Thieves & Beggars; The Needful Soul
October 26th - November 4th, 2025
Fireflies Intercultural Centre, Bengaluru
“…as with the body, when the heart, the soul is hungry and thirsts, we become beggars and thieves. In that desperation we retreat to the shadows and the shadows welcome us, stealing our hope and soliciting our longing. We beg for any glimmer of light, stealing any spark which arises….”
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Lost in the false dream of the first man Fear, our wandering souls hunger for some distant sustenance, some morsel of a feast which lingers and tantalises on the edge of our dreams, a yearning memory just out of reach. And yet in that soul is a burning desire to satisfy that need, and even though we distract ourselves with the trappings of life, somewhere that longing, that seductive whisper, that despair of a hungry child, wraps itself around us like the cowl of a desperate thief, prowling on the edge of the shadows, and that starving beggar, hands outstretched, ready to steal and grovel for the slightest glimpse of that morsel which might satisfy this desperate poverty of soul and heart. And perhaps there are always the shadows which seem to satisfy that hunger, however temporary and at any cost.
Beggars & Thieves is an opportunity to come to a table of invitations to seek and find those possibilities to embrace our hungry souls, and discover the childlike gifts of wonder, joy, and expression, to set our souls and hearts aflame once again to sing the song of their presence. Thus perhaps enriching the beggar and redeeming the thief, which we have all been trapped in.
This is a ten-day residential Retreat in cool green of Fireflies at Dinnepalya, Karnataka (just outside Bangalore) with ceremonies, prayers, healing, singing and dancing, which come to us from our Sagh’ic animist tradition.
This retreat is made up of three options:
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Healing Days (2 days, which includes a Labyrinth Walk) - October 26th – 27th
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Soul Ripples (4 days) - October 28th – 31st
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Ancestral Days (4 days, which includes the Initiation of the new Sagart) - November 1st – 4th​
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Plus 2 additional workshop days:
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Arrows of Dark & Light Healing Workshop - Friday, October 24th
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Drum-making Workshop - Saturday, October 25th​​
Healing Days will be two days of gentle self-healing, along with walking the labyrinth which is an ancient means of connecting the self to the ancestral spirits.​
Soul Ripples is 4 days of a deeper sense of healing, re-uniting and reconnecting our disparate selves.​
Ancestral Days is 4 days of honouring our ancestors, as it occurs on the traditional days of both the ancestors and the dead, and celebrating the relationships between the ancestors and descendants, old ones and new ones. As part of that celebration will be the Initiation and Ordination ceremony of the new Sagart (trained Pathfinders and Practitioners) of the Tradition.​
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All the days, with their ceremonies, rituals and teaching are concerned with celebration and releasing, in which we, our ancestors, living or dead, and our descendants no longer have to be beggars or thieves.
Participants may register for the complete 10-day event, or can choose which options best suit them.
Drum-Making and The Arrows Healing Workshop are offered as stand-alone events.
Thieves & Beggars; the Needful Soul - Gathering & Retreat
October 26th - November 4th, 2025
Clicking the PROGRAMME button will reveal the structure of the Retreat.
Full details of the options can be found by clicking on the DESCRIPTIONS button.
Details of Retreat fees and charges can be found by clicking the FEE SCHEDULE Button.
Early-bird prices for the first 15 Registrants.
If you require help or guidance, or have any questions, please contact us at:
REGISTRATION
REGISTRATIONS OPEN IN JANUARY
You can register interest and/or intent by filling the form below.
All information is gathered in strictest confidence and used only for registration purposes.
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For enquiries or further information please email safgatheringsretreats@gmail.com
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As part of our commitment to the community and in accordance with our founding mandates, a portion of participant fees will go towards supporting the Pipal Tree Organisation.
The organisation is currently in search of funding for their Children's Learning Centre, which serves children between the ages of 6 and 16 living within a forest environment. The learning center operates within the forest and currently provides education in a single classroom that accommodates students across different grade levels.
This one-room school is faced with challenges, as there are instances when teachers are unable to attend, resulting in missed educational opportunities for the children. To address this issue, the Organisation have identified and engaged individuals who have completed their 10th or 12th grade to serve as facilitators and ensure continued learning for the students.
For a clearer understanding of this unique learning environment and the children's living conditions, we invite you to view the video attached. It will provide you with a visual representation of the situation being addressed. Your support and consideration for funding would greatly assist the Pipal Tree Organisation in providing quality education and improving the lives of these children in the forest.
There will be an opportunity during the Retreat to make additional donations.
With Love and a shared hope and holding for patience, understanding, compassion and transformation for us all and all living beings and the planet, we all being One.