Dear Friends and Fellow Travelers on The Path: Please mark your calendars for the opportunity of a delightful and unique pilgrimage to France either in person or remotely. This is an independent alchemical retreat offering, inspired by the Inayatiyya, and open to All remotely and with a maximum of 18 spots for Women in person (these limited spots are already beginning to fill up even though we are at the very beginning of our spreading the word…so please pre-register soon so that you won’t miss out!)
“The Alchemy of ‘Sophia’: Forging Sanctuary in the Fires of the Divine Feminine:” June 6 to June 9 or 12, 2025
This is both a 3-day online program open to All, and a 3 or 5 day Women’s Retreat in the bucolic and sacred natural landscape of Dordogne Region of France. Please see the attached ‘brochure’ below for further details. Those who attend in person will be treated as a part of the program to visit a sacred cave dedicated to Mary Madeleine, a Tibetan Temple, have the opportunity to drink at a sacred fountain dedicated to the Virgin Mary, will learn the plant lore of the region, and participate in Dances of Universal Peace. These are just a few highlights of some of the delightful activities that we have in store. Those who stay for 5 days, will also be able to make special pilgrimages of your choosing to sites like the Lascaux caves and Sarlat, a medieval village.
The 3-day online remote program runs from Saturday, June 7, 2025 through Monday, June 9, 2025
2025-06-07T19:00:00Z→2025-06-09T17:00:00Z.
Resonant with The Message and especially with that of our beloved Pir Zia, and in sync with the emphasis his current teachings–our program shall emphasize the sacred feminine Sophia and Sakina/Shechina as core archetypes of transformation that speak to the needs of Our Time.
This alchemical retreat program shall help participants:
- Connect with the earth, its natural healing of its flora and fauna, its rivers and springs of pure water, to let go of worries, listen to the heart and open up to the new.
- Celebrate in spirit of the Pentecost (a nationally recognized French holiday and auspicious time of this event) and in connection with the compassion of the great “Spiritual Mothers.”
- Develop momentum and courage through the natural flow and the sacred fire of the wise women archetypes and the women of our time whose actions and presence inspire us to lead our lives more fully.
- Offer opportunities for collective and individual pilgrimage, adventures and exploration–within and without.
Anna Matard (‘Hal’) is married with two children and lives in Perigord Dordogne, France, with her husband. She runs an eco-spiritual retreat center, called Beauregard Spirit, there with her husband. ‘Hal’ has been an Inayatiyya disciple since 1985: a Representative for 15 years, a healing conductor and Cherag (for 30 years), and an Inner School Retreat guide.
C. Elizabeth Leach, (‘Sakina’), first began her formal studies of Sufism in 1983 at Brown University as a comparative culture and religion scholar before being initiated into the Nimatullahi Sufi Order in 1988 and then into the Inayatiyya in 2007, remaining active in both. Elizabeth presently serves as a Representative and Guide of the Inayatiyya, an Inner School Retreat Guide, Healing Conductor and Cheraga of the Universal Worship Service with an advanced ordainment in Spiritual Caregiving, Farmer of the Ziraat, a Suluk graduate, and a student in the second year of the Healing Retreat Guide program. She lives in the greater Princeton area in New Jersey and Wellington, Florida (in the Palm Beaches) with her husband.
Here is the full brochure for those of you who are interested:
1-16-25 PDF FINAL US Liz Pt of Contact ALCHEMY OF SOPHIA.pdf (2.0 MB)
We hope to see you there! Please feel free to share this with your Sufi friends and others whom you think will be interested.
With love and in service, Liz “Sakina”
C. Elizabeth Leach
(Please feel free to pre-register with me at 609.610.5011 or eliz@awareness-communications.com)