CATHARSIS:
Ceremonial Art Retreat in Cape Town, South Africa
3 November - 9 November, 2025
At GAIA Centre For Healing Arts, Constantia
Cape Town, South Africa
A curated, holistic container to
UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL
& HEAL THROUGH ART.
With the support of mindfulness and transformative healing practices, we will explore various creative mediums to delve into the self, uncover hidden wounds and blockages - and allow these emotions to move through you, using the powerful, healing energy of artistic expression.
You will be guided and supported by two healing practitioners, Phillippa and Jaimie, and will take part in art workshops with Yasmin Ezzideen, a talented Cape Town artist, and Atang Tshikare, a world renowned sculpture artist, who will inspire and guide you just before you embark on creating your own final piece.
The space, facilitators & artists ☟
Audio by Yasmin Ezzideen & Pedro Carvalho.
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Why join the retreat?
Transform pain into expression.
This is your chance to turn old wounds into creative power—releasing emotional weight that's held you back in both art and life. The opposite of depression is expression. Join us to let it all out.
Release energetic blocks.
Clear the blocks limiting your creativity—and your life. Through healing practices, psychology, ceremony, and somatic work, we’ll help you uncover and release what’s been stuck in the shadows.
Deep dive into your inner world.
Through art therapy and, with a ceritified traditional healer, a guided microdosing journey, you'll access deeper layers of healing. Psilocybin acts as a gentle “pattern breaker,” helping to rewire limiting beliefs and open new pathways.
Reconnect with your inner spark.
Immerse yourself in creativity. Reignite passions. Create a life of fullness and joy. This is sacred rebellion in a world that tells us to live to work. Reclaim your time, presence, and purpose.
Flow-state healing.
In this day and age, we have become programmed to absorb and react—rarely to create. Flow is a healing frequency that restores balance, presence, and abundance. Here, you’ll tap into that flow again.
Join a community of creators.
Connect with others on similar journeys. This is a space for expression, inspiration, and deep connection—where vulnerability is met with respect and support.
Feel supported and held.
As Julia Cameron says, “Art requires a safe hatchery.” You’ll be guided by skilled facilitators in a nurturing space—held with warmth as you process, heal, and rediscover yourself.
Who is it for?
Anyone who,
Is ready for deep inner reflection and meaningful life shifts.
Struggles to find the time, space, or flow to bring their creative fire to life.
Carries the weight of past trauma or pain and needs support to release it.
Is seeking to recharge and rediscover joy.
Wants to use their inner world as a fuel for creativity.
Desires a transformative experience that combines various healing modalities.
All levels of artistic experience are welcome - from complete beginners to seasoned creatives.
All ages are invited. We believe the merging of diverse life experiences—whether the insight of age or the perspective of youth—is deeply valuable.
You don’t have to identify as deeply spiritual to join. We welcome skeptics, the spiritually curious, and anyone open to exploring awareness in a grounded, inclusive space.
Art and healing are for everyone.
THREE RETREAT OPTIONS
4 Day Warrior (Root to heart)
(Join only the first 4 days || 3 - 6 November)
Ground in and create a strong, clear foundation to soar from.
The first four days we move through;
Creative art healing workshops for self discovery,
releasing blockages and practicing
building the muscle of creativity.
Workshop and talk by artist Atang Tshikare.
3 Day Weekender (Throat to crown)
(Join only the last 3 days || 7 - 9 November)
The last three days we move through;
A looser schedule, focusing on expression of your voice,
your story, your he(art).
Getting your personal story, pain and healing
into a bigger art piece that you can take home.
Workshop and talk by artist Yasmin Ezzideen.
7 Day Full Journeyer (Root to crown)
(We recommend this full experience for those seeking deep, lasting transformation. || 3 - 9 November)
Immerse yourself in seven powerful days of creative exploration, healing, and ceremony—
moving through each energy center from root to crown.
Release blockages, engage in all ceremonies and holistic practices,
and experience a complete rebirth through art and mindful integration.
See more about the schedule below.
Two healing practitioners and two professional artists weaving wisdom, healing modalities, sacred ceremony, and artistry into a 7-day container in South Africa, designed to guide journeyers through deep insight, inner exploration, and lasting transformation.
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Co-founder of Catharsis
Jaimie is a conduit for healing, using energy work, psychic channeling, breathwork, tarot, and creativity as tools for personal and collective transformation.
Rooted in lived experience, these modalities first guided her own awakening and now form a tapestry of support she offers through workshops, one-on-one sessions, and immersive artistic retreats. Each space invites psychological exploration, somatic release, and soulful expression.
With deep reverence for light amid life’s heaviness, Jaimie champions joy as a revolutionary act. She believes art born from truth frees the self and radiates healing into the collective.
Whether guiding breathwork, channeling insight, or holding space for creative catharsis, Jaimie leads others into deeper connection with themselves, their bodies, their stories, and the unseen support around them.
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Professional Guest Artist.
Yasmin is a multi disciplinary artist with experience in a variety of mediums. In 2013 – she graduated with a distinction from Michaelis School of Fine Art majoring in sculpture. She draws inspiration from mysticism, mythology and holistic shamanic healing practices.
As a multi-disciplinary artist, she creates sensual figurative drawings of the female form. Through her work, she aims to explore the concept of the goddess and the rising power of the Divine Feminine, drawing from her own multi-cultural diaspora. Her artistic process is a deeply personal ritual of healing, wherein she connects to the earth and embraces a sense of oneness with the universe.
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Co-founder of Catharsis.
Phillippa has over 25 years of experience in Metaphysics and brings deep expertise as a Reiki master, quantum healer, hypnotherapist, soul plan reader, yoga teacher (CYT 700h) and ceremonialist. Through transformative ceremonies in South Africa and Egypt, she guides individuals on a path of healing, awakening, and embracing their fullest potential.
She integrates multiple modalities to facilitate deep energetic shifts, helping individuals dissolve blocks and step into their fullest creative expression. Believing deeply in the power of immersive experiences, she designs and co-facilitates retreats that blend healing practices, creative exploration, and sacred artistry together.
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Professional Guest Artist.
Atang Tshikare is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist based in Cape Town. Born in Bloemfontein in 1980, he was shaped early on by his father’s visual storytelling and graphic style—his father being an anti-apartheid activist and illustrator for various pan-African publications and art magazines.Over the past twenty years, Atang’s practice has evolved from street art and drawings to limited-edition collectible designs that blend narrative-rich sculptural furniture with functional art. Through a unique visual language, he expresses his distinct visionary African identity, weaving tradition and soul into his collections. For Peo e Atang, he gathered folklore, legends, traditional prayers, songs, and games in Setswana and Sesotho.
In 2010, Atang founded Zabalazaa Designs and has collaborated with local artists and global brands such as Chimurenga Magazine, Adidas Originals, BMW, MTV Base, Belvedere Vodka, and Nando’s.
He received the Future Found Award from the Southern Guild Design Foundation in 2014 and was named one of the M&G Top 200 Young South Africans in 2015. He also served as a judge for the Elle Décor Solve Competition (2015) and the Dezeen Awards (2019).
Atang’s intuitive creative process is central to his work: “My drawings sometimes come before the narratives or research because they stem from something in my mind I can’t yet put into words—a sketch that flows without much thought.” This allows him to create pieces that are both profound and unique.
More about the Cape Town creative retreat schedule;
From the second day, we begin our time together at 7:45am to prepare for morning yoga
and leave the space before or around 8:00pm after the daily closing circle ends - depending on the day’s schedule.
We have themed and curated the days to flow with the energy system of the body, using ancient Buddhist wisdom and insight.
Monday - ROOT
Arrival, Opening circle and grounding group hypnosis, Artist talk & Clay workshop with Atang Tshikare, Closing circle.
Tuesday - SACRAL
Yoga, Meditation, Prompted journalling, Nature adventure, Earth altar creation ceremony, Art blockage workshop, Tarot readings, Closing circle.
Wednesday - SOLAR PLEXUS
Yoga, Meditation, Prompted journalling, Art workshop to see beyond, Collaborative art workshop releasing control, Tarot readings, Closing circle.
Thursday - HEART
Yoga, Meditation, Prompted journalling, Cacao and poetry ceremony, Poetry workshop, Swim and sauna, Closing circle.
Friday - THROAT
Yoga, Meditation, Prompted journalling, Artist talk & Vocal activation session with Yasmin Ezzideen, Begin your big artwork, Open mic with cacao option.
Saturday - THIRD EYE
Blue lotus ceremony and group breathwork, Space to keep working on your big artwork, Closing circle.
Sunday - CROWN
Yoga, Meditation, Prompted journalling, Finish your big artwork, Closing ceremony by earth altar.
The schedule consists of FULL days,
Packed with holistic, ceremony, and artistic practices to take you as deep as possible in the few days we have together, truly shining the light on what’s inside and how to bring it up in satisfying, cathartic and healthy expression.
More about the space;
This 7-day art healing and mindfulness retreat is designed as a daily immersion, with no overnight stay. Each morning, we gather together in Constantia at 7:45am to begin our opening practices and step into the creative container. After the sun sets, we close our day in circle, departing the villa around 7:30pm - 8:00pm—fulfilled, connected, and inspired.
The villa itself radiates a rare and stirring energy. Its walls are alive with the spectacular works of renowned artists, each room steeped in aesthetic soul. It's a space where beauty breathes—a sanctuary crafted for artistic expression and holistic transformation.
For the foreigners coming through, there are fantastic Airbnb and hostel options around Cape Town.
We recommend choosing a place close to Constantia to avoid traffic in the mornings.
The lush, inspiring sanctuary.
What’s the exchange?
Included: All movement and mindfulness classes, all group healings, individual tarot sessions, swimming and sauna, all ceremonies, all gentle plant medicines given in ceremony and psilocybin macrodosing given in the mornings. A light breakfast and two nourishing meals a day. Art supplies (graphites, acrylic paint, pens, art paper, journal, canvas). Only for the days/ package you’ve chosen.
Not included: Yoga mats, cacao on the open mic evening, evening stay, transportation.
Our Payment Options
7 Day Full Journeyer
(Root to crown)
(Full exploration for an immersive and powerful experience.)
Early Bird Discount (Before May)
- R1 000
(- €50)
Once Off
Local, R11 500
(International, €600)
3 Month Plan
Local, R4 000 per month
(International, €250)
4 Day Warrior
(Root to heart)
(Join only the first 4 days.)
Early Bird Discount (Before May)
- R1 000
(- €50)
Once Off
Local, R8 000
(International, €450)
3 Month Plan
Local, R2 900 per month
(International, €170)
3 Day Weekender
(Throat to crown)
(Join only the last 3 days.)
Early Bird Discount (Before May)
- R1 000
(- €50)
Once Off
Local, R6 750
(International, €370)
3 Month Plan
R2 500 per month
(International, €150)
Fill out your information to join us!
Let us know
Any questions you have.
Which retreat package you’re interested in: 4-day warrior, 3-day weekender or 7-day journeyer.
Which payment plan option you choose: once off or 3 month payment.
Where you’re based: local or foreigner.
Art experience (all is welcome).
We will send you an email with the full information booklet and will guide you through the process of securing your space to journey with us!