Crossing the autumn Threshold
A Contemplative Writing Retreat - gentle endings and quiet invitations
Autumn arrives quietly.
The trees begin to let go. The light softens. The air changes. Nature reminds us that every ending is also the beginning of something unseen.
While leaves drift gently to the earth, acorns begin a quieter journey. Hidden beneath the soil, tiny roots reach into the darkness long before spring arrives. What appears to be a season of release is also a season of becoming.
What might this autumnal threshold be inviting within you?
Join us for a contemplative morning of writing, reflection, and community as we welcome the changing season together. Through guided prompts, quiet writing, and shared conversation, we'll explore the invitations that often emerge when we slow down long enough to listen.
Together, we'll reflect on questions such as:
What is ready to be released?
What has been patiently waiting for your attention?
What invitation is quietly emerging in this season?
What unseen seeds are already taking root within you?
Where is there mystery in your becoming?
Who—or what—is accompanying you across this threshold?
This is not a critique group or a writing workshop. It is a contemplative space where writing becomes a practice of listening. Whether you journal regularly or simply long for a few hours of quiet reflection, you'll find a welcoming community and meaningful prompts to guide your morning (click here to register).
Laptops are strongly discouraged. Instead, we invite you to bring a journal and pen, allowing your writing to unfold slowly and attentively.
Event Details
Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Retreat House
Coffee, tea, and light refreshments begin at 9:00 a.m.
Retreat begins 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Please bring: A journal, Pens or pencils
Fee: $35
As we stand at the threshold between seasons, may we discover that what appears to be ending is also preparing the way for new life.
Meet Your Retreat Guide
Gretchen Martens describes herself as an archaeologist of the Soul, exploring universal patterns of belonging, identity, and becoming shared among people and across cultures. She believes we are shaped not only by our stories, but by the way we understand our place in the interdependent web of life. Exploring what she calls a Cosmology of Belonging, Gretchen loves to invite people to restore kinship with Self, others, the Living Earth, and the Sacred. Gretchen hosts the monthly writer’s gathering at Retreat House and publishes the House of book series. You can learn more about her at www.GretchenMartens.com.