A Gathering of Women
There are moments in life when women are called to gather.
To sit together in circle.
To share stories and wisdom.
To remember the deep threads that connect birth, womanhood, ceremony, and community.
This retreat is an invitation into that space.
Over several days we will gather as women to explore the rites of passage that shape our lives: from menarche to motherhood, from birthwork to elderhood.
Through thershholds and transitions.
This will not be a hierarchical classroom environment.
Instead, we will create an organic learning circle, where experience, curiosity, and presence meet.
Some participants may come with many years of experience in birthwork or women's work. Others may be newly drawn to this path.
All are welcome.
What We Will Explore
During our time together we will explore themes such as:
Birth as a rite of passage
Women's circles and Red Tent traditions
Ceremony and ritual in women's lives
Supporting women through life transitions
The role of the birth attendant
Trusting the wisdom of the body
Birth Tending Skills
Embodied presence and deep listening
Herbs and plant medicines
Movement, dance and song
Tending birth, tending life, tending death
Balancing traditional knowledge with contemporary care
The responsibility we carry when tending birth
Learning will unfold through conversation, reflection, storytelling, experiential practice and moments of ceremony.
There will also be time for rest, integration, and connection with the land.
Participants will be warmly invited to share their own skills, stories or offerings if they feel called.
Retreat Details
Location: Trefacwn in Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom
Dates: 25th - 30th September 2026
Participants: Maximum 22 women
Accommodation and meals are included.
About Your Hosts
RUTH EHRHARDT
Ruth Ehrhardt is a mother, traditional midwife, educator, and founder of True Midwifery.
She is the author of The Basic Needs of a Woman in Labour, a text translated into many languages and shared widely within the global birth community.
Ruth teaches internationally and has supported countless women and birth attendants through her courses, study spirals, and mentorship spaces.
Her work bridges traditional midwifery wisdom with modern birth knowledge, always rooted in respect for physiology, presence, and the sacred nature of birth.
Website: truemidwifery.com
SAMARA HAWTHORN
Samara Hawthorn is a birthkeeper, ceremonialist, and guardian of women's spaces.
Her work centres around reconnecting women with the land, with ceremony, and with the ancient wisdom that surrounds birth and womanhood.
Through her retreats, apprenticeships and gatherings, Samara creates spaces where women can remember, reclaim, and embody the deep knowledge that lives within them.
Website: wellmamaworld.com
How This Gathering Was Born...
This gathering began beside a lake in the Swiss mountains.
In the summer of 2025, Samara and Ruth were both invited to attend the same birth in Switzerland, along with their dear friend Ale.
They stayed together in a beautiful villa in the St. Moritz mountains overlooking the lake. In the quiet days following the birth, as they held space for the postpartum, conversations began to unfold.
What would it look like to gather women who tend birth and life, not in a conference, but in a retreat?
A space for deepening.
For remembering.
For being together in a more embodied way.
That conversation stayed alive.
Soon afterwards, Samara suggested a place she knew in Wales, Trefacwn in Pembrokeshire.
When they checked the calendar, the available dates were around the:
Autumn Equinox
Full Moon
It felt like an invitation.
The Land
The retreat will take place at Trefacwn, a magical four-acre estate on the edge of the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park overlooking the Celtic Sea.
The land carries a quiet, ancient healing energy that many visitors immediately feel.
The Georgian manor house sits in a breathtaking location surrounded by countryside and sea views, with Strumble Head to the north and St David’s Head to the south.
This beautiful landscape will hold us during our days together, offering space for reflection, connection with nature, and moments of rest between our gatherings.
THE INVESTOR CIRCLE
This retreat will be limited to 22 participants.
The first 13 places will be offered as Investor Places.
These participants help make the retreat possible in its early stages by committing early and supporting the creation of the space.
Investor participants may also be invited to:
• bring a small offering into the space
• share a skill, story or practice
• help weave the circle during our time together
Participation is always optional, but welcomed.
Once the investor places are filled, the remaining places will be opened to the wider circle.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need to be a midwife or birth worker to attend ?
No.
This gathering is open to any woman who feels called to explore birth, womanhood, and the deeper cycles of life. Some participants may be experienced birth attendants, while others may be arriving at this work for the first time. All are welcome.
What is included in the retreat price ?
The retreat fee includes:
• Five nights accommodation
• All meals throughout the retreat
• Full participation in all sessions, circles, and activities
Travel to and from the venue is not included.
Where exactly is the retreat taking place ?
The retreat will be held at Trefacwn in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Full travel details and directions will be shared after booking.
How do the payment plans work ?
All payment plans are billed monthly.
Your place is secured with your first payment, and the remaining payments will be automatically deducted according to the plan you choose.
What happens if I can no longer attend ?
Payments are non-refundable unless the retreat does not go ahead.
If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to transfer your place to another woman, with prior communication and approval.
What happens if the retreat does not go ahead ?
The retreat will go ahead once we reach the minimum number of 13 participants.
If this number is not reached, the retreat will not proceed, and all payments will be refunded minus administrative fees.
We will confirm this by 21 June 2026.
Will there be time to rest ?
Yes.
While there will be structured sessions, there will also be spaciousness woven throughout the retreat for rest, integration, time in nature, and informal connection.
Can I bring something to share ?
Yes, you are warmly welcome to.
This is a co-created space, and participants are invited (but not required) to bring an offering: whether that is a song, a story, a practice, or something else that feels meaningful.
Is this a teaching or a retreat ?
It is both, and neither in the conventional sense.
There will be learning, but it will be woven through experience, relationship, reflection, and shared presence rather than a structured classroom format.
Accommodation
All accommodation is in shared rooms or dormitory-style spaces, supporting the communal and connective nature of our time together.
There are a limited number of single rooms available at an additional cost. If you feel you would prefer or require a private space, please be in touch and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Children
Children are welcome.
During the sessions themselves, we ask that only babes in arms are present within the circle. More mobile babies and children will need to be accompanied and cared for outside of the session space by a partner, family member, or caregiver.
Loved ones are welcome to stay on the land, and additional costs for their accommodation and meals can be arranged.
