“Grief is subversive, undermining the quiet agreement to behave and be in control of our emotions. It is an act of protest that declares our refusal to live numb and small.”Francis Weller
WILD"Wild" originates from Old English wilde, stemming from wilþijaz (wild, untamed) and shares roots with the terms welt (woodlands) and wold (a wild/forested area).It describes our natural state, before human control or civilization, inviting us back to our true, untamed selves.
SORROW"Sorrow" originates from Old English sorwe, and sorg (grief, regret, trouble, care, pain, anxiety) and shares roots with Sanskrit surksati (cares for).It describes the sacred role of sorrow, inviting us to show care for what ails us and others.
WHY TEND GRIEF?Tending grief is a sacred art.Grief that remains unprocessed and unexpressed is not benign! It can block and weigh us down, creating physical and emotional disconnection. It can impact our capacity to be present and distort our relationship with life, joy, ourselves and each other.Our approach is based on the belief, drawn from experience and a rich lineage of traditions and teachers, that grief tending isn’t just personal – it’s cultural and collective.We are not gathering to solve anything. The intention is to respect and apprentice to our grief; to create space to listen for and give expression to its mysterious living movement. When we do this, we may find we can begin to open to and weave relief, connection and beauty with our loss. We may expand our capacity to be intimate with ourselves, each other and the life we are called to live.This is why we offer spaces for Wild Sorrow.
WILD SORROW WEDNESDAYSWe gather online from 6pm - 9pm on the third Wednesday of each month, holding space to practice the sacred art of grief tending in community.Join us once, join us monthly, integrate this deeply resourcing practice into your life and let it support you. Each session will follow the same format but may carry a different theme.
WILD SORROW WEEKENDSStarting this autumn, we will meet for a full day each month, held in nature, to re-weave ourselves back into belonging while stitching the fabric of a culture of care.Gather around a fire, offer our grief as a gift, celebrate life, honoring love and loss, joy and grief, softening our hearts and re-membering our wholeness.
THE SHOULDERS ON WHICH WE STAND
We’re proud to be part of a growing international network of practitioners who have been through the Apprenticing to Grief programme, pioneered by Sophy Banks and Jeremy Thres, co-founders of Grief Tending in Community based in Devon.It draws on teachings from the late Sobonfu Somé, Malidoma Somé, Maeve Gavin and Joanna Macy, and from our living teachers Martin Prechtel and Francis Weller. These bring wisdom from indigenous communities in West Africa and Central America, from Buddhism, systems theory, transpersonal psychology and more.We also draw on our own sources of inspiration and wisdom, and teachers from a range of different traditions.
TESTIMONIALS
“It was a day of undulating from light to dark and back again. Going into the storm, finding the lightning bolts of clarity and coming home to the warmth of the sun. Having the feast at the end was an inspired choice. It was a chance to chat and just be and be held until it was right to release the bonds we had birthed during the day and head back to our reality with a sense of peace and of moving forward with grace.”
“It was refreshing to have a mixed group expressing grief for so many different reasons and I appreciated learning about what others are going through, and how they are experiencing and expressing their emotions.”
“I appreciated the deep dives that the facilitators have so obviously taken time to go into and go through. It’s so very hard to learn about yourself and work through it and it takes courage to use what you have learnt to support others. I deeply honour the work and dedication.”
Ayla Willow is a Mother, home educator, dancer, singer/musician & lover of nature. She facilitates a remembrance of our wholeness through dance, song & reconnection to Self, Spirit and Nature. Following the call to integrate ancient ways into modern living, she is devoted to building community and transforming our current culture into a more life, soul and spirit honouring one.
Rosanna Cooper is an arts psychotherapist who believes in the power of creative community. Born and raised in London. With Finnish and Jewish ancestry. She holds a passion for play and restoring depth and whole-making to our culture. Rosanna works with individuals and groups. Particular areas of interest are grief-tending, early developmental and intergenerational trauma, dreamwork, collective re-imagining and ancestral healing.
Rima Cotran is most comfortable, bringing the invisible to light, making way for the mystery to offer its wisdom, inviting us into deeper relationship with self, other and world. She bridges the worlds of business and soul, guiding their integration, and is most passionate about supporting cultural and societal evolution by facilitating individuals, groups and organisations to deepen their eco-system awareness.