Archetypes in SoulCollage®: Who Guides You? Art Retreat in Taos
December 4-8, 2025
$500.00 deposit will hold your space.
See below at the *** for full pricing.
In this year’s retreat we invite you, through the creation and exploration of SoulCollage®, to experience the guides and challengers who have always been a part of your life known as the Council Suit or Archetypes. Some of the archetypes are familiar, and others might surprise you. Here are a few: The Great Mother, The Fool, The Artist, The Warrior, The Teacher, Death, Grief, Compassion, The Seeker, The Protector. Do any of these resonate with you?
By recognizing your own archetypes, you can gain insight into your strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. This awareness can lead to personal growth and improve your relationships, as you become more attuned to the underlying dynamics at play. For instance, knowing which Archetype resonates with you can guide your decisions and interactions. Archetypes can highlight recurring themes in our own behavior and the actions of others, ultimately leading to deeper self-awareness and improved interpersonal understanding..
Seena Frost, birthmother of SoulCollage, wrote this about the Council/Archetypes suit in her book, SoulCollage Evolving: “You will make cards for the archetypes that compel you and guide you, ones your heart responds to most strongly. Right at this moment you may not know who they are, but your deep Soul knows. Trust your intuition.”
In this retreat, we will explore various archetypes and work with them as they show themselves to us. You may already have some council cards in your deck and will make new cards as your archetypes reveal themselves to you.
We welcome new SoulCollagers too. If you're new to SoulCollage, you can begin your deck at this retreat.
The psychologist, Carl Jung, first recognized them as “Primordial Images.” In his studies of the Collective Unconscious, he found that it is a universal, inherited layer of the unconscious that contains archetypes, or universal symbols and themes shared by all humans. It is the deepest and least accessible part of the unconscious mind.
Join Deborah Milosevich and Kat Kirby at the iconic Mabel Dodge Luhan House for 5 days and 4 nights of creative exploration and enjoyment. Leave the world behind as you step into this magical world of peace, inspiration, connection, and nurturing.
We will begin our retreat with an evening wine, sparkling water, and cheese reception to introduce ourselves to one another and settle into the ambiance of the Mabel Dodge Luhan House.
Each morning we will gather in our wonderful adobe studio for creative sessions and exploration of your personal soul’s journey. Our time together will include the SoulCollage process and making a handmade journal, with pockets and tuck spots, to house your newly created cards, as well as collect your ideas, observations, doodles, drawings, paintings, and collages. You will learn a variety of ways to embellish your journals, using Gelli plates, paints, stencils, and more!
Evenings can be spent wandering into town, reading, creating in the studio, or relaxing in front of the fireplace at the main house.
Creating in community, in this beautiful light-filled studio, will inspire and delight. Sharing space with like-hearted people, you will notice how easily a sense of camaraderie develops, as our sacred space holds us in wonder.
SoulCollage is a magical and often profound process of creating a unique and personal deck of oracle cards, developed by the late Seena Frost. With this process, using our intuition, we make a selection of images, without knowing why, and then using just scissors and a glue stick, we create soulful cards and gradually build our SoulCollage decks. This becomes our personal story, describing in images who we are, the roles we play, our supporters and challengers, and the archetypes that guide us.
During our time together at the retreat we will be considering the following questions:
Who or what has influenced you for a long time?
Is there a reoccurring theme in your life?
What makes an archetype a guide for you?
How do you express yourself with images and words?
What are the light and shadow sides of your archetypes?
Where do your guides show up for you?
Deborah and Kat will encourage and inspire you through a variety of prompts, poems, and personal stories to set the stage for your own creative expression.
Our Home Away From Home: Mabel Dodge Luhan House
“Rich in history, authentic in architecture, The Mabel Dodge Luhan House has been a center of Taos arts and education for nearly 100 years. Join us and experience the rustic and relaxing ambience that makes the Mabel Dodge Luhan house an artistic salon of the Southwest.”
Just imagine waking up to a gorgeous sunrise, nestled in the pinon -covered pines of the Sangre de Christo mountains.
The chef will delight you with delicious breakfasts, lunches, and some dinners served each day, without you having to lift a finger to shop or cook.
This is your time. Allow yourself to be pampered through being taken care of in a most delightful way.
Your Retreat Guides:
Deborah Milosevich
Lubbock, Texas
Deborah is a multifaceted artist and educator with a passion for painting and mixed media. She discovered the transformative practice of SoulCollage several years ago and was so moved by its impact on her own life that she became a facilitator. Deborah has since led numerous workshops, sharing the power of SoulCollage with others and witnessing their personal growth and creative discoveries.
In addition to her work as a SoulCollage facilitator, Deborah has also gained recognition for her artwork, which has been showcased in various galleries. Her unique pieces reflect her deep connection to spirituality and personal exploration. Deborah also taught art appreciation at Texas Tech University, where she shared her love for the arts.
With a genuine passion for helping others tap into their artistic potential and embrace their authentic selves, Deborah is dedicated to her craft as an artist and an educator. She wholeheartedly believes in the transformative power of art and encourages others to explore their own creative depths, discovering new levels of self-expression and personal fulfillment along the way.
Kat Kirby
Prescott, AZ
Kat Kirby was born and raised in New Jersey, into a family that valued art, music, theater, and all things creative. She learned at an early age that creativity and self-expression were keys to a fulfilling life.
Since the early 1970s, Kat has been a believer in the healing power of the arts and creative self-expression. After retiring from a 40-year career as an Expressive Arts Therapist, her passions include teaching a variety of workshops such as creating art journals, mosaics, SoulCollage, handmade books, Mixed Media arts, watercolors and doodles, and more. She has led art retreats around the world, including France, Portugal, the Caribbean, as well as Sedona, Carefree, AZ, and California. Kat enjoys exploring and experimenting with art materials, and loves encouraging her students and retreatants to make friends with their inner kindergartener.
When she teaches, whether it be virtual or in person, her two rules are:
1) You can’t be wrong, and
2) Have fun!
What's included:
Your single or shared room
Breakfasts, lunches, and 3 dinners in the dining room
Coffee, tea, snacks throughout the day
Instruction from two seasoned art retreat facilitators
Some supplies and materials
What's not included:
Some supplies and materials (a list will be sent to you upon registration)
Your transportation to and from the Mabel Dodge Luhan House
One dinner in town
Gratuities and tips
Items you wish to purchase
***Your investment in your creative well being:
Private room: $2389.00
Shared room: $2139.00
Commuter: $1469.00
Your $500.00 non-refundable deposit will secure your place for this retreat. Your second payment of $1,000.00 is due on or before June 30th. Your balance is due on or before September 30th . We will send reminders to you. The deposit and future payments can be paid via PayPal or Stripe with an added fee of 3%. There are no fees if paying by check or Zelle.
If paying by check, please make it out to me and send it to:
Kat Kirby, 3251 Burro Drive, Prescott, AZ 86305
Or transfer via Zelle to me at kat4clay@gmail.com
If you would like to pay it all by check, please email me at kat4clay@gmail.com to let me know. Thank you!
Rooms will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. Those of you who have a favorite can specify which one you’d like. However, all the rooms at Mabel’s are good ones.
Cancellations and Refunds:
If you need to cancel your registration for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible by sending an email to Deborah or Kat.
If you or we can fill your spot, we will refund your payment, minus the $500 nonrefundable deposit. If you or we are unable to fill your space, we will not be able to issue you a refund.
If the retreat has to be cancelled for reasons outside of our control, you will receive a refund, minus your deposit.
If we have to cancel, which we have never done, you will receive a full refund.
We highly recommend getting trip insurance. Kat uses Allianz:
https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/
Covid Policy: We are continuing to monitor the situation as Covid evolves. We will modify our policies and post here, as and when we feel it becomes necessary. We may request you test yourself before you come to the retreat.
What people are saying about our retreats:
“The Taos Art Retreat at Mabel's was deeply inspirational and restorative. The magical location makes it so easy to unplug from the world and tune into yourself. The nourishing meals made me feel so cared for. And the other women who were drawn to this workshop were so lovely! I truly feel like I made new friends for life - funny, creative, compassionate women who graciously held space for me to play and learn and grow. Kat and Deborah really curated a space and a schedule that encouraged experimentation, self-exploration, and creativity.”
Wendy S.
“This retreat gathered together some of the most interesting women I've had the pleasure of spending time with. The Mabel Dodge Luhan house is a perfect artist's retreat with ample workspace, reflection space, and comfortable rooms, as well as gorgeous meals and gathering spaces. Kat and Deborah create an easygoing studio environment where everyone feels free to explore ideas intuitively. I learned as much from them as I did the women working around me.”
Renee L.
“Kat and Deborah deepened my process of making Soul Collage cards by utilizing poetry writing and journal making. The beautiful setting in Taos, NM only added to the experience. I can't wait to see what they offer next year!”
Beca K.
“Kat and Deborah created safe, inviting, and inspiring creative space to learn and explore.”
Connie B.