A Tara Mandala Virtual Retreat

Treat yourself to a cross-cultural weekend of storytelling, poetry, oracles, music, recipes and goddess stories in our virtual goddess temple cafe. Shakti morphs through time, shapeshifts from male to female, traveling countries, cross-dressing religions, assuming peaceful, wrathful and semi-wrathful elements. Express joyful creativity through stories, song, poetry, practice, invocations, recipes and art.

In this virtual weekend retreat, you will connect with the fierce feminine, the Egyptian lion-faced goddess Sekhmet, and the Hindu goddess Kali, half-naked and adorned in a garland of skulls. Dance with her as Orisha Oshun, goddess of sweet water, sensuality and music. You will meet her as Annapoorna, wife of Shiva, and goddess of food and nourishment, and encounter her as Kuan Yin, bodhisattva of compassion, She Who Hears the Cries of the World, and seek her wisdom through the White Tara Wisdom Oracle. In her form as Theotokos, Mother of God, the Black Madonna, you will trace her roots to the Egyptian goddess Isis and as Maria Kannon who arose in mid-17th century Japan at a time of religious persecution. 

In our collective seeking of stories, practices and visualizations associated with each goddess, you will delve deeper into each of her forms through meditation and writing practice. You will work with the goddess that feels closest to what you need and unlock a deeper understanding of yourself. This cross-cultural goddess gathering is a reminder that connecting with the sacred feminine is an empowering act and one that cannot but leave you unchanged and as bountiful as the great mother herself. Meet her and you meet yourself.

The gorgeous art depicting White Tara and Yeshe Tsogyal featured in the graphic for this retreat is by Lasha Mutual. 

In this retreat we will have the opportunity to:

• Create your personal Goddess handbook of story, poems, prayers and invocations, art, and/or recipes. 
• Engage in a time of story, practice and song, and nourish your being and creativity. 
• Encounter the sacred feminine on the page and in your mediation practice.
• Receive a special curated collation of selected readings and reference list of Goddess literature, recipe books, Devi music and oracle decks. 
• Enjoy an optional oracle reading from the White Tara Wisdom Oracle with Dr. Ranjini George. 
• Receive a sample of half-dozen stories and Middle Eastern and Indian recipes culled from a Dubai treasury Through my Mother’s Window by Dr. Ranjini George.

Who Should Attend? 

• This retreat is open to all.
• This retreat is useful for those who have just started on their journey towards the sacred feminine and for those who have been on this path for years and are looking for fresh ideas, more goddess stories and history, writing practice, renewal and community. Through its eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary cross-cultural practices, this retreat could change the way you see yourself and others. 

What Do I Need?

• A notebook or folio of papers to use for your Goddess notebook or collage.
• Pen, colored pens and pencils if you wish. 
• Whatever else you may think you need for your Goddess Notebook or individual artistic expression. 
• If interested, though not required for this retreat, you can purchase Through My Mother’s Window in our Dakini Store here. Use discount code TEMPLECAFE25 to receive a 25% discount.

What is a Virtual Retreat?
Virtual Retreats are Tara Mandala At-Home intensive retreats, teachings and in-depth workshops during which practitioners receive dharma teachings, engage in guided practice, experience hands-on learning, and connect with other participants through an easy-to-use online platform (Zoom) during consecutive days (with few exceptions) and daylong offerings. This modality of learning is appropriate for practitioners who are able to create a practice container of their own, setting aside a dedicated retreat space, removing themselves from social media, and taking care of necessities with the mind of compassion in action for the specific dates and times that the teachings occur. 

Virtual Retreats are meant to be attended live given that direct transmission (Tib. lung) may be given. However, access to recordings of the sessions are available for additional viewing for various timeframes specified by the price level selected.

Tiered-Prices
Tara Mandala offers tiered pricing for all virtual retreats to allow participants the opportunity to consider offering additional financial support for Tara Mandala while gaining greater access to the recordings of the teachings post-retreat. These are difficult times for everyone, and Tara Mandala is no exception. We encourage you to select at the highest level within your capacity to assist Tara Mandala in covering the costs to offer these wonderful teachings. We thank you in advance for your support and your practice!

$283 – Tier 1 (includes access to recordings of all sessions for up to 7 days from the end of the retreat)
Registration at this level covers the basic costs of holding this specific retreat. 

$345 – Tier 2 (includes access to recordings of all sessions for up to 30 days from the end of the retreat)
Registration at this level covers basic costs of this retreat and supports the year round staff at Tara Mandala.

$382 – Tier 3 (includes access to recordings of all sessions for up to 1 year from the end of the retreat)
Registration at this level covers basic costs for this retreat, supports year around staff as well as facilities maintenance and other critical operational needs.

Choosing Tier 2 or Tier 3 levels will allow Tara Mandala Retreat Center to continue to operate, be a repository for wisdom literature, a center for translation, a beacon for the feminine in Buddhism, and an active dharma center that provides refuge for deep practice and transformation.

There are many ways to support and engage with Tara Mandala’s activities. Click here to learn more. We appreciate your support and generosity! 

Offering dana to the teacher: The practice of offering dana, which means “generosity,” is the traditional offering the student makes to the teacher as a symbol of appreciation, gratitude, and reciprocity for receiving the precious teachings. Information on offering dana to the teacher will be provided during the virtual retreat. To learn more about dana and suggested dana ranges, please click here. 

Payment Plans and Financial Assistance
Tara Mandala has two scholarship funds and offers deferred payment plans as resources for anyone with financial limitations. For more information and to apply, visit our Scholarships and Financial Assistance Page. 

VIRTUAL RETREAT SCHEDULE
Listed times are the online portions of the retreat. All times are Mountain Time. 
Please use this link to see how this daily schedule translates into your timezone.

Friday, October 29:
12:00pm – 2:00pm: Introductory Session

Saturday, October 30:
8:00am – 8:45am: Opening, Practice session
10:00am – 12:00pm: Teaching Session
1:30pm – 3:30pm: Teaching Session
4:00pm – 4:45 pm: Closing, Practice session

Sunday, October 31:
8:00am – 8:45am: Opening, Practice Session
10:00am – 12:00pm: Teaching Session
1:30pm – 2:30 pm: Teaching Session
2:30pm – 3:30pm: Celebratory, Open Mic session