GOLDEN HOUR
a Sometimes Silent Retreat
July 16-20
Red Clover Ranch, Driftless Wisconsin
Golden evenings, a prairie of practice. Gather in the Softland, a place of meandering warmth and long, languid days. Linger longer with the willow sway and the morning birdsong. The night is so dark here, hundreds of millions of stars, we constellate our belonging, watch the sparks of the fire move toward the sky.
July 16-20 we return to Red Clover Ranch for the second Golden Hour Retreat.
We come together to retreat but also to practice. Where do we find spaces of connection, play, deep remembering? How do we soften and expand enough to rest, to dream? How do we tend ourselves and each other through emergent intersections of crisis and challenge?
Days of spaciousness, connection and care, the folkwork of being together.
In contemplation and in circle, in silence and in story, we remember who we’ve been and who we are becoming. Who we can be together.
Hosted by Gwen and Libby, we gather in the spirit of restful connection, come to be held and come to tend your heart and come to be together(this is space for whatever needs space). A field of exploration, a sacred playground for feeling as a path to getting free, we’re here to remember the small revolutions that happen everyday in our bodies and our breath.
Let the sun touch our faces and warm our skin.
This is embodied, permissive, liberatory practice in service of a life of connection.
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sometimes silence: a dreamy, connective space for anyone seeking a quieter way to be with themselves + others
swimming holes and sauna sessions and prairie walks
shinrin-yoku intentional, sensory rich time spent in nature
heartfelt offerings, seasonal and elemental blessings
craft & creative play without expectation
generous space of no-plans
contemplative moments to stoke curiosity and inspiration
a sacred, intentionally held container for discovery and delight
circles for deep listening and profound presence
awe, rest, and lots of poetry with Gwendolyn Ren
somatic centering, and breath + community keening with Libby Smith
qi gong under the willows with Hope Hamling
the gift of a double exposurefilm portrait: nature, season, & you with Rita Kovtun
no experience needed. all offerings are crafted with care and offered with love, and are, of course, completely optional.
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Our retreat time will be held in the loving structure of “Sometimes Silence”, a flow between quiet, spacious days interspersed with circle practice and opportunities for intentional connection.
Subject to whim and weather, here is what I’m dreaming for this Summer gathering:
Arrival Day - a nourishing, grounding dinner. a gentle practice together, settle our bodies and our breath. meet each other. meet ourselves. set the tone and spaces of our time together.
Day Two - wake to quiet. do the dance of sometimes, mostly silent - all day and that night. practice trusting the spaciousness - alone together. connect in/with nature. breathe to remember. breathe to resource. breathe to release.
Day Three - quiet morning. stretch out. wiggle our limbs. let ourselves rest in the valley, walk to the orchards, lay our bodies on the ground. no rush here. nourish and nest, lay it all down. find spaces of circle and companionship.
Day Four - wake to quiet, and then let it rattle loose. spaces of circle, emergent connections. a trip to the swimming hole, take our bodies to the water. find yourself in conversation or preserve your silence.
Departure Day - gentle morning, gentle practice. decide what to take back with you.
Another way to be together, this format offers a shift from the habitual: the ways we communicate, connect, find belonging. An invitation to come together with the intention of quietude but without rigidity, expanses of time without pretense, small talk, or expectation. Nothing to prove.
This sort of structure is profoundly permissive, and allows for our time to be a healing bridge between the personal experience and the communal one. We are, and this is, held in the spirit of restful connection.
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Golden Hour is five days and four nights at Red Clover Ranch.
The Driftless region of Wisconsin (Ho-Chunk / Potawatomi land), is an inspiring place where birds, organic farmers, writers, musicians, makers, and artists flock. Bypassed by the last Glacial Drift this area wasn’t filled in and reshaped, keeping instead a dramatic topography characterized by steep hills, forested ridges, and deeply carved river valleys.
Red Clover Ranch feels both intimate and expansive, offering two, one mile hiking trails, a stream, a wild apple orchard, three rock outcroppings, and many native grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees.
Cabins are simple yet thoughtful in their design and share a central bathhouse featuring two full bathrooms, an outdoor shower, a sauna, and a communal porch. Located on a hill overlooking the valley there is a beautiful view and a short walk over varying terrain to the barns.
Chef Dani Lind is at the helm in the kitchen and offers us three locally sourced, farm to table meals a day, with a focus on healthy, seasonal whole foods.
Read more about Red Clover Ranch.
registration (how to join us):
Guaranteed Single : $ 2200
Shared Room (full price) : $1800
Sliding Scale Registration (shared) : $1500
payment plans - up to 4 months
+ creative solutions considered
additional funding may be available through The Circle Way
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● Where will this retreat be held?
This retreat will be held at Red Clover Ranch in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. The Driftless is an ecologically unique area in the midwest, and Red Clover is situated on 79 acres of woodlands and pasture, offering hiking trails, bird watching, sauna, screened in porches, and a spring fed creek. The spaces at Red Clover are creative, clean, and fresh, and also intimately connected to their natural environment - this is the country after all!
The terrain of Red Clover Ranch is hilly and does pose some accessibility challenges. Please let me know if you have any specific needs or questions and we can discuss in greater detail.
Both the hospitality and land here is so special, and we can’t wait to share it with you!
● Who is this retreat for?
10-13 kind humans will gather for this retreat and all kind folks, of any gender or gender expression, ready to engage with this body of being are welcome. Single and shared rooms are available. We are committed to reducing harm in wellness spaces through ongoing learning and the integration of practices that acknowledge and affirm all different types of bodies, identities, orientations, and lived experiences.
● Why is this work important?
Our space is intended for liberatory practice - a place of restoration and retreat, beauty and communion, and also a divestment from racialized capitalism (ie the status quo). We aren't in study here per se but we are in practice, in all its joy and all its grief. We believe in nature as teacher, a queer future, a free Palestine, and the small revolutions of dignity that can happen every day in our body, our breath, and our communities. We believe that our futures are interdependent.
● What is retreat like?
We often talk about spaces like this as being “healing”. I think of healing as reconciliation, the tending and mending of repair, of bringing together as a whole. It inspires a sense of connection and belonging, self-to-self, self-to-others, self-to-greater nature. Though the retreat offered here is designed to be potent yet gentle in nature, more invitation for spaciousness and curiosity than anything else, nothing forced, emotions can arise as we allow more space for our tender being.
I encourage you to have diversified support in your care. Please check in with yourself and possibly trusted caregivers, to see if this is right for you at this time.
● Tell me about the Rooming Options.
Single and shared rooms are available with the shared rooms having space for 2 people in separate beds (or you may choose to share a queen bedroom). All bedrooms have heat & ac. The cabins share a central bathhouse, offering two full bathrooms, an outdoor shower, a sauna, a summer kitchen, and a lounge area. It is a short walk on a dirt/gravel path over hilly terrain to reach the gathering spaces in the barn (where we’ll eat and practice together).
The Bunkhouse is a two story cabin on property, with a shared room for three people (4) in separate beds and a private bathroom, kitchen, and living room. The bunkhouse is located closer to the gathering spaces and dining hall.
We also understand that price might predicate you selecting a shared room, when a single would really suit you best. There is a checkbox on the registration form where you can put in this request.
You are welcome to book with a roommate. If interested in being matched with a roommate please let us know on the booking form. This may be an option and we do so with great care.
● How do I get there?
The retreat center is located outside the rural, small town of Soldier’s Grove, WI and it is a little journey to get there but really, that’s part of the magic. The local time zone is Central Standard Time. If you are interested in carpooling please let me know, and I will connect you to others driving in from your city or airport if applicable!
If you’d like suggestions on places to stay to break up your drive, or other sites worth seeing in the area, please reach out.
2 hour drive from Dane County Airport (MSN - near Madison)
3.5 hour drive from Chicago or Minneapolis
9 hour drive from Cleveland
● When do I arrive and depart?
Arrival is between 3:00pm and 5:00pm on Wednesday, July 16th.
We’ll close at noon on Sunday.
Interested in staying an extra day or two in the area? Viroqua is a super sweet towns nearby with various lodging opportunities, great food, and cute local shops. The area also provides easy access to the Kickapoo Reserve and Wildcat Mountain.
● How are you approaching health and safety?
We’ll be adhering to CDC guidelines regarding Covid and any emergent public health concerns and will keep an eye on what this looks like as we get closer to our gathering. Expect clear communication as we move forward and fingers crossed for a healthy winter and spring. Please note: depending on case loads you may be asked to pass a test prior to attending the retreat.
● What kind of food can I expect?
Three nourishing farm to table meals will be prepared for us each day. Please let us know of any dietary requirements or preferences. The food here is amazing, with over 75% of ingredients sourced locally.
● What do I need to supply or bring?
Plan to bring clothing appropriate for the weather and a few personal items to create an altar space as we honor our time together. You’ll receive a suggested packing list as we get closer!
● Anything I shouldn’t bring?
Plan on taking a little technology break and leave any unnecessary devices at home. Wi-fi and cell service are available if needed (Verizon is most reliable in this area).
● What is your cancellation policy?
If you are paying in full: the total amount, minus a deposit fee, can be refunded before June 10, 2025. Beginning June 11th you will only be refunded if the retreat is full.
Ifyou have registered with a payment plan: all deposits and fee payments are non-refundable and are required to hold your reservation.
Insurance and Cancellations: I recommend purchasing travel insurance for your own peace of mind. In the very unlikely circumstance that our is impacted by forces beyond our control and the retreat is cancelled, your fees and payments may be retained and our gathering rescheduled. This is the best option due to the significant amount of planning and investment both on the side of the facilitator and our venue.
Also - shit happens! Please reach out, we’ll do our best to figure it out together.
Have another question? Please send it to: hi@gwendolynren.com
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Hello! We’re Gwen & Libby (we/us) and we’re dreaming of golden hour days with you in the valley. We’re committed to a Culture of Gathering, a way of coming together that puts us in practice around care - the ways we breathe, center, connect. The first time we met we bonded over late night poetry and conversations about liberation and community. We both arrived with the same library book, The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson in tow and knew whatever was happening was something special.
Since then, we’ve chosen to build a life and a community of practice together.
Gwen (she/they) brings past experience as an event producer and designer, and has been hosting “Sometimes Silent” retreats since 2018 - over 30 of them in the years since. She has a special gift for creating emergent spaces that honor and uplift our humanity with reverence and irreverence, sharing her love of poetry, rest as practice, and a place based awe that invites others into profound moments of both personal and collective healing.
Libby (she/they) is a holistic educator and facilitator, with a background in academia and evaluation. She offers practices that bridge the sometimes long distance between the head/heart/and center, offering somatic awareness and breathwork that invites us into more choice through the gifts of embodied presence. Believing transformative change is possible her work guides us toward the real-time possibilities of interdependence, and the deconstruction of oppressive structures.
As two distinct voices and skilled Circle keepers, we hold the harmony of the collective experience, offering many entrance points to practice and belonging.
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