Ancient Healing Ways
with Pip Bondy
Vision Quest
Rites of Passage Initiation into Life Transitions:
An eleven-day Ceremony in the mountains of North Wales
A Rite of Passage in Wild Nature
What Is a Vision Quest?
The Vision Quest is an ancient rite of passage a ceremonial crossing that marks the ending of one phase of life and the conscious entry into another. Across cultures and throughout time, people have stepped into wild places at moments of transition to meet themselves more fully: to face fear, to remember what matters, to release what no longer serves, and to gather the medicine needed for the next stage of life.
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The ancients understood that when we cross thresholds in nature, something essential is revealed. In solitude and simplicity, life clarifies itself. We see our story pass through us, and we are given the opportunity to stand differently in the world.
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Our indigenous ancestors knew themselves to be rooted in the Earth. They lived in relationship with the sun and stars, wind and weather, stones and trees, creatures and cycles. These are not just metaphors but living presences, intimately connected to their sense of self and belonging. That knowing still lives within us. The primal seeds are held in our bodies, in our cells, in the images we dream, in the fire of our emotions.
Our Personal Journey
Each of us carries a story. The story of our life is written into our bones and blood, our childhoods and histories, the patterns we repeat, the relationships we form, the ways we love, struggle, endure, and change. From birth to death, we are shaped by a series of initiations, whether we name them or not.
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Soul and spirit are not somewhere else. They are here, now, waiting to be met. Each breath is an initiation, an opening into life and death, presence and letting go.
"Nature embraces us and beats us, blows right through us, until the dawn of our being stands true - naked and free… free to simply be."
A Vision Quest offers a place to pause at the edge of what has been and to listen for what is asking to be born.
Rites of Passage in modern times
In modern culture, many traditional rites of passage have been lost or diluted. We live in complex and often turbulent times, marked by uncertainty, fragmentation, and a deep sense of disconnection. Many people feel unclear about their purpose, unsure of what truly matters, and isolated in their struggles.
This ceremony is for those who feel a longing to remember, to rediscover the natural world as guide and teacher, and to re-enter a living relationship with meaning and spirit. Here, the inner and outer worlds meet. The cycles of self, season, and landscape reflect one another. We remember that we are not separate. The world is an eternal mirror, inviting us to know and claim our deeper values and truths.
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The essential questions arise:
Who am I?
What do I have to offer the world?
The commitment and challenge of this eleven-day rite offers an opportunity to mark what has been lived, to release what is complete, and to step forward with greater clarity and integrity.
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In my solitude I have seen things very clearly that were not true
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Antonio Machado, translated by Robert Bly
The Shape of your Journey
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Preparation
Before the Vision Quest, you will be asked to write a short account of your life - where you have come from, the issues you are carrying now, your intention, and what you wish to mark or transform. During the first days together, you will be supported in clarifying and refining this intention so it can guide your time in the wilderness.
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You will receive a handbook, The Trail to the Sacred Mountain, along with detailed guidance on equipment, provisions, and safety.
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At least one month prior to the Quest, you will undertake a solo medicine walk from dawn until dusk, without food, shelter, or human company. This walk is an essential part of your preparation. You will then send me a written reflection on this experience.
Severance
Severance begins the moment you commit to the Quest. It is a time of physical, emotional, and spiritual preparation - a gradual separating from the familiar structures of daily life, from roles, expectations, and histories that no longer fully serve.
This phase marks the symbolic cutting of the umbilical cord: a conscious letting go of the past in order to meet what is ahead.
Threshold
Crossing the threshold, you step out of your former life and into sacred time. Alone in wild nature, you take your place on the land and are tested - not in a spirit of endurance for its own sake, but as a deep encounter with truth.
During your time alone, you will create your own ceremonies and rituals, shaped by the teachings of your life and the language of the land itself. Nature becomes your guide: the sky and stars, rocks and rivers, weather and silence all speak.
Your vision emerges through surrender - into emptiness, into memory, into the inner landscapes that surface when all distractions fall away. You may meet fear, vulnerability, exhaustion, and also unexpected strength. In standing naked before life, you are invited to recognise your own unique shape and place.
Nature’s great soul holds the mirror in which you recognise yourself.
Incorporation
Incorporation is the return. Still held in sacred time, you are welcomed back into community. Your stories from the wilderness are shared and witnessed. Through deep listening and careful mirroring, you are supported in understanding the meaning of your experience and the possibilities of the life you are stepping into.
You are received as you are - loved, blessed, and affirmed. Together we celebrate, and then you return to your home and community carrying new understanding, responsibility, and purpose.
Practical Details
The Vision Quest takes place in the mountains of North Wales, UK, and follows the traditional three-phase structure:
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Four days of preparation
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Four days alone in the wilderness with no food
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Three days of incorporation
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We have a beautiful venue with kitchen and showers, this base serves as home before and after the solo time. We live together as a small, temporary community, with each person responsible for their own food and cooking.
Enrolment
You are welcome to contact me with any questions about this ceremony.
To apply, please send a non-refundable deposit along with a letter sharing something of your life story, the issues you are currently carrying, and why you feel called to undertake this Vision Quest.
Once received, you will be sent further information, including equipment lists, medical forms, travel guidance, and a map to the venue.
Group sizes are intentionally small to support depth, safety, and quality of experience. Places are limited.
Testimonials
"From the moment I committed to doing the Vision Quest, I felt Pippa's unwavering support and honouring of the journey I had begun. In a very clear and intuitive way, she created the space within our group for me to make a deep transition from one stage of my life to the next. She embodies the essential qualities of a midwife: compassionate, honest, and able to listen and see deeply, a fearless guide between worlds. In the magical mountains of Snowdonia, this ancient ceremony comes alive and brings much-needed healing and understanding to life changes in our modern culture."
Sophie Style. Spain
“I arrived at a place of knowing within myself which was both new and extremely old at the same time.”
Joanna Shipley. Oxford, UK
"I would like to take a moment to say thanks for all of the wonderful support that you gave in the lead up to, during and after my Vision Quest. Your facilitation and preparation for the quest made a very safe container for me to explore something completely new within the context of my inner journey. There have been many rich insights that I've taken from my time with you and on the mountain and every day since more has been unfolding. I will recommend the practice of Vision Quest to my friends on this path and have the utmost confidence in recommending that they do this through you."
Greg Segal, London, UK
"The Teachings, Healings & Wisdoms I received from participating in a Vision Quest guided by Pippa have been to vast to put into words. I've been given the opportunity to take Possession of my Life & walk closer to my Soul."
Michael Blake, Wales, UK