IF QUAKERS WERE WITCHES…
with Sara Jolena Wolcott,
Elaine Emily and Hayley Hathaway
May 2-4, 2025 (Friday to Sunday)
Program Description
Facilitators
Registration information
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
What are some of the resonances between Quakerism and pagan/animist earth spiritualities? Might such resonances deepen our individual and collective spiritual journey? Join us to engage the historical and contemporary overlaps between Friends and animist wisdom traditions through historical teachings, collective inquiry, worship sharing, arts, song, ritual, and a decolonial lens.
This program will be led by Sara Jolena Woolcott. Hayley Hathaway and Elaine Emily will serve as program elders. Sara has known and worked with both Hayley and Elaine for many years.
“As the sea gull lays in the wind current,
so I lay myself into the spirit of God.”
-Howard Thurman
If Quakers Were Witches: An Exploration of eco-spirituality
In the midst of a too-quickly warming planet and movements of decolonization, this workshop gathers together those Quakers who are hearing and being called forth by the Spirit’s stirring within Creation. You, who hear Spirit when you dwell in the Moonlit Meadow as much as when you sit in Meeting for Worship; you, who offer songs, perhaps in your heart, perhaps aloud, to the full moon’s reflection on the lake; who sense the movement of Spirit in Meeting as akin to the fluttering of wings; who experience directly the alive-ness in all beings. Perhaps you sense the Divine Feminine within the Holy Spirit; perhaps you experience gender fluidity within and around the Holy Presence. You feel the aching pain of the rising fever of our Mother Earth, and are in the midst of actions, and prayers, and struggles, and keep falling in love with Her.
This workshop is the second of its kind; the first was offered in the Autumn of 2023 at Ben Lomond Quaker Center. That workshop was deeply appreciated by the participants and the staff at Quaker Center.
“I attended this workshop at Ben Lomond Quaker Center – what a joy it was! Sara found a way to combine Quaker mysticism and eco-spirituality while building a container for love to flow among us. My heart was singing!”
– Shelley Tanenbaum
Both of Sara Jolena’s elders, Hayley and Elaine, were clear during that workshop that a similar workshop was needed on the East Coast. We planted the intention with a prayer. This May 2025 workshop is the flowering of that prayer. We hope you join us for these flowerings.
Of course, it will not be the same workshop. As we prepare, we are listening to the particularities of place, time, and the Times we are in as part of our listening to Spirit. Attentiveness to the Meadow, the flowering of the trees, and the ancient and ever-new Celtic spirit of Beltane, and the land-based traditions all contribute towards our listening; we hope you might join us in the expansiveness of our listening as we prepare to be in prayer together.
Here are some questions that we know are part of these larger intersections: what does it mean to be both a Quaker and to “find your own magic”? What is the role of eco-spiritual practices as part of a journey of decolonization? Can we have more worship time outside? How can we create more earth-honoring spiritual-practical practices in the midst of our changing climate – and politics? What myths/stories can we draw on and co-create towards this possibility? How can we go deeper into the nourishing blessing of Earth? What are the (possibly unconventional) ministerial pathways that are calling people towards greater service?
Perhaps you have a semi-secret (or fully hidden?) druidic practice, or read tarot cards and cast circles; perhaps you experience dancing in the woods as a form of prayer and keep returning to the myths in Women who Run with the Wolves. Perhaps you are finding ways of honoring your ancestors as part of your own practices of decolonization.
This space is for those of you who know the sweetness of the night as part of the Light.
Amidst blossoms, the eco-erotic energy of the season, let us circle together. To share from scattered edges and experiences of edgewalking. To dance with mountains. To sing with the Silence. To celebrate this gift of life that we get to be a part of. Join us to learn, to explore, to share in the Spirit, and to worship.
For those of you who identify as queer/LGBTQ+, know that Sara Jolena and her two elders are all queer.
For those of you who identify as male and are feeling nudged to attend, please also feel welcomed! This is not a women’s spirituality gathering for women-only!
For those of you swimming in multiple forms of fluidity, we are explicitly welcoming of gender expansive folks, nonbinary folks, cis and trans people.
I attended the workshop “If Quakers Were Witches” last year. If it were offered again in my area I would definitely attend! I really enjoyed connecting with other Friends who experience their spirituality in ways that are not typically “Quaker”. At the same time it was deeply spiritual. And I learned things about early Quaker history that has corollaries to what is happening in our country now. I heartily recommend this workshop!
– Klara East
A note on our terminology
The term “witch” has had many meanings across time and cultures. In some places, the term refers to those people who actively seek to do harm to others, human or non-human. We do not engage with that energy and do not welcome those who carry harm-seeking energies or practices. We are interested in faithfulness to the Spirit and the many facets of a healing eco-spirituality which we find arising, like a sacred spring, from Earth herself.
We also recognize that the term “pagan” has, over roughly the last two thousand years, come to predominantly mean “non-Christian.” We are not “non-Christian.” Sara Jolena is a trained eco-theologian from a Christian Seminary who continues to learn a great deal from the Christian tradition. She actively reads and works with the Bible as well as with other sacred texts. Thus, this is not an anti-Jesus or anti-Christian gathering. We welcome people who are close to Jesus. We do acknowledge that there is often deep anger towards Christianity and the wider Church (including Quakerism), for harm done in the name of Jesus. “Catholic” expressions (ie, experiences of Mother Mary, the Black Madonna, or a love of the pantheon of Saints in Eastern Orthodox or Catholic traditions) are also welcomed.
Prior to attending, and only if you feel so moved, you might want to do some free writing (poem/song/prose/a letter to your Meeting) starting with the phrase, “If Quakers were witches….” and see what arises for you. Feel free to bring the writing with you. It is completely fine if you don’t get around to doing this.
If you cannot attend but are strongly drawn to this workshop, feel free to send in a reflection of your own on these themes. We will read/share this reflection with the group.
Activities
We will start with a Circle on Friday evening, and share our experiences of these intersections of Quakerism and “witchy”/ pagan/eco-mystical/animist experiences. The workshop will move into a combination of teaching and sharing: Sara Jolena will offer some history about pre-Christian/indigenous European practices, the influence of the European witchhunts on colonization and climate change; and some of the historical intersections between Quakers and animist/witchy traditions. We will discuss different contemporary aspects of “witchy” practices within and surrounding Quakerism; and will lean into some of the sticky spaces (such as doing rituals and building altars as Quakers; how we relate to early Friends’ writings; and some of the common challenges around cultural appropriation in this space).
The questions you bring will influence which areas we will focus. There will be opportunities to share personal practices, and you are invited to bring objects that might assist with your sharing and/or that you want to place on our collective altar. There will be worship sharing, ample time in and with nature, body-movements, and opportunities for singing/music and dancing. On Saturday night, we will gather around the fire circle for a Meeting for Worship. Sara Jolena is doing some research for this workshop and we will work to create a collective resource document. Participants are invited to bring books or other resources to share.
As with most of Sara Jolena’s offerings, this workshop is both structured and is open to emergence. Your curiosities, leadings, and personal practices will inform our conversations and activities.
“Attending Sara Jolena’s If Quakers were Witches workshop was SUCH a joy for me. The opportunity to gather with others who feel the heartbeat and wisdom of Earth calling to us, to participate in simple rituals that remind us of the web of life to which we all belong, and to experience a circle of sacred beings exploring the Great Mystery of it all made for a very memorable weekend. It was a kind of “reset” for my Quaker faith and an opening to the animism my soul has been craving.” – Gayle Matson.
FACILITATORS
SARA JOLENA WOLCOTT,
MDiv, is an ecotheologian, healing practitioner, speaker, and founder of the international eco-spiritual learning initiative, Sequoia Samanvay and hosts the ReMembering and ReEnchanting Podcast. From a young age, she was called to deep and joyful attention to the divine feminine. After a global odyssey working in climate-related initiatives in nine countries, she followed her call to ministry to Union Theological Seminary. There, she developed theological/historical work re-originating climate change into the colonization/the Doctrine of Discovery and the European witch-hunts. Her teachings have found resonance with Buddhist, Catholic, and Quaker (amongst others) leaders, retreat centers and communities. Other formal education includes: MA in Science, Technology, and Society at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in England; BA in Anthropology at Haverford College, and studies at the McKinnon Institute of Massage Therapy. She grew up in Strawberry Creek Monthly Meeting in California, where she is still a member, worked as an intern at the Ben Lomond Quaker Center, served with the Quaker Institute for the Future, and has traveled amongst Friends internationally. She lives with her partner alongside the River that Runs Both Ways, aka the Hudson River, in what is now called the Hudson Valley in New York.
HAYLEY HATHAWAY is passionate about supporting creative and spiritual movements for social change. Her background is in nonprofit work, including most recently serving as the co-director of Quaker Earthcare Witness. She is the former director of Casa de los Amigos in Mexico City, a historic center for peace and international understanding. She is inspired by Quaker mysticism, watershed discipleship, emergent strategy, and the sparrows that live in her Albuquerque backyard. Hayley is a Master of Social Work candidate at New Mexico Highlands University.
ELAINE EMILY’s passion and work as a Quaker elder for the last four decades has brought her to the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and England, leading workshops on how to invite, how to notice, and how to tend the Spirit. Prior to this work, she earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; practiced psychotherapy; ran a group home for adolescent girls; did body, energy work and hands-on healing (Body Wisdom Therapies) for a number of years; and trained as a Kripalu yoga teacher. She has been a Spiritual Nurturer at Pendle Hill, and is a member of Quakers in Pastoral Care and Counseling.
REGISTRATION AND LOGISTICS
See below for more information about registration, cost, meals, accommodations, and other logistics. Or you can proceed directly to REGISTER HERE.
COST & REGISTRATION
The standard rate for the workshop is $375, with a sliding scale of $225-500. The fee includes program, lodging and food from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. Commuter rate is $225. We are committed to financial accessibility: please pay what fits in your personal budget (at whatever amount), encourage your faith community to financially support your participation if that is appropriate, and let us know if you have additional questions related to fees. A non-refundable deposit of $50 is required to hold a space for a program unless otherwise arranged. If you need to cancel, the deposit can be applied to a future workshop within 18 months. The balance is due at the beginning of the workshop.
ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
Plan to arrive after 4:00pm Friday afternoon, in time for dinner at 6:00. The workshop will end by 2pm on Sunday. We are centrally located in western Massachusetts, close to both I-91 and Route 2. For those arriving by car, we will send directions prior to the event. Please let us know if you’d be interested in car-pooling. The nearest Amtrak train station is in Greenfield, MA (about three miles away), and the nearest airport is Bradley (in Windsor Locks, CT, about an hour’s drive away). Bus lines serve Greenfield or connect to Greenfield from Springfield, MA. Please contact us in advance to see if we can arrange a ride from these stations.
ROOM & BOARD
Our 19th-century farmhouse has hand-hewn beams and wide pine floors, with simple lodging (typically double occupancy) with shared bathrooms. The meetinghouse and the first floor of the main building are wheelchair accessible. Our rustic cabins have electricity, woodstoves and outhouses. We serve nourishing, home-cooked meals and always offer vegetarian options. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions. Part of the community building at each retreat includes the joyful sharing of meal chores and final clean-up.
WHAT TO BRING
Please bring your own toiletries, towels, and bedding (sleeping bag or sheets and blankets or comforter). Pillows are provided. Be sure to bring seasonally appropriate clothes and comfortable indoor and outdoor footwear. You might also like to bring a flashlight, journal, art supplies, a book…
Please do NOT bring pets or candles.
We have limited internet access and cell phone reception. We encourage guests to consider how cell phone or computer use may detract from their experience of being fully present, here and now.
COVID PROTOCOLS
You can read Woolman Hill’s general Covid guidelines here. Please contact us if you have questions.
We look forward to welcoming you to the hill!
Click here to REGISTER ON-LINE for this program.