There is a place we writers go when we listen deeply to what wants to be written.
A place between the visible and invisible worlds. Between what we know and what we sense. Between the story we have been telling and the story waiting beneath it.
This is the territory of the Writer as Shaman—and the path of the Initiated Writer.
Here, writing becomes more than expression or craft. The writing changes us. It takes us across thresholds and into encounters with what we may not yet understand. We emerge knowing something we did not know before—not only about the story, but about ourselves and the world we inhabit.
For one weekend in November, I invite you to join me online for an immersive writing retreat devoted to discovery, sacred curiosity, creativity, and transformation.
The Writer as Shaman understands that everything that shows up on our path—beautiful or difficult, ordinary or mysterious—is material. We give ourselves permission to live symbolically, to listen differently, and to enter into conversation with the natural world, our inner world, dreams, memories, images, myths, and whatever unexpectedly arrives on the page.
And we write.
We write to listen, to discover, to cross the threshold and find what is there.
Through meditation, teaching, contemplative and creative writing practices, silence, conversation, and sharing, we will enter deeper realms of imagination, intuition, and knowing.
And because this is a retreat, our time apart will be as important as our time together. There will be spacious periods to step away from the screen—to write, walk, rest, spend time outside, follow an image or question, or simply notice what arises.
You do not need to consider yourself a “shaman” or be working on a book. You need only curiosity, something to write with, and a willingness to follow where the writing takes you.
A place between the visible and invisible worlds. Between what we know and what we sense. Between the story we have been telling and the story waiting beneath it.
This is the territory of the Writer as Shaman—and the path of the Initiated Writer.
Here, writing becomes more than expression or craft. The writing changes us. It takes us across thresholds and into encounters with what we may not yet understand. We emerge knowing something we did not know before—not only about the story, but about ourselves and the world we inhabit.
For one weekend in November, I invite you to join me online for an immersive writing retreat devoted to discovery, sacred curiosity, creativity, and transformation.
The Writer as Shaman understands that everything that shows up on our path—beautiful or difficult, ordinary or mysterious—is material. We give ourselves permission to live symbolically, to listen differently, and to enter into conversation with the natural world, our inner world, dreams, memories, images, myths, and whatever unexpectedly arrives on the page.
And we write.
We write to listen, to discover, to cross the threshold and find what is there.
Through meditation, teaching, contemplative and creative writing practices, silence, conversation, and sharing, we will enter deeper realms of imagination, intuition, and knowing.
And because this is a retreat, our time apart will be as important as our time together. There will be spacious periods to step away from the screen—to write, walk, rest, spend time outside, follow an image or question, or simply notice what arises.
You do not need to consider yourself a “shaman” or be working on a book. You need only curiosity, something to write with, and a willingness to follow where the writing takes you.
The retreat is limited to 14 writers, allowing us to create an intimate circle where everyone has space to write, share, listen, and be witnessed.
Our Weekend
Friday, November 13
6:00–7:30 p.m. CST
Opening Circle: Entering the Threshold
We begin our journey together with meditation, teaching, writing, and an introduction to the practice of Writer as Shaman.
Saturday, November 14
7:00 a.m. — Optional Meditation
An early morning meditation for those who want to begin the retreat day together in silence and presence.
9:00 a.m.–Noon — Morning Gathering
Teaching, writing practices, contemplative prompts, sharing, and time to follow what is opening on the page.
Noon–2:00 p.m. — Retreat Time
This is not simply a “break.” Step away from the screen and remain in retreat.
Have lunch. Take a walk. Be outside. Rest. Write. Follow something that emerged during the morning. Let yourself notice what wants your attention.
2:00–4:00 p.m. — Afternoon Gathering
We return to the circle for further teaching, writing, exploration, and sharing.
Sunday, November 15
7:00 a.m. — Optional Meditation
Another opportunity to begin the day together in meditation and silence.
9:00–11:00 a.m. — Morning Gathering
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Retreat Time
A final period of solitude and retreat.
Write. Walk. Have lunch. Reflect. Be still. Allow yourself to follow whatever remains unfinished or alive.
12:30–1:30 p.m. — Final Teaching & Closing Circle
We return for our final teaching and closing circle, gathering what we have discovered and considering what we carry with us beyond the weekend.
Friday, November 13
6:00–7:30 p.m. CST
Opening Circle: Entering the Threshold
We begin our journey together with meditation, teaching, writing, and an introduction to the practice of Writer as Shaman.
Saturday, November 14
7:00 a.m. — Optional Meditation
An early morning meditation for those who want to begin the retreat day together in silence and presence.
9:00 a.m.–Noon — Morning Gathering
Teaching, writing practices, contemplative prompts, sharing, and time to follow what is opening on the page.
Noon–2:00 p.m. — Retreat Time
This is not simply a “break.” Step away from the screen and remain in retreat.
Have lunch. Take a walk. Be outside. Rest. Write. Follow something that emerged during the morning. Let yourself notice what wants your attention.
2:00–4:00 p.m. — Afternoon Gathering
We return to the circle for further teaching, writing, exploration, and sharing.
Sunday, November 15
7:00 a.m. — Optional Meditation
Another opportunity to begin the day together in meditation and silence.
9:00–11:00 a.m. — Morning Gathering
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Retreat Time
A final period of solitude and retreat.
Write. Walk. Have lunch. Reflect. Be still. Allow yourself to follow whatever remains unfinished or alive.
12:30–1:30 p.m. — Final Teaching & Closing Circle
We return for our final teaching and closing circle, gathering what we have discovered and considering what we carry with us beyond the weekend.
The Wheel of Initiation
The Investment
$145 — Supported
$195 — Full
$245 — Supporting
Choose the level that best fits your circumstances. Those choosing the Supporting level help make the Supported rate possible for another writer.
$145 — Supported
$195 — Full
$245 — Supporting
Choose the level that best fits your circumstances. Those choosing the Supporting level help make the Supported rate possible for another writer.
A Retreat Bonus
Your retreat registration also includes a 30-minute individual mentoring session with me following the retreat.
This is a chance for us to reconnect one-to-one and explore what emerged for you during the weekend, what has continued to unfold in your writing, or where the work is asking you to go next.
Your mentoring session can be scheduled anytime following the retreat and must be used by February 1, 2027.
Come As You Are
Come with a journal.
Come with a question.
Come with what you know and what you don't know.
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©2025 Julie Tallard Johnson, MSW, LCSW
Mentor, therapist, citizen
Transformational & Embodied Counselor & Mentor
Most rights reserved. Admin
Mentor, therapist, citizen
Transformational & Embodied Counselor & Mentor
Most rights reserved. Admin