It’s been a whirlwind of a week since we announced our work at the Nostos Institute and opened up the Nostos Network to you all; we’ve been delighted by your enthusiasm. We’ve already embarked on our work there, thinking about philosophy as a process of awakening thanks to Mark Vernon, putting forward our core practice of ‘lectio philosophica’, introducing our monthly spiritual accompaniment sessions with Vanessa Chamberlin – and this weekend saw my first lecture on the ideas from philosophy and depth psychology – the spirituality and mythopoetics – that underlie our work at the Nostos Institute. All of this is about to be followed by Zoom gatherings with each of us. If you’re interested in the mythic imagination and in philosophy as a way of life, do come and join us. Membership is always open.

It’s strange, as I look back on the long threads of my work that wove themselves into Nostos, to think that I created my very first online program ten years ago. At the time, such contraptions were virtually unheard of – though I do remember the odd person offering a sort of ‘Microsoft Word document by email attachment’ version of the old-fashioned snail-mail correspondence course. (Yes, I am for sure old enough to remember correspondence courses!) Some of you who are reading this might even remember that back in 2015, I offered such a ‘correspondence course’ myself: an intentionally regressive one called ‘Sisterhood of the Bones’. I’d create and print out on lovely paper a myth I’d retold, along with some story prompts and some seasonal reflections. I’d add in a ‘gift from my land’ – which could include a fragment of bog oak that I’d rolled up in Harris tweed and tied with some handspun thread, or a teaspoonful of magic sand from the top of Muckish mountain, one of the Seven Sisters of Donegal. And then I’d personally put it all into an envelope that I hand-decorated with whatever shapeshifting creature I could find an ink-stamp of, and finally take it all down to the post office to be mailed all over the world. When I reached 250 subscribers, I realised that this handcrafted, very personal approach wasn’t at all sustainable for those kinds of numbers! – but I so enjoyed the act of physically creating something and sending it out to people whose names are still engraved on that infinite lens at the back of my mind, because I saw those names on envelopes throughout an entire year. You know who you are. And I know who you are too.

Anyway. Over ten years on, everyone in the entire world seems now to be offering online courses and membership programs. If I were being … pointed … I’d say often at ridiculously inflated investments values prices and peopled by teachers with no qualifications at all to teach what they’re purporting to teach! I always try not to be pointed, but largely fail: this happens to be something I feel strongly about. I’ll just say that, in the same way that I’ve always felt obliged to have deeply studied all the subjects I teach (and, whether you think that’s a benefit or not, to have put the years in to earn an actual academic qualification before I imagine I’m fit to teach them), I’m also delighted that Mark Vernon and Vanessa Chamberlin, the two other members of the Nostos core team, are each highly qualified in their own ways too – and academically, not just in their deeply lived experience. Mark as a philosopher and psychotherapist; Vanessa as a theologian and spiritual director. I’m really excited about the journey we’re creating together, and this quote from my favourite spiritual text, Attar’s stunningly beautiful The Conference of the Birds, perfectly expresses my own hopes for the journey:

For the past week, Network members have had priority booking rights for our Nostos Retreat in November this year (and it’s lovely to see some of you who have just attended my recent retreat, ‘A Psyche the Size of Earth’, rebooking for this one!) But as promised in last week’s announcement, the remaining places are now open to all. And for clarity: this one isn’t purely a women’s retreat; just as for the Network, we’re glad to be welcoming men too. But – apart from the fact that it’ll be held at the beautiful Broughton Sanctuary in North Yorkshire, home to a truly remarkable and groundbreaking rewilding project and also named in National Geographic Traveller’s Cool List in 2024 – why would you want to come?

Because, over five transformative days, we’ll gather together a community of the curious: learners and seekers who’d like to integrate ancient Western philosophical and wisdom traditions with insights, tools and practices from contemporary depth psychology. This is more embodied and creative than it might sound: our vision is very much for a practical wisdom to live by – a mythopoetic, mystical wisdom, firmly rooted in nature and the wild beauty of the cosmos.

We’ll work together within an open, spacious and reflective framework, exploring a diverse range of philosophical ideas and employing a wide range of practices to help us cultivate our mythic imagination. We’ll focus in on the art of soul-making, uncovering and making sense of our own unique journey through this life, and the nature of our personal calling. In other words: what on earth are we doing here, in such times? And how do we find the strength and clarity to do it?

Ultimately, our aim is to guide participants along a path of awakening and transformation – through our unique and alchemical blend of philosophy and psychology, of creativity and imagination and contemplation.

Mornings and some early afternoons will be spent working with Sharon; there’ll also be a morning session with philosopher, author and psychotherapist Mark Vernon. Later in the day, if you’d like to, you can indulge in a labyrinth walk or spend some time on the land by yourself, exploring Broughton’s remarkable nature recovery programme. Alternatively, you might prefer to unwind in Avalon’s state-of-the-art biophilic-designed Pool Suite. Evenings might see us storytelling in the fire temple, or just enjoying conversation together after dinner.