Moth Magic: a writing and ritual retreat for women at midlife
Over five days and six nights, this retreat offers women a clear, steady space to explore writing and embodiment at midlife not as a crisis, but as a powerful turning point. Guided by the moth, a shapeshifting creature of metamorphosis, we’ll embrace this transition as an expansion, a celebration of wisdom, maturity, and growth that will sustain us as we move into the next stage of our lives.
Each day brings a mix of focused morning writing workshops, yoga that meets the body where it is, and wild swimming for those who want the cold-water jolt. Together, we’ll shape words that honour the body’s insight, give voice to untold stories, and celebrate luminous resilience. Two ceramics workshops during the week will add a hands-on, elemental counterpoint: clay, heat, form, and the satisfaction of making something real. There will be opportunities to explore the local area, including at least one group walk and guidance on getting transportation to the market.
Set within the quiet grounds of The Mill and its surrounding landscape, the retreat is designed to help you pay attention - to your body, your stories, your thresholds - and to be nourished by your own creativity and that of the gathered women.
The week follows a simple, intentional arc: arriving and settling; working with water and release; tending heat and myth; walking the hills in community; and gathering what you want to carry forward. Evenings offer low-key rituals - readings, candlelight, shared reflection, or silence - that mark the shift from everyday life into something slower and more deliberate.
You’ll leave with something tangible - new writing and a ceramic piece to cherish - and, more importantly, a clearer sense of direction, continuity, and what’s emerging next.
Accommodation
There are a range of accommodation options available at The Mill, including shared and single occupancy. All breakfasts and lunches are provided; all but two dinners are also provided - guests may want to eat out at a local restaurant or self-cater for the other two evenings. Dietary requirements can be accommodated - please let us know your needs on booking.
For comprehensive information about The Mill, please see this link. Visit The Mill’s website here.
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is designed specifically for women transitioning into and through midlife (likely in their forties, fifties or sixties). The emphasis of the week is on exploring this life stage primarily through writing, with the somatic practices of swimming, walking and yoga designed to be complimentary. The retreat space is held by Juliette Morton, bringing together her practices as an award winning writer and celebrant. Our host, artist and Mill founder Nathalie Edwards, welcomes us to her table with delicious home cooked meals, guidance on the local area and ceramics workshops drawing on her expertise as a sculptor.
Practicalities
Dates: Arrival Thursday 25th June - Departure Wednesday 1st July 2026. Arrival on the first day is after 4pm, departure on the last day is by midday.
Fees: starting at £1320.00 for 5 days (6 nights), including meals. Please note that flexible payment options, such as Klarna, are available at checkout.
Venue: The Mill / Le Moulin, ZA Vergonhac, 7 Route De Linas,12100, Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon, Aveyron, FRANCE
Transportation: Airport transfers can be arranged to / from Bezier and Montpellier at an additional cost. The town of Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon is also served by trains that run between Beziers & Millau. Direct bus from the village to centre of Montpellier. Collection from Millau bus / train stain free of charge. There is an overnight train from Paris to Rodez. There is also an overnight Flixbus from Paris to Millau. Driving time from Calais is around 10 – 12hrs depending on traffic/ time of day/ route etc. See this link for comprehensive information.
About your tutor: JLM Morton
JLM Morton is a writer, celebrant and community arts producer from Gloucestershire in the west of England. Her poetry has featured on BBC6 Music and appeared in Poetry Review, Poetry London, Rialto, Magma, Mslexia, The London Magazine, Poetry Birmingham, The Sunday Telegraph and elsewhere. Her prose writing has won the Laurie Lee Prize, been longlisted for the Nan Shepherd prize and extracts from her nonfiction Tenderfoot have been published in Caught by the River, Oxford Review of Books and Elsewhere: A Journal of Place. Juliette is the winner of the Geoffrey Dearmer and Poetry Archive Worldview Prizes and she is twice a Pushcart Prize nominee. Her debut poetry collection Red Handed, was highly commended by the Forward Prizes and a Poetry Society Book of the Year (Broken Sleep Books, 2024). Her second poetry collection is forthcoming in 2026 and her debut nonfiction in 2027. Find her online: www.jlmmorton.com
Booking
Canal view apartment with own kitchenette, living area, wc & shower room. The apartment has two bedrooms and can be booked as a whole for one person (single occupancy) or for 2 people sharing. Prices are given for both options.
Ground Floor with WC located next to kitchen - shared shower room 1st Floor
Mezzanine Nook is shared adjacent - with a separate wc & separate shower room shared with Millers Nook
Millers Nook shared adjacent - with a separate wc & separate shower room shared with Mezzanine Nook