Dance of the Dark Mother
24 - 29 June 2025
Cancer New Moon
A sacred descent into the womb of creation, wisdom & mythic embodiment—embracing the dark mother as an initiation into self-discovery, loving truth & power.
This is an invitation to embrace the paradox of the feminine: the destruction that gives way to creation, the shadow that births the light, and the death that brings renewal.
In honouring the Dark Mother, we honour ourselves and reclaim the fullness of our divine nature. When we dedicate the full range of our passion, power and emotions to her, we enter into a nakedly intense relationship with the Divine, making ourselves available to the transforming power and all-healing revelation of her presence.
The world stands at a crossroads, a time of immense change and uncertainty. The Dark Mother calls to us now because, as was the case in the origins story of Goddess Kali, her energy is essential for our transformation, to transmute that which is not rooted in love. She embodies the wisdom of the shadows—death, destruction, and surrender—not as endings, but as sacred pathways to rebirth and renewal.
She invites us to face what we fear: the hidden wounds of the Earth and ourselves, the truths we avoid, and the patterns we cling to. Censoring nothing, leaving out no part of our being, we are challenged to offer our huge pains and wildest ecstasies to the irradiation of love and its ferocious alchemy. In her embrace, we release what no longer serves us, allowing space for life’s emergence.
The Dark Mother reminds us of the cyclical nature of life, where endings birth beginnings, and shadows reveal the light. Her power teaches us to surrender to the unknown, to trust and surrender to the fertile void, and to find strength in our vulnerability on life’s path. Allowing creation to emerge from the fertile soils of our shedded beliefs, illusions, folly and ignorance. We coming into deeper knowing, feeling and seeing.
Now, more than ever, her energy is needed. She calls us to reclaim balance, honouring the wisdom of the feminine, and co-create a world rooted in harmony, authenticity, and wholeness.
In the darkness, she whispers, “Do not fear the night—it is where the seeds of dawn are sown.”
Be ready for her, invoke the Dark Mother’s dance within, transmute old energies as you activate the immense transformative power of Love and Truth.
What’s been said
“This retreat facilitated by Jess and her team was an amazing experience. If you are seeking deeper connections with yourself going inwards, hoping to find space to be held, encouraged and looking for ancient women wisdom, practices and spiritual healing this is the retreat for you.”
“The Shanti Space is beautifully located and a short ride away from Lisbon. Jess is by far one of the best facilitators I have experienced on retreats and you will leave feeling calmer, loved, safe and more in-tuned with your inner self.”
“Powerful, transformational, beautifully connected & good flow!”
“The retreat was the best thing I could gift myself”
“I feel so grateful to have been here! I can’t express enough how important this work is and how needed in the world.”
“Such a potent and powerful experience. I feel empowered.”
“Wow. A dream come true!”
“I feel like we all created a bond with each woman. A connection, almost an invisible line.
It became like an alchemical sacred bond”
“Priceless”
“Deeply grateful for the space held. It‘s been a magic space of softness, empowerment, deep dive and playfulness. The workshop and experiences have been really beyond words. Just pure love for the strength and truth that can unfold when wild sisters come together in a safe space. Would always say yes again!”
“The environment felt safe & peaceful. It is a carnival of naked souls! Love it”
“So grateful for you and this amazing space”
“Wow, magical. Loved the program, the journey and the release that happened through the guidance”
“Blew my mind. So much knowledge passed on, such amazing connections.”
“This retreat was perfect in every way. Jess is so beautiful and created a safe space for us to express ourselves fully. I came away feeling light and truly present.”
“This was my very first retreat experience and it’s hard to put into words how incredibly powerful it was. The space alone had a phenomenal healing energy with so much attention to detail. I can’t speak highly enough of the facilitation. Just WOW. The beautiful feminine energy, wisdom and ability to hold space for women going deep into themselves was astounding. The entire program was curated with so much thought and love - it was the perfect balance. My experience was transformational and I will be forever grateful. I encourage anyone that feels the call to book onto the next retreat. I cannot wait to come back!”
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This is for the woman who is ready to weave more power, beauty, and truth into her life, family, and community. For the one with the courage to face what has been hidden, to transmute the people-pleaser into sovereign strength, and to rise beyond the limitations of her lineage. She is ready to walk the bold, beautiful path of her heart with unwavering grace and the loving yet merciless fire of truth.
You’re ready to curiously explore your narratives. To stop overriding your deeper truth to please others, to seal the gaps in your energy field and own your "No" with love while surrendering the need for the approval and good opinion of others.
Enlighten your darkest shadows and wounding of your lineage, turning them into your greatest gifts to yourself, community and those to come.
If you are drawn to the mysteries that lie in the shadows, where ancient wisdom awakens and transformation takes root, or if you feel an undeniable pull towards deep healing and renewal, this retreat is your call to step fully into the magic of who you are becoming.
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The Dance of the Dark Mother
✧ Non-Dual Taoist-Tantra Practices
✧ Cyclical Inspired Embodiment & Yin / Womb / Kundalini Yoga
✧ Chants, Stories & Invocations to the Goddess
✧ Embodied Myth, Dark Feminine Practice & Emotional Release
✧ Boundaries, Nervous System & Somatic Tools for Regulation
✧ Shadow Integration Tools & Rebirth Breathwork Journey
✧ Into the Void ~ Day of Darkness
✧ Womb of Creation Workshop
✧ Moon Phases, Cycle, and Mother Earth Connection
✧ “She Who’s Body is The Earth” Ritual
✧ Self Explorative Journaling
✧ Sacred Cacao
✧ Dark Mother Sharing Circles
✧ Gong Baths & Sound Journey with Alchemy Crystal Singing Tones
✧ Seasonal Organic Plant-based Meals
✧ MAMA KITCHEN ✧
Nourishing pleasurable meals bring us the opportunity to reclaim & relish in the ritual of eating in a community of women. Honouring the elements & the lands from which they came, while awakening all the senses with lovingly prepared food for body, heart & soul.
✧ is this for me? ✧
This journey is centred around the complex and multi-layered experience of womanhood.
In particular reconnecting with the deep wisdom of cycles throughout the whole of a woman's life, from pre-menarche to post-menopause.
It is for all women-identified beings, with or without wombs, menstruating or not menstruating.
Please reach out if you have any questions regarding inclusivity, I’d love to talk to you about it.
My priority is that everyone in the space feels safe and seen
'A woman cannot make the culture more aware by saying ‘Change.’ But she can change her own attitude toward herself, thereby causing devaluing projections to glance off. She does this by taking back her body. By not forsaking the joy of her natural body, by not purchasing the popular illusion that happiness is only bestowed on those of a certain configuration or age, by not waiting or holding back to do anything, and by taking back her real life, and living it full bore, all stops out. This dynamic self-acceptance and self-esteem are what begins to change attitudes in the culture.
~ Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes
✧ TEMPLE: The Shanti Space
Shanti, Sanskrit for Peace or to T. S. Eliot “The Peace which passeth understanding.”
The Shanti Space is a sanctuary for personal development & empowerment; a space to rest and restore well-being whilst bathed in abundant nature.
The venue, an old Quinta set in a national park endowed with beautiful fruit trees, giant oak corks, grape vines, vistas and a stream at the end of the garden where we often encounter our neighbours; deer and wild boar.
✧ TRANSPORT
The nearest airport is Lisbon only 25 minutes away.
✧ The easiest way is to come in Uber / transfer. It will cost you about 30€ and 25-30 minutes of travel.
We can put you in touch with other participants to share the ride.
"Dance of the Dark Mother" draws upon themes of creation, destruction, and rebirth. The Dark Mother, often symbolised in various mythologies and spiritual traditions, represents a powerful, nurturing, yet formidable force. Her dance is an allegory for the cyclical nature of life and the universe, embodying the balance between light and shadow, life and death. This dance is not just a physical movement but a spiritual journey that invites individuals to embrace their inner darkness and transform it into strength and wisdom. Through this dance, one learns to honour the complexity of existence and the profound beauty found within the dualities of life. Whether interpreted as a literal dance or a metaphorical one, the Dance of the Dark Mother serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all things and the perpetual dance of creation that sustains the cosmos.
✧ THE CONTAINER
24 - 29 June 2025
6 Days / 5 nights
Arrival: 4pm
Checkout: 12 noon
✧ THE CONTRIBUTION
Earlybird by 1 March
Spacious Dormitory - €888
Glamping Shared Twin - €999
Single Shared Twin - €1295
Private room with ensuite - €1555
After 1 March
Dormitory - €999
Glamping - €1111
Single Shared Twin - €1495
Private room with ensuite - €1777
Included:-
Five nights accommodation, organic meals prepared by chef, snacks & teas, full program
Not included:-
Flights, transfers, treatments & insurance
✧ SPONSORSHIP
We are honoured to offer a limited number of reduced-cost scholarship places to individuals from marginalised communities, including Black and Women of Colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those from challenging socio-economic backgrounds.
At The Shanti Space, we are committed to a process of learning, unlearning, and growing toward creating a truly equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment. We strive to honour the multitude of experiences of women, trans women, femme, and non-binary individuals.
Providing low-cost scholarship opportunities is one way we aim to make our events more accessible to those who may otherwise face barriers to participation.
APPLICATIONS OPENING SOON
Enquiries
Contact booking@theshantispace.com
PRE-LAUNCH DISCOUNT OF €150 ON ALL ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS UNTIL 11 JANUARY 2025
VALID FOR FIRST 5 BOOKINGS.
reserve your place now ~ booking@theshantispace.com
✧ YOUR FACILITATOR ✧
Jessica Maria Weaver
Testimonials
“Jessica held the space with such grace—boundaried yet soft and loving. I felt safe and secure.”
“Jessica has such a wild, uplifting energy that invites us to explore outside our comfort zones. Her authenticity is magnetic, inspiring us all to open up.”
“Jessica exudes a calming, confident presence that permeates through her work, creating a truly transformative experience.”
“Available, supportive, friendly—such a goddess!”
“What a blessing to experience this space with Jess. She skillfully holds space for emotional release and guides everyone into their hearts, facilitating deep healing and aliveness.”
“Jessica is a masterful facilitator who creates a feminine, loving, and transformative environment. The Shanti Space feels like a warm hug from sacred lands—a place where your nervous system can truly relax. This retreat was a magical, life-changing experience.”
Studied with…
Nagual Lujan Matus
Kimberly Ann Johnson
Uma Dinsmore-Tuli PhD
Carolyn Cowen
Michaela Boehm
John Wineland
Tantrik Academy
Institute of Feminine Arts
Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release System (BBTRS)
With-Yin Yoga
Mother of baby Skye-Marie and Founder of The Shanti Space, having held retreats for over a decade, this is Jessica’s first deep offering following her pregnancy and birth into motherhood in 2023.
Devoted to the healing and awakening of humanity within and without she has hosted retreats for over a decade. Her spiritual journey began in childhood, guided by a strong intuitive nature and a calling to inner transformation.
For over 20 years, Jessica has cultivated heart-centred practices that empower individuals to heal, reconnect, and thrive. She has led empowering journeys through the Himalayas, hosted global workshops, and shared her expertise on platforms like the Om Yoga Show London and world leading restorative programs. Her work has been featured in The Telegraph, Elephant Journal, and Yoga Magazine.
A deeply trained facilitator and lifelong student, Jessica’s study weaves in non-dualistic Tantra Shaivism and Taoism. She holds over 850 hours of yoga teacher training specialising in Yin Yoga, Kundalini, and Classical Tantra. She is also a certified Shadow Work Facilitator, Osho Meditation Facilitator and Biodynamic Breathwork practitioner with a trauma-informed somatic approach.
Her path has been supported extensively by shamanic medicine journeys along with transpersonal psychotherapy, integrating ancient wisdom with modern healing techniques. Rooted in the deep wisdom of our bones, her work addresses the wound to instincts, helping others reconnect with their primal knowing, felt sense and inner balance.
Jess is a story teller at heart, inspired by metaphoric tales of transformation & the empowering transmission of myths. In 2011, she left her life in Sydney, including her career in creative advertising to explore diverse cultures, traditions, and the transformative power of yoga and creativity in which she birthed The Shanti Space. Her experiences continue to inspire her holistic approach to understanding the human condition, transforming patterns of her ancestral lineage and developing deeper connection with the divinity of all things.
In recent years, Jessica has hosted monthly cacao, kirtan and ecstatic dance community gatherings and weekly women’s circles, creating intentional spaces for connection and growth in the context and original healing container of community. Passionate about guiding women back to their cyclical nature and the rhythms of the seasons, she empower women to nurture and integrate the “unmothered” aspects within, fostering resilience and restoring vitality.
Balancing the esoteric with modern practices rooted in breathwork, nervous system regulation, and resourcing, Jessica provides tools and enquiries to support greater awareness, deeper connection, and the breaking through of oppressive and limiting imprints and forces of modern world conditioning. Her work is an invitation to align with personal and collective healing, in service to the greater transformation of humanity and our Earth.