We are hosting several events in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and online. Please get in touch to find out more or if you would like Malwen to host a Queer Ecology Walk or Connection event with your community or venue.
Upcoming Events
STARTING weekly from Monday 24th NOVEMBER 2025
Malwen Book Club – Active Hope
Our next book is Sophie Strand’s sumptuous The Flowering Wand – Rewilding the Sacred Masculine.
“Lunar kings, trans-species magicians, and rhizomatic harpists.”
Are you interested in coming on a journey exploring regenerative and magical secrets of sacred masculinity hidden in familiar myths both ancient and modern?
Let’s Zoom on Monday 24th November, having ideally read the book.
Here are some thoughts on the book from goodreads.com :
• Reveals the restorative fungi archetype of Osiris, the Orphic mysteries as an underground mycelium linking forests and people, how Dionysus teaches us about invasive species and playful sexuality, and the ecology of Jesus as depicted in his nature-focused parables
• Liberates Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell’s hero’s journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledge
Are you interested?
Malwen Book Club recently explored Active Hope, and before that Wild Mind, and developed a weekly format that supported our exploration of the books. We hope to follow a similar format with The Flowering Wand, but rather than do exercises, focus more on sharing how the stories resonated and inspire us.
Let’s come together on Zoom on Monday 24th November 2025, giving everyone time to read the book at least once. On the 24th we can agree a process that works for all of us.
We hope to complete our time with the book on 23rd February 2026.
There are 33 short chapters (3 to 6 pages each) and a short Conclusion. We are planning to group the chapters in themes (Celtic, Greek, Tarot, Biblical, Jesus, Tolkein & Shakespeare, … ). Or we might choose to go through the book as it’s written, choosing 3 chapters each week. We can make a decision together when we meet on the 24th.
The format for our time together has been:
1. Grounding & poem
2. Check-ins
3. Individual Sharing of the weeks chapters (inspirations, challenges, questions..)
4. Discussion
5. Agree roles (facilitator, grounding, poem, note taker) for next week
6. Checkout
Here are a few links with more information for you to consider:
A review: https://wordgathering.com/vol17/issue1/book-reviews/strand/
A sample of chapter 4: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Flowering-Wand/Sophie-Strand/9781644115961
Here are some links to ethical sources of the book:
https://biblio.co.uk/search.php?author=&title=the+flowering+wand&keyisbn=&stage=1
https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/flowering-wand-book-sophie-strand-9781644115961
Past Events
SUNday 20th MARCH 2025
Queer Ecology Connections
Come with Malwen on a journey exploring our inner and outer ecological landscapes. The event includes an exploration of the dancing body and the sacred lands of Brithdir Mawr, looking at the infinitely diverse relationships that make our universe tick. By meeting the non human beings around us, we will see examples that demonstrate the inherent queerness of our planet, bringing queer perspectives to question our preconceived ideas about our wild world.
Everyone is welcome!
Arrive from 10.30am at Brithdir Mawr.
Drop off any food and bags in Lle Dysgu and help yourself to a cuppa before heading off to the Stone Circle.
Movement Workshop led by Iro starting at 11am
We will leave Lle Dysgu at 10:45, it’s about a 10 minute walk (follow the ribbons if you are running late). Iro will lead a meditation within the stone circle at Brithdir Mawr to connect us to the magic of this sacred landscape. We will then take a guided movement/dance journey through the body; exploring, playing, feeling and (re)connecting with ourselves and the natural world. All ages, abilities and body types are welcome! No prior movement experience is necessary, just a willingness to explore the body and play. This part of the day is reliant on dry weather. We will be outside and likely begin seated or lying down, so please bring appropriate clothing and any cushions or blankets you may need in order to be comfortable. We intend to have live music! If you would like to make any musical contribution during the session, that would be most welcome.
Shared Pot-luck lunch 12.30-1.30pm
Please bring vegan food to share, if you are able.
Queer Eco Walk led by Tom starting at 1.30pm
We will start with an introduction and a grounding before heading off on a walk and forage, re-discovering the world through the lense of Queer Ecology.
1.30 – 2.30pm : An introduction to the basic ideas of queer ecology and how we can apply them to decolonise our worldviews and find belonging in our habitat again. We will find examples and metaphors in the landscape and local ecosystem through which we can explore these ideas. Each person/pair/group will be encouraged to find a plant/fungus/animal that they feel a connection to and to gather a part of it.
2.30 – 3.30pm : We will take these foraged things back to the class room and, over a cup of tea, create artwork exploring the webs of ecological relations that surround your chosen species. This can be done through discussion, wildlife guide books and ecosia, as needed.
3.30 – 4pm : Display and talk about our creations if we wish, stand back to look at the connections we have made. Remember something to drink and appropriate footwear.
Please bring vegan food to share if you’d like to join in the shared lunch.
Access : the land is uneven, steep in a few places and maybe muddy and wet if it has recently rained.
what3words Location : ///harp.mattress.unwraps
https://w3w.co/harp.mattress.unwraps
There is limited space in the car park, so please car share where possible.
This is a free event, but donations to Malwen are welcomed.
About Iro
Iro’s work weaves together the ancestral druidic spirituality of the British Isles with their work as a professional dancer to create a gentle and evocative movement workshop which invites spirit to come alive and dance within our bodies once again.
About Tom
Tom is an ecologist with over nine years experience working with lands all over the British Isles. Queering ecology has helped them to see our world through a lens that de-centers the human and acknowledges the dynamic and fluid relationships that make up every aspect of our lives. They have been facilitating walks and talks for a few years now, communicating and sharing belonging to our universe with many queer communities.
STARTING weekly from Monday 6th January 2025
Malwen Book Club – Active Hope
Our next book for Malwen Book Club is Joanna Macy’s revised 2022 edition of Active Hope.
https://www.activehope.info/the-book
Are you interested in an exploration of our creative power to strengthen our capacity to face what lies ahead? Would you like to join and support others on their journey? Let’s Zoom on Monday 6th January, having read the book, and develop a space where we can share and explore together.
There is a wealth of information on the book’s website, here are a few extracts:
“The challenges we face can be difficult to even think about.
Climate change, war, extreme inequality, economic upheaval, and the dying back of nature together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions.
Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach know as the Work that Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we’re in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.”
Are you interested?
Malwen Book Club recently explored Wild Mind and developed a weekly format that supported our exploration of the book. We hope to follow a similar format with Active Hope and engage with the exercises, support each other and share our experiences.
Let’s come together on Zoom on Monday 6th January 2025, giving everyone time to read the book at least once. On the 6th we can agree a process that works for all of us.
We will complete our time with the book on 14th April 2025.
Here are a few links with more information for you to consider:
The book’s website: https://www.activehope.info/the-book
A sample of some chapters: download
Here is a link to the audio book on Spotify :
Here are some links to ethical sources of the book :
(please note, we will be using the 2022 Revised Edition of the book)
weekly from Monday 20th May 2024
Malwen Book Club launch with Wild Mind
Malwen is launching its book club with the amazing book Wild Mind by Bill Plotkin.
https://www.wildmindbook.com/
Are you interested in an exploration of reconnecting to ourselves and nature? Would you like to join and support others on their journey with this book? Let’s come together on Zoom on Monday 20th May, having read the book, and develop a space where we can share and explore together.
Bill’s latest book is an exploration of how we have lost connection and offers tools to help us come back into nature connection. The book focuses on the personality viewed from the four directions, it feels like it draws a lot from shamanic traditions but is very relevant for today. The book contains a series of exercises and tools that we can use to allow us to work on our own re-connection.
Some of us have read the book without doing many, if any, of the exercises. Whilst it is important to focus on our individual reconnections, we feel that supporting each other in this process would be really beneficial and hoping that we, the community that is Malwen, would like to work through the book together?
So the invitation is that we read the book, then come together on a regular basis to work through the exercises. We could do some of these together or do the exercises individually then come together and talk about our experience, or a combination of both. We plan to meet every 2 weeks.
FREE Event booking & details: https://malwenbookclub.eventbrite.co.uk
Are you interested?
Let’s come together on Zoom on Monday 20th May, giving everyone time to read the book at least once. On the 20th we can agree a process that works for all of us.
A suggestion is that we will work through each chapter with a sharing circle focusing on what resonates for each of us and then sharing our experiences of the exercises, possibly at the following meet up. We might find we need longer.
Please still get in touch if you are interested but you’d prefer other dates: post@malwen.cymru
We’re looking forward to sharing the journey with you,
Mary, Mike and Tom
Here are a few links with more information for you to consider :
Here is a link to the audio book on Spotify :
Here are some links to ethical sources of the book:
https://biblio.co.uk/search.php?author=bill+plotkin&title=wild+mind&keyisbn=&stage=1
https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/bill-plotkin/mapping-the-wild-mind/9781608681785
Sunday 28th April 2024
Queer Ecology Walk at Brithdir Mawr
Come with Malwen on a journey through the infinitely diverse relationships that make our universe tick. By meeting the non human beings around us at Brithdir Mawr, we will see examples of non binary fineries that demonstrate the queerness of our planet, bringing queer perspectives to question our preconceived ideas about our wild world.
Arrive from 10.30am at Brithdir Mawr in Lle Dysgu for a cuppa. The event will start promptly at 11am with an introduction and a lovely grounding exercise before we head off to discover what we might find.
Remember something to drink and appropriate footwear.
Please bring vegan food to share if you’d like to stay for the shared lunch after at 1.30pm.
Access: the land is uneven, steep in a few places and maybe muddy and wet if it has recently rained.
what3words Location : ///harp.mattress.unwraps
https://w3w.co/harp.mattress.unwraps
There is limited space in the car park, so please car share where possible.
FREE Event booking & details: https://tinyurl.com/qewbm0424
Please email post@malwen.cymru if you have any questions.
Malwen supported by Grwp Resillience.
Monday 12th June 2023
Queer Ecology Walk in Pengelli Forest
Is life, the universe & everything queer?!
Come with Malwen on a journey through the infinitely diverse relationships that make our universe tick. We will be using queer perspectives to challenge & question preconceived ideas about our wild world &, by meeting the non human beings around us at the Pengelli Forest, we will see examples of non binary fineries that demonstrate the Queerness of our planet home.
Arrive from 4.30pm at Coppicewood College. The event will start promptly at 5pm
Remember something to drink & appropriate footwear.
Please bring vegan food to share if you’d like to stay for the shared evening picnic. (Including bringing plates & cutlery etc)
Access: the land is uneven, steep in a few places & maybe muddy & wet if it has recently rained.
There is limited space on the road nearby so please car share where possible.
Please email post@malwen.cymru if you have any questions.
FREE Event booking & details: https://tinyurl.com/qewpf23
Saturday 15th April 2023
Queer Ecology Walk at Ty Llwyd Fach
Come with Malwen on a journey through the infinitely diverse relationships that make our universe tick. We will be using our queer perspectives to challenge and question preconceived ideas about our wild world and, by meeting the non human beings around us, we will see examples of non binary fineries that demonstrate the Queerness of our planet home.
Click to see details of a recent Queer Ecology Walk at Ty Llwyd Fach in April.
Dewch gyda Malwen ar daith drwy’r cydberthnasau amrywiol tu hwnt sy’n gyrru ein bydysawd. Byddwn ni’n defnyddio ein safbwyntiau cwiar i herio a chwestiynu rhagdybiaethau am ein byd gwyllt a, thrwy gwrdd â’r bodau annynol o’n cwmpas, fe welwn enghreifftiau o wychderau anneuaidd sy’n arddangos Cwiardod y blaned sy’n gartref inni.
Rhowch glec i weld manylion Taith Gerdded Ecoleg Gwiar yn Nhy Llwyd Fach ym mis Ebrill.
