Artwork by Albarrán Cabrera
The Song of the Seasons
Whidbey Institute, Washington State, US
Artwork by Albarrán Cabrera
Everything you see has its roots
in the unseen world.
The forms may change,
yet the essence remains the same.
Many of us have grown up knowing the seasons as a steady and returning cycle, with familiar heralds appearing every year to mark the transition between each seasonal spell. Whether conscious of it or not, we respond to these rhythms of the living world—shifting our attention to celebrate the arrival of different birds and insects; opening our senses to changes in the fragrance of flowers, the presence of rain; and orienting our inner world to meet the stillness of winter, or the abundance of summer. However, as we have done with almost everything, we are leaving our human imprint on the seasons. With the biosphere warming, ecosystems collapsing, and weather patterns becoming erratic, the Earth is veering out of synchronicity with any kind of recognizable calendar. As the seasonal moments that have been at the foundation of our cultures for millennia begin to vanish and change, can we remember to listen to the primordial song of the seasons that still calls us into relationship?
In May 2025, join us on Whidbey Island in Washington State, US, for a four-day retreat that will bring us into remembrance of the continual cycle of creation, renewal, growth, and decay that remains as the seasons shift and transform. Led by Emergence executive editor and Sufi teacher Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, this retreat will encourage participants to turn their attention to inner and outer rhythms through spaces of requiem, invitation, and celebration—each offering a framework to mourn, honor, and renew our connection with the seasons. Through talks, nature connection practices, meditation, discussion, writing workshops, and time spent in conscious relationship with the land, we will look towards both ancient and emerging understandings of seasonality, place, and cycle amid the uncertainty of our time.
ABOUT EMMANUEL VAUGHAN-LEE
Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee is an Emmy- and Peabody-nominated filmmaker and a Naqshbandi Sufi teacher. He is the founder and executive editor of Emergence Magazine and leads retreats and workshops worldwide. He has directed and produced numerous award-winning films including: Earthrise, Sanctuaries of Silence, The Atomic Tree, Counter Mapping, Marie’s Dictionary, Isle de Jean Charles, Elemental, A Thousand Suns and What Would it Look Like? He lives and teaches in Inverness, California.
DETAILS
Dates: Friday, May 23rd – Monday, May 26th, 2025
Location: Whidbey Institute, Washington, US
Fee: $510–$920, depending on accommodation choice (camping, shared, or single room). Fees include everything but travel. Needs-based financial assistance is available for some (see additional details in the expression of interest form).
We are also holding a similar retreat in Devon, England, June 26–29, 2025. You can learn more and apply for that retreat here.
Please contact events@emergencemagazine.org if you have any questions.