Red Thread Retreat

This event is a seed, a legacy. It is more than one event. It is a rejection of isolation and separation. It is where we begin to truly open ourselves into the lives of others. 

Many of us consciously and unconsciously dream of a future where we feel held by community. I’m not willing to wait around for that future to arrive.

To build it, we must start now. We must sit together, learn from each other, and remember that those who have lived longer than us carry insights we cannot yet understand. We must prepare our young people for the great transitions of life in ways so sacred and meaningful that continuing becomes undeniable.

The vision 

The Red Thread Retreat is a gathering held 6 times every year, where women’s wisdom flows across the generations from elders, to mothers, sisters, to children and all the way back. We are specifically calling in our older wise women to share their experiences and stories with us. 

Here grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters and maidens come together to give and receive in balance. At this gathering, we will practice the Law of Reciprocity in action where our currency is wisdom, devotion and service. 

The Law of Reciprocity is one of the most fundamental principles of nature. It is the principle that what we give, we receive in return. In our current system many of us, and especially mothers,  feel exhausted, unseen, and unbalanced despite our relentless devotion. 

Together, by giving back to mothers, grandmothers, and older women, we can support mothers to finally receive the devotional frequency of their own love. We are the balancing current.

The First Red Thread Retreat

This event will be the first exploration of our vision in action. Those who attend will actively create the architecture of our community and chosen family. 

As this is a flexible and organic environment, the exact activities cannot be defined until we have agreed on them collectively. Our intention so far includes:

✨ Remembering the old ways of wisdom sharing, beyond workshops, panels and experts 

✨ Honouring all aspects of womanhood, including those that have been shamed, silenced and hidden

✨ Creating initiations for our community to acknowledge sacred rites of passage (bleeding, early birth, birth, postpartum, menopause, death, loss of parents, life without children)

✨ Connecting to the season and spirit of the land that we gather on in ways true to the Southern Hemisphere and First Nations people

✨ Crafting, weaving, cooking, singing, dancing, sweating, praying

Activities

Some specific activities may include Matriarch Circles, SCI MAA Sacred Linguistic Dance, Sweat Lodge, Ritual Silk Botanical Dyeing, Sacred Shibari, Somatic Movement Practices, Nature Playspaces, Matriarchal Animism Practices, Vocal Toning and Kirtan, Massage (Lympathic Drainage, Lomi Lomi, Zen Thai Shaitsu), Surprise Performances and much more...

Location

A private 40-acre mountain sanctuary on the edge of Watagans National Park, surrounded by ancient trees and stone boulders. Three dwellings sleep up to 19 women, each with access to bathrooms, fully equipped kitchens, outdoor decks and firepits. The property is accessible with all vehicles (with a few bumps more comfortable in an AWD), and there is plenty of space for camping and van camping.

What to bring - Packing List

Accessibility

The desire for this movement is to remove/reduce the need for a financial exchange every time we seek to access healing and community. We want women from all backgrounds to be able to share and learn from this experience. If you are restricted by any means, please reach out to charlotteowen33@proton.me. We will be raising funds to support those of you who cannot yet afford to invest in this vision, but desire to be present.

What comes after…

Over 2026, a core group of approximately 30-50 women will come to form a chosen family, one that is matrilineal, matriarchal, non-hierarchical and co-created. Everyone who contributes time, energy, facilitation, art, or organising will share in the retreat’s profits, and all outgoing costs are reimbursed.

What we learn within the container of the Red Thread Retreat will form what we share at the annual large-scale Red Thread Festival. We will share our blueprint for developing and sustaining a chosen family of women with the broader community. This event aims to provide the foundation and funding to ensure that the entirety of our Red Thread Retreats for 2027 will be free to attend for the core group. 

Those who consistently contribute energetically, emotionally, physically and financially will be those who are rewarded with the wealth of community that is currently unknown in our western lives. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different compared to other festivals? 

While at other festivals you are paying for a ticket to access various experts and experiences, this retreat is an investment into a collective wealth that you share in. It extends well beyond the experience of just one retreat, and the wealth of our village will permeate your life in ways we all cannot yet fathom. 

Does that mean facilitators have to pay? 

Yes. You can think of 2026 as our investment stage. We are investing to create a sustainable alternative to the system that always requires financial exchange for community and healing. Profits will be distributed proportionally between primary facilitators, organisers, and possibly all attendees (if substantive). 

Our ultimate aim is to offer free and accessible community to our core collective in 2027.

How do you decide who gets to access the beds? 

This will be decided on a needs basis first, followed by first comes first served. Primarily we are seeking to offer these beds to our elders and wise women first, followed by those who have accessibility needs. 

If you would like to request a bed, please specify this on your ticket. There are 2-6 beds per room.

If this vision resonates with you, then please join us. If you would like to speak to someone about this vision or gathering before committing, please contact charlotteowen33@proton.me. 

Wisdom keepers. Lived experience. Beyond capitalism, patriarchy, and consumerism. Rooted in silence, circle, and deep listening.

This is where we build the new, guided by the wisdom of the old.

Lots of love, 

Charlotte