The Keening Women Retreat
In a world whose ecological, social, and political systems are unraveling you are invited to join me for the Keening Women retreat, a week-long retreat dedicated to practicing and exploring the language of grief.
This transformative journey leads us into liminal spaces where we engage with an energy which has the potential for healing and transformation.
Like the keening woman who worked in the liminal spaces between life and death, we find ourselves in this threshold place with an uncertain future ahead of us. Engaging with the energy of the liminal can help root us in an active hope, the tools of art, ritual and enaging with the land offer a sustainable resilience for the work you do in the world.
An Isle of Big Women
We gather on the Isle of Eigg, an island whose Gaelic name Eilean Nam Ban Mora means lsle of the Big Women. Eigg lies within the islands of the Hebrides, which have been called Brighid’s isles. Our week is inspired by Brighid her deep ties to midwifery, her energy as a threshold Goddess and ties to healing and creativity.
Weaving Your Grief
We begin our time together on the island by visiting the Well of the Holy Women and asking for a blessing for our time together. Our work with the Bean Chaointe, the keening woman, begins with a circular weaving, where you will choose different threads and yarns to represent the grief you carry. You will be invited to share your grief as you create your weaving
A Keening Circle
The keening circle is a larger ritual which allows for a full expression of the range of emotions of grief from anger and rage, to despair. We will take this journey through music
Keening With the Land
Throughout the week we will visit sites on the island where we will perform grief rituals such as singing in the great Cathedral Cave and an invitation to speak to a beloved ancestor with an old tradition on the Singing Sands.
You are invited to create a keening doll, one which holds part of your stories, speaks to your connection to place and time on the island as well as reflecting what is important to you and your work in the world.
We will explore the stories that hold us, the stories we each individually carry. I’ll share islands stories of the Ancestral Mothers of Scotland from tales of the mythical Big Women, female warriors to the Goddess Brighid, who has long been honored in these islands.
Part of the ritual of doll making is the preparation. The intention, the creative spark that births your doll. We will gather some natural materials which will adorn your doll and you’ll be invited to share the story of your doll in our final sharing at the end of the week.
Keening Doll
“There’s a song that wants to sing itself through us. We just got to be available. Maybe the song that is to be sung through us is the most beautiful requiem for an irreplaceable planet or maybe it’s a song of joyous rebirth as we create a new culture that doesn’t destroy its world. But in any case, there’s absolutely no excuse for our making our passionate love for our world dependent on what we think of its degree of health, whether we think it’s going to go on forever. Those are just thoughts anyway. But this moment you’re alive, so you can just dial up the magic of that at any time.”
Scotland offers long lingering twilights at this time of year, hours of enchanted light after the sun has set that feel between the worlds. This quality of light paints the land so you can clearly see the face in the cliff and the outline of the woman in the land.
Trance Dance
You’ll have an opportunity to set your intentions and in a trance dance, dance between the worlds, asking the ancestors and the Ancestral Mothers of this place for their wisdom.
Spiritual Senses
Your week on the island is an invitation to engage with your spiritual senses. You’ll build your own relationship with the island - from the sight of an eagle, an otter on the shore or even a dolphin. A plant walk will introduce some of the local flowers and herbs, we’ll explore their tradition use as well as gathering rushes to make a Brighid’s cross.
Stories of the Ancestral Mothers
Inspired by stories of the Ancestral Mothers and the warriors of Queen Moidart, you’ll be invited to submerge yourself under the waters of the Loch of the Big Women, and if you feel called perhaps even swim out to the little island the “Big Women’ were said to live.
Who is This Retreat For?
The Keening Women is a retreat for those wishing to explore grief through ritual and creativity
What Will I Get From this Retreat?
Creative rituals to express your grief
Tools to process your grief
An invitation to make a deep soul connection to the land
Experiences which offer a deep nourishing of the soul
What Can I Take Away From This Retreat?
A deep and connection to place
Your Keening Doll
The ongoing practice of ‘grief’ - becoming familiar with grief and creatively exploring and expressing it
An ongoing connection with myself and others on the retreat
“This retreat was exactly what I needed as a caregiver and a mental health worker—a break from rushing around and a chance to connect more fully with myself, my surroundings, and the people in my life. There were many unexpected moments of laughter and playfulness—I even had the chance to fly a tiny kite while looking out over the Loch of the Big Women. I arrived home with a full heart and a handful of tiny shells.”
“ The retreat provided a place and time to deeply connect with myself, the land and my ancestors in the presence of women with an equal respect for the importance of connection, nourishment of body & soul, and taking time & space to do this vital work of radical self-care.”
“A wonderful retreat blending wild Scottish landscape, good health, and spiritual exploration of ancient female power. Powerful dreams and visions gained through this work & land enabled me to carry out a ritual which I feel in my bones healed a deep scarring in my female lineage. I am still connected to the stone I planted into the Island’s soil and on challenging days I see through its eyes and am reminded of who I really am. Lengthy walks, delicious conscious eating, and sincere mindful women made this a life-changing experience.”
“Jude’s depth of understanding and passion for the stories of the ancestral mothers inspired me to want to know more and connect more deeply with them. As the retreat progressed I felt myself connecting more and more with each passing day.
I particularly enjoyed connecting with the Big Women through making my doll, feeling her coming alive more and more to where I felt the spirit of the ancestral mothers both in her and in myself. The retreat offered me a richer and deeper understanding of where I’ve been and new inspiration and vision for where I want to go.”
“Jude Lally is an excellent facilitator leading us on a journey to meet the ancestral mothers and to find their strength within ourselves. Through journeying, hill walking, storytelling and doll making her style is gentle and the schedule is relaxed, which was exactly what I needed. The food was nutritious and fortifying to enable our important exploration of the island. The women were each amazing and a delight to be with from the first moment to the last. Through walking the hills I made such connections to the land and nature on Eigg. I knew this retreat would be life-changing, but I didn’t know how. I find that I have so much more confidence and determination with the ability to handle higher levels of stress in a calm way than I did before. This is a life-changing adventure that you don’t want to miss!”
“Jude is so much more than tour guide and retreat leader. Her connection to Eigg – the island and its residents – deepened and grounded my soul-expanding experience. All the while, Jude deftly handled the practical and complex tasks of leading a retreat, while providing a relaxed, trustworthy container throughout the week where personal transformation, and even magic, took place.
Our stay on Eigg was a satisfying balance of communal time and individual contemplative time. Through Jude’s weaving of academic and mythopoetic history – derived from her years of study and her creative re-imagining old stories and song into our contemporary world – the island became imbued with the feeling that the Ancestral Mothers on Eigg are alive and energetically powerful. And sometimes playfully mischievous. ”
On the train ride from Glasgow to Mallaig (where you get the ferry to Eigg) you'll travel on one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world - the West Highland Way. Your route will cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films
Sample of Itinerary
DAY ONE - Saturday
On arriving on the island, we will take a leisurely walk to our accommodation, while our luggage is taken for us. Once settled in and after an evening meal we’ll walk down to the ruins of St Donnan’s chapel, visiting the figurine which was once thought to be a Sheela na Gig. With her inspiration we’ll head down to the beach and search for a cowrie shell.
DAY TWO - Sunday
We’ll gather in the morning for a welcome circle then in the afternoon visit the Well of the Holy Women for a blessing ceremony. We will be passing through the village of Grulin, whose inhabitants were forcibly moved off the island in the Highland clearances. In the evening we’ll begin our doll making.
DAY THREE - Monday
A trip to the Singing Sands (chirping sands in Gaelic) and a ritual on the shore of using natural materials to represent grief - from personal to global. In the afternoon we will gather to create a personal weaving, in which your invited to consider and share some of the grief you hold. In the evening we will hold our keening circle.
DAY FOUR - Tuesday
A trip to visit the caves and to sing our Gaelic lament in the Cathedral Cave. We will also be gathering in front of the Massacre cave, and visit the cave if you wish.
Some free time check out the visitor center at the harbor - with shop and craft shop. We’ll take a longer way home to see if we can spot any seals and some beach combing to gather shells for our dolls. In the evening we will hopefully join the island singing group TBC.
DAY FIVE - Wednesday
We’ll begin the day with some doll making and then a free afternoon for whatever you need - perhaps a nap, reading in the sun room or head out on your own for a wander. There will be an optional visit and tour of a local croft and visiting a historical croft. In the evening we’ll gather for our Trance Dance.
DAY SIX - Thursday
An optional morning trip to the Loch of the Big Women, plus a ritual which your invited into the loch waters. In the afternoon we’ll make the finishing touches to our dolls and then head to Laig Bay for a fire on the beach.
DAY SEVEN - Friday
Some free time in the morning - afternoon activity is a group decision. In the evening we will gather for personal rituals in which your invited to share about your time on the island and the story your doll holds.
Summer fires!
DEPARTURE DAY - Saturday
You’ll depart our accomodation around 10 am, with your luggage being taken down to the pier for you. You’ll have time to visit the craft shop, maybe some lunch at the cafe (although you will be provided with a packed lunch). Group travel via the ferry back over to Mallaig, time in the town and then get the Glasgow train.
Travel Details
If your traveling from outside of Scotland the nearest airport wis Glasgow International
The main route of travel to the retreat is by the West Highland Line train which leaves Glasgow Queen Street, and via Fort William arrives in at the port town of Mallaig. in Mallaig.
A Calmac ferry takes you fro Mallaig to Eigg. Full details of travel will be given after booking.
Fitness Level
Retreat participants are required to have an average fitness level and be comfortable walking on all types of terrain. The longest days we might walk ten miles, ensuring everyone is comfortable with the pace, and taking breaks when needed.
What Do I Pack?
Scottish summers can see all weather in just one day. When your booked up there will be a rough guide of what to bring - from a wooly hat, to a swimsuit to good and brown in hiking boots.
Cancellation and Refunds
Refunds are available up until the 14th April, minus the non-refundable deposit. After the 14th April no refunds are available. The only instance a refund is possible is if you are able to transfer your booking to another person.
We do try to provide a flexible booking policy but as this retreat works on a small scale, substantial expenses are incurred well before the event. Running a retreat with insufficient bookings becomes impractical for us and can cause the cancellation of the entire retreat.
What if I the Retreat Gets Cancelled?
If the retreat is canceled for any reason then all participants will receive a full refund (minus any transaction fees)
The Retreat Agreement Form
Signing this form, after full payment has been received confirms your booking, It outlines all the Retreat terms and conditions. There will also be a separate waiver form to sign.
Travel Insurance
You are required to have travel insurance for this trip. Travel insurance covers you if in the rare event you may need medical assistance among other things depending on your policy. Please ensure you have the correct insurance to meet your requirements.
Medical Assistance on Eigg
The Small Isles Medical Practice is available for temporary residents and visitors. Please note I cannot advise anyone on insurance.
What is Included In the Price of Your Retreat?
Seven nights accommodation at Glebe Barn on the Isle of Eigg
Dinner on arrival day, breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and breakfast and a packed lunch on our departing day
All art materials and tuition for doll making
Tour of a working croft and visit to a croft museum (if schedule allows)
Personal care and attention to any issue or concerns from Jude pre-Retreat and during the Retreat
What Is Not Included in the Price of your Retreat?
Any travel costs to the isle of Eigg
Travel Insurance (which is required)
All travel to the Isle of Eigg (train and ferry journeys)
Optional taxi rides on Eigg (yes, Eigg has a taxi)
Any meals or drinks other than the meals listed above
Any medical treatment costs
When Does Registration Close?
Registration deadline is the 14th April
I’m happy to help with any queries, advise on travel connections and will provide further details after booking
Our home for the retreat is Glebe Barn which is a converted 19th-century building which offers wonderful views across the harbor and over to the Scottish mainland. It’s perfectly situated towards the middle of the island - a great location for our trips to visit local sites and within one mile of the harbor and the new building offering the cafe, main shop and craft shop.
The kitchen, dining room, gathering room & library and sunroom are all on the ground floor. An entrance hall offers storage for coats and walking boots and there is also a laundry room with washer and dryer, and a shower room (with toilet) and a second toilet.
The Glebe Barn is a hostel which offers three sleeping accommodations:
Bunk beds - where you will have both the lower and upper bunk.
Single bed rooms. Rooms with 3 single beds for two women sharing
One single room with 2 single beds. This is available for an ‘I want my own room’ supplement of £50
Please note:
There are two types of bedrooms available, there are single beds (based on two women sharing in rooms with 3 single beds), and there is bunk bed accommodation ( you will have the upper and lower bed to yourself and can use for additional storage). Please indicate your preference when booking, there is only one single room available with an additional fee supplement.
First floor
The first floor has three bedrooms. Each bedroom has a sink, and hangable storage racks. This floor has two shower rooms and two toilets. There is also a hairdryer and mirror in the hall. Each room offers a fantastic view out over to the mainland.
Bedroom 1, First Floor. A four bed bunk room suitable for two women
Bedroom 2, First Floor. This room has two single beds and a sink. Suitable for two women or one woman with a single room £50 booking fee
Bedroom 3, First floor. Bunk room. BOOKED
The second floor is accessible by stairs, there is no lift in the building. This floor has a bathroom between the two bedrooms. There is also a sink in each room. The showers are on the first floor. With an additional shower on the ground floor.
Bedroom 4, Second Floor. This room is for 2 women, with three single beds.
Bedroom 5, Second Floor. This room is for 2 women, with three single beds.
Accomodation is based on single bed in a room with 3 single beds or bunk bed accommodation (either a 3 bed or 3 bed bunk room). You will have both the upper and lower bed to yourself.
Registration has now closed
Your Guide
Jude has been visiting the Isle of Eigg for over 20 years and has formed deep ties with the land and friendships with the islanders. As an artist and writer with a background in Human Ecology her work explores connection to the land through art, story and ritual.
Through Cultural Activist she draws upon ancestral practices such as Keening, which when used in a modern setting can help to honor the grief we feel for all that is happening in the world. She taps into the inspiration of the Bean Chaointe, the keening woman, to help us reclaim grief, in creative ways in acts of resistance which work to both transform ourselves and our communities.
A Radical Doll Maker viewing her art as part of a practice that stretches back to the first dolls fashioned from bones and stones – such as the Woman of Willendorf. She uses dolls as a way of connecting to ancestral figures and exploring the wisdom they represent. As a painter she explores stories of the land, her images incorporating local soils.
She gained her MSc Masters Degree in Human Ecology at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and lives on the West Coast of Scotland on the banks of the River Clyde, near Loch Lomond. She is currently writing her first book, Path of the Ancestral Mothers.