• Joyful Alchemy is a retreat for queer and trans folks who are interested in strengthening our spiritual resilience in community and through connection to our queer and trans ancestors.  We hope to build a container for all parts of us: holding joy, grief, and our full expressions of self.  In this weekend together, we can expect to:

  • Connect with queer and trans folks in community to build collective power

  • Learn from the survival and resilience strategies of our ancestors

  • Spend time in nature

  • Practice mindfulness and joyful movement

  • Harness the innate magic within us as queer and trans folks

  • Develop collective action toward a world we desire

This retreat will take place on Saturday August 23th from 10am - 6pm & Sunday August 24th from 10am - 3pm at a space located in Bolton Hill, Baltimore, Maryland.  We’ll share the address with registered participants.

No. This is two, daylong retreats, but not overnight.

• Click “apply” to the left- we believe the application should take no more than 20-30 minutes to complete.

• We will inform applicants of an acceptance decision by Saturday August 9th.

Gift Economics Strategy: $25 nonrefundable Deposit + Additional donation in the spirit of dana (generous giving)

We are rooting in pre-colonial models of community well being, mutual responsibility and interconnectedness. We’re also practicing gift economics at our retreat, inspired by the Buddhist tradition of dana or generous giving as an anti-capitalist path toward liberation. Rather than charging a set fee, we are inviting folx into a culture of generosity and trust by inviting you to give what you are able—honoring both your capacity and the financial realities of putting on a retreat. We invite you to think about the cost of the retreat and give what feels right.

For economic transparency, here is the breakdown of costs associated with the retreat: 

• Total Cost of the retreat: $750 not including donations for facilitators 

  • Space Rental: $200

  • Lunch, Snacks, Drinks: $500

  • COVID tests: $50

  • After our overhead costs, 20% will go to the facilitators and the rest will go toward supporting the next retreat.
    
    

• At the end of the retreat, you’re welcome to give an additional donation (dana). 
  Here are some examples of what your donation would support:

  • $250+ - contribution to full retreat costs + facilitators + support for additional retreats

  • $200 - contribution to full retreat costs + facilitators + support for one additional retreat

  • $100 - contribution to full retreat costs + facilitators

  • $50 - contribution to the food costs

  • $25 - contribution to the space rental

We understand life happens. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to refund your deposit.

If you do need to cancel, please do so as soon as possible so other folx may be able to attend.

At this retreat, we’re doing our best to care for one another and reduce the risk of COVID and airborne illness. We also acknowledge that we may miss things or fall short, but we are trying our best. Our hope is to create a space rooted in care, trust, and compassion as we gather.  Our commitments are to:

• Have all participants to take a COVID test within 24 hours of the event

• We will have COVID tests available in case you cannot access one

• Have air purifiers in all inside spaces

• Provide masks for anyone who wants to wear them

We will be inside most of the time and spend some time outside in Druid Hill Park.

The house unfortunately isn’t fully ADA accessible—there are a few steps to get into the house and a few to move from the indoor space to the backyard. We’re sorry for any barriers this might create and are happy to chat with you about your accessibility needs to see how we can support you in being part of the retreat.

Yes!  We’ll provide attendees with light breakfast items, snacks, and full lunch on both days, and will have drinks available.

• We ask you to please bring all parts of your magical self, as well as: 

  • a mat or blanket to lay on, 

  • a journal, 

  • a water bottle, 

  • cozy socks (the space is a shoes-off space),

  • comfy clothes to move in

  • if you’d like, a personal item with some spiritual significance to you.

We ask attendees to please avoid using perfumes, colognes, essential oils, and other scented personal care items.  We hope to create a space as accessible as possible, and this action supports community members who have scent-sensitivity.

If you have any questions, please email both Blair & Elias with “Joyful Alchemy” in the subject line:

Yes, we will have a virtual orientation on Tuesday August 19th from 6pm to 7:30pm ET on zoom.  If you plan to apply to attend this retreat, please hold this date and time in advance!

The facilitators of this retreat are in a space of continual learning and growth around disability justice, in hopes to be in better community with our disabled kin and normalize naming and requiring accommodations for our full collective participation in space. To support the group's accessibility, we’ve listed some details and actions below.  In addition, if you have any safety or accessibility needs beyond what is below, please include those needs in your registration form.

We recognize that there are some accessibility requests we may not be able to meet in this pilot retreat space (i.e. providing Spanish translation, having a ramp available for entering the home, virtual participation as a possibility), and are working inside of the contradiction of true full access, what collective care and action looks like in practice, the limitations of the space, and the continued growth edges of the communities within it.  Thank you in advance for your grace, your accountability, and your partnership.