Goddess Gatherings Galore

Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Goddess-Makers 2026 event is a long weekend slated for August 28-30 at Pacifica’s stunning center on Ladera Lane. With a theme of “Oracles of the Creative in an Age of Collapse,” the arts-based research conference confronts the current crisis-sparked sense that something foundational is giving way from a depth psychological perspective, positing that collapse is not simply catastrophe but a threshold, the dissolution of symbolic structures that no longer carry psychic life. The suggestion is that what appears as breakdown may in fact be initiation, which, in myth, unveils moments wherein the oracle appears. Collapse becomes the passage through which persona gives way to authentic authority.

With AI accelerating change at unprecedented speed, political polarization at preposterous levels, and challenges to identity and persona giving rise to existential anxiety and more, that threshold is palpable. The depth psychology perspective sees these symptoms as signals of archetypal activation, pointing toward renewal.

The conference has a number of impressive faculty and alumni on its roster of keynote speakers, performers and workshop leaders, including Montecito’s own writer-producer-director legend Cheri Steinkellner. The four-time Emmy Award winner (Cheers) and Tony nominee (Sister Act the Musical) will lead a session called “Raise Your Voice: Losing, Listening, and Reclaiming Voice in a Time of Collapse.” Other activities include walking the land, opening blessings, concerts, comedy, visual art presentations, and more. The event is open to all: those who’ve long been a part of Pacifica’s community, potential new students, and anyone simply curious about the Goddess-Makers weekend. 

Details, including registration, online at https://tinyurl.com/Pacifica-Goddess-26

Goddess, Redux

Sunburst Sanctuary has scheduled a more traditional Goddess Retreat just two weeks later over a four-day weekend September 10-13. The “Women’s Retreat Honoring Divine Mother” is an offer to nourish your body, mind, and spirit and feel a sense of harmony as participants and practitioners unite to honor Mother Earth. The weekend will include a special music circle led by Heather Grace Powers, a Dance of Life ceremony, a process honoring the four elements, an outdoor sound bath within Sunburst’s onsite redwood grove, a sunrise meditation at the Wheel of Life, wholesome vegetarian meals and more. 

In between, Sunburst hosts one of its periodic Relax & Renew Retreats, a weekend away from the demands of daily life in favor of deep rest, reflection, and renewal. The offerings include inspiring workshops, fellowship, and practices that encourage relaxation, healing, and spiritual regeneration, as well as plenty of time for quiet reflection – including plenty of space, as Sunburst occupies 4,000 idyllic acres near Lompoc, dotted with gardens, stitched with trails, and teeming with local wildlife. The retreat is geared toward those seeking spiritual connection, personal growth, meaningful community; or simply the time and space to breathe and restore. 

Both weekends include all meals, activities and lodging in a shared cabin. Visit https://sunburst.org/upcoming, email [email protected], or call (805) 736-6528. 

Got Guts?

This month’s Light of Learning presentation at Wellness Medicine, Dr. James Kwako’s offices and meeting space, features Wellness Educator Carley Hauck MS, who will present “Healing from the Inside Out, The Mind-Gut-Immune Connection.” Participants will discover; how food impacts our mind, our microbiome, and our immunity; will learn about the emerging science behind the brain-gut-immune system and chronic disease link; and learn how personalized foods, lifestyle habits, and longevity practices can help beneficial microbes thrive. Hauck is a health psychologist, longevity specialist, and former senior faculty member and program designer at Stanford University’s Center for Integrative Medicine. At Stanford, she partnered with physicians and interdisciplinary healthcare teams to design and facilitate evidence-based programs focused on lifestyle medicine, nutrition, mindfulness, and whole-person health. Her specialty is translating complex biological science into sustainable behavior change, bridging the gap between clinical knowledge and daily habits. 

There is no cost to attend the 10 am to 12 pm event on Saturday, August 8, at 3015 State Street, Suite B. Register via email at [email protected]

Landing, Lightly

Alexis Slutzky has slightly modified the title of her monthly gathering at Skofield Park near Montecito to Land Listening Kinship Circle, emphasizing that the events are meant to create a closer relationship with both nature and each other. “Our themes are generally about belonging, relationship to place, ancestral lineage, grief, and good citizening,” she writes in her latest email missive. “We find our way to share stories of connection and metabolize stories of separation into compost for a new world.”

The gathering includes attunement, context setting, orientation, and an embodiment exercise prior to solo journeys in the park, where the aim is encountering the elements and non-human beings before returning for a closing council circle. All are welcome to the free gathering.  

Visit www.alexisslutzky.com/land-listening-circles