Rooted in Ritual year long course for Adults starting March

Blending unorthodox and traditional methods with folklore and ancient ritual, we will give you a set of practical fieldcraft and tool-making skills, challenge your creative ingenuity through primitive arts and playful craftwork, expand your knowledge of foraging in all seasons, and deepen your sensory perception of your surroundings through our herd of semi-wild horses. As you taste, touch and transform elements of the land you will begin to build a map of the intricate networks of macro and micro organisms which sustain all life, and immerse yourself in the joy and purpose of being deeply rooted within it. 

 

The course will be run by Mike - a primitive skills practitioner and plants and foraging expert, Cameron - an archeologist and storyteller together with Emma - forest school leader and the founder of Intuitive Horse and her herd of rewilded horses

 

Together, as we observe the seasonal rhythms of awakening, abundance, retreat and renewal, among other activities, you will be:

 

• Reading the Sussex landscape ecologically, from ancient woodlands and medieval wildflower meadows to the rugged coastline around Hastings and finding biodiversity markers within.

• Interpreting the scars left by prehistoric people and excavating their burial mound through modern archeological techniques.

• Exploring how to identify Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age material evidence in the forms of pottery, smelting and flint technology found here on the farm.

• Exploring primitive pottery with local clay fresh from the stream and learning how they may have been used in rituals here in Sussex thousands of years ago. 

• Mapping birds’ territories, getting to know and identify insects such as bees and moths, tracking the stories within animal footprints across the landscape.

• Finding and preparing foraged wild food in all seasons, including mushrooms and seaweed.

• Making craft materials such as natural cordage from nettles, glue from nature, and ink from galls/acorns.

• Storytelling round a fire made with tinder from seed heads, flame from fungus and keeping the embers alive with dung.

• Preparing your own shamanic drum from local deer hides, and decorating it with pigments made from the environment for ritual expression.

• Spending time with our semi wild herd of horses and donkeys, learning how to sync with their and nature’s natural rhythms to help bring us into a present moment state, whilst also learning about their behaviour and subtle communications.

In addition, there is the potential to join in with other activities on the farm, such as the ongoing conservation work as well as the archeology digs during the summer months.

 

We will document the course from day one, and at the end curate a show of your craft work, artefacts and records to display in August 2027.

The course dates are:

21 and 22 March 

9 May

20 June

8 August

19 September 

24 October

12 December

30 January 2027

20 March

 

Timings for each day will vary depending on the activities planned, These will be sent out via email. 

(Please note as the activities and materials are provided by nature they may need to be adapted depending on what is available).

 

The cost of the course is £600 in total. 

Payment plan (email rootedinritualhastings@gmail.com)

£100 deposit at time of booking 

£200 by 07/03/2026

remaining £300 by 25/07/2026

 

The location is Wilding in the Weald/New Coghurst Farm, Ivyhouse Lane, Hastings TN35 4NP

If you are coming from afar we have bell tents and shepherds hut available (depending on the time of the year)  at 20% reduction for course participants. 

You can email rootedinritualhastings@gmail.com for more information or to reserve a place (12 max). Or go straight to payment to book now.