September 5th-7th, 2025

Gort na nDarach, West of Ireland

A nature centred, family-friendly, gathering exploring regenerative culture….come experience what emerges when we centre connection to nature within our human culture.

We are delighted to be offering an in-person weekend gathering this summer!
You are invited to join us for our Village Hearth Gathering on Sky’s family property, which is in transition towards an experiment in creating regenerative culture.

Join us for late summer abundance, beautiful nature connection moments, a supportive and deepening 8 Shields village experience, and songs & stories around the fire.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

As we travel from the first harvest time of Lughnasadh towards the Autumn Equinox, expect to find yourself held by, and co-creating, an inter-generational village where nature connection practices call us back to wholeness, within ourselves, together, and with the other-than-humans. The weekend will journey through the 8 directions in a relaxed way, including nature connection activities and games, group circle times, story sharing, singing, and the magic of an 8 Shields ‘acorn’ team holding us all.

Through embodying many regenerative, nature-based, practices we will explore how we can re-member ‘the village’ and how we can live in Wholeness with ourselves, the communities we are part of, and the global community of all species.

Some words from our elder Aunsheen Arianna (who we hope will be joining us!) –

What is so, is that we humans, in our bones have memory of living in village, with culture intact, coming down through ages, holding us. We remember, and long for, tending to and with each other to support our lives together. We did this by gathering in circle together under the stars, around the fire sharing stories, learning together, dreaming together; many hands working together whilst we planted and harvested; by silent communion together in stalking and hunting; singing babies into the world and youth through rites of passage, singing healing medicine over the sick, singing our loved ones through transitions back to the Spirit world. 

We have lived far too long in a broken society, without cultural roots and village; and yet, we remember what it feels like and long for it. Thus, when we come together in the compass of 8 Shields, held in the center of the cardinal directions: East, South, West, North, and the points in between, mindful of the turning of the natural cycles of the day/night and the seasons, the memory in our bones, rattles, vibrates, comes alive with the feeling of village, of coming home. This is a healing balm and medicine that nourishes our Soul. And coming home to our Soul is the deeper essence of being alive in this earth walk. 

You will experience how it is to be held within the village-building model of ‘acorn leadership’ where people will be stepping into roles that were traditionally held within communities such as welcoming & inclusivity, vitality and body movement, community agreements tracking & accountability, embodying time for rest and self-care, circle leadership, honouring the ancestors and lineage, caring for the elders, ceremony and much more.

EXPLORING COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP

The 8 Shields model offers rich teachings on how to bring the roles of the village back so that everyone feels held and can find their belonging. For the full duration of the gathering everyone will be in one of the eight directions. Exploring the embodiment of this direction, in community, will support you to grow and reflect on your inner relationship with this archetype aswell as learn the role and cultural elements associated with this direction. Embodying these direction inspired ways of being and tasks are called acorn roles.

ACORN LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

For those with previous 8 Shields experience, there will be an opportunity to lead a group that is embodying one of the eight directions, stepping into an acorn leadership role. These roles include leading some group activities that are mapped in specific directions, for example the person leading the NE acorn direction will be asked to lead a sense meditation at some point during the gathering. This will be a deeper experience and requires arrival the evening of Thursday Sept 4th and departure lunch time Monday Sept 8th, as well as attending some preparatory calls before the gathering.

PRACTICALITIES

Activities offered during the weekend will be family friendly, and when there are adult only activities there will also be children-specific activites which run alongside them.

This is a catered camping event at an emerging village regeneration and nature sanctuary project. There will be native woodlands, a beautiful roundhouse, basic facilities and lovingly prepared organic vegetarian food.

Timings:
Arrive Friday Sept 5th 4pm-5pm to put tents up for a 5.30pm start.
The weekend finishes at 5pm on Sunday Sept 7th.

There is the possibility to stay on-site and self cater for Sunday evening with departure the following morning.

If you have an acorn leadership role arrival is Thursday evening Sept 4th, and departure is Monday Sept 8th lunchtime.

Weekend costs:
Adult tickets – €275
Adult + Acorn training – €400

Children’s tickets :
– 4 yrs & under are gift economy (give what you can and feel is fair)
– 5 – 17yrs €100

Family tickets – if you are coming with more than 1 adult and 1 child you receive a 10% discount of the total price.