Death & Impermanence through the Lens of Buddha-Dharma & Western Spirituality
Don’t wait to make friends with Death and Dying
Experience two weeks of exploring meditations taught through the Theravada school of Buddhism (the way of the elders), and ancient Egyptian and Greek forms of insight.
Contemplate methods that help with relating to death and impermanence in healthier, more integrated ways.
This retreat has been requested to be taught by Mira Riddiford who has been trained near 30 years in both of these schools of wisdom. Ms. Riddiford prepares extensively for six months before each retreat.
Who thinks of death,
until it arrives like thunder
Tibetan proverb
For the tenth annual mid-year Western Mystery retreat we will be welcoming the healing teachings of the young masculine ancient Greek god of Death Thanatos and the funerary gods of the ancient Egypt.
Spend two weeks at the awe-inspiring Wangapeka Retreat Centre. The Wangapeka retreat centre offers a place of peace and natural beauty to take a step away from everyday patterns and challenges. Overlooking mountains and valleys on the edge of Kahurangi national park, it is a supportive environment for reflection, insight and healing. The Wangapeka is a purpose built retreat centre, with fresh clean air and beautiful vistas. People visit from all over the world to meditate and enjoy the peace of this remarkable destination. It is rustic, very quiet and ideal for respite, stress relief and deep meditation.
This retreat is an opportunity to unplug from the busyness and demands of everyday life, to reconnect with nature and your body, and to safely process your emotions. It’s a way to sit with and heal from the difficulties of life, and to go deeper in your meditation and mindfulness practice.
Please email course manager Natalie if flying into Nelson airport and needing to book transport to the Wangapeka retreat centre first so flight times can be coordinated. Mira needs to set up the shrine so will be getting to the retreat centre earlier in the day.
This retreat is also for those who are:
- curious about how god and goddess archetypes can be relevant in modern life
- in need of something beautiful, uplifting and inspiring
- interested in Western Mysticism, Archetypes, the Tarot, the Qabalah and/or the Tree of Life
- looking for creative fun ways of meditating that encourage mindfulness and peacefulness throughout the day
Investigating the richness of Western Mystery teachings can help our understanding of Buddhism and other wisdom traditions, as well as supporting our well-being and creativity.
This universalist meditation retreat is based on a series of symbolic, ancient mystery teachings, helping people live more loving, purposeful lives.
Mira Riddiford is a meditation and mindfulness teacher who runs retreats and series in Australasia. Her online classes have participants joining from North America, Europe, and Asia. With near 30 years of daily practice, Mira has been trained through retreat work, study and apprenticeship in the Ven. 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 meditation can enhance the arts, and she is respectful of diversity in all its forms. Mira focuses 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 mysticism available – and accessible to people who are new to these subjects. Her warm, contemporary and engaging style breathes life into these meditation teachings.
Mira is passionate about what we can learn from meditating on gods and goddesses and how their teachings can work as a map for personal development. You can find out more about her astounding work here: www.mirariddiford.org
Contact Natalie for more information about the retreat and accommodation or Register now.
“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. LeylandTestimonials