TOB 2026 Welcome Packet and Informations

The Temple of Belonging Bio-Regional Women's Gathering 2026

@ Camp Colton
30000 Camp Colton Dr
Colton, OR 97017

Welcome!

Dear Sister, friend, auntie, mother, grandmother, and community member!

We are so honored to welcome you into the sacred weaving of The Temple of Belonging 2026. This year is shaping up to be one for the books! We are humbled and thrilled to welcome you into the arms of this beautiful ecosystem of community, connection and creativity rooted in the honoring of the feminine.

This is more than a gathering, it’s a living village. A remembering. A place to set down your burdens, let your hair down, and step into the beauty of kinship, care, and co-creation.

This letter holds everything you need to prepare: arrival details, what to bring, booking 1:1 sessions and what to expect as we come together to build this sacred container.

Please read this with care, as it should answer any and all questions you have about your attendance and participation :)

There are logistical and cultural information on here to support you in arriving grounded, participatory and stoked to be together in a good way!

Downloadable Map and Schedule are at the bottom of this page, to make sure you read everything ;)

Please join our Temple WhatsApp group for staying connected, making friends, organizing rideshares, weaving into community and getting support!

Join the WhatsApp

What's Included in the gathering:

45+ workshops, skill shares & ceremonies (some craft workshops have materials costs, bring cash!)
information on the offerings page HERE
Elder Wisdom Council on Friday
3 delicious meals a day (BYO dishes, silverware and cups etc)
Morning practices: qigong, yoga, meditation
Evening gatherings: singing, dancing, storytelling under the stars
Camping (BYO all gear)
Parking (all is fairly close to event)
Healing Arts and Tattoo Sanctuary access (please book with practitioners individually HERE )
Tea Lounge (by donation) and night time Kava
Girls Camp, Babies Den & Kids Camp open during all workshop hours
Makers Marketplace - open during all meal times
Full bathrooms and showers
Red Tent moon-time sanctuary
Trails, creeks, hammocks, and plenty of places for spontaneous naps and spontaneous joy
A community of kind and wild women to connect with!

What’s Not Included:

- Morning Coffee & Elixir Bar - Available for purchase. (Bring cash, or Venmo)

- Extra Snacks, Personal Beverages & Dining Utensils - If you have particular dietary needs or favorite treats, we encourage you to bring them along.

- Transport to & From the Gathering - Travel costs are not included in the ticket price.

- Car Camping Pass- If you plan to sleep in (or with) your car or van, a separate Car Camping Pass is required.

- Materials Fees for Select Workshops - Most workshops are free, though some instructors may request a small materials fee. Please bring cash to support them directly.

- Cedar Sauna Pass - you can purchase a pass for the whole gathering (addition add on to your ticket HERE) or purchase on site

Workshop Sign Ups:

Each morning at breakfast, each workshop/ class/ skill share facilitator that is offering that day will introduce themselves, and take sign-up for their class (only if there is limited capacity).

This process is always a little wonky, and keeps us humble. Plan for breakfast to be the main announcement and sign up time for the day!

Arrivals:

Early Arrival :

Tuesday, September 22nd | 5:00–9:00 PM

Requires Early Arrival Ticket. If you haven’t purchased one yet and wish to arrive early, you can still add it to your ticket HERE. Select "add on to ticket" and choose early arrival. Early arrival gives you time to settle in, set up your camp, and enjoy a slower, more spacious landing with a few cozy evening and morning offerings.

*BYO dinner for Tuesday evening, and breakfast for Wednesday AM.

Meals begin with Lunch on Wednesday.

Regular Arrival:

Wednesday, September 23rd | 7:00–10:30 AM

Plan to arrive in time to set up camp and be present for the Opening Ceremony at 11am

Late Arrivals:

If you anticipate arriving outside of check-in times, please let us know. The gates will remain open and check-in staff will leave information for latecomers.

Departure:

Sunday, September 27th | All guests must depart by 7pm.

Check In:

You’ll be greeted with smiles and music at our Welcome Table, where you’ll receive your welcome info, map, and event schedule.

Welcome attendants will guide you and help with unloading and where to park.

After unloading, you’ll park your car and return to bring your things to your campsite.

Wagons or carts highly recommended!

Volunteers will be on hand to help those needing assistance. (Car camping requires a pre-purchased Car Camping Pass.)

There are designated areas for:

Family Camp, ADA camping, Car & Trailer Camping, and General Camping

*all camping is close to the event (within 5 min walking) and is carried part shade/ part sun. Camping and parking is on a first come, first serve basis.

***If you have ADA Needs - please tell the person at check in and we'll get you where you need to go.

Camping/ Lodging

Unless you’ve booked onsite lodging, this is a fully camping event.

Please BYO EVERYTHING you need for your camp: tent, bedding, cooler if you like, lights, comfort and camping needs.

Prepare for natural terrain—and for hot days and cool nights (perhaps rain gear if needed)

All camping will be on grassy. gravel or dirt areas. Camping will be tight with other sisters camping near you :)

Bathrooms & Showers: Private showers with hot water and full bathrooms onsite and spread around the property for easy access.

Charging & Cell Service: Cell service is available but no Wi-Fi. Limited charging stations for essentials, mostly in public areas. Be mindful of phone use - we are in a rare place to connect with ourselves here.

Cooking Policy: Personal camp stoves are allowed (no open fires).

LODGING: All lodging has currently been spoken for. You’ll receive the key to your space when you check in. If you still have lodging needs, reach out to us directly to discuss options. Otherwise, please prepare to camp and get what you need to be comfortable.

What to bring:

Please come with the intent of being self sufficient.

We are a gathering with really great food and amenities, but not a retreat that cleans up after you, or has extra things if you forgot them ;)

Village life baby. Let's come resources and maybe even able to lend a sweater or blanket to a sister!

-----------------

Tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, blankets & all camping gear

Hat, sunglasses, sun/ rain protection

Warm layers, hot daytime clothes, sturdy shoes, swim suit, cozy things

Flashlight/headlamp

Reusable water bottle, coffee mug

*dishes & utensils (zero-waste)

Yoga mat, journal, sacred altar items

Towel, toiletries and shower/ personal goods

Extra snacks or dietary supplements

Cash for Marketplace, Elixir Bar, workshop materials

Drums, rattles, instruments, offerings, sacred items

Blanket or camp chair for workshops

Cart or basket for carrying items

Gifts or barter items

or a hammock for napping

*** bring extra wagons/ carts off you have them!

Fun extras: get creative! what do we have to give?

What to expect:

Go at your own pace. There is a lot happening, and you are never expected to do it all. Follow your own rhythm and leave room for the unexpected.

Practice relating with respect. You know how to do this. Respect for yourself, for others and for this land.

Lots of depth. Temple can be tender, joyful, confronting, hilarious, emotional, and deeply nourishing. Sometimes all before lunch.

Sisters who care. You are surrounded by women who genuinely want to support one another. Ask for help. Offer help. Let yourself receive.

Spaciousness is part of the experience. Rest, wander, nap, sit by the creek, have a long conversation, or do absolutely nothing. You don't need to fill every hour.

Things may shift. We’re building a living village with hundreds of humans, so schedules change, weather happens, and plans sometimes need to move. Bring some flexibility and trust that we’ll keep you in the loop.

Come to create belonging, not just receive it. Temple is something we make together. Introduce yourself. Invite someone in. Lend a hand. Pick something up. Check on someone. Let yourself be checked on, too.

Connection can happen quickly. Be open to conversations, friendships, and unexpected moments of kinship.

You are always at choice. Participate, observe, step out, change your mind, say yes, say no, and listen to your own body.

A lot of different humans. You will encounter different ages, identities, backgrounds, beliefs, personalities, and ways of moving through the world. Come curious and willing to practice being in community.

Big feelings might happen. Gathering closely, slowing down, being witnessed, learning, and trying new things can bring stuff up. Take care of yourself and reach for support when you need it.

There is no right way to do Temple. You don't need to have a breakthrough, attend every workshop, make a hundred friends, or become a different person by Sunday.

Some of the best stuff isn't on the schedule. Leave room for the conversation at breakfast, the walk back to your cabin, the song around the fire, or the person you didn't know you needed to meet.

Come as your whole human self. You don't need to arrive polished, healed, spiritual, social, or ready for anything in particular. Just come.

Food and Nourishment

Three Organic, Nutrient-Dense Meals Daily

Morning & Afternoon Coffee – Available for purchase

Donation-Based Tea Lounge – A cozy space for reflection and connection.

Elixir Bar & Marketplace Goodies - Available for purchase

What to expect (please read!) :

3 fully-organic meals a day, with animal proteins for 2 of those meals.

While we can’t accommodate dietary preferences or nuanced intolerances (such as nightshades, high histamine foods, specific grains, etc), we try our best to consider common allergens & restrictions and exclude those from the overall menu. There will be vegan options at every meal. Keep in mind that we are serving over 300 women this year, so if you have a heavily restricted way of eating, please plan accordingly and bring supplemental food.

Shared meals are all gluten free and dairy free with options to add on if desired.

Expect to volunteer to help serve at least one meal. If everyone volunteers once, no one has to volunteer twice. This is village life! We will have a signup board posted at the kitchen and will be asking folks to sign up for their meal time each morning.

Bring all of the utensils, plates, bowls, and cups that you and your family will need. We will have a self-wash station set up outside. We will not be providing these items.

Babies, Kids & Girls Camp

You have purchased a ticket for your kiddo, please use it!

Many of the workshops are not kid friendly, and we have super loving and skilled staff sisters who are offering care, play, education and guidance for your little ones. Let us be the village with your little ones!

Please make sure to attend the Kids, girls and babies camp orientation on Wednesday, September 23rd at 2pm to meet the team, ask questions and make friends.

Kids Camp | AGES 0–6

A professionally staffed childcare space during workshop hours, giving little ones a safe, creative place to play while mamas can fully participate in Temple programming. Expect crafts, nature play, stories, snacks, rest, and plenty of kid village goodness.

We are even planning on doing a collective play for the culminating ceremony this year!

Girls Camp | AGES 7–13

This year at Temple of Belonging, Wild Rivers Collective is offering a week-long girl’s camp for girls ages 8-16. We consider ages 8-10 to be pre-threshold time, and ages 11-16 to be a threshold time. It is our honor to uplift these beautiful ages and stages through a variety of offerings.

We are a collective of Village Aunties who have a passion for supporting girls to live into their most embodied, confident, creative selves. Through nature connection, self-inquiry, the art of council, storytelling, hand crafts, song, and ceremony, we offer a sanctuary space for the wild waters of the young feminine to flow freely and joyfully.

Kids and Girls camp hours:

Fully Staffed Drop-Off Hours:
Our camps are fully staffed for drop-off childcare during all workshop blocks:

10:30am–1:00pm
3:00–6:00pm

Camps will open 20 minutes before each workshop block and remain open 20 minutes afterward to give mamas plenty of time for drop-off, pick-up, and getting where they need to go.

Morning + Evening Open Hours

Kids Camp and Babies Camp will also have open hours in the mornings and after dinner for mamas and children to hang out, play, rest, and enjoy the spaces together. These are not drop-off childcare hours and children must remain with a parent or guardian.

Babies Camp | 0–18 MONTHS

This is a space where mammas can soften, exhale, and be supported as they journey through the Temple of Belonging. Our certified doulas—each trained in infant, child, and adult CPR—will offer loving respite care for babies and toddlers, pregnancy comfort measures, childbirth education, and a peaceful place for relaxation, rehydration, and rejuvenation. Our self-care bar will feature lactation-supportive snacks, hydration, calming music, sound therapy, and nurturing vibes to help you return to yourself.

The Den will be open during workshops, with additional support available for mammas with babies and toddlers during mealtimes. Doulas can be identified by their teal headbands, and a sign-up sheet will be available to reserve care for your little one. When there is enough staff, we are open to allowing babies to be dropped off up to 15 minutes before a workshop and must be picked up within 20 minutes after it ends.

Babies camp hours:

This is a soft and cozy place for mothers to come and be supported, take a rest, let baby nap, feed, and connect with trained doulas. Mommas are welcome to come and use the space any time, but are NOT TO DROP OFF BABIES unless they have connected with a doula team member to do so. This is less of a daycare, and more of a care space.

IMPORTANT: Drop-off childcare is available only during the staffed workshop blocks listed above. Outside of these hours, children remain in the care of their parent or guardian.

Kids/ babies/ girls camp ORIENTATION:

Wednesday at 2pm after opening ceremony!

Please email the team leads here for any questions!

Babies Camp: Samone Marie - iam@samonemarie.com

Kids Camp: Avalon Reynolds Bryce - reynoldsbrice.avalon@gmail.com

Girls Camp: Shea Bodine - shea.bodine3@gmail.com

Spa, Wellness and Tattoo Offering:

We are thrilled to offer a fully decked out spa and wellness area, as well as our tattoo corner again!

Booking:

Each practitioner will be responsible for their own booking.

If you’d like to pre-book your tattoo or healing sessions (highly recommend) please reach out to that practitioner via email or the link on our wellness page.

See all of our wellness offerings and practitioners HERE!

You are also available to book sessions on site if people still have space in thier schedule! There will be a beautiful spa lounge where you can go and check on the availability of each practitioner.

Please treat these sessions as you would in the ‘real world’, where late cancellations or no-shows are treated often with a fee. These women are here in service and we ask that all time is honored in both directions.

Wood Fired Sauna:

We are thrilled to have a wood fired sauna join us this year, sponsored by Souluna Saunas.

We are selling sauna passes for $40, and that includes 3 sauna pass tickets. We are also selling individual sauna sessions for $15. These can be purchased on the ticket link before the gathering, when you register, and also onsite at the coffee bar anytime it's open.

1:1 Sessions!

There are various other ways to work with women in a 1:1 format at Temple if you choose. Whether it's tarot readings, photoshoots or otherwise. Below is a brief description of those offerings - please reach out the individuals to book your sessions.

Melissa Robin 1:1 Photoshoots:

Melissa is a transformational photographer, priestess, and somatic embodiment guide with over 20 years of experience helping people come home to themselves through ritual, nature, and the camera. If you've ever wanted to be seen... truly, fully, exactly as you are... this is your invitation.

Mini Goddess Sessions — 1:1 Embodiment Photo Ritual

Available during TOB (Sept 23–27), these intentional mini sessions include a vision call, a guided meditation, and edited high-resolution images that become a lasting mirror of your magic.

- Half Hour — $555 (valued at $777): 5 edited images
- Full Hour — $777 (valued at $1111): 10 edited images

Both include a private proofing gallery.

((The reason Melissa is able to sponsor Temple is from offering these sessions as a percentage goes back to sponsor Temple of Belonging.))

Booking - info@melissa-robin.com

or thru this link: https://www.melissa-robin.com/sessions/temple-of-belonging

Dvara Sanctuary:

Dvara Sanctuary is a living sacred space for communal renewal and remembering, co-founded by Christine Marie, located in SE Portland. Dvara is a home to men's and women's circles, earth medicine gatherings, and a living calendar of events — from backyard concerts to ceremonies to collaborations with kindred facilitators. And this year, we are bringing it to the Temple of Belonging.

Christine Marie and Charley Zheng are bringing Dvara Sanctuary to Temple of Belonging–an intimate space for women ready to remember their power, their medicine, and their inherent wisdom for embodied belonging.

This pop-up is an altar come alive: a reading space, an energy work table, and a ceremonial corner woven into the heart of the gathering. Whether you're called to integrate what’s showing up for you inside the temple, receive support and guidance, or be returned back to the empowered healer already living inside you, this space was created for exactly that.

They are offering:

Divine Mothering | 1:1 Ceremony • 1 hr w/ Christine Marie
A deeply nurturing ceremony weaving healing touch, hair brushing, somatic work, plant bathing, and energy healing. A space to soften, receive, and be held in the medicine of the Mother.
$111–222 sliding scale • christinemarieheals@gmail.com

Soul Medicine Reading & Healing • 1 hr w/ Christine Marie
Energetic and shamanic healing, somatic listening, and intuitive guidance to reconnect you with your own gifts, inner knowing, and medicine.
$111–222 sliding scale • christinemarieheals@gmail.com

Intuitive Energy Readings • 15–60 min w/ Charley Zheng
Intuitive readings connecting with your energy, higher self, and guides for clarity, transitions, questions, or deeper connection to your inner wisdom.
$15–125 sliding scale • charley@tothekeep.co

Embodied Empowerment

Christine Marie + Charley Zheng • Saturday 10:15–12:15 • Free

A somatic and shamanic exploration of discovering, embodying, and learning to hold your own power through drum journeying, reflection, and shared practice.

Village Agreements:

The Temple of Belonging is co-created by all who enter.

Here, we value belonging to live more than focusing on our own personal belonging. We are in a time where we deeply need to return to each other, ourselves and to life in a way that in honesty, regenerative and shifts the pattern of the modern world that has not been in service to the feminine.

And, we have a really good time in the process ;)

To support a brave, sweet, and sacred space, Please:

- Leave No Trace: Pack out all belongings and waste.

- Substance-Free Space: Please refrain from drugs and alcohol onsite (we trust you, we aint your mama)

- Self-Responsibility: We encourage integrated and mature relating, where we get to show up in our honesty way, and also take full accountability for our projections, assumptions and needs.

- Participation: This is your village. Take space when you need it, rest, and follow what feels good. This is a space for you to enjoy being fully alive.

- DEIA Commitment: We honor, celebrate and cultivate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to the best of our ability. All women—across races, identities, bodies, and abilities—are welcomed and valued. Please hold these values as living practices with us.

- Emotional Support: We have women who will be able to hold space throughout the gathering. We have a dedicated care team this year to support with any space holding needs for anyone on site (more on that below)

- Come in Service: Please support a culture where we help each other when we need, let mama's and elders eat first, and support each person's body in feeling held and honored here.

Email thetempleofbelonging@gmail.com to inquire. These would be women who would wear a band on them to signify they are avail for space holding when needed.

Herbal first aid is available onsite.

For emergencies, a fire department is nearby.

Please be prepared to share the labor and the beauty of being in community together.

This is a brave space, that is not able to guarantee safety or belonging. Here, we recognize the many honest and sweet challenges our modern culture has created for us that limit our capacity to hold loving regard for others, and loving responsibility for ourselves. We are here to practice coming back together in right relationship with each other, with our own heart, and the great spirit of all things that binds us together.

Dedication to Care:

ROOTED AND HELD: A Cultural Tending Affinity Space for Black, Brown, and Women of Color at the Temple of Belonging

Rooted & Held is a dedicated cultural tending space created by the Ladies of the Light Collective to support BIPOC women within the broader Temple of Belonging experience.

This intentional “circle within the circle” offers a grounded sanctuary where women can soften, exhale, and be held in shared cultural understanding and collective care. Rooted & Held is not separate from belonging — it is belonging. By honoring the lived experiences of BIPOC women, we strengthen the integrity of the entire community and make belonging real for everyone.

They will be offering 2 BBB (black, brown and beige) drop in's on Wednesday and Saturday, denoted on the schedule. They are also offering 1:1 medicine/ forest walks to anyone who is needing some care, support and connection.

We seek to cultivate a sanctuary where women feel seen, heard, valued, and held through cultural affirmation, intentional community, and sacred presence.

TEMPLE INTEGRATION CARE TEAM:

The Integration Care Team exists to support the human experience surrounding the production and participation of an event. We serve as caretakers of atmosphere, emotional stewardship, integration support, and practical guidance so that transformative moments have somewhere safe to land. We advocate for personal experience amongst the demands of production.

Our work lives in the spaces between departments: supporting needs before they become barriers, and helping maintain an environment where people can remain present, regulated, and connected.

Our Guiding Intentions

Foster spaces that feel welcoming and grounded
Support emotional wellbeing during experiences
Coordinate care and participant support across departments: Wellbeing Triage
Help maintain an atmosphere of safety, consent, and connection
Provide practical tools for regulation and comfort
Support overall production success through human-centered care

They are woking in tandem with the Herbal First Aid team in the Beehive - right across from the dining hall!

All first aid is self serve, with a lot of support for other needs as they arise. We will cover this in more detail at orientation.

Rooting us into place:

Temple of Belonging gathers at Camp Colton, in the forested foothills of the Cascades, amongst the creeks, forests, plants, animals, and many generations of people who have called this place home.

We gather on the ancestral homelands of the Molalla and Kalapuya peoples, within a greater region that has also been home to Clackamas, Chinookan, and other Indigenous peoples since time immemorial.

We want to take a moment to recognize the Native peoples who have been in relationship with these lands and waters for thousands of years, and whose descendants are still here.

We also want to tell the truth about the history of the place where we gather. Native people were forcibly displaced from their homelands through colonization and the expansion of the United States, and the effects of that displacement are not simply something that happened in the past.

For us, land acknowledgment is one small way of beginning to correct the stories that have erased Indigenous people, culture, history, and relationship to place. It is a way of remembering that this land was never empty, never waiting to be discovered, and that the story of this place began long before us.

One of the things we practice at Temple is that belonging comes with responsibility. If we want to belong to a place, we have to learn where we are. We have to know something about the watershed that holds us, the people who came before us, and the living communities who are still here. We have to ask what it means to be good guests, good neighbors, and people who give something back.

So as we gather here, we offer our gratitude to the Indigenous peoples who have cared for these lands across generations, and for the ways Indigenous peoples continue to shape and care for our communities and our world.

May our gratitude become more than words. May it move us toward relationship, reciprocity, learning, and real support for Indigenous people, culture, sovereignty, land, and future generations.

Please support our efforts by donating to TUMWATA VILLAGE:

BE A PART OF TUMWATA VILLAGE

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is breathing new life into our Willamette Falls property, known as tumawata village. Our healing vision will bring restoration, revitalization and renewed access for everyone to this singular site we call tumwata village.

Because this is such a culturally and regionally important area, it has significance for everyone in our community.

Donations from community members, neighbors, nonprofits, businesses and anyone in the region who values this treasure will help fund our environmental restoration work at the site. Because we are a federally recognized Tribe, donations are tax deductible.

Support HERE

Community powered support!

HUGE shoutout to our 2026 partners, we could not make this happen without you!
Please support their business, and let's keep seeing a culture where we support what matters to us, and creates beauty for the world we want to live in.

Check out our 2026 Partners!

And, we're doing a bad-ass SILENT AUCTION THIS YEAR!
It's no secret this has been a tough financial year for many, and we're no different. While we are honored to have received many partnerships, we are still quite in the hole from being able to break even. But that hasn't gotten in the way of making sure we've invested money where it matters most - making sure women are well cared for and supported.

So, this is our clever way of not only raising funds so that temple can keep happening, but of also amplifying YOUR magic, craft, service and skill in the world! So if you're able, let's support each other and also get some dope things into the hands of local women!

Donate to the Silent Auction!

We are now at 501(c)3 Non Profit Corporation: Cultures of Belonging!

This year we made the big brave leap to become a non-profit in a sincere attempt to widen both our pathways of sustainable support for Temple and beyond, and also to start dreaming into other belonging and culture based projects. Both developed by us and aligned community collaborators. Our first campaign was supporting the Wiwang Wacipi: Lakota Sundace Ceremony where we raised almost $4k to support the infrastructure of the ceremony.

We have big and unfolding vision for this organization, and are still finding our way to get the support needed. We aim to not only support local indigenous organization, cultural regeneration project and bio-regional women's wellness, but also branch into more access to education and community connection events.

We are keeping out TOB funding platform open until the end of the year, for those who want to make a tax deductible donation.

We are also open to creative conversations about aligned fiscal sponsorship, and dreaming into what's possible when we keep creating cultures of belonging. Head to the link below to learn more and to donate!

Cultures of Belonging

We will see you soon, to gather in the great mystery and pleasure of women in the woods, just past the autumn equinox, under the full moon, honest and human.

We are real world, local women who are here to inspire, support and deeply enjoy the many facets of what it means to be a woman in this community. Your presence and participation here is a gift to us all, and all our relations. We look forward to gathering with you very soon!

*TICKET TRADE/ SALES: If you have sold your ticket to another sister, please EMAIL US (info@thetempleofbelonging.com) who you sold it to!

No ticket trades have been transferred yet, so if you have sold yours or given it away, please email us ASAP to make the correct changes at thetempleofbelonging@gmail.com.

With so much love and joy -

The TOB Team :)

Here is the Map and Schedule, which will also be printed and posted around the property.

*right click on images to download!

***STAR on schedule denotes limited space and/or workshop fee

Please note - things always shift, prepare for a few last min edits when the gathering happens ;)

The Temple of Belonging Bio-Regional Women's Collective and Gatherings

TOB 2026 Welcome Packet and Informations The Temple of Belonging Bio-Regional Women's Gathering 2026 @ Camp Colton 30000 Camp Colton Dr Colton, OR 97017