovich (she/they) is is a teacher, collapse-aware counselor and artist working at the intersection of creativity and community, working at the edges of creativity and community in times of polycrises and possibility.
She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies teaching courses on community grief tending, community singing and attachment work.
Jessi holds Lebanese, German and Austrian ancestry, was raised in NJ, and currently lives on the ancestral homelands of the Lummi, Nooksack and other Coast Salish Peoples (Bellingham, WA), where she is a daughter, proud co-mom, bandmate, devoted community member and vivid daydreamer. She has collaborated with artist Swoon, Philadelphia Mural Arts, Heliotrope Foundation, The Million Person Project, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and renowned addiction specialist Dr. Gabor Mate, among others.
Jessica ‘Jessi’ Radovich (she/they) is is a teacher, collapse-aware counselor and artist working at the intersection of creativity and community, working at the edges of creativity and community in times of polycrises and possibility.
She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies teaching courses on community grief tending, community singing and attachment work.
Jessi holds Lebanese, German and Austrian ancestry, was raised in NJ, and currently lives on the ancestral homelands of the Lummi, Nooksack and other Coast Salish Peoples (Bellingham, WA), where she is a daughter, proud co-mom, bandmate, devoted community member and vivid daydreamer. She has collaborated with artist Swoon, Philadelphia Mural Arts, Heliotrope Foundation, The Million Person Project, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and renowned addiction specialist Dr. Gabor Mate, among others.
BRIAN 'YAM' DWYER
Brian (he/him tree/him) is a community song leader, music weaver, rhythm bringer and student of emergent ritual space. He knows music to be a living line of connection and communication to our ancestors, the wider cosmos and our more-than-human kin. Brian has been a student of music, rhythm and improvisational singing for over 30 years, has been studying ritual, transformative men's work and ceremonial spaces for 7 years, and has been holding space for grief-tending with others in the Cascadia Bio-region since 2022.
He currently resides on the unceded ancestral lands of the Lummi, Nooksack and other Coast Salish peoples (otherwise known as Bellingham, WA), where he is a dedicated partner, villager, co-parent and father of a 10-year-old son.
Brian (he/him tree/him) is a community song leader, music weaver, rhythm bringer and student of emergent ritual space. He knows music to be a living line of connection and communication to our ancestors, the wider cosmos and our more-than-human kin. Brian has been a student of music, rhythm and improvisational singing for over 30 years, has been studying ritual, transformative men's work and ceremonial spaces for 7 years, and has been holding space for grief-tending with others in the Cascadia Bio-region since 2022.
He currently resides on the unceded ancestral lands of the Lummi, Nooksack and other Coast Salish peoples (otherwise known as Bellingham, WA), where he is a dedicated partner, villager, co-parent and father of a 10-year-old son.
"If grief can be a doorway to Love, then let us weep for for the world we are breaking apart, so we can love it back to wholeness again."
- Robin Wall Kimmerer
SCHEDULE
This iteration of Gathering at the Well is a 3-day event. We're asking folks to arrive between 1-4pm on Friday June 27th. We'll be starting our circle at 6pm. We will then close up our time together around 4pm on Sunday, June 29th.
Preparation & Integration: We're also offering an our optional pre-gathering zoom call on June 9th, 6:00-7:30pm MDT to help us orient and prepare. And, there will be an optional post-ritual aftercare zoom call a few weeks following the ritual.
- - - - - - - - - - -
ACCOMMODATIONS
We will be gathering in Evergreen, Colorado at a private ranch named Agua Kodera; a beautiful nature-based setting with a main lodge including a kitchen, large meadow camping area, bunkhouse, yurt, and chapel that is located at the base of a mountain. There’s outdoor and indoor bathrooms, running water, and indoor spaces to gather. There are also ponds and alpacas!
ACCESSIBILITY
We will be gathering at a mountain ranch with varied terrain, including hills. The property is not ADA accessible for wheelchairs, and does require short distances of walking on well-maintained, uneven dirt and gravel paths to get to different locations. Most spaces are connected via maintained dirt roads or flat natural ground. Most buildings are around 500 feet apart, with flat areas near the entrance of each space and parking areas. Some of the buildings have a few stairs at their entrance.
There is running water on site. There are bathrooms both indoors and outdoors. One compost toilet is at ground level and easily accessible for many, while the other two have a set of 5 stairs to climb up to the stall. The Meadow, where much of this event will take place is a natural wildflower and grass covered meadow with generally flat, though varied, unaltered ground.
NOURISHMENT: MEALS AND SNACKS
We will be taking part in primary satisfactions all weekend, including sharing meals and snacks. We will be serving simple breakfast, such as muffins, yogurt, and oatmeal. We are blessed to have private chef, Hannah Smith, cooking our lunches and dinners. By centering seasonal, local, and organic ingredients that nourish from the inside out, Chef Hannah curates dining experiences that invite deeper conversations with the lands we inhabit.
OVERNIGHT ONSITE ACCOMMODATIONS
We are cultivating a (sudden) village of belonging during this weekend. There are onsite overnight accommodations available, and we encourage participants to stay at the venue if possible.
When you register you will receive a link to book your accommodations. The sooner you register, the more options you'll have for accommodations ranging from a writers cabin, a yurt, indoor bunk rooms, and outdoor camping spaces, with prices starting at just $28/night for camping to $85/night for a shared yurt. The overnight accommodations are offered at a discounted rate and are much less expensive than lodging nearby because we've rented the entire venue.
To see more information about the lodging accommodations available, click the link below. Please do not book lodging before you register as there's more information you'll need which is provided on our registration email.
Lodging Options Available: https://form.jotform.com/251124675090150
HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
We are committed to community care in our changing world, particularly with ongoing concerns about COVID and avian influenza. Here are our current health and safety protocols for the ritual weekend. We ask that you read this document carefully before attending.
RECIPROCITY
A considerable amount of time, energy and heart goes into planning, organizing, and facilitating this space. The cost of this ritual exists so that the land, facilitators, organizers, and chef are resourced while doing this work.
3-Day Ritual including all meals and snacks: $795.00 USD
This covers the holistic costs of running this ritual by supporting fair wages for the facilitators and chef. This does not include lodging accommodations which can be booked with the ritual venue and range from $28/night to $85/night. To see more information about the lodging accommodations available, click the link below. Please do not book lodging before you register as there's more information you'll need which is provided on our registration email.
Lodging Options Available: https://form.jotform.com/251124675090150
If you are feeling the call and need a scholarship to join us, please reach out to [email protected]. We prioritize offering scholarships to People of The Global Majority and working-class, cash poor families. Limited scholarships available.
As a part of our pledge in showing up to do this work, we also allocate a percentage of reciprocity towards the Dagara Empowerment Water Project.
CANCELLATION & (NO)REFUND POLICY
When you register for this ritual, you're securing your personal spot. Just like a concert or live performance, registrations are non-refundable. Please make sure you have the capacity to join us before you register. While we'll work with you to transfer your ticket to a friend, we do not offer refunds. Your presence matters, and we encourage you to register only when you're a wholehearted yes and committed to participating.
- Robin Wall Kimmerer
SCHEDULE
This iteration of Gathering at the Well is a 3-day event. We're asking folks to arrive between 1-4pm on Friday June 27th. We'll be starting our circle at 6pm. We will then close up our time together around 4pm on Sunday, June 29th.
Preparation & Integration: We're also offering an our optional pre-gathering zoom call on June 9th, 6:00-7:30pm MDT to help us orient and prepare. And, there will be an optional post-ritual aftercare zoom call a few weeks following the ritual.
- - - - - - - - - - -
ACCOMMODATIONS
We will be gathering in Evergreen, Colorado at a private ranch named Agua Kodera; a beautiful nature-based setting with a main lodge including a kitchen, large meadow camping area, bunkhouse, yurt, and chapel that is located at the base of a mountain. There’s outdoor and indoor bathrooms, running water, and indoor spaces to gather. There are also ponds and alpacas!
ACCESSIBILITY
We will be gathering at a mountain ranch with varied terrain, including hills. The property is not ADA accessible for wheelchairs, and does require short distances of walking on well-maintained, uneven dirt and gravel paths to get to different locations. Most spaces are connected via maintained dirt roads or flat natural ground. Most buildings are around 500 feet apart, with flat areas near the entrance of each space and parking areas. Some of the buildings have a few stairs at their entrance.
There is running water on site. There are bathrooms both indoors and outdoors. One compost toilet is at ground level and easily accessible for many, while the other two have a set of 5 stairs to climb up to the stall. The Meadow, where much of this event will take place is a natural wildflower and grass covered meadow with generally flat, though varied, unaltered ground.
NOURISHMENT: MEALS AND SNACKS
We will be taking part in primary satisfactions all weekend, including sharing meals and snacks. We will be serving simple breakfast, such as muffins, yogurt, and oatmeal. We are blessed to have private chef, Hannah Smith, cooking our lunches and dinners. By centering seasonal, local, and organic ingredients that nourish from the inside out, Chef Hannah curates dining experiences that invite deeper conversations with the lands we inhabit.
OVERNIGHT ONSITE ACCOMMODATIONS
We are cultivating a (sudden) village of belonging during this weekend. There are onsite overnight accommodations available, and we encourage participants to stay at the venue if possible.
When you register you will receive a link to book your accommodations. The sooner you register, the more options you'll have for accommodations ranging from a writers cabin, a yurt, indoor bunk rooms, and outdoor camping spaces, with prices starting at just $28/night for camping to $85/night for a shared yurt. The overnight accommodations are offered at a discounted rate and are much less expensive than lodging nearby because we've rented the entire venue.
To see more information about the lodging accommodations available, click the link below. Please do not book lodging before you register as there's more information you'll need which is provided on our registration email.
Lodging Options Available: https://form.jotform.com/251124675090150
HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
We are committed to community care in our changing world, particularly with ongoing concerns about COVID and avian influenza. Here are our current health and safety protocols for the ritual weekend. We ask that you read this document carefully before attending.
RECIPROCITY
A considerable amount of time, energy and heart goes into planning, organizing, and facilitating this space. The cost of this ritual exists so that the land, facilitators, organizers, and chef are resourced while doing this work.
3-Day Ritual including all meals and snacks: $795.00 USD
This covers the holistic costs of running this ritual by supporting fair wages for the facilitators and chef. This does not include lodging accommodations which can be booked with the ritual venue and range from $28/night to $85/night. To see more information about the lodging accommodations available, click the link below. Please do not book lodging before you register as there's more information you'll need which is provided on our registration email.
Lodging Options Available: https://form.jotform.com/251124675090150
If you are feeling the call and need a scholarship to join us, please reach out to [email protected]. We prioritize offering scholarships to People of The Global Majority and working-class, cash poor families. Limited scholarships available.
As a part of our pledge in showing up to do this work, we also allocate a percentage of reciprocity towards the Dagara Empowerment Water Project.
CANCELLATION & (NO)REFUND POLICY
When you register for this ritual, you're securing your personal spot. Just like a concert or live performance, registrations are non-refundable. Please make sure you have the capacity to join us before you register. While we'll work with you to transfer your ticket to a friend, we do not offer refunds. Your presence matters, and we encourage you to register only when you're a wholehearted yes and committed to participating.