Witchcraft Retreat in Ireland – Samhain 2023
It is Samhain Eve; the night is cool, dark, and quiet. The gentle rolling hills of Ireland are cloaked in darkness, though bonfires dot the hilltops — an old custom in these parts. Around one of these fires stands a circle of witches, gathered on these ancient lands from all parts of the world. Their voices rise into the night air as they sing and chant, offering their words to the old ones. From the other side of the veil, the ancestors sing back…
Have you ever dreamed of being in community with likeminded souls? Of celebrating the pagan festivals with your fellow practicers of the craft? Of gathering in sacred circles and showing up as your truest, most magical self?
If so, this Samhain retreat is for you.
Magical soul, you are invited to attend this 5-day, 4-night witchcraft retreat in beautiful Ireland.
Together we will celebrate the pagan festival of Samhain, traditionally regarded as the first day of winter (and the new year) according to the Celtic calendar.
During this week together we will gather in sacred circles, join our magic for group rituals and spells, connect with the land, build ancestral altars, broaden our magical understandings and abilities through witchy workshops, tour ancient sacred sites, sit down for a festive Samhain feast, and — most importantly — claim and celebrate our power as witches.
This retreat will take place from October 30th – November 3rd, 2023, in the sacred and historic lands of County Meath, Ireland.
What’s Included?
- 5 days of Samhain retreat celebrations
- 4 night stay in a beautiful historic estate (shared and private rooms available)
- All meals: light breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, tea and coffee
- Magical Samhain feast (wear your witchiest attire!)
- Samhain celebrations including rituals, spellwork, and bonfire (weather permitting)
- Guided tour of some of Ireland’s most important sacred sites: Newgrange, Hill of Tara, Loughcrew, and others
- Daily witchcraft workshops, group rituals, spellwork, and meditations (all supplies included)
- Free time to rest and enjoy the beautiful, wild scenery of Ireland
- Roundtrip group transfer from Dublin to the retreat venue
- An intimate coven of 14 likeminded souls
This Samhain retreat will center around the themes of welcoming in the winter season and the witches’ new year, honoring the death and decay of the natural world, working with the spirit world, embracing the archetype of the witch, and claiming your magic and power.
Specific details of the workshops and rituals will be shared with retreat attendees closer to the start date, but will include practices such as ancestor veneration, spirit flight / hedge-riding, divination, meeting land spirits, animistic witchcraft, protection spells, intention-setting, self-healing through witchcraft, and exploring Celtic mythology and Irish folklore.
The Location
Loughcrew is a 200-acre estate located in the picturesque rolling hills of County Meath, Ireland, a 1 hour drive from Dublin airport.
The main house dates back to the 17th century, and is surrounded by magnificent gardens and tree-lined walking paths. There are plenty of communal areas as well as quiet corners to explore, whether you are seeking a cozy sofa by a warm fire or a moonlit walk through the grounds.
Some of Ireland’s oldest archaeological treasures — cairns built in 4000 BC (during the Neolithic Period) as burial chambers — can be found upon the hills above Loughcrew. The Irish name for the collection of cairns is Sliabh na Cailleach, meaning Witch’s Hill or Hag’s Hill.
Many of the cairns have interior stone carvings and they sit among other monuments, including stone circles, henges, standing stones, Iron Age forts, and the remains of a cursus (a ceremonial entrance way). The Hag’s Chair can also be found here.
We will be staying in the main house, which we will have all to ourselves for the duration of the retreat! We will also have access to the beautiful grounds.
Samhain Retreat Schedule
Monday October 30th — Arrival
Arrival day! Check in at 3pm (or anytime after) and get settled in at the beautiful Loughcrew Estate. You might rest in your room, explore the magical grounds, or meet your fellow travelers in the common area for a cup of tea and a chat. We will gather together for our first group ritual to open the retreat and introduce ourselves, followed by dinner.
Tuesday October 31st — Samhain Eve
Samhain Eve! We will begin this magical day with a morning ritual and meditation to awaken our intuitive abilities, followed by breakfast at the estate. We’ll then venture outside onto the grounds for a nature walk, forest bathing, and connecting with the spirits of the land. After lunch, you will have some free time to spend as you please. Later in the day, we will build an ancestral altar and participate in a Samhain ritual, calling in our well and wise ancestors and other guiding spirits. We will end the day with a special Samhain feast (wear your witchiest attire!) and a Samhain bonfire (weather permitting).
Wednesday November 1st — Samhain Day
Samhain Day was traditionally regarded as the first day of the Celtic new year. In honor of this, after breakfast we will gather for a Samhain intention-setting ritual, calling in the energies and intentions we desire for the winter season and new year ahead. We will also visit the Loughcrew Cairns (Sliabh na Cailleach) for a private guided tour. After lunch and some free time, we will gather for a ritual to welcome the Cailleach — the Divine Hag or Crone — at the start of her season. We will follow this ritual by discussing the archetype of the witch, and end with a ceremony for healing the witch wound.
Thursday November 2nd — Boyne Valley Tour
On our last full day together, we will enjoy an early breakfast at the estate before setting off on a full-day tour of the Boyne Valley, in Ireland’s Ancient East. We will begin the day at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne, visiting the spectacular Neolithic monument of Newgrange. The rest of the day will include visits to other sacred structures and historic sites, including the Hill of Tara, Four Knocks, Slane Castle, and Trim Castle. Some of these have served as important ceremony sites for over 5,000 years. This full-day tour will be not only an opportunity to explore beautiful Ireland, but also to connect with and honor the local spirits and ancestors of these lands. After returning back to the estate, we will gather for our last group dinner.
Friday November 3rd — Departure
We will enjoy one last breakfast together, followed by a closing ritual to thank the deities, ancestors, and land spirits for the insights and magic they have shared with us. Then we will bid farewell to Loughcrew Estate and go our separate ways.
Rooms & Pricing
We will have exclusive access to the main house at Loughcrew Estate, a gorgeous 17th century estate set amidst the rolling hills of rural Ireland. The room options are as follows:
- Shared Twin Room: €2,550 per person. There are six of these rooms available, each containing two single / twin beds. If you book one of these rooms, you will be sharing with one roommate.
- Private Room with Single Bed: €2,800 per person. There is one of these private rooms available, containing one single / twin bed.
- Private Room with Double Bed: €3,050 per person. There is one of these private rooms available, containing one double bed. If you are booking this room with a friend or partner, please contact me for special pricing.
A 50% deposit is required to secure your spot on the retreat. This deposit is non-refundable and goes towards the total cost of your retreat payment. The remaining 50% of the payment will be due within sixty (60) days of submitting your deposit or ninety (90) days before the retreat start date — whichever comes first.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which airport should I fly into? The Samhain retreat is located at Loughcrew Estate, approximately 1 hour from the Dublin Airport (DUB). Please note that airfare is NOT included in the price of this retreat.
- How will I get to the retreat venue? I will organize one roundtrip shuttle departing from Dublin at 2pm on Monday October 3oth (either Dublin Airport or a central location in Dublin city, depending on what works best for the group), with the return trip departing from the venue at 11am on Friday November 3rd. If the planned shuttle time does not work for you based on your arrival time into Dublin, you will need to arrange transportation to the venue at your own expense (if this is the case, please contact me — I can suggest the best options for you).
- Who can attend this retreat? The Samhain retreat is open to ALL practitioners of magic, witchcraft, and paganism who are 21 years and older — including practitioners of all genders, experience levels, and backgrounds.
- What is the accommodation like? We will have exclusive access to the main house at Loughcrew Estate, a gorgeous 17th century estate set amidst the rolling hills of rural Ireland. Six of the rooms are shared twin rooms, each containing two single beds. If you book one of these rooms, you will be sharing with a roommate. There is also one private single room (containing one single bed) and one private double room (containing one private bed).
- Can I book with a friend? Yes! Please note that when booking a shared twin room (two single beds), the listed cost is PER PERSON, not per room — meaning each of you will need to submit your own deposit / payment. After each of you has paid the deposit, please contact me to request a room together. If you and your friend or partner would like to book the private room (one double bed), please contact me for special pricing.
- How does payment work? A 50% deposit is required to secure your spot on the retreat. This deposit is non-refundable and goes towards the total cost of your retreat payment. The remaining 50% of the payment will be due within sixty (60) days of submitting your deposit or ninety (90) days before the retreat start date — whichever comes first.
- What is the retreat cancellation policy? All payments made for the Samhain retreat are NONREFUNDABLE. If you decide not to attend after submitting your 50% deposit, the deposit will not be refunded but can be applied to a future retreat. There will be no refunds provided due to cancellations for any reason, such as illness, injury, flight delays or cancellation, work or school scheduling conflicts, etc. However, if an unforeseen circumstance does arise and you need to cancel after making your full payment, you have the option to 1) find someone to take your place on the retreat, in which case you will be fully refunded after their payment is submitted, or 2) apply your payment to a future retreat (note that this will function as a credit; your payment will not be refunded). Cancellations made within thirty (30) days of the retreat start date will not be eligible to be applied to a future retreat — your entire payment will be forfeit.
- Do I need travel insurance? While travel insurance is not required for this witchcraft retreat, it is strongly recommended in the event of any unforeseen changes / cancellations / issues.
