A Women's Seiðr Retreat (a form of "Nordic Shamanism")
Seiðr (a Cliff Notes version) is an ancient Norse spiritual practice, often carried out by women known as völvas, seers, dreamers, and spirit-workers. It involves altered states of consciousness, ancestral connection, voice, and *staff work. Traditionally, Seiðr was a way of listening to the unseen, working with fate, and weaving healing and insight through trance and ritual.
My relationship with Seiðr has grown through many years of direct experience, shaped by vision, devotion, and ancestral remembering. Most of what I practice has come through my own Unverifiable Personal Gnosis (UPG), not academic study or historical reenactment. It’s a living relationship, guided by spirit and rooted in the bones.
Seiðr will may not offer quick answers. But it will lead you to your voice, and to the sound that lives in your bones, the one carried by your ancestors, all of them across time, space, and dimension. The ancient ones, not just those tied to your blood, but to spirit and soul.
This retreat is not about reenacting the past. It is about returning to what Seiðr awakens in us now.
*What Is Staff Work In Seiðr?
The staff carried by the völva was a sacred object, part ritual tool, part symbol, part companion on the path between worlds. In Norse cosmology, it’s often associated with the distaff, a spindle used for spinning thread. This connection weaves the staff into the hands of the Norns, the great weavers of fate, who spin, measure, and cut the threads of life at the roots of Yggdrasill, the World Tree.
But the truth is, we don’t know exactly what those staffs looked like. Much of what we understand comes from burial sites, fragments, and folklore. Some staffs may have been iron and had distaff ends, echoing the spindle, while others may have been simple branches, from a tree.
What matters most is the relationship.
The staff is a living axis, a symbol of Yggdrasill itself, connecting the roots of the underworld with the upper branches of the unseen. It grounds us in the earth and extends our reach toward spirit. In trance and song, the staff becomes a spine, a signal, a doorway. It holds rhythm, anchors breath, and listens alongside us.
In this retreat, we’ll begin to build a relationship with the staff, not as a historical artifact, but as a living ally. Whether you bring one of your own or choose one from the collection I’ve gathered, you’ll be invited to listen for the one that calls to you. Some are wild branches. Some have been with me for years. Each holds its own presence.
Together, we’ll explore how to walk with the staff, sing with it, and let it guide us into the deep listening that seiðr asks of us.
Is This Retreat For You?
Has something inside you gone quiet?
Or have you simply never been given the space to speak from your truest self?
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Have you been silenced in ways you haven’t fully named?
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Do you carry grief or old stories in your body, especially around expression or creativity?
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Are you afraid of being too much, or not enough, when you speak, sing, or share yourself?
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Do you long to reconnect with your ancient ancestors, the land, or a deeper spiritual current?
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Does the idea of working with song, ritual, and staff stir something old in you?
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Are you ready to be witnessed, to listen, and to trust what rises in a space that honors depth and truth?
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Are you drawn to a Nordic/Celtic Spiritual Path or lineage? (It is not required)
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Are you a Sound Healer and want to incorporate your Voice in your practice?
What if the voice you’ve been missing isn’t just in your throat, but in your bones?
This retreat is not about learning how to speak louder or perform better. It’s about uncovering the original sound that lives in you. The one buried under shame, grief, silence, or survival.
Together, we will unearth what’s been hidden. Through Seiðr, ancestral ritual, staff work, and deep listening, we will begin to remember. Not just how to speak or sing, but how to listen with and be heard by the earth, the spirits, and yourself. You do not need any prior experience with voicework, Seiðr, or journey practices. You only need to be willing to be present and listen to what is rising within and around you that wants to be expressed.
This retreat is for women (and those who identify as women) who:
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Feel disconnected from their voice, expression, or creative vitality
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Have experienced silencing by trauma, culture, family, grief, or their own inner patterns
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Struggle to speak up, share their truth, or create without fear
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Sense that their voice is connected to something deeper, ancestral, intuitive, or sacred
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Long to reclaim the part of themselves that knows how to sound, sing, speak, or create freely
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Are holding grief, rage, or old stories in the throat, heart, or body
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Crave a ceremonial, grounded space to reconnect with spirit, body, and voice
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Are drawn to Seiðr, ancestral ritual, animist practice, or Nordic/Celtic roots (no experience required)
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Want to explore vocal expression through movement, breath, art, and sound
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Are ready to let go of performative healing and drop into real, embodied remembering
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Are seeking community with other women walking the path of reclamation
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Want time away from the noise to listen inward, root into the land, and return to themselves
What to Expect
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4 Days and 3 Nights Lodging in a Beautiful Private Home with space to enjoy nature, a creek, and mountain views.
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All Meals Included. But you are welcome to bring food if you have specific Dietary needs.
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A small, intimate gathering. Space is limited to 8 women with a max of 11, depending on applications.
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Guided Seiðr journeys and trancework to connect with a specific spirit guide to step forward for your voice.
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Staff-carrying and Nordic embodiment practices ( you will connect with and learn how to work with a Staff from a Nordic Perspective)
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Vocal unearthing sessions to reclaim your soul’s song.
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Rituals for grief, silence, and letting go.
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An Autumn Equinox ceremony to help integrate our time together.
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Spacious solo time to walk, write, rest, and integrate.
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Sacred space and Ritual facilitated by me, a Shamanic Practitioner with over 12 years of experience, rooted in Nordic and Celtic ancestry.
This is not about performing or “getting it right.”
This is not about being polished.
It is about being real.
It is about remembering the voice you came here with & connecting to the divine song in all things.
Registration Process
The work we’ll be doing in this retreat is deep, personal, and can feel tender and vulnerable. We’ll be working with voice, grief, creative expression, and ancestral memory, things that ask for presence, care, and vulnerability.
To keep the container safe and supported, space is limited to 8 participants (11 max). Every person shapes the energy of the group, which is why I ask each attendee to complete a short application before registering.
This is not about proving anything or having it all figured out. It's not about being "good enough" or having the "right" experience. It’s about shared responsibility, making sure the space is held in a way that honors everyone inside it.
Your truth is welcome here. If you feel the call, I encourage you to apply.
A detailed schedule, with general location for planning and preparation guidance, will be sent after your registration has been accepted. I will send out the exact location within a week of the retreat.
**Once you have been accepted, you will be invoiced for a non-refundable deposit of $275. Payment in full is due by Sept 1st. There are payment plans available at checkout through Affirm, Afterpay, or Paypal over time. If you would prefer to pay it all in one payment plan, let me know.
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Honoring the Land and Its Original Stewards
This retreat takes place on the ancestral lands of the Mountain Shoshone (Sheepeaters), Northern Arapaho, and Bannock peoples. These nations have deep, ongoing ties to this valley, long before it was called Afton, and long before its land was divided or claimed. Their presence continues through the land itself and through the elders, families, and communities who still carry that lineage forward.
Because this land holds their stories and care, I want to honor that relationship with more than words. A portion of retreat proceeds will go toward Native-led programs that support elders on the Wind River Reservation.
This offering is made with respect for those who came before, for those still here, and for the land that holds us all.
If you would like to contribute by adding more to this fund, there will be an option to do so. Thank you!
Dates: Friday Sept 19th - Monday Sept 22nd.
Arrive: 11:00 am on Friday, the 19th
Gather together at Noon
Depart: Monday the 22nd by 3:00 pm
You will receive or more detailed itinerary, and a needs list in August.
I will also provide you with the exact address a week before the retreat. It is being held in Afton, WY.
Location
Jackson Hole Airport, 78 miles, 1.5 hour drive.
Idaho Falls Airport is 107 miles, 2.5 hour drive.
SLC Airport is 210 miles, 3.5 hour drive.
Accomodations & Pricing
Early Bird Rate Until Aug 5th
Bear Room
Availability - 1
Private Room with Balcony (Queen Bed – Solo Only)
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Standard Rate: $1,111
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Early Bird: $998
Moose Room
Availability - 1
Private Room with Balcony (Queen Bed – Solo Only)
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Standard Rate: $1,111
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Early Bird: $998
Bull Room
Availability - 1
Private Room with King Bed
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Solo Rate: $1,111
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Early Bird: $998
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Shared Bed with a Friend: $598 per person (must apply together)
Shared bed option is only available in these rooms and only at the standard rate.
Longhorn Room
Availability -1
Private Room with King Bed
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Solo Rate: $1,111
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Early Bird: $998
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Shared Bed with a Friend: $598 per person (must apply together)
Shared bed option is only available in these rooms and only at the standard rate.
Bison Room
Availability - 4
Shared Room (4 Single Beds in a Shared Space)
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Standard Rate: $777
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Early Bird: $675
The bottom trundle beds can be rolled out and moved for more personal space.
Financial Support Options
Payment Plans are available at checkout; just choose your method. It can be split up with Affirm, Afterpay, or PayPal Pay over time.
I am committed to accessibility and reciprocity. If you honestly need some sort of financial assistance, you may request support in your application. Please keep in mind the reduced rate is for those in need; if you can pay the standard rate, please do so.
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Reduced Rate Consideration: There are 2 reduced-rate spots available for those with financial need. No justification required, just honesty.
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Partial Scholarship: One 50% scholarship is available for someone who feels deeply called but cannot otherwise attend.
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Work Exchange: One reduced-rate spot is available in exchange for light retreat support (e.g., meal setup, ritual setup, tidying, etc.).
**For me to hold the integrity and safety of the container this retreat is, plant-medicine, alcohol and substance free, and intentionally held in sacred time. I will also ask that you keep your devices on silent and put away during ritual and teachings. Also please do not take photos of anyone without their consent, and I do not allow photos of specific rituals, if you want to take a photo of something during our processes, please ask me.
I ask all participants to be able to honor their own needs and to take responsibility for their own care. This includes being mentally and emotionally grounded and able to show up and witness others and be witnessed without the need to fix anyone, offer unsolicited advice, or overstep boundaries for others or yourself.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out via email: aimeetraeden@gmail.com
Meet Your Host & Guide
Aimee Traeden
I come to this work with a deep respect for the unseen and the unspoken.
I’ve spent years tending the quiet spaces where voice meets grief, where memory lives in the bones, where the soul begins to stir after long silence.
My practice has been shaped through devotion and lived experience. I’ve worked closely with Seiðr, ancestral ritual, grief work, and voice reclamation for over a decade. These are not things I teach from the outside. They’ve moved through me, transformed me, and become part of how I walk in the world.
What I offer in this retreat is a steady, grounded container. I listen closely. I ask real questions. I hold space for what’s tender, wild, strange, and true. I trust your voice, even if you haven’t heard it in a long time. I trust what rises when we slow down and listen to what’s been waiting.
My role is to guide gently, to witness with care, and to support the sacred work of remembering. You’ll be met with presence, protection, and respect for your unique rhythm.
There is power in gathering. There is power in being witnessed. And there is deep magic in letting your voice find its way home.
