Awakening Hope Retreat: New Orleans 2026

Awakening Hope Retreat:
New Orleans 2026

This retreat is designed to help you release old wounds, deepen your recovery, and return home renewed in body, mind, and spirit.

Step into our inaugural in-person Witches’ Retreat, where we embrace the magick of the witch’s 13th step of recovery in the Awakening Hope Ritual.

Thursday, March 19 to Monday, March 23, 2026

New Orleans, Louisiana

What is the Awakening Hope Ritual?

The Awakening Hope Ritual is a gathering of witches to perform the sacred ritual rooted in the Witch’s 13th Step to Recovery found in the book Sober Witch Life.

Through spellwork, intention, and collective energy, we will cast a powerful spell, sending waves of healing through ourselves and into the universe to break the hold of shame, guilt, or self-loathing and awaken hope for all who struggle.

This ritual is for every soul on the path of recovery.

As we gather with other witches and deepen our own recovery, we will also cast a spell and the intentions to ignite the change this world needs.

One of our participants at our last ritual said, “I’m so glad that I came tonight, as I didn’t even know how bad I needed this.”

Who This Retreat Is Perfect For:

The Awakening Hope Retreat is for every witch in recovery who is craving something more. If you have been longing to feel truly connected to yourself, to your magick, and to others who actually get it, this is your circle. Recovery is is the beginning of a deeper transformation, where you reclaim your power and weave your healing through sacred ritual and spellwork.

This retreat is calling you if…

You are a witch in recovery who feels like your spiritual spark needs a boost.

You have felt the ache of loneliness and whispered, “There have got to be other witches out there like me!”

You feel the crushing weight of addiction in the world and would do almost anything to heal it.

If your heart is pounding as you read this, then the Awakening Hope Retreat is yours.

This retreat is for witches in recovery, whether from substance use, food or sex addiction, co-dependency, self-harm, trauma, or anything that has kept you from living your fullest life. We welcome all genders, sexual orientations, and neurodivergent identities, along with allies supporting loved ones in recovery, into a spiritually safe, substance-free sanctuary.

Why New Orleans:

New Orleans is one of the few cities outside of Detroit where I feel at home. I had dreamed of visiting for years, even considering celebrating Mardi Gras when I was still drinking. Little did I know that Dan, my partner, had also fallen in love with the city, creating many fuzzy memories of drinking in excess.

When I finally visited in 2021, over a year into my sobriety, I saw the city through new eyes. Addiction has a firm grip on New Orleans, woven into its culture, from Bourbon Street’s bustling bars to the endless late-night revelry. Yet, beneath the neon lights and hurricanes, I discovered something deeper—magick, resilience, and a spirit of transformation.

New Orleans embodies both shadow and light, making it the perfect setting for our Awakening Hope Retreat. A city with deep spiritual roots, it provides an ideal space for witches in recovery to reclaim their power and embrace magick without addiction’s influence.

More importantly, we are coming with purpose, to perform a ritual to combat the addiction that grips this world. Through energy work and sacred practice, we seek to infuse healing into its very fabric, offering a counterbalance to the cycle of substance reliance. New Orleans, with its deep-rooted struggles and powerful spirit of magick, is the perfect backdrop for an Awakening Hope Ritual, allowing us to reclaim strength in a place that desperately needs healing.

— Sunshine, The Pink-haired Sober Witch
Author of Sober Witch Life
Founder of The Sovereign Phoenix

A community member recently said, “I never thought I’d feel spiritually safe and seen in recovery until I found this work.”

The Magickal Experience You Can Expect

Thursday Evening

Connection & Collaboration
Arrive in New Orleans, settle into sacred space, and set powerful intentions for the transformation ahead.

Friday

Preparation & Activation
Work as small covens to craft the weekend’s ritual and join in a spell of prosperity by pouring resources back into the community.

Saturday

Awakening Hope
Through cleansing, powerful ritual, and collective spellwork, we release what does not serve and invite in healing. The day culminates in a sacred feast, honoring the magick we’ve woven for ourselves and the collective.

Sunday

Integration and Self-Care
Receive healing through practices like massage, sound healing, or quiet reflection (we will decide what together!), allowing your body and spirit to absorb the work of transformation.

Monday Morning

Closing and Departure
Gather one last time in gratitude before stepping back into the world, renewed, empowered, and carrying the flame of hope forward.

What’s Included?

Four Nights in a Shared Historic Home

From Thursday to Monday, rest and recharge in an enchanting New Orleans Airbnb, just steps from the heart of the city.

Nourishing Meals and Soulful Snacks

Every dish is prepared with care, offering food that fills both body and spirit by a professional on-site chef straight from nolacuisine.net.

All Ritual Tools and Materials

Everything you need for spellwork, ceremony, and sacred creation will be provided.

Sunday’s Self-Care Immersion

As the time gets closer, we’ll choose from massage, sound healing, or energy work to integrate your transformation with deep rest and renewal.

An Unforgettable Experience

This retreat is more than days on a calendar. It is a life-shifting journey of magick, recovery, and renewal you will carry forever.

What’s NOT Included?

🆇 Transportation to the retreat location

🆇 Any of the items needed for you to travel and be comfortable (you know, all your personal things)!

A regular at the weekly circle said, “This circle gave me the community I’d been longing for and I’m so grateful.”

Where We Are Staying

We’ll be staying in an upscale, historic home just 2 blocks from the streetcar, 4 blocks from the French Quarter, and 6 blocks from Frenchmen Street. It’s the perfect spot to soak in the magic of New Orleans with ease and comfort.

Your Magickal Leaders

At the heart of the retreat, Sunshine steps forward as your High Priestess — author of The Sober Witch Life, host of The Witchual Hour radio show, and a spiritual guide who has helped thousands of individuals on their life journey. For more than four years she has led community rituals that bring healing, sovereignty, and magick alive in recovery.

Dan nourishes as our Food Alchemist, drawing on 20 years as a professional chef and founder of the celebrated culinary site NOLACuisine.net. Every dish he creates is more than delicious — it is a spell of abundance, healing, and care that anchors our sacred work.

Kimberly shines as our Spellcrafter Extraordinaire, a lifelong witch whose deep research into the occult is matched by her service background in emergency recovery. She guides you to shape your own magick and ground recovery through ritual tools and practices that empower.

Ruby radiates as our High-Vibe Energy Queen, bringing her gifts as a professional sound healer, meditation leader, and EFT practitioner. Her presence lifts the circle with joy and transformative energy that heals as it inspires.

Together, we do not just walk beside you — we lead you into ritual, empower you as witches, and connect with you in the fullness of who you are.

Your Options for Payment

All-inclusive pricing covers lodging, meals, ritual supplies, and self-care experiences.

🔮 Spots are limited to 12 witches. Secure your place before they’re gone.

📍 Join us in New Orleans. Step into your magick.

$ 2,400 ONE TIME PAYMENT

$150 discount when paid in full
5 Days / 4 Nights of Accomodations
All meals included (Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free Available)
Spiritual Integration Day Included

BEST VALUE

$ 425 EVERY MONTH (6 payments)

Flexible Payment Plan
5 Days / 4 Nights of Accomodations
All meals included (Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free Available)
Spiritual Integration Day Included

Who is this retreat for?

This retreat is for witches in recovery who are craving deeper connection to themselves, their magick, and a community that understands the path. You do not need to be advanced in witchcraft—just willing to show up with an open heart and a desire to grow.

Do I need to be sober to attend?

Kind of. This is a retreat designed specifically for witches in recovery. What you are recovering from is your choice. If you are at least 90 days into your recovery journey, you are welcome. Since some folks will be recovering from substances like alcohol and drugs, sobriety will be practiced on -site and means freedom from alcohol and mind-altering substances. This ensures that the sacred container remains safe and aligned for all.

What’s included in the retreat price?

Your registration includes four nights in a shared historic Airbnb, all meals and snacks, ritual supplies, guided workshops, community rituals, and a self-care healing experience on Sunday. Travel to and from New Orleans is not included.

Will I have a private room?

Accommodations are shared to foster community. A limited number of private rooms may be available at an additional cost, please inquire if this is important for your comfort.

What if I’ve never done ritual or spellwork before?

No problem. All rituals and practices will be guided. You’ll be supported step by step, and you’ll leave with tools and confidence to bring magick into your daily recovery practice.

Is there a payment plan?

Yes. You can pay in full and receive a discount, or choose a flexible installment plan. If additional payment options are needed, please contact sunshine directly.

Is this retreat only for women?

No. The Awakening Hope Retreat is open to all witches in recovery, regardless of gender identity. Our circle is inclusive and honors the sacredness of every body, every soul, and every path. Whether you identify as woman, man, nonbinary, gender-fluid, or another expression, you are welcome here.

Refund Policy

We understand that life happens, and plans can change. That’s why we’ve created a clear and fair refund policy to protect both you and the integrity of this transformative retreat.

Here’s how refunds work:

✅ Cancel within 6 months – Full refund minus a $250 deposit
✅ Cancel within 90 days – 75% refund minus minus a $250 deposit
✅ Cancel within 30 days – 50% refund minus minus a $250 deposit
❌ No refunds for cancellations within 30 days of the retreat

All deposit payments are non-refundable, and refunds will be processed according to this policy. This ensures we can honor our commitments to the retreat space, facilitators, and materials while maintaining the sacred energy of this experience.

We encourage you to be intentional in your decision to join us. If you’re feeling called to this retreat, trust that it’s exactly where you’re meant to be.

🔮 Secure your spot today with confidence!