Creation was the first sacred text.
Awi Haven is a place to listen for the Sacred in Creation.
Creation was the first sacred text.
Awi Haven is a place to listen for the Sacred in Creation.
Each earth season mirrors truths to us about the spiritual journey. In the spring, the creation helps us know more about what is involved in conceiving and birthing something new in our being, in our lives, in our world... The summer teaches of lessons of ripeness, abundance, and manifesting visions. Fall offers guidance in letting go and reminds us that even death itself is part of Life in the spiritual journey. Winter invites a time of dormant rest when we sit with questions without having to have the answers. It invites us to be willing to 'not know' what is next.
By reflecting on each earth season as a spiritual teacher, we understand the whole round of life as a mirror of the spiritual journey.
Each season is welcomed at Awi Haven with a retreat. Each retreat provides guidance for listening to creation for the lessons it has for us. Silence, readings, guided reflection, shared group reflections, shared meals, star gazing, and optional earth walking are all part of the offerings of these retreats.
The dates of upcoming retreats are:
Spring Retreat: April 24-April 27
Summer : July 24-27
During a personal retreat, you will have a room to yourself with a shared bath (linens provided). You will have access to 90 acres of woodland mountain trails trickling with spring fed creeks. Breakfast and lunch foods will be provided for you to fix at the times you choose. Dinner is served at the main house down the road on a porch overlooking the Big Laurel Creek. Prior to the evening meal, a 20 minute 'silent' prayer sit' will take place on the porch. The evening meal will be shared with others who are on retreat and/or who share the community of Awi Haven. Typically, silence is held through dinner but whether silence is held through the evening meal is decided by Virginia on a situational basis and needs of retreatants.
Reservations are required for your time at Awi Haven. Though payment is made at the time of your reservation, if you have to cancel, your fee will be applied to a future reservation for yourself. A 48 hour notice of cancellation is appreciated. Cost per night which includes your meals is $80. There is no charge for a spiritual direction consult with Virginia, though if you want to make a donation for that time, you may. You may arrive anytime between 2 and 5pm on the day of your reservation. Please plan to leave by noon on your ‘leave date.’ If you need/want a longer time and cost is prohibitive please reach out.
The weeks Awi Haven is open for individuals to come for 2 or more nights of silent retreat are below. Please inquire if you would like to come another time. It is very likely your needs will be able to be accommodated:
2025 Dates for Personal Individual Retreats:
April 1- April 20
May 4-15
June 19th-June 29th
More TBD for Summer and Fall....
Virginia DuPre offers individual and group spiritual companioning based on teachings of sacred wisdom texts and on the 'wisdom text' of creation itself. "Wisdom Texts" are stories, teachings, metaphors, parables, poems that 'teach' by helping us see and understand on a deeper level.
"Spiritual companioning aims to help us experience the eternal and the infinite aspects of our true nature through the experienced and compassionate company of another human being. Today, spiritual directors come from many traditions ... [including Judaism, Sufism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other faiths]. (SDI website)" .
In general terms, spiritual companioning provides a framework for seeing our personal/ individual circumstances in a larger frame. Spiritual companioning usually asks participants to commit to some form of ‘listening practice’ like meditation, walking meditation, and doing some reading from ancient and current wisdom readings which include sacred texts. These readings can be of your own choice or be suggested by Virginia. For those who have interest, non product oriented art making may be a suggested way of ‘listening’ in that the process of creating as well as the outcome offer metaphors for inner reflection.
First and foremost, the animals, plants, and lives of Cherokee and Celtic descendants who lived on this land are a significant part of the ‘who’ of Awi Haven.
Virginia DuPre and Michelle Bray are the current tenders of Awi Haven with lots of help and wisdom from people who have lived here for generations. Along with a community of neighbors Michelle is the handy woman and grounds tender. Virginia meets with people for spiritual diredtion, art therapy, facilitates retreats for small groups, and cooks meals for retreatants. She has been a spiritual guide, counselor, and registered art therapist for over twenty years and has led earth based spirituality retreats her entire adult life. Her spiritual training includes most recently being a ‘sendee’ of the Living School, a part of the Center for Action and Contemplation; an ongoing student of oral tradition training in Native American earth based teachings and practices; a Master of Art Therapy from Vermont College at Norwich University, and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory, training in the Narrative Tradition of the Enneagram with Helen Palmer. Hiking trips as well as courses under Outward Bound and NOLS have also been ‘schools’ for Virginia.