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MoonWise: A Journey Through Shadow & Light
October 6-10, 2026 | Estes Park Museum | Estes Park, CO
Super Early-Bird Price until October 31: $999 or 3 payments of $333
Listen to the Moon. Let Her Guide You Home to Yourself.
Immerse yourself in the deep hush of autumn’s edge. Surrounded by gold-dusted aspens and the rugged, sacred peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, this retreat invites you to follow the moon’s cycle—and your inner heroine’s journey—into the luminous heart of midlife transformation.
This is more than a creative retreat—it’s a rite of passage. In the enveloping rhythm of the lunar phases, you’ll trace a path from shadow into light, from quiet descent into radiant emergence. Here, under her watchful glow, you’ll craft a handmade MoonWise book about the phases of the moon and shape your own soul-stirring art.
Seats are limited to 16 for this event — book your spot now and say yes to a soulful fall adventure!
Here is what you will receive as an attendee of The MoonWise Retreat
✔ 4.5 days of soulful creativity and lunar exploration in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado — nestled at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
✔ An abundance of expressive materials to support your creative unfolding — including bookmaking, journaling, watercolor, intuitive collage, and slow stitching.
✔ All art supplies are lovingly provided — just bring your open heart and willing hands.
✔ Nourishing meals to support your journey:
Welcome dinner on Tuesday evening
Lunches, snacks, and beverages Wednesday through Friday
A final gathering brunch on Saturday
✔ Nature-based experiences to awaken your senses and root your practice — short, accessible excursions (weather permitting).
✔ A half-day adventure into Rocky Mountain National Park — transportation and park entrance included — to honor the land and gather inspiration beneath the vast Colorado sky.
✔ Unstructured time to explore the charm of Estes Park — stroll by the river, visit local art galleries, or sit quietly beneath the turning aspens.
✔ A circle of kindred creatives — women walking their own midlife path, ready to connect, create, and be seen.
✔ Spaciousness and intimacy — time to rest, reflect, play, and gather under the wisdom of the moon. This retreat is limited to just 16 participants for a truly personal experience.
Please note: Travel and lodging are not included. We’re happy to recommend cozy places to stay nearby. A car is recommended for ease and freedom of movement.
Subheading:
You Belong Here If...
- List Item
- List Item
Bulleted List:
You’re in midlife and feeling the urge to rediscover your creativity and purpose.
You love myth, metaphor, and meaningful self-expression.
You long to reconnect with your authentic voice and feminine power.
You want sacred structure + playful permission to be wildly yourself.
You’re craving a circle of wise, creative, soulful women who get it.
Optional line:
No prior art experience needed—just a curious heart and an open mind.
What Awaits You at The MoonWise Retreat:
- Creative Soul Mapping + Handmade Moon Book Explore each lunar phase as a living archetype. Paint, stitch, collage, and journal your own moon book.
- Embody the Heroine’s Luminous Arc Move through the phases as stages of an inner journey—from descent (New Moon) to illumination (Full Moon) to rebirth. Anchor each creative moon phase in personal storytelling, mythic mapping, and soulful ritual.
- Nature as Spiritual Sanctuary Ground your process in the ash-gold of aspens, rising peaks, and crisp mountain air with excursions and outdoor class time (weather permitted). Collect natural symbols—pinecones, stones, leaves—for moonlit altars and soil-bound rituals.
- Rituals That Illuminate + Integrate Gather under the actual new moon for a letting go and planting ceremony.
By the end of our time together…
…many participants leave feeling luminous—clearer, softer, more attuned to their inner rhythms.
You’ll carry home:
A handmade moon book woven with your stories, symbols, and seasonal wisdom
A deeper relationship with the moon’s phases as a guide through change
Rituals and creative practices to ground you in feminine flow
A circle of kindred spirits and shared moments that live on like moonlight in memory
Meet Your Guide
Dr. Minette Riordan
Hi, I’m Minette Riordan, Ph.D. For over three decades, I’ve been creating spaces where insight and creativity meet—guiding individuals and groups through powerful moments of self-discovery, clarity, and transformation. With a background in education, entrepreneurship, and expressive arts, I blend deep listening with practical tools to help people reconnect with what matters most.
My retreats aren't about making art; they are about making meaning. I believe in the magic of slowing down, showing up fully, and letting your inner wisdom lead the way. If you’re craving purpose, connection, and creative renewal, I invite you into the kind of space where real change begins. Learn more about Minette here: www.minetteriordan.com
What Past Retreat Attendees Are Saying...
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
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. Minette [is a] masterful Magician who took me on an enchanted journey that I will forever cherish.
Tamara Brody
The Details: The Elemental Retreat
Dates: October 6-10, 2026
Location: Estes Park Museum, Estes Park, CO 80829
Investment: Super early-bird price until October 31, 2025: $999 or 3 monthly installments of $333
What’s Included (see above for more details):
4.5 days filled with creativity and exploration in Estes Park, CO.
All supplies are provided
Tuesday Welcome dinner, lunches, snacks and beverages Wednesday - Friday, brunch on Saturday
Fun excursions to Rocky Mountain National Park
Masterful facilitation by Minette Riordan, Ph.D, long time facilitator, artist and expert
Schedule (times in MT):
Tuesday, October 6: 3pm to 7pm (includes a light dinner)
Wed, October 7 to Friday October 9: 9:30 am to 5:30pm
Saturday, October 10: 9:30am to 12:30pm
Subheading (Optional):
Register by [Date] and Receive These Magical Bonuses:
[Bonus 1: E.g., Mandala coloring book or oracle card pull]
[Bonus 2: E.g., Access to a private “After the Journey” integration circle]
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What if I'm not creative?
A. 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 Minette will guide you step by step through the process.
Q. What is included with my registration?
A. All supplies, one dinner and three lunches as well as abundant snacks and beverages.
Q. Where is the retreat located?
A. The retreat is located in beautiful Estes Park, CO near Rocky Mountain National Park. Please note: accommodations and transportation are not included.
Q. What is your cancellation policy?
A. Please make sure the dates of this event work for you. We are not able to offer any refunds once you have registered.
Q. What is the weather like in Estes Park in October?
A. Expect Highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s, but it's Colorado in the mountains, so really anything 🙂. Bring layers.
Q. How do I get there? Where do I stay?
A. Lodging and transportation are not included. Minette can offer recommendations for places to stay nearby. There is a shuttle to and from the Denver Airport but you may want a car while in Estes Park. We can connect you with others traveling in for shared lodging and rides. Closest airport is Denver, CO. Shuttle bus and car rentals are options for travel to and from Estes Park.
Q. What do I do with my partner while I'm at the Wisdom and Wonder Retreat?
A. The main attraction - and it is amazing - is Rocky Mountain National Park: plan ahead for timed entry tickets. There is lots of fly fishing in around Estes Park and the canyons. Downtown Estes Park is fun for walks and coffee shops by the river. A little further drive yields visits to two university towns: Boulder or Fort Collins.
Will you attend The Wisdom and Wonder Retreat next October?
This is for you if you are...
stirred by meaning, myth, and magic.
seeking creative connection to your inner wisdom through intuitive making and embodied ritual.
ready to anchor your stories in natural cycles—and step into the next luminous chapter of your life.
Why It’s So Potent
You’ll arrive with stories, longings, and the whisper of what’s next. By retreat’s end, you’ll carry a moon-lit map: a creative artifact, a reclamation of rhythm, and a circle of sisters who witnessed you step into the new.
This retreat is your invitation to slow time, emerge into embodiment, and claim a cyclical wisdom that sustains you long after the aspen leaves fall.
