12 - 17 NOVEMBER 2025 | THE SHANTI SPACE, PORTUGAL
A sacred descent into the
womb of creation,
wisdom & mythic embodiment
—embracing the dark mother as an initiation into self-discovery, loving truth & power.
Dance of the Dark Mother Immersion
This is an invitation to embrace the paradox of the feminine: the destruction that gives way to creation, the shadow that births the light, 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.
12-17 NOVEMBER 2025 | THE SHANTI SPACE | DANCE OF THE DARK MOTHER
A transformational journey of deep surrender, sovereign truth & personal power.
EARLY BIRD RATES UNTIL 1ST MARCH
RESERVE HERE
Experience Includes
-
✧ Taoist Tantric Practices
✧ Tantra Yoga & Mantra
✧ Mythic Embodiment
✧ Embodied Boundaries & Sacred Rage Ritual
✧ Dynamic Emotional Release Exercises
✧ Eros & Energy Cultivation Practices
✧ Yin & Kundalini Yoga
✧ Crystal Tones Sound Journeys
✧ Breathwork
✧ Sharing Circles
✧ Shadow Integration Practice
✧ Womb Blessing & Ancestral Healing
✧ Self Explorative Journaling
✧ And so much more…
Also Included:-
Five nights / six days accommodation, organic meals prepared by chef, snacks & teas, full program of deep immersive workshops
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.
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 OPEN
Enquiries Contact booking@theshantispace.com
Does your heart yearn to feel alive yet you find yourself stuck, weighed down & unable to manifest the life you desire?
This is for you if…
You feel tired of holding the weight of life, feel tension, or fogginess —and are ready to let it go.
You crave sacred time & space to dive into the depths of your being & rise regenerated.
You feel the magnetic pull to awaken your sensual power as a source of creation & liberation.
You’re ready to shed outdated stories, to stop focusing on pleasing others, to release your fears & embrace the raw truth of who you are.
You’ve got as far as you can go with the tools you have so far & yearn to be held in community.
You desire potent rituals, deep embodiment practices & are open to the fierce love & wisdom of the Dark Mother to journey with you.
You know there’s a radiant, unstoppable version of you waiting to emerge—and you’re ready to meet her.
This is not for you if…
You’re seeking a surface-level experience, not a journey of transformation and power.
You shy away from the shadow and are not ready to face your truth.
You’re uncomfortable with exploring sensuality, erotic energy,
or the mysteries of your body & soul.
You resist surrendering control or stepping into the unknown.
You are not able or willing to fully show up for yourself in this container right now.
COMPASSION
LIBERATION
DEVOTION
COMMUNITY
Choose Your Sacred Sanctuary
Private with Ensuite
Dormitory
Shared Twin
HER TEMPLE: The Shanti Space
Nestled in a beautiful woodland valley, only half an hour from Lisbon and fifteen minutes from Ericeira beach.
The Shanti Space is a nourishing family-run sanctuary for retreat, to rest and restore well-being whilst bathed in the loving embrace of nature.
Feel into the space below
The womb of the Dark Mother awaits
—each space, a vessel for transformation.
Feel deeply nourished
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.
Be ready for mouthwatering deliciously tantalising & heart opening dishes to nourish your tummy & tickle your soul.
“A passionate believer that food is the foundation of health, I see the body as a sacred temple deserving the finest gifts of Mother Earth. These offerings are a celebration of care, whether for ourselves, loved ones, or even strangers.
I bring nourishing alchemy to this special immersion, curating dishes made from scratch with the freshest, most mindful ingredients. For this retreat, I’ll prepare delicious aphrodisiac foods to awaken wildness, erotic energy, and creativity.”
Your Chef,
Zoe
“Do not fear the darkness,
for it is the womb of the soul.
The Dark Mother holds you
even as you break.”
– Marion Woodman
FAQS
Ease your doubts below or
email us with any other enquiries: bookings@thesantispace.com
-
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.
We may use the word woman/ sisters for any person who identifies as a woman, regardless of their assigned sex at birth.We also fully welcome and celebrate non-binary folks to join this program. We acknowledge that gender is non-binary, fluid, and on a spectrum and support each individual’s right to live in alignment with their gender identity.
That being said, this course is gendered and uses gendered language (eg. Shiva / Shakti & Yoni / Lingum) and the program is held by heteronormative teachers with traditional Tantric Daoist systems.
For instance, some material relates to womb and yoni work (Yoni is the Tantric word for vagina).
If you are non-binary or trans, feel into what you need to be safe and if you’re okay working with the above mentioned practices in the context explained. However, if that doesn’t feel like enough safety or acknowledgment, we understand and respect that.
Please reach out if you have any questions regarding inclusivity.
Our priority is that everyone in the space feels safe and seen
-
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.
We will have lovingly & concsiously prepared snacks along with plant based organic meals created by our catering team.
All products are sourced from local organic farms as much as possible.
-
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.
-
The venue already has creatures on-site and strictly prohibit people from bringing animals to the sanctuary.
-
● A sacred item to place on the altar (something which holds meaning for you)
● Your favourite massage oil
● Clothes you feel amazing/sacred/sensual/cozy in. This can be anything from a beautiful dress to a kimono to lingerie to your favourite tracksuit. You do you!
● Sarong/robe
● A blindfold (this can be a sleeping mask/scarf)
● Sarong / swimsuit (optional) & towel for flower bathing
● Water bottle (no open lids in the yoga shala)
● Natural soaps
● Loose comfortable clothes for the yoga / meditation
● Journal & pen
● Warm layers for evenings, socks, slippers
● Walking shoes
● Mosquito repellent
● Cash for treatments & gift shop
Please avoid use of perfumes & strong scented cosmetics during the retreat. -
Checkin is at 4pm
Checkout is 11amFor additional night's accommodation we highly recommend finding a place in Ericiera beach town only 15 mins drive away.
Opening Circle at 4:30pm on 24th June
-
Yes, we are happy to accommodate payment plans however full payment will need to be complete by the end of May in order to secure your place.
Please be aware there is an additional 65 euro administration fee for instalment plans.
Dark Mother Temple Team
Mother, Yogini & Founder of The Shanti Space, Jessica Weaver has been curious and sensitive to the unseen since an early age. Though there was a chapter of her life when she denied and suppressed her intuitive gifts, her discovery of yoga 20 years ago, alongside her experiences with medicinal plants, reignited her connection to the intelligence of Life and her innate capacity to see, feel, and heal.
Today, Jessica is devoted to creating transformative containers for deeper connection and empowerment.
At The Shanti Space, she weaves together ancient practices tantra yoga, kirtan, and ecstatic dance with a grounded somatic understanding of the body’s nervous system and emotional intelligence. Her work honours the Divine Feminine, drawing upon her roots and the archetypes of the Great Mother to guide us toward deep self-remembering.
Jessica’s offerings include community gatherings, moon rituals, and immersive retreats, all designed to support individuals in reconnecting with their truth, awakening their intuition, and embodying the essence of their being.
A heart-centred entrepreneur and visionary, she is passionate about holding space for healing, transformation and celebration.
Dark Mother Temple Team
-
Lina Lahlou
SACRED RAGE RITUAL
Lina Lahlou is a dedicated medicine woman and co-creator of House of the Rising Mojo in Ericeira, Portugal, a holistic center for healing and spiritual growth.
Rooted in vulnerability, courage, and the wisdom of nature, her work empowers women through womb healing, love, and devotion.
Guided by the sacred, Lina creates spaces for transformation and reconnection to the divine feminine.
-
Joanna Lewins
EROTIC EMBODIMENT & BODY WISDOM PRAYER
Joanna is a vocalist, mover, and medicine woman devoted to the healing power of music, movement, and shamanism.Known for her grounded yet spiritual approach, she creates transformative spaces that inspire connection to the earth, the heart, and the self.
Passionate about dance as the ultimate medicine, Joanna’s workshops and retreats invite you to embrace your authenticity and dance wildly with all parts of yourself, fostering healing and awakening for all.
-
Zoe Michel
FOOD ALTER ARTIST
A plant-based food alchemist, she weaves creativity and mindfulness into every dish she prepares.Her work is a celebration of nature’s abundance, blending healing nourishment and transformational beauty to inspire a deeper connection to self and Earth through ritual and prayer.
Through her lovingly crafted meals, she creates culinary experiences that awaken vitality and joy.
“The Dark Mother teaches us that creation and destruction are inseparable; one must die so that something new can be born.
– Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Answer the Call.
Step into the Shadows.
Join the Dance of the Dark Mother.
12-17 NOVEMBER 2025 | Cancer
New Moon
The cave awaits—enter, and become.