An Ancient Christian Winter in the French Pyrenees

29 November 2026 – 6 January 2027

There are seasons when the soul longs to live differently.
To step away from the noise.
To rediscover the beauty of slower days.
To remember that the Christian mysteries were never simply meant to be celebrated, but lived.

This winter, I would love to invite you to become part of the life of Les Contes throughout the entire Season of Light.

Rather than offering a traditional retreat, I am opening the doors of our home from the First Sunday of Advent until the Feast of Epiphany, inviting a small community of pilgrims to journey together through one of the most beautiful seasons of the Christian year.

Come for a few days.
Come for a week.
Or, if your heart is calling you more deeply, remain with us throughout the entire Season of Light.
Choose the dates that feel right for you.

Advent - The Sacred Art of Waiting

Our journey begins with Advent.

In a world that rushes towards Christmas, Advent quietly teaches us to wait. To become attentive. To prepare the heart as carefully as we might prepare a home for a beloved guest.

Together we will embrace simple rhythms of candlelight, contemplative prayer, Scripture, silence, Somatic Wisdom and shared community, allowing ourselves to become ready for the coming of Christ.

Winter Solstice - Welcoming the Returning Light

At the Winter Solstice we will make pilgrimage to the ancient Bethlehem Cave, one of the Cathar initiation caves hidden within our valley.

Here, the midwinter sun enters deep into the cave, illuminating its ancient chamber in a breathtaking display of light.

Together we will contemplate the mystery of Christ, the Light who shines faithfully in every darkness.

Christmas: Emmanuel – God With Us

Christmas at Les Contes is beautifully simple.

Candles. Shared meals. Prayer. Music.  Blessings. Laughter. Walks beside the springs.  Quiet moments in the chapel. Stories shared around the fire.

Above all, we will celebrate Emmanuel—not only as a story remembered, but as a living Presence dwelling among us.

The Twelve Holy Days - Listening to the Year Ahead

From Christmas Day until Epiphany we enter the ancient tradition of the Twelve Holy Days.

Each day becomes an invitation to listen. To reflect. To pray. To receive seeds for the year to come through Scripture, contemplation, journaling, embodied practice and the quiet wisdom of the season itself.

The Rhythm of Our Days

Each morning, from 8:00–9:00am, we will begin with my beloved Somatic Wisdom Practice.

Together we will enter Scripture and the great mysteries of the Christian tradition through breath, movement, stillness, touch and embodied awareness, allowing the body itself to become a place of revelation.

Throughout the season I will also be sharing many of the gifts that have quietly matured here over recent years.

• Sacred Body Awakening
• The Rite of the Five Seals
• Water Wisdom beside our mountain springs
• Sacred Listening
• Soul Oracles
• Anointings and Blessings
• Pilgrimages through the forests, mountains and sacred caves
• Embodied contemplative prayer

Our days will never feel hurried. There will be goat walks through the winter landscape. Time beside the springs. Space to write. Space to rest. Space simply to be.

As evening falls, the wood-burning stoves will warm the house, while we gather around the open fire in the library for sharing circles, music, storytelling, prayer, laughter and deep conversation.

Some evenings will be joyful. Others wonderfully quiet. All held within the gentle rhythm of community.

Life at Les Contes is beautifully simple.

Meals will be lovingly prepared together in our community kitchen, where everyone is invited to contribute naturally. Again and again we discover that some of the deepest friendships are born while preparing food, washing dishes, baking bread or lingering over cups of tea.

This is not a retreat with a fixed timetable.

It is an invitation to share the ordinary rhythm of life together. To wake with the mountains. To greet the animals. To drink from the springs. To walk ancient paths. To warm your hands beside the fire.

To discover that community itself can become a spiritual practice.