Ancient Future

La Sibilla Retreat 5.0: June 12-June 22, 2026

Hello dear reader,

It is with great excitement that I announce this year’s 5th annual La Sibilla Writing Retreat:

In a year of the Fire Horse, the Saturn-Neptune conjunction, and huge shifts in our collective and personal lives, this felt like the year to take bold initiative to move past what the retreat has always been. It needed to become more expansive in all ways, especially with integrating:

Two places: Rome and Capo Miseno, Italy

Two inspirations: Vesta and the OG, La Sibilla Cumana

and 10 DAYS:

June 12-22, 2026 in Rome and Capo Miseno, Italy

with 10 SPOTS AVAILABLE

We start in Rome, where we will spend 3 nights from Friday, June 12-Sunday, June 14 in the eternal city. There we will build our circle, with song, facilitated by Federica Ottombrino, guided tours of the Forum and Vesta’s Temple with a visit to the Capitoline Museum, which is on the site of Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio), the religious and political heart of ancient Rome. On Sunday, we will tour the Vatican Museum, with an intentional pilgrimage to see the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s Sibyls adorning the ceiling. We will open in these first few days with story into the archetypes of Vesta, the Vestal Virgins, and the Cumaean Sibyl who will be our guides into our intuition, creating, and writing our own stories.

Monday, June 15th, we make our way south to Capo Miseno.

We will be meeting daily at the dreamy La Villa Aurelia where we will have our writing workshop classes, gatherings, and a special watercolors class with local artist and teacher, Kristina Stella, creating our own oracle card.

In addition to what is above, join us for 10 days of:

• 7 Generative Writing Workshops with me. The writing workshop will be drawing inspiration from Vesta, the Vestal Virgins, and La Sibilla Cumana. We will also access our stories through symbols, archetypes, patterns, & dreams, along with the land and the sea that we’ll be connected to. In past writing workshops, participants have written poetry or creative nonfiction/memoir from the writing portals I’ve given, but it’s pretty open to what comes out of you in whatever form. And, if you’re asking, “What if I’m not a writer?” my answer comes from what Pat Schneider affirms in her book Writing Alone and with Others, “A writer is someone who writes.” I’ve had participants who are published authors and participants who’ve never taken a writing workshop before. Together, we’ll write and share our stories all week long, in a supportive creative community.

  

  

• Tour of the Agroturismo Lavinum with a guided hike through the land, including the farm and vineyards, with panoramic aperitivi, multi-course meal, cantina visit, and wine tasting from the barrel.

• Guided tour of the ancient sacred site of Cuma, home to the Sibyl’s cave.

Boat excursion to the local island, Ischia, which is known for its natural hot springs and thermal water parks. We will spend the day at the hydrothermal park Negombo.

• Afternoons free for beach time in Miseno and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea!

  What is also included is:

• Mini Astrology Reading with me pre-trip - this will be an initiation/invitation to look at the asteroid goddess, Vesta in your astrological chart.

• 10 nights accommodation with your shared room in Rome and your own room in Capo Miseno with en suite bathroom

• All breakfasts included and 10 meals included

• All transportation for excursions

What is NOT included:

• Airfare

• Travel Insurance (required)

• Transportation to/from Airport

For information and registration, please email me at angelisa.russo@gmail.com

If this is calling to you, I hope you can join us!