Essence
a year long nature-based journey of embodied creativity for women
December 7, January 10-11, February 8
March 7, April 18-19, May 9
June 14, July 11-12, August 16
September 20, October 17-18, November 8
Healing, Connecting, Belonging
Your Essence is calling to you...
come into the forest...
circle around the fire...
and listen.
Your Essence is calling to you...
share your story...
sing, dance, play, create...
emerge & shine.
When we say women we include those of both cisgender and transgender experience, non-binary trans femme, intersex and gender-expansive people.
Root. Rewild. Re-enchant
"This experience offers the opportunity of being seen, held, and brought into unity as women; as we seek to find our way home to ourselves, we find each other."
~ ‘24-’25 Essence Participant
Program Description
Essence is a year-long expressive arts experience deeply immersed in the forest and aligned with the rhythms of the seasons. As we spiral through the year’s cycles, we will explore the wisdom found in myths and dreams, experience the healing power of ritual, share personal stories authentically, and connect with our inner knowing through both individual and collaborative artistic creations. By the end of this journey, we hope to emerge stronger, braver, more compassionate, and deeply connected to each other, the Earth, and our own unique Essences.
Each monthly session will be grounded in one of three core themes: building community, connecting with the natural world, and engaging in self-discovery. Along the way, we will engage in a wide variety of activities, including—but not limited to—handmade journal-making, guided meditation, collaborative nature-based art, storytelling, improv theatre games, role-playing, circle sharing, cooking and brewing herbal teas over a fire, forest walks, singing, movement, art, sauna experiences, dream sharing, breathwork, seasonal rituals, wild bathing, fire dancing, and journaling.
In our October session, we will invite our loved ones to witness a creative expression of our Essences. Through sharing our creations, stories, and gifts with our intimate community, we aim to deepen our sense of meaning and purpose and explore how to integrate the Essence journey into our everyday lives.
If this program calls to you, please don’t hesitate to join, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, actor, performer, or traditionally creative. We understand that the sharing and witnessing aspect can feel challenging, and everyone’s growth edges are unique. Each participant will have full autonomy over how they choose to share their creative expression in October. At its heart, Essence is a unique experience of soulful self-expression.
What Women Are Saying About Essence
“Essence is an opportunity to sink into the real stuff of life- the sacred in us all, and the places of meaning and connection. I arrived at Essence thinking I’d be searching for what makes me unique– but emerged knowing that our essence is shared experience, too. Essence is the spaces in-between - the wind in the trees and the water in the rocks - I’m so grateful to have the chance to slow down and feel into those spaces that the usual rhythms of daily life often hide.” ~Anna
“Essence brought me so many gifts over the last year. The gift of time away from my responsibilities to really dive into my own dreams and creativity; the gift of deep connection to these beautiful humans that are walking this journey alongside me; the gift of my body experiencing the forest in all of the seasonal elements; and the gift of building a community of women who are all collectively tending the fire– even just one of these gifts would have felt like the greatest thing on earth, so I am forever grateful to Trish, Amber & Nika, and myself and all 8 of the other women who were courageous enough to build this.”
~Ragan Anderson
“Essence, for me, was a year-long invitation to walk with courage into the unknown and the vulnerable, to dance with the raw, wild feminine and to find that I was deeply held by the authenticity of the facilitators, by the beauty of the other women in the group, by the sacredness of the forest and by my own inner calling.” ~Meredith
“Essence asked me to reflect, presence and renew my understanding of myself, my relationships and my spirit in nature – in this work I was able to rewrite and reaffirm my story with and amongst a community of care. ~Willow U
2025-2026 Essence Journey
Dates & Seasonal Flow
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Winter ~ Excavate
Sunday December 7, 9am -6pm
Jan 10-11, 9am Saturday - 11am Sunday
Sunday February 8, 9am-6pm
Earth & Myths
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Our Essence journey begins in the long dark and uncomfortable cold of winter. Like in many a tale, we must step out of our comforts, into the unknown, and descend into the darkness, through the layers of earth into the underworld. It is there we re-member our earthly wildness and begin to excavate our essences out of the layers of our own stories, the wisdom of ancient myths and our elemental connection with mother earth herself and all of her beings.
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Spring ~ Awaken
Saturday March 7, 9am-6pm
April 18-19, 9am Saturday - 11am Sunday
Saturday May 9, 9am-6pm
Air & Dreams
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As the earth warms and the light balances out the dark, we will put our trust in the unseen: air- the element that is invisible yet palpable. We will begin to tune into our essences by exploring our unconscious through dream and breath work. Making visible a web of unseen connections, we will feel, sense and intuit to awaken the wisdom of the innate inner-knowing of our wild selves.
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Summer ~ Embody
Sunday June 14, 9am-6pm
July 11-12, 9am Saturday - 11am Sunday
Sunday August 16, 9am-6pm
Fire & Ritual
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With the sun at its brightest, our shadows are most pronounced and its time for our whole selves, the celebrated and rejected, to be acknowledged. We will share our deepest vulnerabilities as we explore our wounds, shadow sides and social masks. Through the healing power of ritual and the transformative gift of fire, we will honor all aspects of ourselves, including our bodies- without which we couldn’t make manifest the creative gifts of our souls. We will celebrate our sensuality, by nourishing and nurturing our physical bodies as the sacred vessels they are, the embodiment of our unique essences.
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Autumn ~ Express
Sunday September 20, 9am-6pm
October 17-18, 9am Saturday to Sunday*
Sunday November 8, 9am-6pm**
Water & Courage
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As the fading sun paints the earth with a soft, golden glow, we will dive into water- the deep well of emotions- to reflect upon what, near the end of this journey together, needs to die back and what wants to be expressed. Held by each other, the earth and our intimate community, we will create, share and be witnessed from a place of truth. Through this creative, courageous act, we will express our Essences. *On Sunday October 18, we will be asking those dearest to us to witness the sharing of our Essence Expressions. Afterward, we will gather for a potluck lunch to celebrate together. **Sunday November 8 will be an opportunity to reflect, begin the process of integration and complete our year-long circle.
Facilitators
Nika Fotopulos, Amber Paris and Trish Roberts.
Nika
From a young age, Nika has been seeking a deeper connection to source…journeying to many lands, communities, circles…learning songs, rituals, the medicines of plants, ways to be in prayer, to move her body, to take nourishment and honor Mother Earth. She has assisted primal therapy and earth honoring workshops and intensives, and has come alive in sacred dancing fire circles. As a co-founder of Guilford Folk and Sloyd Sundays, she has been facilitating events and gatherings centered on awakening our gifts and connecting with our neighbors. Nika’s family business, Dickinson’s Reach Yurts, runs wooden yurt building workshops empowering all to learn the craft of building. Recently, Nika has been training as a facilitator of Breath Release for Energy, Transformation and Healing (BRETH) with Sky Otter and is excited to bring this work to the Essence tapestry. As a growing human, and a mother of 2 daughters, she has woven ritual and rites of passage into the fabric of their lives, honoring transitions, losses and growth in the fold of community. Nika leans in to an Essence-birthed mantra of ‘weird is the way’ as she shares her love of ritual, dance, breathwork, song and safe emotional space in the Essence journey.
Amber
Amber is a visual and social practice artist. She has initiated and facilitated community-wide projects across Vermont that dig into the heart of what it means to thrive in community. Her visual art often takes the shape of installation work in nature and examines her relationship with both herself and the wider world. She is deeply nourished by both personal and communal story exploration and by the forested landscape. Her journey is also inspired by mothering and growing alongside three children and a partner. Amber is looking forward to the deep listening and connection that will unfold within Essence, the playful and creative opportunities that will emerge and the community we will build together.
Trish
Trish is a theatre artist, storyteller, and weaver of nature connection & imagination who is passionate about creating spaces where people can reconnect- with themselves, with story and with the wild. Motivated to ground her creative work in nature, she founded Wildbrook Forest Theatre, a forest-based, performing-arts program. Through this work, she developed a love for oral storytelling and its power to foster imagination and belonging. In 2023, she envisioned a nature-rooted, creative arts program for women. What began as an idea has grown- through co-creation and a vibrant pilot program- into a powerful and heartfelt space . Drawing from eco-feminism and Jungian psychology, her contributions to Essence reflect a deep commitment to inner and outer expression. Nourished by this work, Trish is honored to hold space for soulful connection and delighted to share this magical, wild place through a journey that invites depth, creativity and belonging.
“Trish, Amber & Nika each bring such unique and beautiful gifts to this group- storytelling, art, song…and each of them holds space with grace and deep care.”
~Ashley, ‘24-’25 Essence Participant
"Amber, Trish & Nika are all incredible women- creative & skilled facilitators! I appreciate how they are adapting and adjusting their leadership style as we go- that we are evolving together. Exploring the Essence of Essence!"
~‘24-’25 Essence Participant
Commitment
Essence is a yearlong commitment spanning through the seasons and a path for women searching to spiral deeper to the depths of their soul’s song, story and dance, as we play and connect to each other, weaving ourselves into community and the elements. We ask that you consider the weight of the year-long commitment required. Your full participation honors the circle and the work this journey is asking of you.
What does full participation mean? To fully experience the intended arc of the journey—both personally and as a collective—we ask each participant to prioritize arriving on time, staying for the entire session, and missing no more than two days.
For Your Consideration
Essence is a playful and healing journey that calls your soul to join a circle of kindred seekers and players. Amber, Nika and Trish are not licensed therapists; Essence is not a container designed to hold and guide a person that is processing active trauma and in need of individualized care. However, Essence welcomes and engages the healing powers of story, song, ritual, play and the natural world to guide us on our personal and shared journeys toward greater health and knowing.
2025-2026 Essence Cost
$1500 / $1750 / $2000 Sliding Scale Pricing
Bartering / Exchange Wholeheartedly Welcome
(See Essence Pricing Philosophy Below)
This cost includes all materials and covers the operating cost of 16 days of facilitated programming for a maximum of 9 participants over 12 months.
We offer quarterly & monthly payment options.
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We’re deeply committed to making this program accessible to everyone who feels called to join, regardless of financial circumstances.
If you feel a calling in your soul to this journey and the cost is an obstacle, please don’t hesitate to reach out— we’d truly love for you to join us.
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Summer Tier ~ $2000
For those in a season of abundance — with the financial means to give with ease to help the whole ecosystem thrive. This offering strengthens the foundation of this work and generously supports access for others.
Autumn Tier ~ $1750
For those who find themselves in a season of steadiness with their needs met— able to support the ongoing harvest and nourish collective roots.This offering nurtures the heart of our work, supporting the long-term stability of our program.
Spring Tier ~ $1500
For those in a season of new beginnings with fewer financial resources— giving what they can while tending their own growth. This contribution reflects the true cost of sustaining and running Essence.
Winter Tier (Barter / Exchange)
For those in a season of stillness or scarcity — who find contributing at the Spring level to be a financial stretch- but who bring presence, skill, or care in return. We wholeheartedly welcome a wide range of barter or exchange options and strongly encourage you to reach out. We’ve compiled a list of creative, meaningful and unexpected ways to support Essence and its facilitators, because we truly value these kinds of exchanges. We’re happy to share it with you upon request. We also warmly welcome your ideas for barter or other alternative forms of exchange. When inquiring about the barter option, please let us know what percentage of cost reduction would make the program accessible to you
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Registration Deadline
&
Deposit
Please register by November 26, 2025
To reserve your spot, we kindly ask for a $125 deposit at the time of registration.
If you’re feeling drawn to this program but have questions or would like to connect before registering, we’d love to hear from you!
You can reach out to Trish via email: trish.foresttheatre@gmail.com
Location
Wildbrook Farm, 157 Windmill Hill Rd S, Putney, VT
This program is inspired by nature in all of the ways it grounds us in a deep sense of belonging. The forest will be our primary gathering place all year long. During the colder months, we will make use of an indoor gathering space for certain activities and have the warmth of an outdoor fire, but be prepared for a large portion of most sessions to be outdoors.
To root in this wild place, to become of this place rather than a visitor to this place, there will be opportunities to intimately engage with natural elements such as mud, charcoal and water. Therefore, dress in clothing that can get wet or dirty, doesn’t limit your movement and will keep you warm and comfortable no matter what the temperature and weather.
Lodging
Once a season, the program includes spending the night together. We consider this time to be a core aspect of our journey together but if this presents an obstacle to your participation, let’s talk. Our indoor meeting space will double as our sleeping space- it is one large room that can accommodate all of us. Each participant is responsible for bringing what they need for a comfortable night’s sleep: a sleeping pad/mat or air mattress, sleeping bag/blankets and pillow. During the warmer months, there will be opportunities to sleep outdoors.
Food
Overnight Weekends (4 times during the year): We ask participants to arrive by 9:00 AM on Saturday morning, having already eaten breakfast, and bring a bagged lunch that can be easily eaten in the forest. Participants and facilitators will contribute ingredients or potluck items for shared snacks, dinner, and Sunday breakfast.
Single Day Session (8 times during the year): We ask participants to arrive by 9:00 AM on either Saturday or Sunday morning (depending on the month), having already eaten breakfast. Please bring your own snacks and a bagged lunch that can be easily enjoyed in the forest. Participants and facilitators are also invited to contribute to a shared snack table, which will be available for everyone throughout the day. We will end promptly at 6:00 PM, and dinner will not be provided as part of the session.
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”
~Sue Monk Kidd