June 19-23, 2024
Quarterlife, Transformation & the Summer Solstice
Led by Satya Doyle Byock
Food by Gracie Gardner
Saturn's Return Farm + Inn
San Juan Island, WA
Wednesday - Sunday | June 19-23, 2024
In two daily workshops, Satya will guide us in exploring the journeys of our own lives through exercises and discussions grounded in the framework of her book, Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood, centering the four pillars of growth: Separate, Listen, Build, and Integrate.
Through the use of storytelling, self-investigation, group chat, and dialogue with Satya, we'll clarify the steps we each need to Separate from past dynamics or belief systems that no longer serve us; Listen to our bodies and souls for what they know about our paths; clarify what we need to Build (or deconstruct) to make a life of stability and meaning possible; and craft a dream for how Integration in our lives might appear. You can imagine this retreat like when you re-center the navigation arrow on the map on your GPS: understanding where you are and re-centering you to move with clarity onwards on your journey.
Simple breathing exercises will be incorporated to support grounding and daily integration, and there will be plenty of space for alone time as well as downtime with others. This retreat is meant to be just that: a retreat for quiet, community, insight and self-reflection.
On the summer solstice, we’ll take to the water, journeying by boat to the outer islands where we’ll have a picnic, and who knows what else! Evenings may end in fireside chats. Mornings may be greeted by a rooster crowing, a sunrise walk, or a sleep-in. This retreat is yours to do whatever you feel called to do in the moment.
At its core, this retreat is a place for us to gather, fortify, and remember the magic of our lives, in order to welcome in the next level of ourselves. We can’t say exactly how this year’s retreats will unfold. So much of that has to do with you, those who join us. Last year we experienced kismet synchronicities, had animal visitations, and rediscovered our hunger for home-cooked food and for the limitless potential of our lives. We can’t wait to share the space with you and see what comes through this time around.
Farm Fresh Meals
Chef Gracie Gardner will provide three daily meals, along with an opening dinner on Wednesday and closing breakfast on Sunday. Enjoy slow mornings with self-service breakfast at the inn. Lunches and dinners will be an opportunity for us to gather, whether at a long table, a beach picnic, or in the surrounding fields.
All food will be sourced as intentionally and as close to home as possible, much of it from Saturn's Return Farm! Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated; just let us know your preferences ahead of time. Throughout the retreat, participants can talk with Gracie about how food and cooking can support a nourishing life. You can also join Emma of Saturn's Return to walk in the gardens, collect eggs, and harvest produce for dinner.
Cost + Registration
Cost: $1999 + lodging — various options available.
To register, we ask for a $450 non-refundable deposit. The remainder of the cost will be charged two months in advance (April 19th) and will be non-refundable. If you need an alternate payment plan, please reach out: hello@saturnsreturn.com
If finances would prohibit you from joining us but you are very interested in attending, please apply for a full or partial scholarship. We will not ask for any proof of need or a lengthy application but request that only people who are otherwise unable to join apply.
We expect this retreat to fill up very quickly, so please register if you know that you are interested or send us a note with any questions as soon as possible: hello@saturnsreturn.com
About Satya Doyle Byock, MA, LPC
Satya Doyle Byock is the director of The Salome Institute, a psychotherapist in private practice, and the author of Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood (Random House + Penguin Press). Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Oprah Daily, Literary Hub, Psychological Perspectives, goop, and on NPR, the BBC, and many podcasts. She has lectured on various topics at C.G. Jung societies in the US and the UK and is the co-host of Carl Jung’s Red Book Podcast (now completed). She writes regularly for her Substack newsletter, Self & Society.
About Gracie Gardner, Chef
Gracie Gardner has worked in fine dining (Blue Hill at Stone Barns), owned and operated her own catering company (Nellie’s on Salt Spring Island), and now works as a freelance chef and writer back in her hometown of New York City. She has spent the majority of her career cooking for others, but believes that true change in one's approach to food has to come from empowering them to find joy, ease, and sacredness in feeding themselves. A pillar of a vital life. When Gracie is not cooking, she’s reading and writing, sharing her musings on her Substack, “This Morning.”
About Emma Rastatter, Host
Emma Rastatter is the co-owner of Saturn’s Return, along with her husband, Wiley. She had the privilege of working with Satya throughout her 20s via consultations to find deeper alignment: from studying biology and pre-med at Stanford, to working in health tech, and ultimately upstream to a wellspring of human and ecological health, food & farming. She worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns as the chef Dan Barber’s assistant, where she gratefully crossed paths with Gracie. After living and working on regenerative farms across the country, she and Wiley fell in love with the farming community on San Juan Island and bought Saturn’s Return on the Summer Solstice of 2022, where she’ll weave her passions of health, food, and wholeness.