Before the agricultural age, it was The Great Mother Goddess who was revered, honoured and adored. Loved, She was of the earth, weighty, and within. All were from her, of her and never parted. No gender was considered lesser, but all was of Her. To be honoured, safely, as well.
In this realm, there was attunement to the sound of the hoof beat, the earth’s soil and the hum of the caves. So we go back to the time of cave art, and being warmed by the creative fire. Where there was this immediacy with nature, the consciousness that gives and receives. Where everything felt alive and connected. This was not meant to be divisive, because there was no need to be.
The week will be a time to bathe in these energies, which can feel like a great relief – a coming home. So many of us have cried out to the Great Mother in times of suffering. The good news is she does hear us. For those who can feel this is a time of concern, this retreat can be a support, with nourishing food, understanding ears, and beautiful vistas. Wise hearts, be free.
This retreat is an opportunity to unplug from the busyness 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. The retreat has been crafted with:
- a potent regenerative theme
- supportive guidance
- engaging course material
- grief-friendly and trauma-informed understanding
- mindfulness in movement, and softness practice-based sessions
- time for group and individual reflection
- rest periods in a peaceful setting
- healthy nutritious meals
- opportunities for forest walks
- meditations on the Tarot, gods and goddesses
- sacred silence other than class times to go deeper
Spend one week at the awe-inspiring Wangapeka Retreat Centre
The Wangapeka is a purpose built retreat centre, with fresh clean air and beautiful vistas. It is rustic, very quiet and ideal for respite, stress relief and deep meditation. This sacred land 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.
Please email Course Manager Anna if flying into Nelson airport and needing to book transport to the Wangapeka retreat centre first so flight times can be coordinated. There will be a taxi shuttle for those flying into Nelson. The shuttle will leave Nelson airport near the 1.55pm arrival time to take us up to the Wangapeka on the 5 July 2025.
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 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. Her warm, contemporary and engaging style breathes life into these teachings www.mirariddiford.org
Contact Course Manager Anna for more information about the retreat and accommodation or Register now.
Testimonials
“Mira weaves a held safe space where personal and collective unconscious material is invited to emerge. This gathering is lovingly surrounded by the crafted energy of Mira’s preparation and her intuitive attention to the gatheted group. The living presence of healing energy is informed by the ancestoral impulse to give divine energy form; be it Pan, Diana, Apollo, Hermes, Nut or the many cultural expressions of the Great Mother archetype. When we choose to give breath to these powerful energies, where do they take us? What healing emerges for the individual and the gathered group? Strength and inspiration offers us latent paths forward to wholeness and interconnectedness. We carry these experiences forward with a deeper awareness of what it means to be more fully human and on this precious planet.” – G. Price
“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
Image Banner: The Empress Thoth Tarot