3.5 Day Immersive Retreat Among the Trees with Emma Freeman & Minette Riordan, Ph.D.
Wild and Sacred: A Creative Spirit Retreat
September 18-21, 2025 | Oregon City, Oregon | $900 Early Bird Pricing through May 15.
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“The retreat was great for getting unstuck in the creative process and letting yourself create without a plan of your end piece. This way of creating frees you up to enjoy exploring different media and materials for the shear curiosity and playfulness of it.” – Sherry K.
Where Art, Spirit, and Nature Weave Together in Sacred Creation
There is a whisper in the wind, an ancient call stirring deep within your soul…
A longing to pause. To listen. To create.
To remember who you are beneath the noise of daily life.
Welcome to Wild & Sacred: The Creative Spirit Retreat, a soulful, creative, and transformational retreat nestled among the trees near Portland, Oregon.
Over the course of 3.5 days, you will step into sacred time—letting go of the rush, the roles, and the responsibilities—to reconnect with your inner wisdom, the elements, and the unseen threads that weave you into the greater whole.
At the heart of this retreat is the creation of a set of personal prayer flags—painted, stitched, and strung with deep intention. Each flag will honor one of the five elements—earth, air, fire, water, and spirit—serving as a sacred offering and a visual representation of your wild and sacred journey.
A Journey of Creativity, Ritual, and Spiritual Connection:
During this retreat, you will:
Immerse yourself in nature’s wisdom—Gather in the serene embrace of the trees, allowing the land to guide your creative and spiritual process.
Create a personal set of prayer flags—Using paint, fabric, stitching, and symbolic imagery, you will craft a beautiful strand of prayer flags infused with your prayers, intentions, and dreams.
Engage in elemental rituals and ceremony—Connect with the sacred energies of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit through guided meditations, movement, and meaningful rituals.
Share in soulful sisterhood—Experience the power of gathering in community with like-hearted women, sharing stories, insights, and encouragement as you weave your own transformation.
Express through writing and reflection—Guided journal prompts will invite you to deepen into your experience, translating your emotions and insights onto the page.
Leave with a tangible reminder of your journey—Your finished prayer flags will be infused with your heart’s wisdom, ready to hang in your sacred space or outdoors as a visual reminder of your connection to spirit and the natural world.
If this resonates, then Wild & Sacred is calling to you.
This experience is for a small group of individuals who:
Feel called to slow down and reconnect with their soul’s wisdom
Long to express their spirituality through creative practice
Seek a deeper connection to the elements and the rhythms of nature
Desire a sacred container for healing, transformation, and renewal
Are drawn to ritual, ceremony, and intentional living
No art experience is necessary—this retreat is about process, not perfection. Your hands, your heart, and your presence are all that is needed.
Note: All gender expressions are welcome to join us at this retreat.
These are samples of Emma and Minette's Sacred Prayer Flags in process. We love the mindfulness of stitching, collaging, writing and working with fabric:
What Awaits You at Wild & Sacred?
This retreat is spacious by design—an invitation to breathe deeply, explore, and tend to your inner self as well as plenty of time in the studio to write, draw, paint and connect with others.
Daily Highlights:
Painting, Stitching, Collaging: Explore each of the 5 elements through color, symbol and texture as you craft a set of sacred and personal prayer flags.
Journaling & Reflection: Engage with prompts that inspire clarity and focus, allowing you to distill your insights and intentions and deepen your connection with yourself and the 5 elements: air, fire, water, earth and spirit.
Time among the trees: The Retreat Among the Trees studio is a beautiful property where you feel as if you are in a tree house inside plus there's plenty of outdoor space to explore. Stitch by the pond, sketch on the lawn, nap under the trees, walk barefoot on the soft grass...
A Local Oregonian Adventure: Oregon is famous for it's food trucks and there's a fabulous permanent food truck park in Oregon City where we will enjoy a feast for our senses one lunchtime. From Thai to Burgers and BBQ, Mediterranean and Mexican there is truly something for everyone.
Delicious Meals: Share stories, insights, and laughter with kindred spirits around the table with a special welcome dinner on Thursday evening, lunch on Friday and a sumptuous brunch on Sunday. Plus coffee, tea, light breakfast and snacks each day.
What others have to say...
"This retreat created a safe, expansive and compassionate container to open and bloom in new ways. It's like an adventure of being locked in an art supply store and getting to play in every fun way my imagination takes me. How fun to transform as the side effect of creating and playing."
- Annette
"Thank you for creating such a safe and supportive space for us to explore and heal individually and together. Each of activities offered it's own invitation to go deeper. I felt held equally in my forward steps and my mis-steps. Through this retreat I embraced old wounds and re-purposed the elements for a joy-filled future." - Karen Joy
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN WILD CREATIVE ENCHANTMENT:
3.5 days of creative immersion at Retreat Among the Trees in Oregon City, Oregon (near Portland, Oregon.)
Explore painting, collage, journaling and more with plenty of spacious time to play and create!
An intimate experience, we only have space for 10 students!
All art supplies are provided, you get to just show up.
Some meals including a welcome dinner and opening session on Thursday evening.
An outdoor excursion to a nearby food truck "city" and antique store.
Connection with other like-minded creative sisters.
Masterful facilitation by Emma Freeman and Minette Riordan, Ph.D
This event is limited to 10 folks. Save your space today.
Schedule and details:
Thursday, September 18: 3:30pm to 7pm (includes a light dinner)
Friday, September 19: 9:30am to 5:30pm
Saturday, May 17: 9:30am to 5:30pm
Sunday, May 18: 9:30am to 12:30pm
Price: $1200 $900.00 or 3 payments of $300.00 (Early bird pricing through May 15 - save $300 today)
Location: Oregon City, OR. Address and details provided upon registration.
The studio is up a flight of stairs, there is a chair lift if support is needed going up or down stairs.
Lodging and transportation are not included. We can offer recommendations for places to stay nearby.
Closest airport is Portland, Oregon.
Photos from previous retreats:
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I'm not creative?
Then you are in the right place to rediscover that yes you are creative! No special skills or previous art experience needed. We are all creative. This is about the journey and Emma & Minette will guide you step by step through the process.
What is included with my registration?
All art supplies, some meals including a welcome dinner on Thursday plus abundant snacks and beverages.
Where is the retreat located?
The retreat is located in Oregon City, Oregon (near Portland.) Address provided when you register.
Please note: accommodations and transportation are not included.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please make sure the dates of this event work for you. We are not able to offer any refunds once you have registered.
What is the weather like in Oregon in September?
The weather is wonderful in September with less rain than normal and moderate temperatures.
Meet your guides for the retreat
Dr. Minette Riordan
An adventurer and rebel with a deep love for expressive arts, Minette believes in stepping bravely into new challenges. A passionate teacher and seeker, Minette finds joy in guiding others to tap into their vision and passion through art and self-reflection. With three decades of experience leading groups, she brings depth, warmth, and wisdom to every gathering. Learn more about Minette here: https://www.minetteriordan.com
Emma Freeman is an Artist, Soul Writer, Teacher, Reiki Therapist and Intuitive Medium. With over 20 years of experience in the arts and art education, Emma blends creative practices with energy healing, mindfulness, meditation and joyful play to support deepest, authentic expression. She loves nature, community, sacred solitude, dancing, laughing, cooking and reading. Emma is sober, a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and part of the LGBTQ+ community. She lives in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin with her wonderful family including two rescue beagles. Learn more about Emma and her work here: https://deep-rooted-healing.com/
"I am steeped in immense gratitude for the depth and richness of the experience. From the moment we began this 4 and 1/2 day retreat, we traveled in a liminal space of radical acceptance, profound insight, and heartfelt generosity. We were surrounded by the saturated colors of the sacred space created to contain and support our creative unfolding. Delicious food, the company of wise women, the natural environment we spent time in, the abundance of diverse materials and gentle, loving guidance were food for my Soul. The theme delighted and inspired me with well orchestrated and thoughtful stepping stones along the path end with the sacred sharing of our creations on our last morning together. Leslie and Minette are masterful Magicians who took me on an enchanted journey that I will forever cherish."- Tamara Brody
© Minette Riordan/Mindful Patterns, LLC 2024