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Personal Transformation on Sacred Land | Hestia Magic
 
 

Samhain Special Sabbatical Week

October 26-November 1, 2026

with guest healer, Joy Evans


Limited to 12 people for an intimate experience

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Join us in Mount Shasta, the powerful root chakra of the earth, during Samhain for a deeply restorative sabbatical week to slow down and ground your body, mind, and spirit with our guest healer, Joy Evans. 


Samhain is a potent time of the year, a Celtic cross-quarter celebration at the mid-point between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, a seasonal transition. The descent into longer nights is acknowledged in many cultural traditions and often described as a time of “thinness between worlds.” In The Earth’s Cycle of Celebration, Glennie Kindred reminds us Samhain is a “time to connect to our root energy, to reflect, to journey into our unconscious and the spirit realms. Now we must make time to rest.” 


Samhain’s powerful energy offers the chance for reflection on life’s transitions. You may be facing the grief of a loved one’s transition or you may be following your heart down a path that feels like stepping into the unknown. While the unknown and the void can feel overwhelming, all life comes from the darkness of the womb or earth. The incubation of winter’s darkness nourishes new growth. We gather to find stability during transitions, leaning into the creative force of the void and the possibilities of the unknown.

~ TRANSITIONS ~  ANCESTORS ~ THE UNKNOWN ~ THE VOID ~ 

Joy will be guiding a magical Samhain night sound walk weaving together Celtic contemplation, forest bathing, and the celestial sounds of alchemy crystal singing bowls, and offering two group sound healings to help us connect with ancestral healing, accepting the unknown, and befriend darkness.

What is the Samhain Night Sound Walk?


Attune to the earth’s energy on a slow, meditative walk gently guided by the sounds of singing bowls. The forest at night invites you into a practice of noticing. We gather in the Ancestral Grove to begin with a heart-opening sound healing, supporting your connection to Mount Shasta, your ancestors, and your guides. The vibrational energy of alchemy crystal singing bowls can be impactful on the mind/body and subtle energy bodies. At your own pace, “walk the rounds” paying respect to three energetic circles on the land. We approach with deep listening supported by Mama Shasta. 


Join our Samhain Special Sabbatical Week at Hestia to:

  • Slow down to recognize the rhythm of the seasons as a source of healing for your mind, body, and spirit;

  • Connect to Mount Shasta’s root energy to stay grounded during the energetic transition from Autumn’s water energy into Winter’s earth energy;

  • Release ancestral trauma, tend your grief, and connect with ancestral healing;

  • Open your heart to receive messages about your transitions, the unknown or the void;.

  • Deepen your practice of rest as you prepare for the dark half of the year;

  • Embody the seasonal wisdom of Samhain.

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Our Samhain Flow:


OCT 26: Day 1 >>  GROUND & SETTLE IN

  • Be greeted by your Hestia hosts and settle into your sweet home and resting space for the week

  • Enjoy a welcome dinner at 5:30 pm to meet the people on the land with you

OCT 27: Day 2 >>  ANCHOR YOUR INTENTIONS WITH THE LAND

  • Join a 10 am experiential guided group walk to ground and to connect to the powerful energy spots on the land

  • Clarify your intentions with the Gratitude Blooming oracle deck 

  • Enjoy a group dinner at 5:30 pm

OCT 28: Day 3 >>  PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR SAMHAIN

  • Enjoy a 75-minute group sound healing with Joy at 11:11 am to attune to the realm of spirit and find resonance with Samhain’s energy to release ancestral trauma and embrace ancestral healing 

  • Use the self-guided journaling tools and connect with the land to support your intentions

  • From 1:30 - 5:00 pm, enjoy free time to explore the land, sacred sites around Shasta or book your 1:1 wellness session to help you heal, rejuvenate and harmonize with your body, mind, spirit

  • Enjoy a group dinner at 5:30 pm

OCT 29: Day 4 >>  HARNESS THE POTENT ENERGY OF SAMHAIN

  • Practice embodying and living your intentions while you’re here by consciously choosing how you want to spend your time and energy

  • Deepen your connection to the land by meditating on Hestia’s energy spots or explore the areas around Mount Shasta listed on our welcome guide

  • Enjoy a group dinner at 5:30 pm 

  • Befriend the darkness with a 2-hour guided night sound walk with Joy starting at 6:30 pm weaving together Celtic contemplation, forest bathing, and the celestial sounds of alchemy crystal singing bowls

  • Join us by the creek for a fire ceremony after the walk to make space for the shifts you want to catalyze in your life.  Allow the fire and flowing waters to support you releasing what no longer serves you

OCT 30: Day 5 >>  INTEGRATION ~ SILENCE AS MEDICINE

  • Allow your heart to receive the messages from your ancestors, guides, healing angels and the web of interconnected beings speaking to you through the land. Experience silence as medicine for a day of deep integration and reflection on how you want to embody the wisdom you’ve received.

  • Enjoy a group dinner at 5:30 pm in silent awareness, practicing mindful eating

OCT 31: Day 6 >> PREPARING FOR DARK HALF OF THE YEAR

  • Sink deeper into your seasonal practices of rest with our final 75-minute group sound healing with Joy at 11:11 am. Tune into your inner wisdom and reflect on what your body, mind, and spirit need during the longer nights of the year.     

  • Deepen your connection to the land by meditating on Hestia’s energy spots or explore the areas around Mount Shasta listed on our welcome guide

  • From 1:30 - 5:30 pm, book add-on guided experiences with our community hosts or with our recommended Shasta tour operators

  • Enjoy a group dinner at 5:30 pm

NOV 1: Day 7 >> GIVE GRATITUDE & PREPARE TO TRANSITION

  • Enjoy a closing gratitude circle with Joy to acknowledge the blessings you received! 

  • Create a mantra/visual reminder to facilitate a smooth transition back

  • Visit spots you felt a special connection to on the land and give gratitude before you leave!

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Your Host:

Joy Evans, (she/her) combines trauma healing practices with sound and forest therapy to lead people out of the perpetual stress response, to reconnect with the details of the senses and return to clarity, centered self, and vibrancy. Joy has a deep commitment to restorative practices. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; is a certified sound healer, ANFT certified nature and forest therapy guide; and studied with the School of Celtic Consciousness. Joy and her wife, Elaine, live among amazing trees and co-host solo 4Rest Retreats on Suquamish ancestral lands, Bainbridge Island.

 
 

Joy welcomes folks from all backgrounds, especially BIPOC and her LGBTQ+ siblings to her in-person and virtual offerings. Read more aboutsound healing with Joy and the benefits ofconnecting with the forest. If you have any questions that will help you discern if this retreat is right for you, connect with Joy.

 
 
Illustrated Mount Shasta sanctuary welcoming guests to digital detox retreat inquiry.

Samhain Sabbatical INQUIRY

 
 
 
 

 GOT QUESTIONS? READ OUR FAQS!

 

  • No prior experience is required. All activities are gently guided and optional. This retreat is designed to meet you exactly where you are — whether you are new to intentional rest and reflection or have prior experience with retreats, mindfulness, or somatic practices. There is no expectation to “perform,” share beyond your comfort level, or participate in everything offered.

  • The Healer’s Gathering is not a clinical or medical retreat. It is a restorative, land-based experience focused on rest, reflection, and stepping out of professional roles. There is no required spiritual belief or therapeutic participation, and all activities are optional and gently guided.

  • We are only a 5-hour drive from Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California.

    The closest airports are 1.5 hours away in Medford, Oregon (MFR) and Redding, California (RDD).

    The closest Amtrak stop is in Dunsmuir, CA. We can help you arrange a local car service from the train stop to our retreat sanctuary.

  • We will provide breakfast baskets with fresh baked sourdough (or GF) bread, granola, eggs, and other goodies to be enjoyed privately in your space.

    Each evening, we will share a buffet style dinner to break bread and share insights.

    Breakfast baskets and dinners will be lovingly prepared by Chef Peter, Hestia’s co-founder and very own professional farm-to-table chef.

    All yurts and cabin have a kitchenette with a mini fridge, a cookstove, toaster oven, and pots/pans and dishes. You are welcome to bring any of your favorite snacks and/or items to prepare a simple lunch in your space.

  • We offer yurts, a creekside eco-cabin, and deluxe glamping tents fit for every budget. Each space is designed to feel “private” but is also within 1-2 minute walking distance from the shared bathrooms. the eco-cabin has its own en-suite bathroom.

  • The yurts and creekside eco-cabin all have a microfridge, toaster oven, stovetop burners, pots/pans/utensils, salt, pepper, oil. You will need to bring additional spices for cooking. Complimentary tea and coffee is provided.

    Our deluxe glamping tents (available spring/summer/early fall) come with a personal cooking kit with a camping stove. You need to bring your own cooler and ice to store your food in your car like in a campsite.

    We have a microwave for guest use in the communal laundry room.

  • Our retreat sanctuary is most ideal for unplugging, resting, creative visioning. You can expect 1-2 bars of cell service with access to 5 bars just 1 minute drive up the road.

    We have basic satellite internet available in one centralized outdoor location. You can ask for the password if you need to check emails.

    For more in-depth computer work/zoom calls, you can book a $30 co-working day pass in our private office in the town of Mount Shasta (which is just a 15-20 minutes away from us).

  • There are 3 composting toilet/sink combos by the yurts and 1 communal bathroom with a shower by the Mongolian yurt. We have 2 outdoor showers available in the summer under the 30-foot mama yurt. The eco-cabin comes with its own ensuite bathroom.

    The creekside eco-cabin has its own private en-suite bathroom and outdoor shower.

    We use composting toilets to maintain a light footprint on our land. They are very clean and get serviced daily. Just follow the signs on how/where to sit and you’ll be good!

  • We offer 1:1 or small group movement, yoga, and dance classes in addition to massage, energywork, sound healing, acupuncture services. Every wellness partner we work with has been carefully vetted and is top notch in their modality!

    Some of the healers we work with only offer sessions in their private offices in Mount Shasta. Many of our wellness partners can come onsite, which is such a treat!

    For in-depth coaching support, you can also book 1:1 sessions with our Hestia coaching team. We also offer coaching packages to support your transition back home.

 
 
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