refugium: a place to gather
An online space to retreat, resist, recalibrate, and reclaim our humanity
Refugium (noun): An untouched pocket of environment that shelters a relict (surviving) population
“And if we’re lost, then we are lost together” – song by Blue Rodeo
Many of us are feeling lost and confused. We’re trying to cling to our humanity and hope, but the liminality of this current moment often overwhelms us. Climate change, artificial intelligence, fascism, income disparity, systems collapse – what will it all lead to?
Some days, we immerse ourselves in the theories of thought leaders, trying to make sense of it all, and other days we numb ourselves with reality TV, pretending everything will be okay.
What do we need right now? How do we hold the liminality of this moment?
We can start by gathering.
We’ve been teaching people how to hold space for liminality since 2015 and how to be Grounded Guides in destabilizing times since 2025, and we will continue to do so for as long as we can, but what we sense is needed right now is a Gathering Space. A space where we can be Lost Together. Where we can bring fear, restlessness, confusion, overwhelm, hope, passion, and longing. Where we can unlearn, deconstruct, and reimagine.
We are imagining a space where our full humanity is welcome.
Why is it called Refugium?
After the landscape has been decimated by a volcanic eruption, there are small, unexpected pockets where life has been protected, soil is still fertile, and new shoots begin to grow. With resilience and persistence, the plants that remain in these refugia help to bring life back to the region. It is a place of both refuge and resistance.
On weekly Zoom calls, members of this global community will share stories, ideas and questions. Sometimes we may cry together, and sometimes we’ll laugh. We won’t look for solutions or offer advice. Instead, we’ll hold space for what’s in the collective and we’ll be open to what wants to emerge out of our shared experiences.
Refugium may evolve into many things as we figure out what it wants to be. There might, someday, be in-person gatherings, and we may sometimes offer spaces for particular audiences (as we did with Whale Song). In the future, there might even be a guidebook for how to host your own version in your neighbourhood.
“All my friends are part saint and part sinner. We lean on each other, try to rise above.” – song by Over the Rhine
First… an online space for everyone
To start with, we are creating a year-long experience broken into four quarters (with the hope that it will continue beyond a year), and we’re opening it up for everyone who feels drawn to be in the circle with us. Each quarter (with 11 Zoom calls per quarter) will be guided by an overarching theme, but we won’t plan agendas or create content for the calls ahead of time. We’ll pay attention to what’s present and, each week, we’ll choose a theme for the next call based on what emerges.
module 1 – October 12 to December 14, 2026
gather together
During this quarter, we’ll get to know each other, sharing our stories, heartaches, and dreams. We’ll talk about our current liminality and how it feels to be alive in the world right now.
“Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, revelling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community.” – bell hooks
Module 2 – January 11 to March 22, 2027
grieve together
Believing, as Francis Weller does, that grief can be the “gateway back into the breathing and animate world”, we’ll talk about our grief (personal and collective) and we’ll explore grief practices and rituals.
“There is some strange intimacy between grief and aliveness, some sacred exchange between what seems unbearable and what is most exquisitely alive.” – Francis Weller
Module 3 – April 12 to June 21, 2027
listen together
During this quarter, we’ll practice deep listening, tuning in to what the earth, humans, and more-than-human-beings are asking for in this time of liminality. We’ll practice being in kinship with the web of life, and (inspired by Joanna Macy’s Council of All Beings) we’ll experiment with how we can bring other voices into the circle.
“Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open hearts.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer
Module 4 – July 12 to September 20, 2027
play together
During this quarter, we’ll bring our playfulness into the circle. Participants will be encouraged to be experimental in how they engage with the world and with each other.
“If people are laughing, they are learning. True learning is a joy because it is an act of creation.” – Tyson Yunkaporta
“You got to find your people; the ones that make you feel whole; that won’t leave your side when you lose control; the ones that don’t let you lose your soul.” – song by Drew Holcomb
We will use The Circle Way as our primary guide for hosting conversations and will also draw on other conversational practices such as Open Space and World Café. We’ll start with a poem, song, or guided practice, we’ll do a check-in, and then we’ll alternate between breakout rooms and full group conversations (with a few questions to guide us into conversation). Sometimes we’ll pause for journal/art/movement practices, and sometimes we’ll experiment with other ways of being together.
At the end of each call, people will be invited to share what resonated most for them. Out of this, a theme will be chosen (by the leadership team) to guide the next week’s conversation and practice. When time and inspiration permit, Heather will offer some resources & reflections that may support people’s exploration of that theme in advance of the next week’s conversation.
“Sorry son, it’s a cruel world. But maybe me and you together we could find our secret corner and make it kinder.” – song by Luke Sital-Singh
In the beginning, these conversations will be hosted by Heather Plett (with a member of our team as guardian), but it is our intention for this to evolve into a collectively held space. We believe in “a leader in every chair” and will invite community members to make offerings to the community (including hosting calls).
Weekly Zoom calls times:
*Call 1: Monday at 5 p.m. UTC (that’s 7 p.m in Brussels, 12 p.m. in Winnipeg, and 3 a.m. in Brisbane)
*Call 2: Tuesday at 12 a.m. UTC (that’s Monday at 2 a.m. in Brussels and 7 p.m. in Winnipeg, and Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Brisbane)
Check Timebuddy for your local time.
*We hope to offer two options, but may reduce it to one depending on registration numbers (finding a time best suited to the majority of registrants).
We want to make this accessible to as many people as possible (while still paying our bills), and so we are offering it on a pay-what-you-can basis. (For those with access to sufficient financial resources, please consider subsidizing others by paying more than the suggested cost.)
Sign up for a full year.
Suggested minimum: $450 CAD
Sign up for a single module.
Suggested minimum: $150 CAD
Questions? Contact us.