Healing Gods and Goddesses Subtle Alchemy, Origins Australia Retreat with Mira Riddiford

Opportunity to come to the Healing gods and goddesses retreat by dana/donation. People can also come on a class by class basis.

 

Daily Schedule for 7 – 14 April for when you can join in:

9am: Class on Healing gods or goddess archetypes.
Example of content: Mercury (also known as Hermès: god of finances, remover of obstacles, communication, and his messenger raven). The goddess Prudence, mirror-like wisdom, seeing things clearly as things are. The Goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite, lots of juicy energy symbolism and much much more. Opportunity to learn from a fascinating western ancient tradition.

7.30pm: Group meditation sit led by Mira on the god or goddess archetype we have covered in the morning.

Please note: there is a cook for this retreat, and it is not possible to use the kitchen facilities when only going to classes and not participating in the full retreat as the course fee covers food and the cooks time, and the dana does not.

We hope you can make a class and learn about this engaging work.

 


7 – 14 APRIL 2019, ORIGIN’S CENTRE, NEAR PERTH
Sister Centre to the Wangapeka
also founded by Chimé Shore and friends


Learn about unity through archetypal meditations that encourage wellness, clarity of mind and joy


This retreat is for people who want to understand themselves and others better – and those who yearn to nurture quieter or shadowed aspects of themselves.

It is for those who have an interest in discovering the universal and timeless beauty and power of the god and goddess archetypes.

Whether you immersed yourself in stories about mythological gods and goddesses when you were young or have little familiarity with them, this retreat draws on the potent concepts each god/dess contains and empowers participants to find their own way to benefit from these teachings.

The course material is appropriate for those with extensive meditation experience and for those with little or no meditation in their lives.


What’s the difference between myth and an archetype?

A myth is a traditional story which once served to explain a natural phenomenon. An archetype is a consciousness that lives within you and around you – a consciousness that can be developed and nurtured to bring you to your fullest potential.

Meditating on archetypes and symbols is a centuries-old tradition. This April, join a 1-week retreat and learn how to make this practice relevant for the challenges of the modern world. Uncover the strength, wisdom, power and grace that is your birthright, but that many of us have lost the ability to contact.

The retreat is being held at the Origins Centre in Balingup, Australia (south of Perth) and will be led by Mira Riddiford, who has been brought over from New Zealand and has developed these fascinating meditations to share with you. With over two decades of meditation training, Mira will explain this content clearly and with humour. Her work is new and dynamic, her teaching is engaging and warm-hearted, and she’s supported by a centuries-old tradition of teachers, and has students all over North America, Europe, and Asia.

The retreat will focus on wellness of body and mind. Share delicious, healthy meals and feel your stress melt away at this centre, which is filled with beautiful energy from decades of spiritual use and exploration. If you’re drawn to archetypes, goddesses and gods, the power of ancient symbols or even today’s superheroes, you won’t want to miss this one-off experience to study with her in Australia. Book now to secure your place.


  • Discover more about familiar European gods and goddesses such as Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo, Pan, Mercury, and Odin, along with lesser-known yet potent ones such as: Hygeia, Freyja, Hathor, Isis, Osiris, young Dionysus, Mithras and the great mother Cybele
  • Experience for yourself methods that will help create a deeper, more intimate understanding of their healing powers
  • Through art history, be fascinated to learn the hidden symbolism of gods and goddesses
  • A meditation text similar in structure to a sadhana (though with short latin and greek mantras) will be given for the Roman god Mithras, an archetype (meaning pure form) of victory and friendship; and also the Greek god Pan, an archetype of joy and nature: mountain wilds, fields, groves and wooded glens
  • All will be explained thoroughly, so there will be no problem in understanding for people new to this practice. Beginners to advanced meditators welcomed
  • There will be plenty of time between class times to practice or to let your mind and body rest
  • The retreat will be in refreshing silence other than class times, and teacher/student interviews. This will help calm our busy minds, in order to absorb the peace of this healing environment, and allow us to listen genuinely to ourselves and the natural world around us.

Daily Schedule:

7am – 8am: Breakfast

9am: Class

1pm: Lunch, main meal of the day cooked by Ronnie and helpers

3pm: Afternoon class (optional: either follow-on class from the morning or guided group activity on creativity)

6pm: Light supper cooked by Ronnie and helpers

7.30pm: Group meditation sit

 


Odin

Odin (Wōden), for whom the day Wednesday was named. Known as a seer and seeker of great knowledge, Odin gave up his eye for wisdom, and in doing so he saw the unity in all things. Chief of the Nordic gods, Odin is a wanderer, patron of rulers and outcasts. Odin has two raven companions, Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory or mind), who bring him information from all over the world. He rides the flying, eight-legged horse Sleipnir, who climbs and gallops across the sky. Odin is also accompanied by his animal companions or guides, the wolves Geri and Freki, whose names signify hunger. Odin has plenty to teach us.

Aphrodite

Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote of how important it is ‘to keep the heart awake to love and beauty.’ Love is healing – to feel loved is to feel divine. This very human impulse to love, and be loved, is the honouring of the goddess Aphrodite. In Ancient Greece (and through her counterpart goddess Venus in Ancient Rome) this spiritual love was honoured in a higher form, and many temples were built in her name. These places had an atmosphere which cultivated healing for what weighed on people’s hearts. It is possible to still feel this healing experience now.

Athena

It has been said that ‘Justice is a woman satisfied’. Many ancient texts speak of the divine feminine and masculine energy dwelling in people of all genders. To consciously house these energies is to be empowered in wisdom. By integrating what is unknown in our shadow, we can then create a life filled with compassionate understanding. Humans can then empathise more easily with others, and life can contain less suffering. In Ancient Greece, the goddess of wisdom was known as Athena. As a strategist and protector, she was called to help on battlefields. Carved on Athena’s statues are many symbols which explain a path to protecting and healing your heart, body, and mind. All you need is the key.

Artemis

The ability to protect oneself and provide nourishment resonates with our fundamental survival instinct. Many would say that we need the wisdom of this goddess of the hunt more than ever. As we explore Artemis further, are we ready for her challenge? ‘Stop complaining and start aiming!’ Artemis is the goddess of the forests and mountainous wildlands. A moon goddess, she is a protector in childbirth, of nine-year-old girls (who were called her “little she bears”) and relieving women’s ill health. Always virginal, she was self-wed, free to roam and be true to herself. To connect with the qualities of Artemis within yourself is to ‘come alive again’ and have sharp, clear mental focus.


The Retreat Team

Meditation Teacher

Mira Riddiford is a meditation and mindfulness teacher who runs retreats and series in New Zealand. Her online classes have participants joining from North America, Europe, and Asia. With more than 20 years of daily practice, Mira has been trained through retreat work, study and apprenticeship in the Namgyal Rinpoche stream of teachings. She has a close ongoing relationship/association with the Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre and the Auckland Sphere Group.

Having worked in creative fields, Mira understands how mindfulness can enhance the arts, and she is respectful of diversity in all its forms. Mira focusses on the relevance of mindfulness in modern daily living, and how it can help bring about calm and well being. She specialises in making teachings on Western Mysteries, Archetypal integration and Non-Duality available, and clear to students who are new to these subjects. Her contemporary warm and engaging style breathes life into these meditation teachings.

Mira is passionate about what we can learn from these ancient gods and goddesses and how these teachings can work as a map for personal development. You can find out more about her work here: www.westernmysticism.com


Course Manager

For the fifth year running, we are blessed to have the experience of Scottish sculpturist Louise joining us and managing the retreat. Previously the office caretaker at the Wangapeka for a year and a half, Louise is a fount of knowledge about the centre. Contact her for any further enquiries about the retreat:
louisemair@hotmail.co.uk


Cook

On this retreat we will have a holistic understanding of wellbeing for body and mind. We are delighted to announce Ronnie will bring her warmth and good humour to creating delicious, tasty and healthy meals for us.


Cost for the retreat

Course fee: $399

These figures include food and resources. They don’t include any dana/donation to Mira for the teachings she will impart, or accommodation at Origins which is also by donation.

Dana (donation) to Mira for her teachings

So people from different income brackets can benefit from this retreat, no set fee is put on the teachings. Please give generously according to your means, taking into account Mira has a family to provide for and that meditation teachings are her primary income, you could use as a guide $20 – $60 per day (with the understanding that everyone’s circumstances are different). Please bring cash to pay for the Dana.

Dana (donation) to Origins Retreat Centre

The Origins Centre operates on a philosophy of mutual respect, support, and goodwill, known as dana. Dana is the spirit of generosity and can be expressed in many ways. The Centre functions successfully through freely given donations of money, in-kind contributions and gifts of service.

As a charitable not-for-profit NGO, we rely on the goodwill of the community and those staying here. Because dana expresses both giving and receiving, it doesn’t imply a one-way donation. People support the Centre because they are themselves supported here and because they want to extend the offering to others as well. Dana enables individuals and groups to support each other in a flexible, inclusive way that supports freedom and responsibility.

To register please fill out our online registration form

Register now

To secure your booking you can pay by Eventbrite

Paypal: Email to send funds to is mindfulnesse@gmail.com

Or internet banking details are on the registration form.

 


Testimonials

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“Wow! The meditation retreat with Mira Riddiford was so incredibly powerful & transformational for me. I spent the entire week in my own private hut which allowed me to deeply explore my mind, body & spirit. Meditating on gods, goddesses & tarot card archetypes opened me up to new ways of being. Almost like I could create myself & BE anyway I choose in each moment. I feel like I was reborn. On top of the transformation that was happening inside, I felt immense peace being surrounded by nature on the outside. Mira’s teachings were thoughtful yet playful. Her strong presence, intuition & wisdom created a safe, loving space where everyone’s needs were acknowledged. She is a powerhouse Wonder Woman. A truly amazing retreat to be on.” – L. Hill


“I highly recommend the Western Mysteries series with Mira. Anyone genuinely searching for meaning in life will not be disappointed. This course is so rich with content, thoroughly enjoyable and so much more than an intellectual exercise. Mira took us on a journey of exploration of the fabric of life. Her wealth of practical experience in esoteric study allows these teachings to truly come alive.” – N. Stevens


“The Western Mysteries retreat was a highly supported environment for the exploration and meditation on the Tarot archetypes. Mira’s teaching was thought-provoking and gripping, nurturing the various levels of meditators present. It was an incredible experience to explore the Dharma from this colourful, creative and totally different perspective – with such a gifted, open-minded, modern, tuned-in teacher. I am only beginning to see the effects of the retreat, but am beyond grateful to have been there.” – N. Karneef


“Recently I attended a Western Mysteries retreat taught by Mira Riddiford.

I originally registered hoping for a rest and respite from a busy work life in community healthcare. I was not disappointed and received so much more.

Mira skilfully held space for the diverse retreatants to experience the teachings. These were vibrantly given in a respectful, humorous and supportive way.

They were fascinating teachings, drawing on ancient western wisdom, while also resonating with modern science.

Being a fledgling meditator, discovering meaningful ways to support myself and others was gold. Drawing on thousands of years of collective wisdom has been an unexpected and refreshing experience.

Returning to daily life and facing a particularly challenging situation, I found myself naturally drawing on the rich learning experiences to feel further calm and support.”  – S. Hollobon


“The Western Mysticism retreat with Mira Riddiford was a precious opportunity to experience the richness, colour, and depth of meditating on archetypes and symbols. As the stillness and silence deepened, I felt I could catch a glimpse of gods and goddesses behind the next tree. The delicious meals provided by the Mystery Kitchen were also very memorable. What a profound gift to study a path exploring the spiritual traditions of my ancestors. A magical week.” – N. Paton


“With an interest in meditation, but being unfamiliar with Buddhist imagery, Mira’s course on Western Mysticism resonated strongly with me. Contemplating together on some of the classical and pagan icons, so embedded in Western culture and heritage, was a powerful means of gaining greater insight. The beauty and tranquillity of the Wangapeka Retreat Centre was a wonderful place to enjoy that.” – J. Leyland


Mira gives personal meditation interviews through Skype

Book an interview