A SOUL RECOVERY PROGRAM
This retreat is a sacred invitation to step away from the noise of daily life and enter into a space of deep listening, healing, and transformation. We invite you to enter the world of shamanic transformation; to remember the magic of who you really are; to open the doors of perception to see things with new eyes through the heart. Rooted in the ancient pathways of shamanic practice and grounded in the insights of modern psychology, this experience offers a bridge between worlds: spirit and psyche, ritual and reflection, inner journey and outer integration.
At its’ core, “Transformation House has always been a combination of shamanism, psychospiritual work, and addictions recovery using the principles and modified teachings of SHIP (Shamanic Healing Initiatory Process).” Linda Star Wolf, Founder & Director of Venus Rising ~ VR University ~ Shamanic Breathwork.
Transformation House has always offered a safe space for folks to undergo deep symbolic death and rebirth. The Shamanic Breathwork Ceremonies are one of our main healing transformational experiential modalities which will be used in your retreat, along with other psychospiritual processes. Shamanic breathwork creates a natural altered state with the sacred breath to awaken the healer/shaman within. You can read about Shamanic Breathwork in: Shamanic Breathwork: Journeying Beyond the Limits of the Self by Linda Star Wolf (www.shamanicbreathwork.org).
Transformation House also includes the 30 Shamanic Questions as a way to walk the mystical spiral path of transformation with practical feet which includes family of origin, shadow work, and the spirit of the beloved which will flower into rebirth and you will be able to discover who you really are and what your gifts are to the world with sacred purpose.
Retreats are individually tailored for a weekend, a week, two weeks or longer experiences. Our lead facilitator is Judy Redhawk, PhD, DMin, with other Venus Rising staff who bring their gifts to this process.
Consider bringing a friend, colleague, family member to share the experience.
What You Can Expect
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Personalized Guidance – Your retreat is designed for your unique journey. Through conversation, ritual, and ceremony, you’ll receive support that meets you exactly where you are and supports your inner transformation.
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Shamanic Practices – Shamanic breathwork journeys, ritual practices, and sacred ceremonies to help you access the wisdom of spirit allies, ancestors, and your deep self. Our beautiful Elemental Temples, Labyrinth, Sacred Creek Path, all hold the healing energies for your transformation.
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Psychospiritual Exploration – Practices and reflections to illuminate unconscious patterns, open pathways of healing, and foster wholeness.
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Creative & Embodied Expression – Shamanic Shakti Art processes and nature-based practices to ground insight into lived experience.
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Integration Support – Tools to help you carry your retreat’s experiences into your everyday life with clarity and intention.
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Additional experiences – Reiki, massage, special mystical places in surrounding communities, including waterfalls, a bamboo forest, sacred rivers.
Who This Retreat Is For
​​This Retreat is for those who are called to:
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Explore the depths of their inner world with compassion and courage.
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Reconnect with spirit, ancestors, and the natural world.
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Heal old wounds and awaken new possibilities.
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Live life more artfully, ritually, and soulfully.
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Shamanic breathwork facilitators and practitioners who desire to go more deeply into their own healing and self-understanding.
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A desire for outer guidance navigating changes in their lives (e.g. divorce, loss of a loved one, professional changes, family/friend changes…)
The Container
Retreats are held in a safe, intimate, and nurturing setting on Dove Mountain at the Venus Rising Association for Transformation Retreat Center located in the mystical Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Legend speaks of ancient dragons having retreated deep into these mountains, and the ‘smoke’ we see is the dragons breathing. The land is honored as being part of the oldest mountain range, filled with quartz, and honored by the Cherokee people.
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The inspiring Elemental Temples on Dove Mountain are available for ceremony and meditation.
Lodging is in spaces at Loveland, on the other side of the mountain, which is where Star Wolf, Niko, and Judy Redhawk live. The Lodging spaces are sweet comfy rooms with ensuite bathrooms. There is a community kitchen for meals, and cozy spaces for all the meetings and experiences.
Each participant is honored as a sacred being on their own unique path. The retreat unfolds in a rhythm of ceremony, dialogue, silence, and reflection—balancing structure with spaciousness so that the mystery can speak.
Outcome
By the end of the retreat, you will return to your daily life with:
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A deeper sense of connection to self, spirit, and the web of life.
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Renewed clarity, strength, and inspiration.
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Practices and rituals, you can continue at home to sustain your journey.
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Additional support can be arranged to aid the transition back into daily life.
Transformation House was a vision and co-creation of Linda Star Wolf and Brad Collins.
Star Wolf and Brad have dedicated their lives to recovery and the pursuit of Soulful Sobriety. Brad passed from this plane of existence on August 2, 2014.