Conversation with Jean Sutton -- Honoring Thresholds with Ritual

Some thresholds arrive with ceremony; others appear quietly at our doorstep. Ritual practitioner and spiritual companion Jean Sutton leads a conversation on how ritual—large or small, ancient or improvised—can help us acknowledge life’s turning points with presence and care. We’ll explore the role of ritual in grounding transformation, how to create practices that feel authentic rather than performative, and how communities can hold one another in moments of change. Participants will be invited to share stories of rituals that shaped them and consider which new ones might support their inner and outer journeys.

We’re excited to launch the William Black Lodge Conversation Series—a series of intimate gatherings bringing together multi-faceted perspectives for thoughtful exploration and reflection on themes of transformation and renewal, both personal and collective.

The inaugural series taking place in January 2026 explores the theme of Thresholds.

Each evening will take place in one of the Lodge’s warm, welcoming spaces and will begin with a brief 10–15 minute exchange between our featured guest and a conversation host. From there, the conversation with the featured guest, supported by the host, expands into a shared opportunity for participants to reflect and contribute. These informal, 90-minute evenings open up space for curiosity, openness, and meaningful conversation grounded in lived experience and shared inquiry.

Schedule:

• January 12, 2026 — Gareth Higgins: The Forgotten Threshold – Rites of Passage
• January 13, 2026 — Mahan Siler: From Elder to Ancestor
• January 19, 2026 — Jean Sutton: Honoring Thresholds with Ritual
• January 20, 2026 – Rick Eigenbrod: Crossing Unexpected Thresholds

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

William Black Lodge, 329 North Carolina Terrace, Montreat, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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