Wise Women Colabs
Intimate Women’s Retreats in the Budawangs
whereby Hollie Wildëthorn partners with Wise Women Gathering Educators to bring you a deep nature connection experience in the forest, while learning herbal traditions from our medicinal gardens.
Come to gain knowledge, to explore your relationship with the Sacred Wild, and immerse yourself in the Wise Women Traditions. Be nourished in all ways.
Nature Connection Retreat & Make your own Herbal First Aid Kit
with Hollie Wildëthorn (ecotherapist) and Pat Collins (herbalist)
Friday February 14th - Sunday 16th, 2025
at The Wilde (90 mins from Canberra or the Southern Highlands, 3 hours south of Sydney) in the pristine Budawang Ranges
🌿 Deep Nature Connection 🌿 herbal first aid kit wisdom
🌿 Deep Nature Connection 🌿 herbal first aid kit wisdom
At this Retreat, you’ll create your own small first aid kit to take home or use in the car.
You will make 16 products from Pat’s book “Pat’s Herbal Recipes,” including
capsules
creams
ointments
tinctures
rescue remedy
sel salts
Working with the plants in medicinal garden at The Wilde as much as possible, you will put each of the creations in labelled containers and create a kit for your family to use.
In the process you will also learn honourable harvest methods, how to have ethical relationships with plant kin, and you’ll be able to see just how many medicinal plants are available in our cold temperate climate in the Canberra / Southern Highland region.
Exploring living, being and staying well in relationship with the Self, others and the natural world. Teaching realationship skills for taking into everyday life.
Retreat Info
$350 for women ($300 Early Bird)
$260 for teen girls attending with mum/carer
We have the option for you to make a deposit to hold your place. Full payment must be received by February 1st. No refunds on deposits after January 1st.
Friday 14th February 930am - Sunday 330pm
camping accomodations (with optional upgrades) - you could also find an airbnb in the Braidwood area if you’d prefer more comfort.
base rate includes BYO food - optional upgrade to fully catered with nourishing, ethical, local food
An approximate* timetable
FRIDAY
930am : arrival
10am : opening circle
11am : nature observations including herd processes
1pm : lunch and cold swim
2pm : plant identification session
3pm : integration session
5pm : dinner
6.30 : plant wisdom visioning (drum and somatic journey)
SATURDAY
8am : breakfast
9am : herd connection
11am : honourable harvest
1pm : lunch and cold swim
2pm : ointments and tinctures
5pm : dinner
6.30 : song circle
SUNDAY
9am : creams and capsules
1pm : lunch and cold swim
2pm : nature integration
3pm : closing circle
* schedule could change due to attendee expertise level, weather surprises, horse welfare requirements, staff availability and other unexpected possibilities that befall the natural / farm milieu!
Growing like Weeds…
A Family Session with Pat Collins at The Wilde
For Out of Schoolers and their carers (women or men).
Join Pat (with support from Hollie) for a Weed Health lesson, including
weed walk - learn about the weeds and what they can be used for
forage - learn how to collect wild herbs and how to pick them to ensure future harvests
create a herbal medicine - learn how to make medicine from the plants in your own backyard, and the tools in your kitchen
Thursday 13th February, 2025
at The Wilde (20mins from Braidwood)
10am - 1pm | $55 p/head with discounts for second and third children in the same family
Wise Women at The Wilde
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Pat Collins
I was brought up on dairy farms in the Hunter Valley and there I developed my love of nature and the bush. When I married we bought an idyllic block of land on the edge of Wollemi National Park and there I grow my herbs for my Practice and collect wild plants growing on the property.
After having two children I obtained my Herbal Diploma in the late 1980's and this allowed me to teach Herbal medicine for the layman, teaching them how to make products to care for their families and loved ones. I worked for TAFE, Outreach and I still teach privately.
I also set up a business in a nearby town and called it THE Total Health and Education Centre. 24 years later it is a thriving business and I sell products that I make myself along with the books I wrote and other herbs and supplements for my clients.
I have attended numerous workshops and one of my favourites I attended 20 years ago was a workshop run by Gregg Furth who wrote a book called "The Secret World of Drawings".
I have been following his guidelines ever since and use it especially for children that cannot express their feelings and people with emotional problems. It is an extremely useful tool to help you understand your client and more importantly for them to understand themselves.
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Hollie Wildëthorn
I am a Psychotherapist, Clinical Counsellor and Coach working in the intersections of trauma healing, neurodiversity, ecology and feminism. My background is in natural and ancestral health, witchcraft and magick, altered states and sacred space, martial arts and natural movement, Women's Mysteries and conscious Wild Living.
I support people who know life can be so much more; to craft the best self-version so far. I'm ever-energised by the process of people becoming more empowered to live unlimited and unbound.
I have a (mostly) respectful disregard for the status quo and mainstream culture. My interest is in promoting Choice and empowerment, particularly for women.
With my herd of horses, I provides space for people to be swept up in the process of “Remembering”; crafting a world where you can return to your Wild and True Nature of Self.
Priestessing the Sacred Wild is my advanced program as a way to bring people back to the Earth and ancestral ways of being, in real-ationship with the Land, the Elements, animals and each other. I work with people to think well, move well and do well for Being Well, independently and in real-ationship.
For those who desire to learn about Wise Traditions and gain herbal knowledge, in a safely held, trauma-informed space.
🌿 Exploring outdoor health practices
🌿 Learning Plant Wisdom
🌿 Working ethically with Land and Plants
🌿 Creating take home Herbal products
🌿 Connecting with authentic women
We uncover the herstory of The Mysteries in relationship to Land, Water and Sky, and learn creative practices to reignite those traditions in modern life.
Retreats are designed to be replenishing and nourishing.
What to expect
Trauma-informed, emotionally safe space to explore the rhythm of Womaning, for all ages and all stages.
On Rainforest Country in realationship with the natural world in small groups of celebration.
Intimate connection with nature and women who are also making Big Wild Dreams real.
Accomodation is camping.
Food can be catered or BYO.
Location
We meet on private property on Walbunja Yuin land at the base of the Budawangs, Braidwood.
90 mins from Canberra (closest airport)
90 MINS FROM THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS
60 mins from Bateman’s Bay
3 hours from Sydney
A VARIETY OF OPTIONS
Every woman’s needs are different, and so Retreats at The Wilde offer inclusive ways for all women to have their needs met.
Base cost includes BYO camping accomodation, Workshops and ceremonies & BYO food
Optional Upgrades for Day & Weekend Retreats
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Fully Catered Retreat
Nourishing, sustainable and ethical meals can be added. All local and ethical produce, known producers and foraged goodness. We can meet most dietary requirements.
Weekend Retreats are BYO food, with optional upgrade for catering.
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Early Arrivals and Late Stays
Add to your ease and comfort by arriving the evening before, or staying on for more time to integrate at the end of a Retreat.
Especially beneficial for women travelling from afar.
We can work in whatever composition you’re thinking of, so if you don’t see it when you’re booking, just make contact.
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MidGlamp Camp SETUP
Everything you need for camping already setup and waiting for you to arrive, so all you need do is pull up your car and join us.
Includes a double swag with luxury bedding, extra blankets, ground mats, table and boxes for storage, a shelter over the top and lighting.
Bedding includes woolen underlays, linen sheets and woolen quilt.
Got Questions?
Can anyone come to these Retreats?
These Retreats are for people who identify as women (including teens). The Retreats are not for young girls. Babes in arms are always welcome. Potential participants may be required to attend a 15min video interview with Hollie before the Circle to check we are a right fit.
I get overwhelmed in big groups. How many people are likely to be there?
There are 20 places available for this Retreat. With Hollie and our staff team, that makes a maximum of 25 women at any time. Smallish groups are important for this model of trauma-informed group work. If we end up with a high number of women interested, we will put on a second group, rather than increase the size.
I haven’t had many good experiences with other women. How will I know if a Women’s Retreat is the right thing for me?
Retreats are an opportunity for growth. The trauma-informed space will be very different to any other experiences you’ve had in self-help groups and with other women. Hollie sets and holds clear group boundaries to ensure everyone can be safe and secure in the shared space. Collaboration and Co-regulation are important pillars of this work, along with Choice, Learning and Integration. If you have concerns about being with a group of women, have a chat to Hollie.
The cost is prohibitive to me. Is there another way to come without paying money?
Hollie offers Scholarships and Volunteer places. If these options would benefit you, please mention your situation in your initial interview.
I know Hollie works with Animal Assistants when she does therapy. Will there be animals involved in these Retreats?
Sygfa the therapy-hound-in-training is always around at Retreats. She is a puppy and is still learning about being in therapeutic space. If dogs are a concern for you (either for fear, grief or allergy) please talk to Hollie in your initial interview. There are a myriad of options to modulate the puppy experience so that you can feel safe and secure in our space.
At this Retreat we will be working with The Wilde’s herd of horses. If you’re not sure about horses, you can still do this relational work from outside a fence. We also live with goats, chooks, ducks, guinea fowl and cats, who will be around in various degrees at this Retreat.
I know Hollie is a cannabis-friendly therapist. Does this mean I can smoke weed at the Retreat?
Many women who work with Hollie use medical cannabis products on prescription to manage anxiety, chronic pain and other symptoms. If your Retreat experience requires you to engage with your prescription cannabis, please keep to common smoking expectations and burn (smoke or vape) flower outdoors and away from the main group.
What should I wear?
Whatever feels comfortable and enjoyable for you and your body. Ensure you can move easily and you have appropriate footwear for being on land. Layers are usually helpful as the weather can be unpredictable and sometimes process work can heighten temperatures. Often after process work your body temperature will drop, so having a shawl or jacket is great support. Some women like flowy dresses and robes, and some like yoga pants and pyjamas, and others like jeans and puffy jackets. There’s no special uniform that witchy women are supposed to wear and you will not be judged for wearing something that’s not typical in the self-help scene. As Self Crafters, whatever you wear is the perfect creative expression of you on this day, in this moment; and everyone else will be equally in their own perfect expression too.
Become part of the team
Discounted Rates on Retreats and Circles
Vollies
A limited number of Vollie positions are available for a discounted fee. Vollies must be physically capable to help with setup, packdown, kitchen and gophering.
There are also Vollie positions for farm work at The Wilde in the lead-in to events.
Vollies receive discounted tickets. Contact admin@selfcraft.me
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Scholarship program supports women who do not have the means to attend. Please consider donating to the Scholarship Fund. Scholarships are prioritised for those with financial needs that fit these criteria:
Women of Culturally and Linguistic Diverse Groups (CALD)
Indigenous women
Women with a DFV story
Women who have recently lost a child or intimate loved one
Women with excluded or marginalised gender, body, kinship, and sexuality (GBKS) lived experiences
If you would like to apply for a discounted rate under the Scholarship fund, please send an email. All information you share with us is 100% confidential. admin@selfcraft.me