Hope Springs Embrace the Serpent

In our culture Serpent is often viewed with repulsion, while in many other cultures she commands a great deal of respect. They view the Serpent as a symbol for transformation and renewal. This is possibly due to the animal's ability to shed its skin. The Serpent has also been seen as the protector of the mysteries of life who saved the secret wisdom from the reach of those who were not ready to receive it. Hypnotic, piercing eyes are typical for Serpent. Serpent is influenced by the element water, which symbolizes deep emotions and unconscious, spiritual needs. During Embrace the Serpent -Women’s Retreat, you will learn of the Divine, Sacred Serpent within you and come to honor, respect and embrace it.

Embrace the Serpent - Women’s Retreat is possible through the facilitation and guidance of Rev. Virginia Collins - Circle of Inner Light Spiritual Community, www.circleofinnerlight.com

Rev. Virginia is founder of the Women’s Circle of Light (June 1999). Her commitment to the spiritual development and loving support of women in community has been an on-going venture through planning and facilitating retreats, ceremony circles, gatherings and teaching/guiding classes and sessions.

Virginia is a “lover of life” who honorably carries the Spirit name Listens to Wind.
She is a life-long interactive teacher-learner. For thirty years, she has had a career working with troubled and at-risk youth. Virginia is an ordained, licensed minister through Fellowships of the Spirit, Lily Dale, NY. She has accomplished Master’s Degrees in both music and special education. She is a certified metaphysician, and a yoga, and piano instructor. Most significant is that Virginia is a joyful servant to Spirit, blessed with keen intuitive skills. For more background, please visit www.circleofinnerlight.com

We will be staying at the beautiful Hope Springs Institute retreat center located nearby the Serpent Mound site. Included in the retreat are lodging in double rooms, six organic meals, retreat meditation sessions and ceremony both at Hope Springs at the actual Serpent Mound Site. The retreat starts Friday afternoon at 3pm and ends Sunday afternoon at 3pm. Further details will be sent after registration.

Participants of Embrace the Serpent - Women’ s Retreat will be spending time in Spirit House, which is a round meditation and meeting space with a central sunken fire pit with supporting contemplative art at the outer edge of open space. It is one of the sacred places at Hope Springs Institute. In Spirit House you will meet the “Circle of Nine”, affectionately known as “The Ladies”. The Ladies represent the cycle of life of all humans. They are eight in number and when you enter the circle, you become the ninth. All of us, women and men, experience all these stages of life again and again. You will feel their energy and learn from them as you experience their presence during our time spent in Spirit House for meditation, contemplation, and community. The Ladies are as follows: The Newborn, The Blossoming One, The Virgin, The Lady of Milagros, The Enlightened One, The Queen Mother, Bare Bones Woman, and the Wreck.

Pilgrimage to Serpent Mound
Saturday, 19th June 2010

For information about Serpent Mound the following site is an excellent informational: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_Mound

In 1987 Clark and Marjorie Hardman published their finding that the oval-to-head area of the serpent is aligned to the Summer Solstice sunset. Summer Solstice occurs the following Monday of Embrace the Serpent - Women’s Retreat. During this weekend, honoring and ceremony will be included for the solstice and our visiting of Serpent Mound will enhance the purpose of this retreat: for women to FEEL the power of positive transformation potential and embrace the fabulous feminine.

snake symbolic meanings

Registration
The cost for the retreat is $325. You may pay with credit card through PayPal at
http://www.circleofinnerlight.com/retreats.htm (click on the “retreats” link) or by check through U.S. mail.
If paying by check, please send to: Circle of Inner Light Spiritual Community, Rev. Virginia Collins, 1607 Cook Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44109. A non-refundable deposit of $200 will hold your space until May 1, 2010, at which time the remainder is due.