An Apprenticeship with Sorrow
This 7-week journey is a peer supported space to honour grief as sacred.
This peer circle, facilitated by Somatic Therapist Ali Rose, is inspired by Francis Weller’s book The Wild Edge of Sorrow, a powerful invitation to reclaim grief as a necessary and sacred rite of passage. Weller’s framework of the Five Gates of Grief reminds us that sorrow is not a private burden, but a communal and soulful process that can bring us home to ourselves and each other. Together we will explore each of Francis Weller’s Five Gates through reflection, sharing and simple ritual. Grief is not something we “get over,” but something we move through, together. Please note, this is a peer-held space , not a therapy group -guided by shared agreements, deep listening, and mutual respect.
This 7-week peer support circle offers a compassionate space to explore and express the many forms of grief we carry. In circle , we will cultivate the skills of deep listening and presence, we are not here to fix or offer advice but through our presence, seek to reclaim the healing power of community.
‘not to fix what was broken but to have what was broken blessed’ (James Hillman)
Drawing on the wisdom of The Wild Edge of Sorrow, we will move through the Five Gates of Grief: Everything We Love, We Will Lose / The Places That Have Not Known Love / The Sorrows of the World / What We Expected and Did Not Receive / Ancestral Grief.
The circle will honour grief as a natural, necessary part of being human — a sacred process that connects us more deeply to ourselves, to each other, and to the wider web of life. This circle is open to anyone seeking a supportive space to tend their grief, whether rooted in personal loss, life transitions, collective sorrow, or ancestral wounds. No previous experience with grief work is required.
Dates/Times: Sunday mornings 10.30am -12.30
There is no charge for attending but please note you are asked to commit to attending all the sessions.
Week 1 September 28th - Introduction: Grief as an Initiation
Week 2 October 12th - The First Gate: Everything We Love, We Will Lose
Week 3 October 19th - The Second Gate: The Places That Have Not Known Love.
Week 4 November 2nd - The Third Gate: The Sorrows of the World
Week 5 November 9th - The Fourth Gate: What We Expected and Did Not Receive
Week 6 November 16th - The Fifth Gate: Ancestral Grief & Communal Ritual
Week 7 November 30th - Integration and Carrying Forward
Please note, this is a peer-held space , not a therapy group -guided by shared agreements, deep listening, and mutual respect.
Booking: To register your interest contact Ali ROSE by email ali@thesomarooms.co.uk