transitions: a weekend retreat

28–30 august 2026 · waterperry house

A residential weekend for anyone in the midst of a life change — a job left or lost, a working life ending, an empty nest, the close of a relationship, a loss — to honour the story that was, and to gently begin the story to be.

is this for you?

Transitions rarely arrive when we’re ready for them. Something ends — a role, a relationship, a way of life we’d grown into — and we’re expected to simply carry on, to get over it, to move on. But a real change asks more of us than that. It asks to be understood, and grieved, and eventually re-authored.

If you’re standing on that kind of threshold — whether you chose it or it chose you — this weekend is a space to stop, to look honestly at where you’ve been, and to begin, gently, to find your way toward what’s next. You don’t need to have it figured out. You are welcome just as you are.

what the weekend is

Across a weekend, we move through a single, deliberate arc — like a caterpillar dissolving in the chrysalis before it becomes a butterfly. We look back to gather the wisdom of the story that was. We spend time in the honest, unhurried middle. And we turn, together, toward the story to be.

We work with four timeless inner figures — the Magician, the Lover, the Sovereign and the Warrior — not as a theory to learn, but as a living language for the parts of ourselves a transition asks us to reclaim: the Magician’s perspective, the Lover’s tenderness for what mattered, the Sovereign’s sense of worth and direction, the Warrior’s will to step toward what’s next. Each has a gift to offer your story.

The weekend is grounded in Shadow Work — a compassionate, well-established method for meeting the parts of ourselves we’ve kept in the dark.

the shape of the weekend

Friday evening — you arrive, settle, and we begin gently: an opening circle, and a first taste of the still, watchful quality that will hold the whole weekend.

Saturday — we look back and gather the story that was, and, as the day closes, we mark a letting-go of what is ending.

Sunday — we turn toward the story to be, and close with a ritual in which each person is seen and celebrated by their small circle — a quiet, powerful thing to receive.

Woven throughout: meditation and stillness, time walking the grounds, and space simply to rest.

held with care

A weekend like this deserves careful holding — that matters to us as much as anything we do in it.

You’ll be in a small circle with a facilitator who knows this territory, supported by a wider team. Before you come, we’ll have a warm conversation to make sure the timing is right for you. And nothing is ever required of you: you can pause, sit out, or step away from anything, at any point. Everything is an invitation.

why we do it this way

Shadow Work gives us a map of the mind and a gentle, participant-led way to work with it — you choose what to explore, and how far, throughout. Around that, we draw on approaches with real support behind them for wellbeing in times of change: making sense of our story, taking a kinder and steadier view of ourselves, being genuinely witnessed by others, and the quiet restoration of stillness and nature. The archetypes give all of this a shape you can feel and remember.

your facilitators

Rachel May has spent her life supporting people through transition — around birth, death, and intimacy. After ten years as a doula and birth educator she retrained in end-of-life care and mindfulness, and her work now centres on intimacy and the shadow. She has a gift for holding tender spaces in a way that is both gentle and strong. Rachel set up the Oxford Storytelling Festival in 2018 as a way to support folk to connect to the power of story and is thrilled to be bringing this retreat to you!

Rob Browton is a business psychologist who has worked with people in groups for over twenty-five years. A decade of his own journey into depth psychology led him to train as a Shadow Work facilitator. He chose Shadow Work because it honours the choice and agency of everyone in the room — and that’s what he’s committed to offering others: the room to become more fully themselves.

what people say

From people who’ve done this work with us:

“Without even thinking about it, I felt strongly and lovingly held, and utterly safe to dive into the work I needed to do.”

“They give a thorough yet concise introduction, and with the practical exercises I very quickly felt inspired to tackle difficult issues I’d been aware of for some time.”

“Being supported and guided through different insights, both during and afterwards, has helped make the sessions genuinely transformative.”

the practical details

When: 4pm Friday 28 August 2026 to 4pm Sunday 30 August 2026

Where: Waterperry House, a beautiful country house set in its own gardens and grounds

Residential: private rooms, with vegetarian breakfasts, lunches and dinners included. Tea and coffee is available throughout the day. Please bring any snack you need and a water bottle to bring into sessions.

Small group: groups are kept small and held in circles, so everyone is properly supported

Investment: £450–£550 per person (depending on room type) — fully residential, with your own private room and all meals included.

FREE 30 min call: Email Rachel@shadowselfdiscovery.com to arrange a 30 minute call.