A Quarter of Blooming
- Kathy Bresler
- Jul 2
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
What does it mean to bloom?
We believe it’s much more than achieving goals and meeting milestones. We believe that in order to bloom, we must tap into a deep, internal knowing and embrace all that we are. We each need to explore and express ourselves uniquely, then bring those voices together to create a rich, collective knowing in our communities.
This spring at ALTAR, we wanted to create ample space and opportunities for each of you to bloom. It truly feels like we had it all: International Women’s Day, social gatherings, workshops, and so much more.
As we take a moment to breathe this summer, we wanted to look back at all the goodness we experienced this spring. We couldn’t possibly highlight every event we held the past few months, but we can highlight a handful of our favorites.
ALTAR in Bloom: Events by and for Women
Whether you’re looking to relive the magic of spring or get a taste of what we have to offer, we hope you enjoy this retrospective of a season in bloom. Here are seven of our favorite events we curated for our community and women throughout the Chicagoland area.
International Women’s Day Event: When Women Lead
On March 8th, 2026, we welcomed nearly 100 women into our space for When Women Lead, an activation of feminine intelligence held among artist Lydia Ruyle’s renowned Goddess Banners and guided by bestselling author Marianne Williamson.
More than a traditional talk or conference, this immersive activation was designed to help us pause, listen more deeply, trust our own judgment, and feel connected to one another across generations. We did a full recap of this enlightening event in a previous blog, which includes an excerpt from Marianne’s Substack about what we learned throughout the day.
Seeing the Gifts in Your Hands: Hand Analysis Workshop
Later in March, we were thrilled to host an immersive, morning workshop all about the world of Hand Analysis. With over 20 years of experience, Certified Hand Analyst Meredyth Hunt guided us through the world of Gift Markings in the hand, distinctive lines and symbols that point to natural talents, sensitivities, and life themes.
Unlike the associations many have with palm reading, hand analysis is a surprisingly grounded system of self-understanding. It doesn’t predict the future or offer fixed outcomes, instead providing a language and clarity for understanding your natural wiring, strengths, and growth edges—insights that many people find uncannily accurate, myself included! Leading up to the workshop, I shared my personal story with Hand Analysis and Meredyth’s work:
I first experienced Meredyth’s hand analysis work on 2/22/20, just weeks before we were preparing to launch ALTAR (of course, none of us knew what was about to happen in the world!). Early in the reading, she identified a mark in my hand indicating a pattern known as “hostile when rejected.” I burst out laughing because it was uncomfortably accurate.
When I feel corrected or criticized, which my nervous system tends to interpret as rejection, I can become surprisingly sharp, and occasionally quite hostile, in response. In fact, my husband Peter has learned to give me a “trigger warning” before he says something he suspects I may interpret as criticism, giving me just enough time to catch myself before that "hostile when rejected" reflex kicks in.
Toward the end of the reading, Meredyth looked at the overall pattern in my hands and summarized my purpose as being a “creative healer of connection and relationship.”
Thinking back on that now, that line still gives me chills! At the time ALTAR was just beginning to take shape and I had no idea how much that theme would continue to unfold in the years since. In hindsight, it’s amazing how clearly that reading anticipated what ALTAR would become: a place devoted to connection, belonging, and authentic relationship.
The Wild Why Workshop
Another favorite workshop this Spring came through an opportunity to explore wonder, writing, and deep connection—both within ourselves and our wider community. On April 11th, we hosted NY Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author Laura Munson at ALTAR for a small group workshop based on her latest book The Wild Why.
The day was such a delicious, substantial opportunity to delve deeply into ourselves, so I shared my full thoughts and musings in a blog post that includes Laura’s thoughts on wonder and resources for exploring yourself through writing.
Reoccurring Women’s Wellness Events
Each month, we host an array of events for women at the intersection of healing and empowerment, many of which are free for ALTAR Members. These gatherings center on one—or many—topics and practices we love, including holistic wellness, sisterhood circles, guided meditation & healing, mindful movement, professional growth, and more.
Take a peek at some of our favorite memories from this spring, and be sure to keep an eye on our event calendar to sign up for these and other Chicago wellness events this fall:
Building the Feminist Economy
On May 7th, we partnered with Dr. Michelle Morkert for ALTAR’s inaugural Building the Feminist Economy evening: a non-traditional networking event for women leaders to connect, collaborate, and circulate opportunity differently.
Something we hear often from the women in our community is that they are craving connection, collaboration, and momentum from their professional networking opportunities. But far too often, those spaces don’t deliver on that promise. Instead of feeling transactional or surface-level, Michelle designed this event firmly rooted in a feminist leadership lens—building something more relational, generous and sustainable.
We had a hunch that this would be a huge hit for our community, but we were truly blown away by the response! Over 50 women joined us to share ideas, skills, and support. Since that day, we’ve started a Feminist Economy Directory for those who were in attendance to collaborate. We also held a free, virtual follow-up with Michelle on June 23rd to continue the conversation and bring new women into the fold. Finally, we’ve scheduled another Building the Feminist Economy event on September 23rd to take the conversation even further and expand a feminist leadership lens to even more women throughout Chicago. We can’t wait for this to continue into the Fall!
Bring Your Soul to Work Day with Women Belong
We’re always excited by our Open House events, but May’s Bring Your Soul to Work Day was extra special. We partnered with Women Belong, a membership organization with the goal of connecting a diverse group of working women at all stages and levels of their career. Together, we curated a day full of meaningful and insightful programs for Chicagoland women looking for a space to connect more deeply with themselves and other women.
One of the things that makes each of our Bring Your Soul to Work Days unique is the ability to drop in as your schedule allows. We’re all busy and can’t always take a full day to attend a workshop or retreat, so we share our timeline for the day a few weeks in advanced of each event so you can schedule around which programs you’d like to attend.
Plus, ALTAR functions as a coworking space for our members or Open House attendees, so many of them bring their laptops to take calls or answer emails as they need throughout the day! If you’re curious about attending an upcoming Open House at ALTAR, you can RSVP for an upcoming event here or join our mailing list so you can know when each timeline goes live!
Grow + Bloom: In Good Company
Back in February, we held an experimental gathering designed for women whose idea of fun is good company and great conversation. The afternoon was so well received that the attendees asked (and begged!) us to keep it up.
Now, once per quarter, we host In Good Company, a social afternoon that’s centered on open-hearted conversations that connect us with other women. Unlike your typical gathering or party (and in true ALTAR fashion), In Good Company gently guides you into conversations that encourage you to grow your edges and bloom new friendships or acquaintance-ships in a low-stakes environment.
This quarter’s event was May 31st and themed Grow + Bloom, with the intention on creating an environment that lets new connections bloom. No pressure. No big agenda. Just the right prompts, the right mix of people, and the space to see what unfolds.
Looking Ahead: Rooted & Ready
As we make our way through summer and head into fall, we’re thinking about the grounded strength we all need as women in 2026. In addition to curating the events that make ALTAR who she is, we’re also looking much further ahead at what these gatherings—and this space—can bring to women in Chicago and beyond:
We’re creating spaces and moments where we can show up authentically, just as we are.
We’re tending the roots of feminist leadership and collaboration.
We’re embracing the act of sistering to uplift one another.
We hope to see you here at ALTAR soon. Come take up space.
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