It all began with larger-than-life monarch butterflies fluttering around Bend, Oregon, carrying a secret message. For those lucky enough to stumble upon one perched on a brick wall or a handrail and curious enough to investigate, they revealed themselves as invitations unlike any others…

A chance to celebrate the Summer Solstice with a mysterious Miss Wondersmith early in the morning amongst the old growth Ponderosas just outside of town. A chance to process the complexity of the Pandemic in a supportive and magical setting. A chance for adventure.

Those that heeded that call-to-adventure drove out in darkness, to arrive in the woods during the first rays of sun. I warmly greeted each guest, then adorned them with a butterfly wing cape, then covered them with a cozy wearable blanket. Handcrafted monarch butterfly chrysalis-inspired chalices were waiting for them, along with forest chai tea and freshly-brewed coffee. Live harp music by Wend (Riley Johnson) set the scene of magic to come.

Once everyone had settled in, we gathered in a circle in a clearing in the woods. Brief introductions were shared as we were all strangers to each other! Then, I asked each guest to reflect on the losses of the past year + and to write them down on a piece of wafer paper. Once we’d all finished writing, each person had a chance to speak candidly about what they’d written. (Those that didn’t feel comfortable sharing aloud could just pass.) The breadth of loss was huge; relationships, trust in friends, jobs, loved ones, a sense of safety, and so much more. The isolation of the Pandemic made many of us face parts of our lives that needed adjusting, parts that had been flowing along okay with the distractions of “normal” life.

When we had all shared aloud our losses, I instructed my guests to tear up their wafer paper and put it in a jar of water in front of them, where it would dissolve. Then, I instructed them to get comfortable with their pillow and wearable blanket while I led a grounding meditation to bring us all back to a place of feeling centered, present, and calm. I talked about what happens inside a chrysalis, how you might imagine that the caterpillar slowly grows longer legs or sprouts wings, but instead what you’d find if you were to cut open a chrysalis in the middle of metamorphosis is… goo. The caterpillar completely breaks down into goo and a butterfly is re-formed from those cells, yet it somehow retains its memories and learned responses to stimuli from its days as a caterpillar. I talked about how sometimes, during intense periods of change, we all feel like we’ve broken down into goo, and that it can be hard to remember in the moment, but that is part of the process of change and it’s important to be gentle with ourselves.

Once I brought everyone back to the present, I invited each guest to take a moment to pour out their jar of goo at the base of a tree, thanking the Earth for accepting the heaviness of what had been written on the biodegradable paper. To picture it sinking away, carrying some of the heavy emotions with it as it seeped into the ground.

Then, we dined. I made “Mariposa Dosa,” carrot dosa with a monarch wing design, which was wrapped around curried burdock stalks and potatoes, with a wild apricot chutney and vegan yogurt on the side. Guests were also offered beautiful fairy cakes, baked with cattail pollen and wild currants and topped with a lemon glaze and candied elderflowers. It was a celebration of sunshine colors and summertime flavors and the bounty of the landscape! (It was also all gluten-free and vegan, to accommodate several guests’ dietary restrictions.)

After a leisurely breakfast in the glowing woods, we once again gathered in the circle to talk about the positive changes the pandemic brought - more family time, the opportunity to pursue new passions, the self-introspection needed to get out of relationships that weren’t working anymore so we could be free to be single and happier, a newfound appreciation for solitude, new passions and hobbies to enrich our lives, etc. I felt it was important to honor both the painful losses and the joyful changes, as well as any other complex emotions that came up during our discussions.

Filled with gratitude and joy, we cheered to the Summer Solstice and the rising sun and new beginnings! We shed our outer layer of blanket to reveal cheerful butterfly wings (Made by this etsy shop if you’d like one of your own!) Riley played an enchanting and uplifting tune on the harp, illuminated by sunrays, as we frolicked and danced in those now sun-filled woods, a moment of pure celebration.

We visited with each other and found joy in the little connections we had formed during the ritual of the morning. We smiled in contemplation. We danced.

And then, just as suddenly as it began, “Chrysalis” came to a close. The guests left with their butterfly wings, a reminder of the magic of the morning and the nature of transformation. The sun continued to rise. A new chapter has begun.

Beautiful photographs by Austin Small and Lucy Chronic. Special thanks to Riley Johnson for her beautiful harp music, and of course to Chris Hinze, Haley Hinze, and Cristin Heart for their help in preparing and producing this unforgettable gathering. Thanks also to Amber Williams for her help in hiding butterfly invitations! I couldn't have pulled this off without such a fantastic team to work with. :)

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