Hail the New 25-26

Sunday, Dec 28th

6 PM – 7 PM: Dinner (Circle at 5:50 PM)

7:30 PM – 9 PM: Opening Circle | Great Room
Gather to hear about all the exciting things in store and set our intentions for the retreat!

9 PM – 10 PM: Crystal Bowl Sound Bath with Rod Love | Great Room
While laying down comfortably, experience the powerful and soothing vibrations of a "sound bath" as Rod Love plays a set of 7 chakra-tuned quartz crystal singing bowls. As the ethereal tones reverberate through the air, they gently envelop you, creating a harmonious resonance that resonates deep within your being. These bowls are crafted from quartz crystal, and tuned to resonate with the chakras, aligning and balancing the energy centers within your body. The crystalline vibrations wash over you, clearing energetic blockages, releasing tension, and restoring a sense of harmony and well-being. Allow yourself to be cradled by the soothing embrace of these sacred sounds, as they guide you towards a state of deep serenity and inner bliss.

10 PM – ?: Late Night Activities
Sauna, play space, games, and informal social time.

Monday, Dec 29th

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Yoga with Tim Cooley | Great Room
Join our resident yogi for morning yoga. Tim is very skilled at making it accessible for all levels from beginners to experts. Wear loose comfortable clothing, or nothing at all.

OR: 12 Step Meeting | Temple

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Breakfast

9:30 AM – 11 AM: The Courage to Dream Again with Wayne Leiss | Great Room
Reconnect with your deepest desires and give them voice. This heart-centered closing workshop invites participants to enter the “Dream Field,” reconnecting with authentic desire and hope. Through guided meditation, partner mirroring, and writing a letter to their future self, each person affirms their readiness to dream—and live—boldly once more.

OR: The Practice of Dying with Harry Faddis | Temple
The Dalai Lama said, “Awareness of death is the very bedrock of the path. Until you have developed this awareness, all other practices are useless.” In this workshop, we will explore that teaching by having an experience of letting go of our earth-bound bodies and entering a special kind of stillness. Picture a person on their death-bed, loved ones gathered round, encouraging them “to just let go.” It is easier said than done. Many religious and spiritual traditions suggest that we can actually practice dying, and what we will do together is just one of many ways to do so. It is very simple to re-create when you are home alone or even on the beach. Saint Benedict, writing in the 6th century, advised, “Keep death daily before your eyes.” In doing so, it is believed, we develop our gratitude for being alive..

11:30 AM – 1 PM: Drawn to Your Hero’s Journey with Scott Alexander | Great Room
Every queer hero deserves a moment to strike a pose and tell their myth. In this playful, 90-minute adventure, you’ll explore the epic twists, turns, heartbreaks, breakthroughs, and glow-ups that shaped your unique path. Then, using a guided storytelling prompt and a dash of digital magic, you’ll create your very own comic book cover starring you — fierce, iconic, and fabulously heroic. Come discover your superpowers, name your inner hero, and celebrate your journey with a room full of legends.

OR: Angelic Eros with Lee Stern | Temple
This workshop is dedicated to intimate, expressive and sweetly erotic touch. After inner/outer circle encounters, and a musicalized undressing ritual (to nakedness or underwear) we will move into a gentle self-caressing and then partner dance segment, followed by a communal ‘angel walk’. Music as a conduit for lyrical touch is a theme of this workshop. This is for the shyly erotic or experienced, and is about eros as joyful self-and-other-care, NOT objectification or possession.

1 PM – 2 PM: Lunch

2:30 PM – 5 PM: Sensual Massage Workshop with Tim Cooley | Great Room
An opportunity to exchange conscious touch through full body massage. No prior experience required. I will give a brief tutorial on suggested massage techniques and safety issues ( what not to do). This is sensual, not erotic touch. Boundaries will be respected. Please sign up in advance as tables are limited. (sign up sheet will be posted ) Note that this workshop is two and a half hours.

OR: Habits of Desire with Goldenheart and Scott Alexander | Temple (ENDS AT 4:30 PM)
Come explore how your erotic preferences and “types” shape who you notice, welcome, or overlook. This session is not about changing desire, but uncovering the habits beneath it. When does desire feel natural, personal, and fluid? When does it become inherited bias, rigidity, or fear? How can openness and curiosity expand your intimacy and connection? This workshop does not include erotic touch or nudity. It is based around discussion and group exercises.

5 PM – 6:30 PM: Universal Worship with Russell Halley | Temple
Universal Worship is a service designed by Sufi leader Hazrat Inayat Khan just over a century ago. It is unique in several ways. First of all, it incorporates all of the major religions of the world, with flexibility to include other religious and spiritual traditions as well. The principle is that whatever our background or inspiration, we share the same fundamental aspirations, that we are One. This practice is also unique in that there is no dogma or judgment, none of the rules imposed by religious institutions, and a welcoming of all. Music, mantras, movement, poems and prayers are incorporated along with traditional texts.

7 PM – 8 PM: Dinner (Circle at 6:50 PM)

8:30 PM – ?: The Man That Got Away with Jonathan Moon | Great Room
The Man That Got Away. Join NYC-based musician and songwriter Jonathon Moon for a special Easton version of his acclaimed original show, The Man That Got Away. Originally produced in Manhattan and Westchester County, the show received support from the New York Arts Council (2024) and was directed by Constantine Rousouli, star and co-writer of the Obie and Olivier Award-winning Off-Broadway sensation Titanique, with music direction by Todd Urban, renowned musician, sound engineer, and producer. Through song and story, Moon traces his escape from religious fundamentalism and the redemptive power of music and humor, a moving testament to self-discovery, resilience, and the art that helps us survive.

10 PM – ?: Late Night Activities
Sauna, play space, games, and informal social time.

Tuesday, Dec 30th

OR: 12 Step Meeting | Temple

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Breakfast

9:30 AM – 11 AM: Journey of the Senses with Adam B. Shapiro | Great Room
Our senses play a vital role in our interactions, but we sometimes get overloaded by all of them at once. By isolating each one, we can respond to them individually. (Must be comfortable being blindfolded and removing your shirt.)

OR: Telling Our Stories / Finding Our Voices with Judah Leblang | Temple
Telling Our Stories / Finding Our Voices. The great Southern writer Flannery O'Connor famously said that anyone who made it through childhood had enough stories to last a lifetime. In this interactive 90-minute workshop, we will write off of several prompts based on true stories from my shows "It is Now or Never" and "The Expiration Date". Mining material from your life, you will get a taste of how it feels to put your voice out into the world and to claim your space. Come prepared to write and to explore bringing your life stories to the page. For writers and non-writers.

11:30 AM – 1 PM: Creativity as Self Care with Nhojj | Great Room
Creating is a superpower. Creativity can help us through challenging times. Together, we will discover one small, doable step you can take to bring more creativity into your life.

OR: Playful Touch with Moss Tidd | Temple
Through games, sharing and play, we will explore ways of touching and being touched that are fun and sensuous. Activities and clothing are optional. This is a safe space to grow.

1 PM – 2 PM: Lunch

2:30 PM – 4 PM: Voices in Harmony with Jonathan Moon | Great Room
Step into the beauty of shared sound and expression in this immersive workshop for GBTQ men. Together, we will explore the artistry and emotion behind a signature gay men’s chorus piece, learning not just the notes but the heart that brings them to life. Guided by professional musician Jonathan Moon, participants will discover how individual voices blend into a powerful collective resonance, culminating in a moving group experience. This is more than a singing workshop, it is a celebration of community, identity, and the creative spirit that connects us through song.

OR: My Funny Valentines with Lee Stern | Temple
We'll sit around an imaginary campfire celebrating queer lyrics and poetry, and ourselves! We'll do some slow dancing, some exuberant movement, some drumming, some sharing of memories, and end by creating group poems of connection and desire. (There will also be an embedded holiday theme).

4:30 PM – 6 PM: Cherish Yourself: A Journey Through Music & Poetry with Nhojj | Great Room
A journey of self-love, drawing on the power of music and poetry. Explore the beauty of our stories through songs, readings, and conversations, touching on themes of healing, desire, community, and love.

OR: Moving Meditation with Russell Halley | Temple
Russell will lead a three-part practice that includes movement and breath, whirling (in the Sufi tradition), and meditation. No experience necessary.

7 PM – 8 PM: Dinner (Circle at 6:50 PM)

8:30 PM – ?: Talent Salon with your MC - Adam B. Shapiro | Great Room
An EM tradition! It’s your turn to share with us. Sing a song, do a monologue, juggle, dance, whatever!

10 PM – ?: Late Night Activities
Sauna, play space, games, and informal social time.

Wednesday, Dec 31st (New Year’s Eve)

OR: 12 Step Meeting | Temple

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM: Breakfast

9:30 AM – 11 AM: The Trust Within: A Blindfolded Journey into Connection with Wayne Leiss | Great Room
Deepen self-trust and authentic connection through vulnerability. This experiential workshop explores what it means to lead and be led. Participants pair up for a guided, blindfolded trust walk that brings awareness to communication, surrender, and intuition. The exercise fosters a powerful sense of embodied trust—both inwardly and in relationship with others.

OR: Evidential Mediumship with Mike Gilroy - | Temple
An introduction to mediumship with a live demonstration of spirit communication, featuring individual readings in a supportive group setting. Participants will witness and experience messages from the spirit world.

11:30 AM – 1 PM: Community Forum with John Stasio | Great Room
Join a group discussion led by founder John Stasio to discuss our community and what the future might hold!

1 PM – 2 PM: Lunch

2 PM – 5 PM: Sauna Available (Great Room closed for Banquet set up)

2 PM - 3 PM Labyrinth Walk with Moss Tidd | Meet at Temple
We will walk the labyrinth (if it is clear of snow) with a focus on the blessings and struggles we have experienced in the past year. Then, on the way back out, we can welcome hopes, dreams, and passions for the coming year.

4 PM – 5 PM: Multi-Faith Spiritual Service with John Stasio | Temple
Join Founder John Stasio for an inclusive and heartfelt celebration of communion in our Temple. Experience unity, connection, and a transformative ceremony in a safe and welcoming space. Come be part of this sacred gathering that includes readings and musical offerings from some community members.

5:30 PM – 6 PM: Fire Lighting Ceremony | Great Room
Join some of the facilitators to set intentions and get the fireplace ready for our ritual!

6:30 PM – 7 PM: Hail the New Reception | Sun Room

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Hail the New Banquet | Great Room
Celebrate the season with delicious food, toasts, music, and community as we honor the movement from past to future.

9:30 PM – 10:45 PM: Great Room Closed for Ritual Preparation

10:45 PM – Midnight: Hail the New Ritual | Great Room
Join us for the centerpiece of the retreat. We will gather to mark the passing of the year with words, songs, prayers and silence.

Midnight – ?: Hail the New Dance with DJ Sean | Great Room
Dance into 2026!

Thursday, Jan 1st (New Year’s Day)

8 AM – 9 AM: Continental Breakfast

9 AM – 10 AM: Yoga with Tim Cooley | Great Room
Join Tim for a yoga practice emphasizing listening to your body. Fine for beginners or more advanced yogis!

OR: 12 Step Meeting | Hunter Reynolds Room

10:30 AM – Noon: Closing Circle | Great Room
An important time to reflect, share, and say farewell.

11:30 AM – ?: Farewell Brunch