Fire Your Wild Imagination - Portugal Depth-Writing Retreat

October 1st - 5th, 2025

Expand your sense of possibility with a transformative writing practice in the cork woods of Alentejo, South Portugal.

We are all born with a wild imagination. It is through this unlimited creative resource that we can access the unconscious, connect with our intuition, develop a greater degree of self-awareness and expand our sense of possibility. Fire Your Wild Imagination will be a chance to explore this vast inner superpower through a holistic practice underpinned by Jungian psychology that uses writing and imagination to facilitate creativity, foster self-discovery & support transformative growth.

The retreat will take place at the rustic historic family home of Monte da Japonica in the cork woods of Alentejo, South Portugal. It will be a rejuvenating time of exploration and connection, writing and reflection, spending time in nature and enjoying meals together.

The retreat is for writers, creative & therapeutic practitioners, seekers, inner explorers and those on a journey of self-discovery who are curious about how writing & imagination can be used to support transformative growth and would like to dive deeper.

The focus of the retreat will be on process, rather than outcome, and on what comes up in the writing, rather than craft and you’ll be invited to work with the material at a level that feels right for you. For those who have a writing or other creative practice, depth-writing can be used as an adjacent activity to support, deepen and expand your projects. Wherever you are at, this retreat is a chance to fire the creative, healing superpower of the wild imagination that courses through all of us.

Schedule:

Wednesday Oct 1

1pm onwards - Arrive & settle in

5pm Introduction

7pm Dinner

Thursday Oct 2, Friday Oct 3, Saturday Oct 4

8am Breakfast

10am - 1pm Depth writing workshop with guided writing prompts & sharings focussed on attuning to your curious inner child (Thursday), your wise inner sage (Friday) and the wisdom of nature (Saturday).

1pm Lunch

2pm - 5pm Free time/complimentary guided walks

5pm End of day reflections

7pm Dinner

Sunday Oct 5

8am Breakfast

10 am Closing session

12pm Lunch

1pm Depart

*timings are approximate and maybe subject to change

What’s included:

Accommodation
Meals
Daily depth-writing workshops

*all meals are vegetarian

**special dietary requirements are an additional 40 Euros per person

Getting there by plane: The nearest airport to Monte da Japonica is Lisbon. A pick can be arranged from the airport direct to Monte da Japonica for 50 Euros per person. Alternatively, you can get the bus to the nearest town of Redondo or a train to the nearest city of Evora. There is a small charge for a pick up from Evora. Pick up from Redondo is free.

Enquiries: newsomerachelelizabeth@gmail.com

Accomodation

Deposit £125 / 150 Euros

Private twin ensuite

750 Euros sharing
1093 Euros single occupation
Historic twin ensuite

834 Euros sharing
1150 Euros single occupation
Large historic twin ensuite

863 Euros sharing
1179 Euros single occupation
Cottage double ensuite

1030 Euros

“While I don't consider myself a writer I felt at home in the writing workshops and sharings throughout the retreat. […] I left inspired and warmed by the connections created during our brief time together.”

Heidi Dyer
“I found the blend of skills offered by Rachel, her knowledge of books for further reading and gentle approach to be both refreshing and inspiring.”

Sarah Godwin
“A lovely place full of lovely people, whose stories, writings, sharing and thoughts make you feel warm and privileged!”

Helena Pires
“Rachel created a safe space that was welcoming and respecting of everyone. […] The retreat was intensely stimulating and inspiring.”

Rae Dowds
“What had been woven - unconsciously - was a strategy and tactics with which I could proceed for the revision of the manuscript. I have begun the process; I have started being "loosed" from my stuckness.”

Kyung Kim Meill
"The writing workshops were fabulous. Rachel’s energy and excitement and inclusiveness made it wonderful for all, and I liked the variety in the exercises. I got a couple good pieces out of it, and other ideas of how I can use the prompts in the future. "

Nicole S.
"As someone who has chronically dealt with emotional barriers between myself and my writing, I was amazed to discover, by means of Rachel's various exercises, that I can, in fact, produce inspired writing even when I would not have thought possible. I have been able to produce more in the last two months (the time since leaving the retreat), than I would typically be able to produce in a year. "

Ryan S.

Fire Your Wild Imagination - Portugal Depth-Writing Retreat

October 1st - 5th, 2025

Schedule:

Private twin ensuite

Historic twin ensuite

Large historic twin ensuite

Cottage double ensuite

“While I don't consider myself a writer I felt at home in the writing workshops and sharings throughout the retreat. […] I left inspired and warmed by the connections created during our brief time together.”

“I found the blend of skills offered by Rachel, her knowledge of books for further reading and gentle approach to be both refreshing and inspiring.”

“A lovely place full of lovely people, whose stories, writings, sharing and thoughts make you feel warm and privileged!”

“Rachel created a safe space that was welcoming and respecting of everyone. […] The retreat was intensely stimulating and inspiring.”

“What had been woven - unconsciously - was a strategy and tactics with which I could proceed for the revision of the manuscript. I have begun the process; I have started being "loosed" from my stuckness.”

"The writing workshops were fabulous. Rachel’s energy and excitement and inclusiveness made it wonderful for all, and I liked the variety in the exercises. I got a couple good pieces out of it, and other ideas of how I can use the prompts in the future. "