A THREE DAY RETREAT EXPLORING FEMININE
DEITIES AND ARCHETYPES.
We will explore Atua Wāhine (Māori Goddeseses) and deities from ancient civilisations
Step forward and remember the stories of powerful feminine Goddesses, a soft unfolding into the ancient and the forgotten. Over three days, we’ll weave the stories of feminine deities into our own, drawing on myth and magic to awaken the goddess within.
Through sacred ceremony, embodiment practices and storytelling, we’ll honor the cycles of light and dark that live in each of us.
We will explore Atua wāhine (Māori Goddesses) and deities from ancient civilisations.
This is a time to remember, to reclaim, to rest deeply in your feminine essence.
When we embody the many faces of the Goddess we awaken the freedom to meet life with creativity and grace, rather then through the limits of habitual patterns.
Leave feeling nourished, inspired, and woven into a tapestry of women walking this path alongside you.
Through sacred ceremony, somatic practices, and storytelling, we’ll honor Atua Wāhine (Māori Goddesses) alongside deities and archetypes from ancient cultures and civilizations around the world. This retreat is a reclamation of the wisdom, rituals, and practices that were hidden or lost through colonization and patriarchal systems.
Together, we will rise, share sacred knowledge, and embody the divine feminine in all her forms.
As women and womb-bearers, we are the ones who birth humanity and weave realities. By remembering and recreating these ancient myths and practices, we reclaim our collective power. Together, we birth the world we long to see—one rooted in wisdom, connection, and the divine feminine.
EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
STORYTELLING
GODDESS TEACHINGS
SACRED CEREMONY
Over three days, we’ll weave the stories of feminine deities into our own, drawing on myth and magic to awaken the goddess within.waken the goddess within.
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Meet Sarsha
Sarsha Hope has a gift for creating potent, shamanic, transformative, and inclusive heart-centered spaces for our soul’s remembering. Fondly known as embodiment portals, these spaces bring people into deeper connection with themselves, each other, and the living, breathing felt sense of the Earth.
Sarsha is the visionary and founder of Somatic Dance International Teacher Trainings, a groundbreaking program that trains highly skilled dance space holders and DJs. Her unique methodology seamlessly integrates somatic facilitation, DJ skills, ritual, energetics, and ecosomatics—all viewed through a trauma-informed lens—to create potent, finely tuned dance containers.
Sarsha’s work is infused with her passion for feminine archetypes, embodiment practices, and eco-somatics (the relationship between our own bodies and the body of the Earth). A devoted midwife of the soul, she guides others to honor cycles, seasons, and the wisdom of the sacred feminine. Through her offerings, including the Scarlet Codes, she shares powerful teachings that weave prayer, ceremony and transmission.
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Meet Tarikura
Tarikura hails from the sacred waters of the Whanganui River, with ancestral ties to Te Āti Awa, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, and Ngāti Apa. With foundations in kōhanga reo (Māori pre-schooling) and kura kaupapa (Māori primary school), her consciousness was shaped through the lens of Te Ao Māori.
Te Ao Māori is intrinsically woven with te ao wairua (the spirit world), Tarikura creates deep and grounding spaces for women to explore the richness of ceremonial spaces, through sisterhood, ancestral teachings and her innate gift of storytelling.
As the guardian and host of Āio the podcast, she amplifies holistic healing and indigenous wisdom, believing that the future of medicine is ancient. Her mission is to rekindle ancestral knowledge and shift the way we understand vitality and well-being.
Tarikura works intimately with wāhine, supporting the process of reindigenisation through deep reconnection with Atua Wāhine—Māori Goddesses. She brings forth elemental wisdom, awakening the divine feminine current that flows through us all. Her teachings weave seamlessly with the rhythms of the four inner seasons—the menstrual cycle—and the sacred traditions of ikura (menstruation), restoring the mana of these ancient practices.
This is for you if..
You feel drawn to explore Māori Goddesses and ancient deities from cultures across the world.
Have a desire to reconnect to your feminine current.
Want to be surrounded by like-minded women and create intimate relationships.
Eager to feel nourished and held in sacred ceremony and ritual.
Want to activate and integrate the different aspects of our feminine cyclical nature.
Have a wish to reconnect to ancient hidden stories of powerful deities and archetypes.
Want to tune into elemental magic and wisdom.
You are in the sacred process of reconnecting to your indigeneity.
What to expect..
We are crafting an unforgettable experience where storytelling meets somatic practices. We will uncover stories lost through the colonisation of the church and patriarchal systems that endeavored to suppress divine feminine knowledge, rituals and practices.
But alas, sister - we will not cower, we will rise, we will share sacred knowledge, we will bask in the glory of these teachings and embody them to propel our lives and the collective forward into a world where once again women's voices are heard and acknowledged.
We will step into ceremony, prayer and incantations with morning and evening devotional practices. Our days will be spent receiving stories of Atua wāhine and other ancient cultural deities, we will learn their whakapapa (lineage), hear their stories and surely find visceral connections. We will draw on their teachings and learn how to implement them in our modern world.
THROUGH MYTH & RITUAL WE WILL SING, DANCE, PRAY AND ALIGN TO THE AUTHENTICITY OF OUR OWN FEMININE EXPRESSION
Venue - The Farm
Set amidst the tranquil beauty of New Zealand's Whangaruru, The Farm offers the most delicious backdrop for our transformative experience. This 1,000-acre sanctuary is a haven of natural serenity, where rolling hills, lush greenery, and calm surroundings invite you to pause, reflect, and reconnect.
We have accommodations to suit all needs from camping, dorms to cozy cabins.
Kai/food is super important to us, we will be serving nutritionally dense, colorful, locally sourced food - building mauri/life force in our bodies to support our practices.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Foundation: The Māori Creation Story
Journey through the great expanse of time and space from Te Kore, the realm of limitless potential, into Te Pō, the deep darkness, and finally into Te Ao Mārama, the world of light and knowing. Through the power of storytelling, we will trace the whakapapa (lineage) of the Māori creation story, uncovering the origins of the Atua (Gods) and the foundational wisdom of Te Ao Māori. This is a journey of remembrance—here we find the great tapestry that weaves te ao Māori principles with great poetry and aliveness.
The Power of Ritual: Weaving the Sacred into Everyday Life
Rituals are sacred gateways that anchor us in the present, weaving intention into action and bridging the seen and unseen. They provide a container for transformation, offering a sense of connection, meaning, and belonging. Through ritual, we honor cycles, mark transitions, and reclaim forgotten wisdom, allowing us to step beyond the mundane and into the sacred. In a world that moves fast, ritual slows us down—inviting reverence, embodiment, and deep remembrance of who we are and what we value.
Rewiring the Feminine Nervous System
This workshop offers tools for cultivating nervous system flexibility through Polyvagal Theory, helping us resource ourselves during intense emotions. We’ll explore the sisterhood wound and internalized misogyny—deeply ingrained patterns shaped by patriarchy that influence how women relate to themselves and each other. Through discussion, somatic practices, myth, and embodied inquiry, we will gently unravel these unconscious patterns, rewiring the feminine nervous system toward "tend and befriend" and reclaiming the power of sisterhood.
Goddesses of Transformation, Elemental Power & Embodied Wisdom
A journey through myth, archetype, and embodied practice to connect with goddesses and deities from ancient civilizations around the globe. Through storytelling, movement, and reflection, we will explore divine feminine figures who guide us through transformation, protection, surrender, and rebirth. From Kali, the fierce liberator who destroys illusions, to Demeter, the earth mother who teaches us the wisdom of cycles, to Quan Yin, the embodiment of boundless compassion, each goddess offers a unique path to empowerment. We will invoke the courage of Durga, the sovereignty of Persephone, and the nurturing presence of the divine feminine in all her forms. This immersive experience blends myth, somatic movement, and deep reflection, inviting you to embody the wisdom of these ancient deities and integrate their teachings into your life.
Hine-nui-te-pō: Guardian of the Spirit world
Hine-nui-te-pō, whose story was lost through the colonisation of the church and patriarchal structures. Why was this story hidden from us? Because of its power, its depth, its ability to see magic and healing in the darkness. This story is not veiled with light supremacy but a full acknowledgment that we need the dark to experience the light. One of our most sacred pūrakau (stories) this will be delivered with great respect and sacredness to honour the resurgence of this important tale.
This journey will follow Hine-nui-te-pō and her descent through the twelve realms to the core of Papatūānuku and beyond. Thank you to our mentor and teacher Pā Shaquille Shortland for delivering this tale to us, we hold it with reverence and deep respect.
Elemental Magic
In this workshop we will explore how the elements live within us
and express themselves as archetypes through us. In this immersive journey, we will uncover the whakapapa of six Māori goddesses, each embodying an elemental force. Through storytelling, embodiment, and sacred sound, we will awaken the elemental wisdom within, remembering that we do not simply walk upon the earth—we are the earth.
Sisterhood Temple: A Sanctuary of Rest, Nourishment, and Connection
The Sisterhood Temple is a sacred space to slow down, receive, and be held in the warmth of sisterhood. Inspired by the ancient traditions of the Red Tent, this temple invites you to practice the art of giving and receiving, asking for what you truly need, and embracing the power of deep feminine restoration. Here, we honor active rest, nourishment, and the simple pleasure of being together—without expectation, without urgency, simply as we are. A sanctuary for the heart, body, and soul, the temple is a place to remember that replenishment is not a luxury but a birthright.
Embodying the Goddess - final workshop
This is a homecoming—a sacred weaving of all we have explored and remembered. Through adornment, we will honor the goddess within, inviting our higher selves to come out and play. With hands deep in the earth, we will gather offerings from nature, crafting personal altars inspired by all we have learned, in this lifetime and lifetimes passed.
We will write prayers, birth rituals, and create ceremonies that are uniquely our own. With song, chant, and dance, we will awaken the wisdom held in our bodies, celebrating the divine feminine within us and around us. This is an invocation, a reclamation, a remembering—of the goddesses of the world and the goddess that lives within you.
Your booking
includes -
Three nights accommodations
Three meals a day
Daily workshops
Guided practices
Sauna access
PAYMENT DETAILS
Investment:
Early bird till 3rd March 2025 (must pay in full to receive the early bird cost) - $455.00 NZD This is the investment for facilitation.
You will then need to add your accommodation choice which includes your meals and catering costs (So add the course fee, with your desired room choice above).
Normal price after early bird is $605 NZD. This is the investment for facilitation.
You will then need to add your accommodation choice which includes your meals and catering costs (So add the course fee, with your desired room choice above).
Payment plans available.
How To Pay:
Press the join us button below, and let us know what room and payment options you have chosen.
Camping - $1,011 Earlybird, $1,161 - Standard
Dorm Room - $1,088 Earlybird, $1,238 - Standard
Private Hut -$1,220 Earlybird, $1,370 - Standard
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We will then send you an email with the different ways you can pay:
A deposit of $300 NZD is required to hold your place. This will then be deducted from the remaining amount.
PAYMENT PLANS
Deposit: $300 NZD
Partial Pay $50 per week until paid in full. Please note you will need to have your accommodation costs paid before the start date of the retreat.
Partial Pay: 3 x monthly payments over 3 months Camping - $287 NZD
Dorm Room - $412 NZD
Private Hut - $456 NZD
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CAMPING / VAN LIFE
3 nights accommodation and meals
$556 (NZD)
Plus course fee above -
SHARED ROOMS
3 nights accommodation and meals
$631 (NZD)
(Plus course fee above) -
PRIVATE HUT
3 nights accommodation and meals
$764 (NZD)
(Plus course fee above)