Her Wild Ways: Awakening Ancient Knowings

Western Scotland ~ May 16 - 26, 2026

An Intimate Pilgrimage for Six Women Who Are Ready to Encounter Her

Monette Chilson will guide you on this journey into the story beneath the story we’ve been handed about our spiritual heritage. Monette has spent the last decade and a half in devotion to the integration of our herstory into our deepest spiritual knowings, authoring books on sacred feminine archetypes including Sophia and Lilith, anchored by her 30+ year yoga practice. She has led workshops, shepherded an online community and written curriculum to support this work. After spending a month in Scotland each year since 2022, she has developed a deep reverence for the Celtic and Druidic influence on Scotland’s earth-honoring spirituality that lingers even in its Christian manifestations. The friendships she has forged during this time will give us unique access to sites and experiences not available to the public.

 May 16-23: Isle of Mull

Flying into Glasgow, we will wait for all of our group to arrive and will be transported by private driver to Oban, the coastal village in Western Scotland where we will take the ferry to the Isle of Mull. My co-leader on Mull, Katja Clowes, a dear friend and crofter who runs a bed and breakfast on Mull with her husband David, will meet us at the ferry and take us to our two houses. Half of us will stay at Katja’s Mornish Schoolhouse and half at a beautiful farmhouse near an art gallery/cafe just a mile down the road in Calgary Bay. The farmhouse has a large living area and kitchen which will serve as a gathering spot for all of us, regardless of which house we’re staying in.

After a leisurely day of grounding in as we wander the nature art walk down to Calgary Beach and spend time getting to know one another, our adventures will begin. Our first day will be spent at Lochbuie in southern Mull gathering in a remote late Neolithic/early Bronze Age stone circle, touring 14th century Moy Castle (not publicly accessible due to restoration) and lunching at the waterfront Old Post Office Cafe. In addition to seeing the sights, we will be exploring the mythology within each of them, from legends of initiatory rites at Moy Castle to the lore of the stone circle as nine maidens turned to stone on the Sabbath for dancing. We will be there on a Sunday, and we will dance. Oh will we dance!

Highlights of our week on Mull will include a visit to Dervaig’s Kilmore Church, home to a stained glass window depicting a pregnant Mary Magdalene with her beloved Jesus; an expedition to McKinnon’s cave, accessible only during low tide, for a candlelit ritual in its depths; a day trip by boat to Fingal’s Cave (known in Gaelic as “Uamh-Binn” or The Cave of Melody for its unique acoustics) and Lunga where we will get up close and personal with the adorable puffins. Fingals Cave was created 60 million years ago by the same ancient lava flow that also created the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland directly across the sea and shares much of its mythos.

May 23-26: Isle of Iona

After a week in the wilds of Mull, we will take the short ferry ride over to Iona, known as the birthplace of Christianity in the West and a hub of Celtic and Druidic spirituality before that. Here we will integrate and deepen the knowings we co-generated in our time on Mull.

While on Iona, we will stay in a lovely waterfront inn and will traverse the island by foot. There are few cars on the island, lending to its sense of otherworldly serenity. From the pebbly beaches on the south side (where we will ask the rock treasures meant to go home with us to find us) to the white sand beaches on the north side (rivaling the Caribbean), magic abounds. We will visit one of the few surviving sheela na gigs in Scotland, located in the ruins of the 12th century nunnery. I will let you loose and see who can find it first! We’ll spend time in the ancient St. Oran’s chapel (also 12th century) singing together and ascend Dun I (“dun” is hill in Gaelic and “I” is a traditional reference to Iona) to find Brigid’s well, sipping from it or splashing our faces to honor the transformation that has been initiated on our pilgrimage.

What’s Included

• 10 days & nights immersed in sacred inquiry in the wilds of western Scotland

• Curriculum guide full of context and curiosities about the lands, the legends and the sites we’ll be exploring

• Three pre-pilgrimage classes (Mondays February 2, March 2 & April 6 @ 7 pm ET)

• Private transportation for our group from Glasgow Airport to the coastal town of Oban

• Ferry from Oban to the Isle of Mull & back

• Private transportation for our group from the ferry landing to our houses on Mull

• Local guide and driver for the week on Mull

• Private visit to May Castle (not open to the public)

• Boat trip to Fingal’s Cave & Lunga for puffin experience and exploration.

• 7 nights accomodations in private rooms spread between two charming homes on Mull

• Breakfast of homemade and locally sourced items each morning in our homes on Mull

• Three dinners locally prepared and eaten at our farmhouse

• Ferry to the Isle of Iona and back

• 3 nights accommodations (single or double) at The Argyle Hotel, a waterfront inn on the Isle of Iona

• Breakfast at The Argyle each morning on Iona

• Entry fee to the Abby on Iona.

• Bus to meet our ferry for the return to the mainland

• Rituals and practices around the sites and their lore to help us excavate & integrate Her.

What’s Not Included

• Roundtrip airfare from your home to Glasgow

• Lunches

• Most dinners (3 dinners catered in at our house included)

• Spending money

Investment

$4,400 (single room 7 days / shared room 3 days)

$5,000 (single room all 10 days)

Payable by check or credit card ($100 discount if by check)

Wondering why this trip is more expensive than our east coast trip? We will be in a much more remote area of Scotland & the logistics of moving around the island (Mull has a one-lane road and take two hours to drive the perimeter) and between islands requires more cost and coordination. Accommodations on Iona, reached by ferry from Mull, are booked a year in advance at the island’s three hotels. Our hotel, The Argyll, is a stunner!

Questions? Email Monette here.