Join Gaea & Caryatis Farm for a weekend of magic at the place where Beauty Grows. Sept 18-20, 2026. Additional Indigo dye lab Sept 20-21.
Your wildness is a thing of power. Nourishing connection with time, energy, movement, and nature can re-establish sweet flow into your life. This fall equinox, reset yourself over a weekend & commune with Artful living at the nourishing land of Caryatis Farm.
Life is art ♡
This retreat focuses on one of my favorite processes- natural dyeing! We deepen our connection with the land as we learn to experiment with wild color. WATCH THE PROCESS HERE!
In this retreat we will:
Dye a silk veil (or pillowcase, raw fabric to sew, etc…) with seasonal plants gathered from the farm - tbd depending on what is available! This process takes a full day - harvesting, sorting, boiling, straining, mordanting, dipping, rinsing, washing, hanging. You take your own silk veil home! Gaea will pre-sew a variety of silk veils (& maybe pillowcases) for you to choose from.
Bring your own fabric to dye in the vats once everyone dyes their first project.
Veil & Authentic Movement classes will activate our bodies, movement moves intention through in real space & time. A veil class, dance church, and whenever you want to move.
Spaciousness allows time to joyfully relish human connections to nourish ourselves during the dance of the dye process.
Easy rituals will pepper our days as we ground into deep summer rewilding.
Fire dance in the circle, first burns are welcomed.
The Eta Aquariids meteor shower will be visible that weekend from the farm - at it’s peak!
Meals:
Caryatis home cooks Friday dinner - Sunday brunch! Please indicate any dietary request in the registration form so we have ample time to prepare.
Where You can Stay:
in Tony & Alayne’s home : they have a spare room, a futon, air mattresses, and lots of big comfy couches
camp in the fields in your own personal camping nook! Campers and Vans welcomed, too. BYO tent, sleeping bag, mattress, pillow, lights, etc…
Getting there:
Caryatis Farm, W5798 WI-28, Waldo, WI 53093
3 hours from downtown Chicago
2 hours from Madison, WI
1 hour from Milwaukee, WI - you can take a train up, & we can help arrange a rideshare or you can uber from there.
Tentative SCHEDULE:
Friday
-Arrive afternoon/evening to Caryatis Farms and settle in
-brief overview of the dye process
-sunset silk flow & mini class to pick out your veil
-mordant veils overnight
dinner
-grounding ritual + fire dancing
Saturday
-morning meditation ritual plant walk to pick dye plants & flowers
breakfast
-build a fire, prepare dye stuff to immerse in vats & let simmer for an hour.
lunch
-cauldrons bubble, introduce restraint methods, dip & dye silk to your hearts content. Let sit. Wash out and let dry when finished!
-free time, crafts, etc…
-mix indigo vat and let sit overnigh
dinner
- free time, cauldrons will keep boiling to keep dyeing, and fire dancing
Sunday
brunch
-finish any dyeing
-”Dance Church” Ecstatic dance with silk veil led by Gaea
-tidy up cauldron, wash bins & pots, clean up.
leftovers for lunch (departures by 3pm if you aren’t staying for Indigo Lab)
-INDIGO DYE LAB (add on). Mix an indigo vat with chemistry and watch BLUE color appear as it oxidizes from green to deep blues.
dinner
-free time & rest. fire dance?
Monday
breakfast
-last indigo dips
-clean up
lunch
departures by 3pm
WHO
Calling in up to 12 individuals for an intimate group. no dance, dye, or nature experience is necessary. All bodies are welcomed with open arms and hearts. 18+.
PRICE
I am offering a sliding scale- pay what you can in the drop down for this retreat - in efforts to support all who wish to attend and allow for a system of value to be guided by you, the attendee.
333$ SLIDING SCALE per person.
$111 indigo dye lab add on, per person
$101 extra silk veil to dye (one is included)
Includes all classes, dye materials & a silk veil, group accommodations/camping, meals.
Join Gaea & Caryatis Farm for a weekend of magic at the place where Beauty Grows. August, 8-10, 2025.
Your wildness is a thing of power. Nourishing connection with time, energy, movement, and nature can re-establish sweet flow into your life.
In taking an August weekend to commune with Artful living at the nourishing land of Caryatis Farm, I hope you will find more depth in living and practice as I have. ♡
To deepen our play experience with the land, I guide you through one of my favorite processes- natural dyeing!
Dye your own silk veil with seasonal plants gathered from the farm - tbd depending on what is available! This process takes a full day - harvesting, sorting, boiling, straining, mordanting, dipping, rinsing, washing, hanging. You take the silk veil home to dance with!
Spontaneous & Planned Classes will activate our bodies, movement moves intention through in real space & time.
Spaciousness allows time to joyfully relish human connections to nourish ourselves during the dance of the dye process.
Rituals will pepper our days as we ground into deep summer rewilding.
Fire circles will be open both evenings for participation or witnessing. First burns are welcomed.
The Perseid meteor shower will be visible that weekend from the farm - at it’s peak!
Caryatis provides Fri dinner - Sun lunch & accommodations in their big home, camping in the fields, or possibly, a trailer.
tentative SCHEDULE:
Friday
-Arrive afternoon/evening to Caryatis Farms and settle in
-dinner
-grounding ritual, silk flow to pick out your veil, + fire dancing?
Saturday
-morning meditation plant walk to pick dye flowers + short dye ritual
-breakfast
-mind-full movement & stretching
-dyeing info! prepare dye in vats
-dye silks
-free time
-lunch
-silk veil class
-wash out dye
-hang silks to dry
-free time
-dinner 'autumnal feast'
- free time and fire dancing
Sunday
-breakfast
-dance church : ecstatic dance
-lunch
-clean up dye stuff
-departures
WHO
Calling in around 12 individuals for an intimate group. no dance, dye, or nature experience is necessary. All bodies are welcomed with open arms and hearts. 18+.
WHERE
Caryatis Farm, W5798 WI-28, Waldo, WI 53093
3 hours from downtown Chicago
2 hours from Madison, WI
1 hour from Milwaukee, WI
PRICE
I am offering a sliding scale- pay what you can in the drop down for this retreat - in efforts to support all who wish to attend and allow for a system of value to be guided by you, the attendee.
333$ SUGGESTED per person.
Includes all classes, dye materials & a silk veil, group accommodations/camping, meals.