ABOUT — Moonstone Sanctuary

A blog and sanctuary by Melissa Horrell, set on Vancouver Island.

Welcome, dear traveler.

Moonstone Sanctuary was created as a place for women of every story — the quiet ones, the courageous ones, the seekers, the nurturers, the dreamers, the rebuilders — to pause, reconnect, and remember their inner magic.

This space is for all the parts of you:
the steady and the soft, the powerful and the tender, the certain and the searching.
Here, we honour the archetypes that shape women’s lives and the thresholds that call us into new chapters.

Moonstone Sanctuary is both a blog and a living refuge rooted in the wild beauty of Vancouver Island — a land where forests whisper ancient wisdom, waterfalls cleanse the spirit, and the Pacific’s salt air reminds us to breathe deeper, softer, and truer.

About Melissa — The Woman Behind the Sanctuary

I’ve lived in eight countries, worked across cultures, managed world-class spas, led teams, built my own multimillion-dollar wellness business, and learned from some of the most respected leadership, wellness, and coaching programs in the world.

But none of those things alone explain why Moonstone Sanctuary exists.

This sanctuary began long before I knew its name — in quiet moments of courage, resilience, loss, reinvention, and awakening. My path has taken me through deep personal seasons, each one teaching me how to let go of the old, rise from difficulty, and return to my centre with more empathy, humility, and strength.

When I moved to Vancouver Island, something shifted.
The land itself felt like a threshold — a place where I could breathe, reflect, and listen more closely to what life was asking of me.

Here, surrounded by cedar groves, misty trails, and the ever-changing ocean, Moonstone Sanctuary took form:
a space to share stories, wisdom, rituals, and the gentle power of women’s community.

Why I Created Moonstone Sanctuary

Women today hold multitudes — identities, roles, responsibilities, dreams, and unspoken longings. We are more than one archetype, more than one chapter, more than one version of ourselves.

This blog is a reminder of that truth.

Moonstone Sanctuary was created to be:

✨ A refuge — a place to rest, feel seen, and breathe deeper
✨ A companion — offering rituals, reflections, and practices to support your journey
✨ A guide — helping women explore archetypes, inner wisdom, and soulful leadership
✨ A gathering place — honouring community, courage, and connection
✨ A threshold — a doorway into your next chapter

This space blends storytelling, psychology, nature wisdom, gentle spirituality, and my years of experience in spa leadership and wellness. Every post is written with intention — to help you reconnect with the parts of yourself that the world often asks you to quiet.

The Archetypes We Explore Here

Moonstone Sanctuary honours many feminine archetypes, including:

• The Creator

• The Visionary

• The Quiet Leader / Wallflower Sage

• The Healer

• The Seeker

• The Warrior

• The Nurturer

• The Mystic

Each woman holds several of these at once — shifting with seasons, thresholds, challenges, and growth.

Here, you are free to explore them all.

Vancouver Island — Our Living Lore

Much of Moonstone Sanctuary is shaped by the magic of this land. You’ll find stories and guides about:

🌲 Cathedral Grove — a threshold of ancient wisdom
💧 Ammonite Falls — a metaphor for release and renewal
🌊 Wild Pacific Trail — where edges and expansiveness meet
🪶 Local lore, sacred sites, quiet hideaways — spaces that remind us we’re part of something larger

The island is not just scenery — it is a teacher.

How This Connects to Our Retreats

Moonstone Sanctuary is also the heart of three retreat experiences:

🌲 Moonstone Airbnb Sanctuary

A private forest-and-ocean refuge for rest, solitude, and creative renewal.

🌙 Women’s Retreats on Vancouver Island

Seasonal gatherings rooted in archetypes, ritual, sisterhood, and nature.

💠 Spa Sisterhood Retreats

For spa professionals and wellness leaders — blending self-care, leadership, and soulful clarity.

Whether you’re seeking stillness, transformation, or professional growth, each retreat offers a doorway into deeper alignment.

A Soft Invitation

You found this sanctuary for a reason.

Maybe you’re standing at a threshold.
Maybe you’re seeking renewal.
Maybe you’re remembering your courage.
Maybe you’re longing for connection.
Or maybe you’re simply following a quiet intuition — the soft call of your inner world.

Wherever you are on your path, you are welcome here.

This is your sanctuary, too.
Take your time. Wander. Explore.
And when you’re ready, step forward into whatever chapter is calling you next.

— Melissa