Goddess Retreat Event: Reflections and pictures
Back in March of this year, I hosted my first ever Goddess Retreat. This retreat was designed to help women who were interested in metaphysical practices, witchcraft, energy work, etc. create connections within the community. We provided a safe space for women to learn, ask questions, and talk about these interests without fear of judgement.
In this town, and in this world, it’s hard to stray from the path that’s been made the norm. The “traditional” Christian path. But that path isn’t for everyone. There have been hundreds of religions throughout time and there will be hundreds more, and none of us actually knows whether any of our beliefs are truth.
All that being said, I felt called by the universe (part of my belief system) to create a retreat full of magical goodness and connection for local women who maybe didn’t feel super comfortable seeking out others to learn and grow with because we never know where people stand. Y’all, I am so glad I did this. We had women attend who had been into their spiritual growth and learning energy work for years, and we had women on the totally other end of the spectrum just barely starting out with limited knowledge and a lot of curiosity. They all came together, learned from the presenters, and connected with one another.
Here’s what we did:
We started out with a continental-style breakfast with delicious pastries and bagels from Rise and Shine Bake Shop (go visit them, they’re AMAZE-balls) and some fruit and nuts. I gave each woman a chance to introduce themselves and talk a little bit about what drew them to sign up for the retreat, then we gathered outside and snuggled up for a workshop on crystals given by Keena Tenorio.
During this workshop women were guided through a visualization exercise during which they saw their inner goddess and the crystal that resonated with their soul. Then they learned all about crystals and their properties as well as ways to use them in a practical way. Keena shared where to place different types of crystals in the home to invite in specific energies, and how to charge the crystals’ energies. The women were given a chance to ask questions, and they each received their very own crystals.
After that, we gathered back inside (because March cold) and hunkered down to learn all about herbs from Erin Sagadin, owner of Earth Spirit. Erin provided a beautifully made workbook listing out the properties of specific herbs along with benefits of each. She included instructions on how to use herbs in a practical way and some spellwork to try using everyday herbs most people already have in their spice cabinet. Each woman was provided with a starter set of herb vials so they could start practicing with them. Erin is a wealth of information and if you visit her in her downtown Kennewick shop she’s sure to help you find exactly what you need for your practice.
Following these beautiful workshops we broke for lunch: a sandwich and wrap spread with a garden salad from Pacific Pasta and Grill. The Goddesses gathered, enjoyed their lunches, and of course connected more with each other through laughter and conversation.
Gathering once again after lunch, we learned all about the art of manifestation from Kendra Lambert, a local manifestation coach. With her session she provided a manifestation workbook that took her entire 4 week course and condensed it down into a DIY book. This book is amazing, beautifully designed and illustrated, and incredibly helpful. During her workshop she guided us through a meditation that helped us focus in on our desires and start to manifest the life of our dreams. We met our future selves, and saw a vision for our lives. She taught us about the law of attraction, the importance of positive affirmations, and ways to manifest small changes to create a big life. It was beautiful. Her book is available on her website, I highly suggest either buying the book or hiring her to help you create the life of your dreams.
Following the group workshops, we broke out into smaller sessions, when the women registered for the retreat they were able to choose the 3 breakout sessions that they wanted to attend. They had the choice between:
Tarot Reading
Crystal Ball Reading
Taste of Reiki energy cleanse
Spell jar building
Essential oil intention perfume
Mirror Work
Between each session the women mingled, connected with each other, and had some deep and meaningful conversations. When the breakout sessions were over, we gathered out in the sunshine and experienced a healing sound bath ceremony by Camelia Sosa, owner of Samahdi Folk Healing.
To close out the day, we reflected on our time together and set an intention for ourselves and our practices moving forward. I asked each woman to write their reflections down on a piece of paper, and then we each burned the paper and set our intentions free. This practice allowed us to release any expectations we had of how the goal would reach us and gave the universe a signal that we were ready for whatever it was that we wrote down.
This experience was healing. It was beautiful. So many women felt the love and care that my presenters and I put into the day, and they were grateful for the safe space we created.
Being my first Goddess Retreat, I know there were things I could have done better. But I’m so damn proud of how it all turned out and I know that, if I decide to host another, my next would be even better.
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