The
Black
Madonna
Retreat
An intimate, day-long gathering
with
Dr. Christena Cleveland
September 19, 2026 | Chicago
November 7, 2026 | NYC
Subterranean Lady who holds the world in balance
you beckon us, the under-mothered and overloaded
To swap our baggage for ease, oh supreme ease
In your unfathomably strong and bountiful arms.
Come.
Let’s gather around
She Who Holds It All So We Don’t Have To.
Let’s release our burdens to her loving care.
And personally receive her never ending abundance.
This intimate and informal retreat is for all who long to go deeper with Black Madonna and experience the transformative love of the divine feminine. Maybe you’ve known her for years. Maybe you just (consciously) encountered her. Either way, you are Black Madonna kin and you are welcome at the circle.
Throughout our easeful day together, Christena Cleveland, author of The Black Madonna and founder of the Black Madonna Freedom School, will guide participants in teachings, community conversation, and somatic practices that are accessible to all bodies. We will gather together to experience the Black Madonna as the holder of our life’s labyrinth – guiding us, inviting us to release the burdens we are not meant to carry, and ushering us into her life, life, indomitable life.
Pregnant Virgin, keeper of the cosmic crypt
Neither void nor death can thwart your seed of life.
Impregnate us with your everlasting abundance
As our burdened and barren souls drink from your holy well.
This retreat is for you if:
You are spiritually adventurous and you want to deepen your understanding of and connection to the ancient archetype of the Black Madonna
You read The Black Madonna by Christena Cleveland and desire to explore the content and themes more deeply
You want to experience the Black Madonna and not just know things about her
You want to connect with other Black madonna kin and kindred spirits
You’re curious about the Black Madonna Freedom School and want to experience a learning community facilitated by Christena
You have burdens and you want a supportive space to release them to the Black Madonna
You’re excited to encounter the Black Madonna in an anti-racist, Black-women-centered space
You’re ready to experience more of the Black Madonna’s abundance in personal and practical ways
You’re free that day, so why not?
The Schedule:
8:30 am - doors open
9:00 am - Teaching Session + community conversation
10:30 am - Break
10:45 am - Guided practice + reflection
Noon - Lunch
1:00 pm - Teaching Session + community conversation
2:15 pm - Break
2:30 pm - Guided practice + reflection
3:30 - Closing + Community Blessing
3:45 - Farewell + book signing
*schedule subject to change
The Experience:
Two power-packed teaching sessions to nurture your every day connection to the Black Madonna’s Abundance – guided by Dr. Christena Cleveland
Divine connections as you meet fellow sojourners and kindred spirits.
Two empowering practices that you can return to again and again to notice and unlock the Black Madonna’s abundance in your life.
Rich community conversation as you share your experiences and glean wisdom from others’ experiences
A dedicated space to ask questions about the Black Madonna, abundance, and other aspects of spirituality
A set-side day and space to nurture your spiritual vitality and come away feeling refreshed and uplifted
An exclusive opportunity to purchase sacred objects, handcrafted and sourced by Dr. Christena Cleveland
Miracle-Working OB-GYN, our Resurrection Doula—
when toxic lies inseminate our body and soul,
you pull death from our womb and deliver nothing
But life, more life, indomitable life!
Registration options
This fee structure is the same for both retreats and is designed to create a sustainable work model based in principles of resource redistribution and financial accessibility; covering the curriculum development, preparation, communication/administration, and facilitation of sessions.
Note: Registration includes teaching and facilitation. It does not include transportation, meals or lodging.
General Registration: $311
Early Bird Registration: $211 — available until August 31 for Chicago retreat and October 1 for NYC retreat
Scholarship Registration: $111 — We want to make this retreat as accessible as possible, so are offering a very limited number of scholarships. Please use one if you genuinely need to. First come, first serve.
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Chicago - September 19
In the Windy City, we’ll be gathering at St. Moses the Black Parish (331 E. 71st Street, Chicago, IL 60619).
Early bird rate available until August 31!
-
NYC - November 7
In the Big Apple, we’ll be gathering at Middle Church (50 E. 7th Street, New York, NY, 10003).
Early bird rate available until October 1!
Spiral Seer, your cosmic hands are the gateway to life.
You guide each stride, assuring your dear ones
that every direction—north, south, east, or west—
Is anointed, tended, and lavished by you.
FAQs
What if I register and need to cancel?
Retreat tuition is non-refundable and that all tuition fees go to ongoing liberation efforts, including offering lower costs for BIPOC participants. We encourage you to purchase travel insurance so that you are covered if you’re unable to attend due to circumstances beyond your control.
We strive to curate the safest experience for our community. Should we need to reschedule our retreat due to circumstances beyond our control, your payments will be applied to a future retreat, valid for up to one year.
Who will be centered at this retreat?
Though all are truly welcome at the Black Madonna retreat, we intentionally center BIPOC people in general and Black women and Black non-binary people in particular. We do this to honor the Black Madonna’s Black body as well as to disrupt the white supremacist and patriarchal norms that rule many spiritual spaces.
How can I prepare for this retreat?
We encourage you to read both The Black Madonna: Icon of Resistance and Nourisher of Souls and God Is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland prior to the retreat, so you can become acquainted with her Black feminist approach to the Black Madonna.