Small Group Retreat with Side Quests and Symbolism near the Bay Area California – Explore Your Inner Myth
Intimate, Mythic, Meaningful
Sometimes the biggest changes happen in the smallest circles. Symposium: The First Gathering is a small group retreat with side quests and symbolism designed for seekers ready to explore their inner landscape through story, metaphor, and ritual. Held November 4–9, 2025, this gathering invites fewer than 30 participants into a mythic journey beneath the redwoods—just a few hours from the Bay Area.
It’s a space where intimacy and symbolism lead the way. With side quests, storytelling circles, and personal rituals, each guest co-creates a narrative arc that mirrors the deeper transitions they’re moving through.
Whether you’re navigating life shifts, spiritual questions, or creative stirrings, this Bay Area symbolic retreat offers a supportive, soulful space to reconnect to your mythic self.
Symbols, Archetypes, and Transformation
Symbols speak where logic cannot. In this retreat, we draw from Jungian archetypal psychology, narrative theory, and mythic frameworks to unlock transformation through personal metaphor.
Using tools like:
Creative writing prompts
Guided visualization
Solo side quests
Story-sharing in circle
...participants engage in symbolic self-discovery. These practices are drawn from frameworks developed by scholars and practitioners at the Jung Platform, who emphasize metaphor as medicine.
You’ll explore your personal symbols—perhaps a river, a flame, or a tree—and weave them into your evolving myth. Through gentle coaching and group reflection, your story becomes a source of power, clarity, and belonging.
Photo of Deer Haven, one of the our many unique cabin spaces. This cabin has three beds. Cabins have between 1 to 8 beds each and provide several different sleeping arrangements for Small Group Retreat with Side Quests and Symbolism. All cabin spaces are included in Mythic journey retreat near San Francisco.
Photo of Group Glamping Tents Setup in Sunset Meadow. We have 10 Glamping Structures that can be added with 1to 3 beds each. This can increase bed capacity of campus to 50 guests across 20 unique accommodation spaces.
The Guides Who Help You Decode Your Life
Julia Henning (@iamjuliahenning) serves as the lead narrative facilitator, bringing a background in psychology, storytelling, and soul coaching. Her sessions help participants move through symbolic processes with clarity and creativity.
Julia Farrell (@thegingerjules) is the architect of side quests—designing personalized rituals and symbolic thresholds that turn internal insights into lived experience.
Nikki Tompot (@namastedoulanikki) supports the emotional and logistical rhythms of the retreat. She offers grounding, presence, and one-on-one integration for those navigating deep inner shifts.
Together, these facilitators hold a personalized narrative retreat that honors both individual process and collective connection.
A Small Circle, a Big Impact
At Spirit Camp, small group retreats aren’t a feature—they’re a philosophy. With fewer than 30 participants, each voice is heard, and each process respected.
Guests gather in The Sanctuary for storytelling and reflection. Magic Meadow becomes a playground for solo quests and firelight ritual. The Redwood Lodge hosts writing prompts, dance breaks, and deep conversations.
Meals are shared family-style, encouraging connection and nourishment. Lodging options include private cabins for solitude or shared spaces for camaraderie, each nestled within the redwood forest.
This intimate California healing retreat provides enough spaciousness for solitude and enough structure for transformation.
Close to Home, Deep Into Self
Just three hours from San Francisco, this small group threshold retreat is accessible to residents of the Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Santa Rosa, and the East Bay.
Located near downtown Mendocino, Spirit Camp offers the rare combination of wild nature and logistical ease. Guests can arrive by car, wind through forest-lined roads, and step into an enchanted world of metaphor and meaning.
The redwoods become co-facilitators—holding your process in stillness, shadow, and light.
FAQs for Group-Oriented Guests
What’s the group size?
Retreat capacity is under 30. This ensures deep presence, personalized attention, and a communal container that feels safe and supportive.Will I have alone time?
Yes. The schedule includes open blocks for rest, journaling, solo quests, and integration. You choose your level of engagement.What if I’m introverted?
You’re welcome exactly as you are. Many guests are quiet, curious, or simply ready to be witnessed in stillness. No pressure. Just presence.
Local Exploration Ideas
Noyo Headlands Park, a coastal cliff walk just minutes away, offers expansive ocean views and symbolic landscape. Many guests bring journals here to process their myths beside crashing waves and windswept trails.
The Mendocino Toy Store might seem playful, but it’s a hidden gem full of symbolism—from archetypal figures to intuitive card decks and mythic storytelling kits. It’s a surprising stop for those exploring inner child or mythic play.
Both spaces offer continuation of the journey—through reflection, whimsy, and natural wonder.
Step Into a Circle That Sees You
You don’t need to journey alone. Join a small, sacred circle of fellow seekers at Symposium: The First Gathering for six days of story, symbolism, and self-reclamation.
To explore more retreats focused on personal meaning and mythic growth, visit spirit.camp/retreats.
TOPICS:
Small Group Retreat with Side Quests and Symbolism, Bay Area symbolic retreat, Small group threshold retreat, Retreat with myth and metaphor, Intimate California healing retreat, Personalized narrative retreat, Mythic journey retreat near San Francisco, Redwoods soul exploration, Symbolic transformation circle California, Introspective storytelling retreat Mendocino
