The Cavewoman Way
Michelle Rigling, PhD
Chattanooga, TN
The Winter House
A mythic weekend of deep rest, dreaming and community
Winter Solstice
December 18-20, 2026
plus optional Thursday arrival
Fort Payne, AL
Community-based pricing because we all deserve rest and sisterhood!
"When all the noise is silenced, the meetings adjourned, the lists laid aside, and the wild iris blooms by itself in the dark forest, what still pulls at your soul? In the silence between your heartbeats hides a summons... do you hear it?” ~Remembering the Gift
An Invitation
This retreat is for anyone who could use a break.
While winter invites us to slow down, rest, and dream, our culture pushes us to keep up the pace, rush to endless holiday gatherings, and often overextend both our energy and our budgets. In The Winter House we say enough!
I believe that rest is an act of resistance and this retreat offers an opportunity to pause, take a long breath, and practice the arts of wintering. Our weekend will be gentle, spacious, and nourishing with a splash of myth and magic.
Your existence is enough. You do not have to "earn" rest. Our bodies, minds, and hearts need time to "winter" just like the animals, plants, and trees. What might it feel like to sit everything down for just a few days and trust in the medicine of rest?
HIGHLIGHTS
Fireside Myth & Storytelling
Winter Wonder Walk
Morning Dreamwork
Herbal Nightcaps
Mother's Night Eve Feast
Winter Solstice Songs
Free Time for Reading & Crafts
Hot Tub & Fireplace
THURSDAY ARRIVAL
Add Thursday Arrival to your retreat registration and enjoy Thursday Dinner, Evergreen Soaking Baths, and a Friday Morning Flannel & Flapjacks Brunch.
RETREAT SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
1:00pm Come On In!
2:00pm Winter House Circle
*PLEASE ARRIVE BY 1:30PM*
SUNDAY
9:00am Closing Circle
10:00am Departures
*CENTRAL TIME ZONE*
EARLY ARRIVAL
THURSDAY
4:00pm Doors Open
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Crafts, Hot Tub, Etc.
FRIDAY
10:30am Flannel & Flapjacks Brunch
FOOD MENU
Our menu will consist of hearty homemade soups, warm breads, winter desserts, and cozy beverages. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available for those who request them during registration.
REGISTRATION
Retreat: $333
Thursday Arrival: +$111
We are offering this particular retreat at a discounted rate as an experiment in collective rest and community dreaming. It will be a little less structured than some of our others, offering a spacious amount of time for rest, reading, writing, or crafting alongside others doing the same.
DEPOSIT OPTION
You can save your spot with a 50% deposit now through October 31. Balance payments are due on December 1, 2026.
LODGING
We will retreating in a beautiful, modern, comfortable cabin. Beds are twin size in shared bedrooms. Beds are a mix of single beds and cozy, adult-friendly bunks. Alternatively, you are welcome to bring a cot or floor mattress.
MEALS
Friday Dinner, Saturday Lunch, and Saturday Dinner (Feast) are included. Breakfasts and breakfast beverages are not included.
THURSDAY ARRIVAL
Includes Thursday Lodging, Thursday Dinner, and Friday Brunch
REFUNDS
Registrations are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled. Help us meet our minimum number of attendees by registering early if you'd like to attend!
"We falsely believe we are not doing enough and that we must always be guiding our lives toward more labor. The distinction that must be repeated as many times as necessary is this: We are not resting to be productive. We are resting simply because it is our divine right to do so.” ~Tricia Hersey
