Alchemical Fire:
A Transmutational Writing Retreat
A 4-day deep dive into the transformational power of writing as ritual, release, and reclamation.
Thu, Oct. 23, 2025, 2:00 pm EST – Sun, Oct 26, 2025, 11:00 AM EST
The Gift House, 2046 Whays Creek Road, Reedville, Virginia
Whether your stories are burning to be shared or simmering in your subconscious, writing the truth about our experiences within the safety of sacred community has the power to transform our lives.
Alchemical Fire is a 4-day deep dive into the transformational power of writing as ritual, release, and reclamation, as we transmute the pain of our lives into stories that heal.
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Through daily writing practices, ceremonies, shadow excavations, somatic experiences, and radical truth-telling, you’ll walk through the alchemical stages of death, dissolution, transmutation, and re-emergence. We descend together—and rise together.
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We write what we were never allowed to say.
We honor the parts of ourselves that were silenced or shamed.
We meet our pain and praise our survival.
And in the flames of that honesty, we remember who we really are.
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Whether you’ve been cracked open by grief, shaken by transition, or simply hear the call to return to your truth, this retreat will meet you at the threshold—and walk with you through the fire.
What You’ll Experience:
Guided writing journeys rooted in catharsis, integration, and soul truth
Shamanic ceremonies to release, cleanse, and transmute
Somatic movement for emotional integration
Shadow writing, archetypal work, and voice activation
Creative storytelling as a path to self-reclamation
Sacred witnessing and being witnessed
Time for solitude, reflection, and integration in nature
A brave and compassionate circle of fellow seekers
Itinerary:
Thursday: IGNITE
5:00–6:00 PM – Arrival + Room Settling
6:00–7:00 PM – Opening Circle + Welcome Ritual
7:00–8:00 PM – Nourishing Dinner
8:00–9:00 PM – Firelight Ceremony: Setting Intentions, Burning the Old
(Optional writing prompt or silent journaling after)
Friday: RELEASE
8:00–9:00 AM – Light Breakfast
9:30–12:00 PM – Morning Writing Ritual: Writing What Was Never Said
12:00–1:30 PM – Lunch + Rest
2:00–4:00 PM – Somatic Movement + Shadow Writing
4:00–6:00 PM – Solo Reflection / Nature Walk / Optional 1:1s
6:30–7:30 PM – Dinner
8:00–9:00 PM – Shamanic Fire Ceremony: Release & Transmutation
Saturday: RECLAIM
8:00–9:00 AM – Breakfast
9:30–12:00 PM – Morning Writing Ritual: The Gold in the Ashes
12:00–1:30 PM – Lunch + Integration
2:00–4:00 PM – Archetypal Embodiment + Voice Activation
4:00–6:00 PM – Free Time / Art / Journaling
6:30–7:30 PM – Dinner
8:00–9:00 PM – Sacred Witnessing Circle (Readings, Reflections, Oracles)
Sunday: EMBODY
8:00–9:00 AM – Closing Breakfast
9:00–10:30 AM – Final Writing + Closing Circle: The Return
10:30–11:00 AM – Pack & Depart with Embers
No previous writing, movement, or ritual experience is needed -
just a willing heart and a curious spirit.
Bring a journal, your favorite writing tools, and any sacred items you’d like to place on our communal altar.
You are the fire. You are the fuel. And this is your transformation.
The Gift House, our beautiful venue, is deeply connected to nature.
Held in an intimate circle of 6 kindred seekers and guided by Valley Haggard, with the support of a gentle assistant, we’ll gather in a beautiful, nature-based space to unbind, unravel, and reawaken.
Valley Haggard is a multidimensional guide, sacred storyteller, and energetic weaver of truth. A certified Shamanic Reiki Practitioner, Reiki Master, and Spiritual Life Coach, she bridges energy medicine with electric embodiment. Her work lives at the intersection of writing as ritual, energy as language, and story as soul retrieval.
She leads others through transformational journeys using tools like forest bathing, archetypal movement, and somatic movement, along with channeled writing practices that open the throat, root, and heart. She’s a trained guide in shamanic journeys, power animal connection, and soul retrieval, holding fierce and tender space for those ready to reclaim their personal myth.