‘‘The Call of the Sovereignty Goddess’’ is an invitation to reclaim your spiritual and ancestral inheritance, as a sovereign woman of the Earth. It is a homecoming to the ancient land of Eire, a land steeped in divine feminine wisdom.

The sovereignty Goddesses have been reverred for thousands of years in Ireland, and it was to them that the ancient Kings would be ‘‘married’’ through a sacred ritual called the Banais Ríghí which was one of the most important rituals in ancient Ireland.

Each Provence and ancient Kingdom had a specific sovereignty Goddess, for example Medbh in Contact and at Tara, Bui at Knowth/Brú na Bóinne, Macha in Ulaidh and so on.

If the King was a true one, the land would flourish and all would be well. If he was out of integrity, it would be reflected in the landscape and economy. If he did not honor his duty, the contract with the sovereignty Goddess could be broken and retracted - as it was she who bestowed power to the King.

The call of the sovereignty goddess is an exploration & reclamation of sovereignty - for women of Irish ancestry.

It is a journey of both individual and collective healing, in co-creation with the landscape, ancestors & ancient Goddesses & Gods of Éire.

The Call of the Sovereignty Goddess is a journey of remembering and recovering, of homecoming and celebration.

Do you hear her calling?

To be sovereign is to govern yourself. To dance to the beat of your own drum.

Sovereignty is a sacred path in which you learn to embody your true essence, the power of your autonomy, and the inherent wisdom that you carry in your blood and bones.

This ancient path has been walked by many women before you, supporting you to reclaim the fullness of who you are beyond intergenerational wounding and the colonial patriarchal paradigm, as you reweave and remember the sacred ways of spirit and soul.

your SOVEREIGNTY

In Ireland, sovereignty is interwoven with the wisdom and medicine of the goddesses, who personify the land in deeply spiritual and mystical ways. When our hearts are humble and open, the goddesses offer us a transmission of true remembering. This can support you to release and unravel false identities and harmful imprinting that diminishes your sovereignty.

To stand in your sovereignty is to remember your place in the web of kinship, as a daughter of the earth…as a bean feasa (wise woman) of your lineage who tends the altar of life.

Our retreat is set in the heart of the sacred Boyne valley. Our accomodation on the banks of the Boyne river, 5 minutes from Knowth, Dowth & Síd in Bróga (Newgrange)

Just 20 minutes from the Hill of Tara, we are in the centre of the ancient mythological landscape of the Boyne.

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Our Retreat accomodation

The Lime eco-house

Hill of Tara

(TEAMHAIR NA Rí)

The Hill of Tara / Teamhair na Rí translates to the ‘‘Sanctuary of the King’’. In ancient times this was the seat of the High King of Ireland. It was here that the King married Medbh the sovereignty goddess, in the ancient rites of the Banais Ríghí. In ancient Ireland the King was not just representative of power and law, he reflected the wellbeing of the land. He embodied the culture and people. When he married the land through the sovereignty goddess, the masculine and feminine became one and balance was created.

Tara is a place of spiritual and political significance in Ireland. I believe it holds the ‘‘akashic records’’ of this lands ancient memory and it offers a space & gateway of remembrance and reclamation, when approached and interacted with in consciousness and reverence. Tara is a place of homecoming, of ancient & ancestral activation. The leylines throughout Tara offer an opportunity to amplify prayer, healing and ceremony. There are 7 sacred holy wells on Tara, aswell as many other powerful energy points throughout the larger complex of the site. It in essence is a holy temple. The mound at Tara is in alignment with Imbolg and Samhain sunrise. It once held the Lia Fail (stone of destiny) which was one of the treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann - one of the most important and powerful items in ancient Irish mythology, culture and society. It was the stone that inaugurated and ultimately ‘‘chose’’ the King at Tara. It held and initiated the sovereignty of the land. It is believed to have been stolen by the colonizers and remains held captive in West-Minister. The stone we have today is believed to be a replacement.

Brú na Bóinne is without a doubt one of Ireland’s most renowned complex of ancient temples - and the more greater known is that of Sídh an Bróga, (Newgrange) which aligns with the Winter Solstice sunrise. It is said that here is home to the Dagda, and Boann, two extremely important maternal & paternal deities of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Síd in Bróga of the Boyne Valley - is the womb-like quartz covered ancient sun-temple, aligned with the midwinter Solstice sunrise, a site which is at the forefront as a symbol of Irish heritage, dated to be older than the pyramids of Giza. By modern-dating systems Newgrange is said to be around 5,200 years old - built around 3,200 B.C. What we do know for sure, is it is very old indeed.

Brú na Bóinne & Síd in Bróga

This quartz mound is remineisent of the womb, and is linked with Birth - the light of the solstice sun penetrates the dark womb like chamber, marking the resurrection of the solar year.

Knowth & Dowth are the two satellite mounds which exist within the Bru na Boinne complex. Knowth (Cnoc Bui) is said to be home to Bui, a lesser known Sovereignty Goddess. Newgrange represents birth, Dowth is death, and Knowth is marriage. This is reflected in the famous triskele, carved into the chamber of Sid in Broga.

We will dreaming with the potent energy of these sites/temples as our accomodation is within minutes in proximity, as well as visiting them directly as part of our pilgrimages.

Reclaim your sovereingn self

Sovereignty reclamation is a form of soul retrieval, for ourselves, our ancestors, the Earth and humanity.

We live in a time where so much has been taken, given away, fragmented and forgotten. The predatory systems of colonization, capitalism and patriarchy are still at large in the world and we are being asked to reckon with this energies within ourselves - to cut chords with them, and to restore our original blueprint as beautiful, loving humans who live in harmony with the sacred song of life.

The work of reclaiming our sovereignty is to cut ties with the colonized parts of ourselves, to release the predator within, to reckon with where we have given away our power, and colluded with these systems in our lives and choices.

The Divine Feminine energy is rising on Earth in these times and the land of Eiriu is waking up - and calling her children home to remember again. These times call for us to stand together, to repair our ancestral relationships - weaving together again the ancestral threads of wisdom that were frayed by colonization.

Are you ready?

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

This retreat may be for you if…

-You’re feeling called to return to & stand in your Irish heritage.

-You’re finished playing small and going along with harmful systems of oppression.

-You can hear the land of Éiriu calling you to come home.

-You want to pray & remember alongside sisters on sacred land.

-You’re ready to reclaim your sovereign birth-rite, as a wise woman of your lineage.

Your Facilitators

Aoife Lowden

FACILITATOR
Aoife Lowden is a Bean Draoi na hÉireann, devoted to remembering the ancient healing ways of Ireland.
She works intimately with the land, ancestors, elements, plants & trees to co-create spaces of healing & remembrance. Aoife's greatest learning received has come from the land itself, by the fireside, in the heart of the forest. Here she lived for some years, and this experience cracked open her ability to converse & commune with the Plants and Trees. It is from this place that she teaches, and shares her embodied wisdom which comes directly from her relationship with the land and ancient ones.
Aoife offers regular fire and native plant ceremonies, sacred site ritual, online courses, retreats and ancestral celebrations. Her creation of Leigheas Dé Danann is a culmination of all of her offerings which are rooted in remembering with the Tuatha Dé Danann, and are often offered in collaboration with her wider community.
Tara Brading

FACILITATOR
Tara Brading is a women’s educator, storyteller and songstress, focusing on uplifting nature-based feminine wisdom & ancestral teachings from Ireland & England. She's been on a journey of remembering and reclamation for over ten years, honoring the earth based feminine wisdom left in her blood and bones.
She's the creator of The Roundhouse, which is an online community that lovingly guides women into nature based feminine wisdom from the Irish traditions. She's also the creator of Grail Priestess, a deep-dive program that guides women into heartfelt connection with their English heritage. She also runs a variety of other courses, events and workshops that serve thousands of women every year.
She journeys to Ireland & England regularly for pilgrimage, and currently lives on the ancestral lands of the Ute and Arapaho people in the mountains of so-called Colorado (USA).

Testimonials for Aoife & Tara

”Aoife Dé Dannan is a fíor bean feasa na h-Éireann. She holds the wisdom of many grandmothers in her young being. An elder before her time, she embodies the strength of an Dúir naofa and the gentleness of an Fia bán. Authenticity shines through her being. Aoife is the guide our time now urgently needs. She is leading the remembering, retrieving, and recovering of the healing energies of Mother Earth, of the lost wisdom practices of our ancestors – their deep knowing of the sacred plant medicines, their natural connection to an talamh naofa and to the Otherworld, their sacred celebration of the seasons and high holy days, and the especial importance of holding ceremonial fires in the sacred places of Éire.”

“My ancestral journey in the best hands with Tara. She’s a skilled facilitator, offering beautiful journeys, teachings, and lessons that have allowed me to do ancestral work in a way that’s safe and community-driven, in a love oriented container. Tara is a fantastic teacher, I can’t recommend her enough!”

‘‘A most powerful experience to be at this retreat, the room we had for spontaneity, the beautiful food, the many stories shared, the music and dance, the water we drank, the land we were on, the people it summoned, the berries and herbs, the experiential learning of making medicine, of being embraced by Liath Lus in so many ways, the fire, the dreams, the listening, the sharing of dreams and sounds, the vulnerability, the movement each morning, the releasing and realizations every moment provided. The space to feel a part of nature, the camaraderie and care. With Love and gratitude, would do this again and again.’’

“For the first time in my life I feel deeply connected to my lineage and my ancestors. I have a path forward that includes them. Getting to know them better, having them be an integral part of my journey toward our collective and continued healing, discovering my life’s purpose and living a life that honors them and our ancestral medicines is something I am very much looking forward to.”

We are keeping this as a very intimate retreat.There are only 8 available spaces.

Including:

-Shared beautiful accomodation (twin ensuite room) 4 nights, 5 days.

-All nourishing meals catered professionally (except one)

-Workshops, ceremonies, guided tours & admission to Brú na Bóinne, transport to sacred sites etc.

-Two skilled Facilitators and additional Special guests.

-Group Pick up and drop off at Dublin airport.

- 2 group zoom calls before and after, for preparation & Integration.