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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Locations
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The events take place at the following
locations within the United Kingdom:
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The Mountain Retreat set in a magnificent
secluded valley (between Newtown and Machynlleth in mid-Wales), which
so many visitors have fallen in love with.
Click here for a
virtual tour.
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 A
beautiful snug 16th century farmhouse
surrounded by woodlands and hills in rural
mid-Wales, near Llandridod-Wells. The venue is secluded, situated within two and
a half acres of grounds with streams, ponds, mature trees and lawns.
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... and various other locations within
England, Wales and Ireland.
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Event Schedules
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All events (except Enlightenment
Intensives)
Events start around twilight (19:00-21:00)
and finish around 13:00 of the date
printed.
Please arrive from 16:00 onwards
on the first day of the event.
Please depart on the last day after the
closing meeting from around 13:00.
For all our workshops and events, you must be present for the whole event and arrive on the first day. This is also true for "The Cauldron of Plenty." If you are going to arrive later then please discuss this with ourselves in advance. There is a welcome circle on the Friday morning at "The Cauldron of Plenty" and a leaving circle on the Monday morning, and we do like everyone to be present. We like to think of "The Cauldron of Plenty" as a village gathering rather than a festival!
Enlightenment Intensives
The Intensives start on the evening of the
first day shown on the schedule. You should
aim to get there by 19:30. There is a
welcoming meal and tea. The Intensive will
formally start at 21.30.
The Intensives finish at 22:30 on the last
day shown. We recommend that you do not
rush off but take up our welcome to stay
the night and leave slowly after breakfast
the following day. There is a short talk on
the Monday morning. Finish by 10:30 am. If
possible do not schedule too busy a time
immediately afterwards – there is a
delicious period of profound reflection to
enjoy.
Places to stay:
If you would like to stay somewhere locally
either before or after the events, then
there are plenty of places to stay in the
surrounding areas. See the external links section for some suggestions.
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How to get there
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Car:
Full directions and travel details will be
sent through the post, on receipt of
bookings.
If you wish to bring a camper van to Cauldron of Plenty this is usually ok but please mention it on your booking. You may have to leave it in the car parking field since vehicular access down to the camping meadow can be tricky and limited to 4x4s.
Car Sharing:
To reduce carbon emissions, Spirit Horse encourages car sharing. We would love to see more car sharing! If you wish to offer or request a lift then you can use the Freewheelers website.Please note: Spirit Horse can not take any responsibility for the organisation of car sharing.
Train:
If you are planning to take the train,
please let us know on your booking.
For the Farmhouse, the nearest train
station is Llandrindod Wells, which is 10mins from the Farmhouse.
For the Mountain Retreat, the nearest
train station is at
Machynlleth, which is a 30mins drive. You
may be asked to contribute towards petrol
(around £5 per trip) payable to the
driver (the cheapest taxi in Wales!)
Machynlleth is on the
Birmingham-Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth line.
Due to logistics of getting people to and
from the train station and camp, we usually
arrange the following :
- one pickup at 19:00 at Machynlleth to
meet the train departing Birmingham
around 16:00, on the first day of the
event.
- one drop off, leaving at 13:00 from
the camp for the train departing
Machynlleth around 14:00, on the last day
of the event.
Please check pick-up and drop-off
times with Erika before booking your
train.
You can check train times at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk
If you decide to get different trains,
you may have to make your own
arrangements. Taxi's can cost around
£35 from Machynlleth.
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Shelter
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The Mountain Retreat: Celtic roundhouse
and our collection of Turkoman gers, yurts,
tipis, benders and bedouin tents. We can
provide meeting and shared sleeping space
for many people during the retreats.
For all events EXCEPT "The Cauldron of
Plenty" there is no need to bring a tent -
sleeping will be in roundhouses and gers (but you can still bring a tent if you wish.) For Sacred Man:Sacred Woman, you are welcome to bring a tent to sleep in on the first and last night but will be expected to stay with the rest of the men/women in the respective lodges during the weekend.
Please note, that the Mountain Retreat is
simple but elegant living - there are no
modern facilities, no mains electricity and no shower\toilet block. There is a compost toilet (with proper toilet seat, private and kept clean) near the camping meadow, and a natural bathing pool (waterfall and pool) which is a very refreshing way to start the day!
Farmhouse:There is no need to bring a tent. The
farmhouse consists of meeting, eating and
sleeping spaces, hot showers and a sauna!
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Meals
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Meals are provided within the ticket price
for all events EXCEPT "The Cauldron of
Plenty". We have a fully equipped kitchen and serve three meals a day and
cater for vegetarians and
non-vegetarians. Please inform us, if you
have a food allergy. The meals on The
Enlightenment Intensive are strictly
vegetarian.
We provide drinking water at the
Mountain Retreat, but feel free to bring your own
supply as well (e.g. for your tent.)
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At "The Cauldron of Plenty" we run a fairly
priced kitchen (around £4-£8
depending on the meal) and serve three
meals a day and cater for vegetarians and
non-vegetarians. We also sell drinks and cakes during the day.
A meal ticket can be purchased for the
entire event once you arrive, and costs
from £50 for Adults and from
£25 upwards for Children (depending
on appetite!) The meal ticket entitles you to
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner including a
drink, for the whole event. On the first
day (Thursday) we will provide Dinner,
and on the last day (Monday) we will
provide Breakfast.
Please note, the meal ticket and meal
prices quoted here are a guide, and may
increase if food prices increase.
You are also welcome to bring your own food
and cooking equipment to "The Cauldron of
Plenty".
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What to bring
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Essentially: a tent ("The Cauldron of
Plenty"), torches and batteries (it can get very dark at night!), insect repellant, sleeping bag, blanket,
towells, warm and out-door clothing,
waterproof clothing, comfortable clothing,
snacks if you get hungry between meals,
anything to make your sleeping space soft
and warm. Boots: Wellingtons are by far the
most useful for crossing the valley’s
many streams and for easy on and off
(entering and leaving tents) though not so
good for longer walks on mountain paths.
Walking boots\sturdy shoes are also
reccomended.
Additionally (depending which events you
attend); meditation stool\cushion, musical
instruments, note book, ceremonial
artefacts, cloth and threads, offerings,
stylish and beautiful clothes (a must for
Sacred Man:Sacred Woman, and The Cauldron
of Plenty!), and anything else you feel
appropriate for ceremony and celebration.
Poems, stories and songs.
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What not to bring
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Dogs.
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Other things
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We strive to provide a welcoming and
inspiring nomadic paradise at the Mountain Retreat - but offer few 21st Century
facilities, and we cannot always control
the weather! Please expect to
live elegantly but very simply.
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Prepare yourself
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Relax and take time for yourself leading up
to the event. Prepare for it carefully;
gather your kit, change pace, and slowly
get ready to open up for something new.
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And finally....
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...please respect our neighbours and the
countryside: drive carefully, CLOSE all
gates behind you, take all your litter
home, and leave as you would like others to
enjoy it. If you are driving, please read
very carefully the instructions which will
be sent in the post for parking and arrival
on site.
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