Welcome to Wanderess
Reconnect with your creativity, rewrite the stories you carry, and step into the next chapter of who you are becoming through immersive journeys rooted in myth, ritual, storytelling and embodied somatic practice.
Reconnect with your creativity, reclaim your voice, and rediscover the woman you are through immersive women’s creative retreats rooted in mythology, storytelling, ritual, expressive arts and embodied practice.
Create the story you are ready to live.
Wanderess creates immersive creative journeys for women, weaving together mythology, archetypes, storytelling, ritual, expressive arts and somatic embodied practice to support transformation, self-discovery and becoming.
Through our unique Somatic Mythwork™ methodology, we explore the stories we carry, the identities we inhabit and the possibilities waiting to emerge — helping women reconnect with their creativity, their bodies and their deepest sense of self.
Where ancient wisdom, creative practice and modern psychology meet.
Wanderess was founded by Dr Ellie Chadwick from a simple concept:
Creativity has always been medicine.
Across cultures and throughout history, women have transformed themselves through story, ritual, performance, movement, myth, art and community. Long before therapy existed, these were the ways human beings made meaning from loss, reclaimed identity, marked life’s transitions, returned to themselves and imagined new possibilities.
Ancient theatre was never simply about performance. It was a place where humans could step into different perspectives, embody new possibilities and explore what it means to be alive.
Drawing on her background as a creative practitioner/theatre-maker, academic, and trauma-informed somatic practitioner, Ellie developed Somatic Mythwork™ to bring these worlds together.
Somatic Mythwork™ is Wanderess’ unique creative methodology, combining mythology, archetypal psychology, storytelling, ritual and expressive arts with trauma-informed somatic and nervous-system practices to support lasting personal transformation.
Rather than separating creativity, spirituality and psychology, Wanderess treats them as deeply interconnected.
Every retreat invites women to explore the stories they have inherited, the roles they have outgrown, and the archetypes waiting to emerge – not only through conversation, but through embodied creative practice.
Through movement, voice, writing, ritual, imagination, performance, visual art, meditation, somatics and intercultural experiences, participants begin to experience transformation not simply as something they think about, but something they live through.
The Unique Wanderess Retreat Membership
At Wanderess, we also recognise that meaningful change rarely happens in a single week.
Whilst retreats can create profound insight and powerful experiences, lasting transformation develops through continued reflection, embodiment and integration over time.
That is why every retreat continues into the Wanderess Circle – a six-month integration journey combining somatic practice, creative exploration, mythic reflection and ongoing community support.
This slower rhythm allows the discoveries made on retreat to become part of everyday life.
Because transformation is not about becoming someone else.
It’s about remembering who you’ve always been.
The Wanderess archetype represents the woman who is curious, courageous, creative and deeply alive – and every retreat is an invitation to return to her.
Reconnect with your true self, reclaim your voice, and rediscover the woman you are through immersive women’s creative retreats rooted in mythology, storytelling, ritual, expressive arts and embodied practice.
You may be here because...
You feel that something within you is ready to change.
Perhaps you feel the quiet pull of a new chapter. You sense that there is another version of yourself waiting to emerge.
You miss your creativity.
You want to feel alive again.
You want to reclaim your voice.
You want to express yourself or learn a new skill.
You know you are standing at a threshold – between who you have been and who you are becoming.
Wanderess exists for these moments: The transitions. The questions. The becoming.
Through myth, ritual, creativity, embodiment and community, we create space to explore the stories you have inherited, reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been waiting to be expressed, and step into the next chapter of your journey.
You are in a rite of passage. Let us walk with you through it.
Archetypal Journeys
At Wanderess, each retreat invites you into a different archetypal journey (like The Heroine’s Path, The Performer’s Path, The Path of the Goddess….).
Across cultures and throughout history, humans have used stories, myths and symbolic figures to understand the different dimensions of being human: the creator, the lover, the warrior, the wise woman, the rebel, the healer, the sovereign.
These archetypes are not fixed identities we must become. They are symbolic pathways — ways of exploring the qualities, patterns and possibilities already within us.
Through mythology, creativity, ritual and embodied practice, you don’t simply learn about an archetype — you encounter it.
You explore its stories.
You move with its qualities.
You express it creatively.
You discover where it lives within your own body, relationships and imagination.
Because transformation doesn’t happen by understanding a new story. It happens when we begin to embody one.
Who This Journey Is For?
The Wanderess Retreat Membership is for women who:
✔ feel called into a new chapter of life and are ready to explore what comes next
✔ long to reconnect with their creativity, voice and authentic expression
✔ are seeking deeper meaning, self-understanding and a richer relationship with themselves
✔ feel drawn to mythology, archetypes, storytelling, ritual and the arts
✔ want to explore spirituality in a grounded, culturally respectful way
✔ value deep inner work held with care, integrity and trauma-informed awareness
✔ desire a supportive circle of women with whom to grow and transform
✔ want a meaningful experience that continues beyond the retreat itself
✔ are ready to move beyond old stories and step into a more expressed, embodied version of themselves
If you feel the pull towards a Wanderess journey, we would love to hear from you.
✨ What Makes Wanderess Unique ✨
Somatic Mythwork™
Where Story Meets the Body
Wanderess brings together mythology, archetypal psychology, expressive arts, storytelling, ritual and embodied practice through our unique Somatic Mythwork™ methodology. Drawing on Dr Ellie Chadwick’s background in performance research, ritual practice and somatic psychology, we explore transformation not only through reflection, but through creativity, imagination and lived experience.
A Membership, Not a Trip
More Than a Retreat: A Journey That Continues
A powerful experience can begin in a few days, but meaningful change unfolds over time. Every Wanderess Path includes six months of guided integration through the Wanderess Circle, offering ongoing creative exploration, somatic practice, community connection and support as your insights become part of everyday life.
Creativity as Medicine
Express your authentic self
Creativity is at the heart of everything we do. Through theatre, voice, movement, writing, ritual, visual art and storytelling, we use the ancient human practices of meaning-making and expression to help you reconnect with your imagination, your voice and your authentic self.
Global and Intercultural
Place, Culture & Living Stories
Every Wanderess journey is rooted in place. From the mystic traditions of Umbria to the ritual arts of Bali, we honour the landscapes, histories and cultures that shape each experience — creating meaningful connections between people, creativity and the world around us.
We value real connection, trust and the power of real conversation. If you feel called to explore a Wanderess retreat membership, you are warmly invited to book a conversation with Ellie. Together, we’ll explore where you are in your life, what you are longing to reconnect with, and how creativity, embodiment and archetypal work might support your next chapter. 🫶
What's included in your Membership
🧘♀️ YOUR CHOSEN IN-PERSON RETREAT:
A 5–7 day immersive journey of myth, creativity, embodiment and cultural experience
✔ Beautiful accommodation and nourishing meals
✔ Airport/station transfers
✔ Myth, archetype and storytelling workshops
✔ Embodied creative practices, movement and ritual
✔ Somatic and nervous-system-informed facilitation
✔ Expressive arts, voice, writing and artistic exploration
✔ Cultural experiences and meaningful excursions
✔ Practices, resources and ritual materials to continue your journey at home
✔ Support from experienced facilitators throughout your retreat experience
🌙 THE WANDERESS CIRCLE:
your 6-month integration & community membership
Your retreat is only the beginning. The Wanderess Circle supports you in bringing the insights, discoveries and transformations from your retreat into everyday life.
✔ Bi-weekly online embodied integration sessions and women’s circles
✔ Private community space with monthly themes, practices and reflections
✔ WhatsApp group for ongoing connection and micro-integration
✔ Somatic and nervous-system-informed practices
✔ Creative coaching and expressive arts exploration
✔ Archetypal reflection guide
✔ Guest workshops with artists, healers and cultural practitioners
✔ Alumni pricing for future Wanderess retreats
✔ 20% discount on 1:1 sessions
Upcoming Retreats (Choose Your Path):
Every Wanderess journey begins with an archetype: a story, a symbol, a doorway into a different expression of yourself.
Which path is calling you?
The Heroine's Path: Women's Creative Retreat UK | Storytelling, Somatics & Personal Transformation
UK | 3 days
A creative initiation into the next chapter of your story.
Through storytelling, archetypal exploration, theatre, somatic practice and ritual, you’ll be invited to reclaim your voice, reconnect with your creativity and explore the woman you are becoming.
This is a journey of self-discovery, expression and transformation — not through becoming someone new, but through remembering who you already are.
For the woman standing at a threshold and ready to step forward.
The Mystic's Path: Women's Spiritual Retreat Italy | Creative & Somatic Transformation Retreat
Umbria, Italy | 5 days
A journey into intuition, creativity and the hidden wisdom of women who came before.
Set amongst the landscapes of Umbria, home to mystics, saints and visionaries, this retreat explores the stories of women who transformed their lives through devotion, creativity and inner knowing.
Through mythology, expressive arts, ritual and Somatic Mythwork™, you’ll explore the Mystic archetype and reconnect with your own inner authority, imagination and spiritual path.
For the woman seeking a deeper relationship with herself.
The Priestess' Path: Women's Transformational Retreat Bali | Somatic & Creative Retreat
Ubud, Bali | 7 days
A sacred journey into ritual, embodiment and feminine wisdom.
Inspired by the traditions of Bali, Tantric philosophy and the archetype of the Priestess, this immersive experience invites you to reconnect with your intuition, creativity and embodied power.
Through ritual, storytelling, somatic practice and archetypal exploration, you’ll release inherited stories, deepen your connection with yourself, and remember the wisdom already within you.
For the woman ready to reclaim her sacred voice and presence.
The Performer's Path: Women's Performance Retreat Bali | Theatre, Voice & Embodiment Training
Bali | 5 days
A creative immersion into presence, expression and embodied storytelling.
Designed for performers, artists and creative women, this unique intercultural experience combines Balinese performance traditions, voice, movement, theatre practice and Somatic Mythwork™.
Explore the relationship between body, story and identity while expanding your artistic expression, confidence and connection to your creative voice.
For the woman ready to embody her artistry and take up space.