Creators of Peace women held a national retreat on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, with time for rest, reflection, creative arts, and some nature study. Delia Paul writes:
The bushland track at The Briars, a 19th-century homestead, is well marked, but that’s only for humans. If you look off to the side, at the tall reeds by the waterhole, or across the sloping hillside, you can see some small tracks the wallabies themselves have made, meandering onward to their hidden resting places. In the late afternoon light, though, they were still out in public, nibbling on the short green grass. Watchful and squat, they paused from their snacking as we went by—just keeping an eye out, until they were sure we were harmless.
A bit like us, really. (Observant and watchful, maybe even a little squat? Well. I speak for myself!) We were a group of 22 women at the Creators of Peace retreat at The Briars, meeting to connect with old and new friends, let the energy of the group support us, and feel the Earth speak to our souls. And maybe, even, to create some new tracks.
Creators of Peace national retreats
Creators of Peace national retreats take place once a year, and are open to anyone who has ever taken part in a Creators of Peace Circle. The agenda usually offers space for rest and reconnection among women who share an interest in peacebuilding at the grassroots.
Retreats offer opportunities for getting to know each other, and sharing our thoughts and intentions for peace. Expect times of reflection, creative arts, and recreation in nature. The retreats help strengthen the national Creators of Peace network and allow new initiatives to form in an organic manner.
Time out at The Briars
This year’s retreat, from 25-27 April, was organised on the theme of “strengthening our roots of resilience.” Adult women of all ages came from New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, staying in dormitory accommodation at a popular campsite, ‘The Briars’ on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Over make-ahead meals and some hearty camp cooking, we listened to each other’s stories, sang each other’s songs and used craft materials to create our own art pieces.
Photo credit Prasanthi Hagare
Photo credit Prasanthi Hagare
The Saturday evening campfire, in a bush clearing under the stars, was a highlight, with cultural offerings from several countries. A Cantonese song with back-up vocals sung over the phone. A Banjo Patterson poem. A sea shanty first sung by convicts. As the evening grew chill, we danced around the fire to a folk tune from Myanmar.
‘Waking up’ to the world
Jean Brown, Creators of Peace founder, closed the evening with a “bedtime story” that was a fresh take on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. In her retelling, each one of us is both a sleeping beauty and a prince; we are bewitched under a curse, and we are also the ones who are able to save ourselves. “What is the part of you that has fallen asleep? What is the part that needs to wake up?” she asked at the end, for our own reflections.
Some ideas for “waking up” surfaced next morning, as we gathered to hear Dahlia Rera speak about opportunities for supporting Creators of Peace Circles in Indonesia. An organizing team has formed to help plan upcoming visits by Australians to Indonesia.
As a closing activity, we gathered natural materials from around The Briars to create a big mandala. From our random pickings — dry leaves, pine cones, feathers and shells — we created a circle where each little piece contributed unexpected beauty to the whole. (This was, of course, highly symbolic!)
The weekend closed with a poem and reflection offered by Judy Schroeder from South Australia, ending with the words:
“When you feel like your heart is broken, talk to the moon; she will shine on you in the darkness. If you feel powerless, speak to the sun; she will reignite your strength with warmth and unconditional love.”
Once again, speaking for myself — but maybe for others too— I can’t wait for next year’s retreat!
- To learn more about Creators of Peace, go here: https://iofc.au/creators-of-peace-australia/
Header image: Group photo in front of dismantled mandala (Photo Credit: Dahlia Rera)