About Anam Cara Journeys

"In the kingdom of love, there is no competition; there is no possessiveness or control. The more love you give away, the more love you will have." John O'Donohue

Òran an Ròin - Gaelic Lyrics by Julie Fowles

Acorns Dreaming Into Trees - Lyrics by Kathryn Oliver

Anam Cara is a Gaelic term meaning Soul Friend. Anam Cara Journeys invites you on a soulful pilgrimage to the sacred Celtic sites and breathtaking landscapes of Scotland. We travel with intentionality, prayer, and beauty-making woven into every step—an intimate exploration of land, lineage, and connection.

Jennifer will guide you through her homeland, sharing the places, people, and landscapes that have shaped her. At each stop, you’ll encounter thoughtful details and heartfelt connections with local culture and community.

Kristi brings her unique offerings of tea ceremony, sacred song, dance, and ritual theatre. Together, Jennifer and Kristi hold space with deep presence, drawing from their shared background in Yoga and the Tamalpa Institute’s Life Art Process—a movement-based expressive arts practice that honors the body as a gateway to personal and collective transformation.

Both are devoted women's circle holders and facilitators of ritual and creative expression. Rooted in their own Scottish ancestry, they walk this land not only as guides but as kin, inviting you to journey with them in reverence, beauty, and soul connection.

In Celtic mythology, women were cherished as guardians of the earth, keepers of the waters, and carriers of wisdom, intuition, and healing. The sacred feminine was once deeply woven into the rhythms of life and honored in daily ritual. Though time and history have dimmed that reverence, we gather now to remember HER, to gently reclaim HER presence, and to root ourselves in the quiet strength of HER sovereignty.

Held by ancient sacred sites and the untamed beauty of Scotland, this pilgrimage will guide you both outward into the landscape and inward into your own truth. Together, we’ll create a sacred space of sisterhood through movement, artistic expression, shared meals, ancestral stories, song, ritual, and laughter.

What We Are Offering

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'From the minute I stepped on the Anam Cara bus to the people I met, how the journey’s mystery was cultivated throughout, and the deep reverence that was held and felt through the Divine Feminine! Just everything.' Joelle

Meet the Team

Kristi Williamson

Kristi Williamson grew up on wooden ships off the coast of Maine, where her love for the sea, song, tradition, and soul first took root. An interdisciplinary artist, movement guide, and ritualist, Kristi weaves together decades of devotion to dance, theater, expressive arts, yoga, voice, and sacred ceremony. Her work arises from a deep well of embodied wisdom and a wholehearted commitment to soul-centered living.

At the core of Kristi’s path is the reclamation of the Sacred Feminine. She explores ritual through the lenses of archetypal mythic theater, earth-based wisdom, Eastern spiritual practices, sacred song, and somatic embodiment. Her offerings are intuitive, grounded, and alive with presence.

For over 20 years, Kristi has guided yoga and movement practices, facilitated women’s circles, and held rites of passage with great care and reverence. She is a performance artist and certified Tamalpa Life Art Practitioner. She walks the priestess path with devotion, supporting women to awaken their creative expression, reclaim their intuitive knowing, and embody the power of voice and movement.

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Jennifer MacGregor Lopez

Jennifer MacGregor Lopez was raised in Scotland, where her maternal lineage stretches deep into the Highlands and Islands. Immersed in the rugged beauty of the land, she developed a lifelong devotion to nature, the sacred, and the interconnectedness of all things.

A mother, artist, teacher, dancer, bodyworker, and nature connection guide, Jennifer has lived yoga since birth—her mother was her first teacher—and began teaching in the Iyengar tradition in her early twenties. She co-owns Bija Yoga in San Francisco, where her work weaves ritual, expressive arts, movement, and beauty-making.

In 2016, Jennifer moved to California to study at the Tamalpa Institute, where she completed the Life Art Process training. This movement-based expressive arts practice deepened her ability to hold space for transformation, creativity, and celebration. With roots in both Scotland and California, she bridges ancestral and contemporary worlds. Through Anam Cara Journeys, she now brings others to the landscapes of her homeland, warmly inviting them on a soul-centered pilgrimage into beauty, belonging, and connection.

Kirsty MacGregor

Kirsty, Jennifer’s mother, will be joining our team as a beloved guide and support throughout the journey. Based in Edinburgh, Kirsty grew up on a family farm near Loch Lomond, which we’ll have the joy of visiting during our time together.

She brings a rich background as an executive coach, teacher, lifelong yoga practitioner, and channel, and has led and organized numerous retreats of her own. With deep roots in the Scottish landscape and spirit, Kirsty will offer local insight, intuitive wisdom, and grounding presence as we travel. She’ll be walking beside us, helping to weave this experience with care, depth, and heart.

Where We Are Going

'The islands were magical, the leadership excellent -and the group full of wisdom, delight, kindness and fun."

K. J. Duff

What we are offering...

With the loving guidance of Kristi Williamson and Jennifer MacGregor Lopez, and held by the wild beauty of the West of Scotland, this journey invites women of all backgrounds into deep connection with the land, with self, and with each other.

Together, we’ll explore the sacred feminine and the Celtic roots that once honored the feminine as life-giver, Earth-keeper, and water-bearer. Through daily yoga, ritual, movement, sacred song, storytelling, and artistic expression, we gather in remembrance and celebration of the many ways the holy lives within and around us. We welcome and honor the gifts each person brings.

Your Journey Includes:

3 nights at Gargunnock House (Central Scotland)
3 nights on the Isle of Luing
2 nights on the Isle of Iona
Visit to Stirling Castle
Dinner at Jennifer’s family farm
Ritual and exploration at Kilmartin Glen and Dunkeld Fort
Time for reflection and wonder on Luing and Iona
All transportation within Scotland – by land and sea, departing from Edinburgh
Two nourishing meals per day (brunch and dinner)
- Brunch ingredients will be provided for you to prepare at your own pace—eggs, yogurt, fruit, bread, oats, plant-based options, and more. Requests welcome.
- On Day 7, you’re invited to explore and enjoy dinner out on Iona.
- Days 8 and 9, you are invited to buy your Brunch on Iona or enjoy some basic brunch food that will be provided (granola, oats, etc)

PLUS:

Daily Yoga & Embodied Movement practices accessible to all levels
Sacred Song Circles and guided meditation
Ritual & Tea Ceremonies grounded in connection to land and spirit
Art-making & Expressive Arts (materials provided)
Channeling Session with Intuitive Guide Kirsty MacGregor
Fire Circles & Celtic Storytelling
Poetry, Performance & Creative Expression
Beautiful, comfortable accommodations in historic and wild landscapes
A safe, inclusive space held in reverence and sisterhood

Not Included:

Flights to/from Scotland
Alcoholic beverages
Additional meals or drinks when dining out
Optional third meals/snacks
Day 7 evening meal

Retreat Itinerary at a Glance:

Friday – Arrival & Welcome
2:00 PM – Meet in central Edinburgh for tea, welcome, and packing
4:00 PM – Arrive at Gargunnock House
6:00 PM – Dinner, welcome circle + story-sharing with Kristi
Optional: Restorative Yoga

Saturday – Ritual & Intuition
Morning Yoga + Brunch
Afternoon Tea Ceremony + Land Ritual
Evening: Channeling with Kirsty

Sunday – Castles & Community
Yoga + Brunch
Afternoon visit to Stirling Castle
Evening dinner at Jennifer’s family farm

Monday – Sacred Sites & Ritual
Yoga + Brunch
Travel to Kilmartin Glen for ritual
Evening ferry to Luing

Arrival and Dinner

Tuesday – Integration & Silence
Yoga and Brunch

Sister Circle

Selkie Story

Silent Integration time

Wednesday – Silence, Selkies & Fire

Solo artistic exploration

Afternoon: Tea ceremony

Ceremonial fire share

Thursday – Travel & Iona
Morning Yoga + Brunch
Visit to Oban
Ferry to Mull and Iona
Evening: Dinner on your own

Friday – Ceremony & Celebration

Walk to Iona’s southern Labyrinth
Afternoon: Crowning Ceremony & closing circle
Evening: Kristi’s Performance at Iona Abbey

Saturday – Closure & Departure
Pack up, brunch, ferry back
Return to Edinburgh around 6 PM
Final goodbyes

This is all subject to change.

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