ZORA

ZORA ‘DAWN STAR’ - REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN

The Dawn Star is a 7-night Women’s Sailing Council - a conference made up of visionary women and select guest speakers from around the world, leaders and pioneers in their fields, brave humanitarians. Each year, the Dawn Star will focus on a different topic and through enlightening lectures and panel conversations, will aim to create a think-tank driven by some of the most passionate women leaders on the planet.

Sailing from Trogir on Lagoon 46 Fly catamarans, 20 guests will embark with the guest speakers, chefs, masseuses, skippers and a videographer. We will be sailing through select Dalmatian islands and through the Kornati National Park, resting deeply in the crystal waters, being thoroughly activated in our daily, interactive ZORA sessions.

The topics for discussion for 2025 are inspired by concepts raised in the incredible novel, SAND TALK by Tyson Yunkaporta. “A paradigm-shifting book that brings a crucial Indigenous perspective to historical and cultural issues of history, education, money, power, and sustainability—and offers a new template for living.”

ZORA Contributors 2025

Malika Avani

Malika Avani is a Priestess of Earth whose innate shamanic gifts, love and devotion to the collective continues to midwife a growing hive of activated creatives and intuitives of New Earth consciousness. She elevates the visions and frequency of Women Leaders of our time through drum mentorship and life-changing experiences with sacred medicines on sacred sites. Malika’s initiation journey has spanned 14 years and has taken her as a pilgrim and medicine woman through morethan 30 countries.

Chrissie Fire Mane

Chrissie is the Director of The MANA Movement and empassioned leader of humanity into the New Earth. She is constantly fascinated by the human heart and resilience and is driven by the promise of its power. Carrying Andean lineage traditions as successor, in Chullu Chaqa and in Wachuma, Chrissie’s deep passion is the power of an activated human and what that means for the future of our collective and planet. Named 'chaqaruna' or Bridge-Person by the Q'ero, Wisdom Keepers of the Andes, Chrissie's North Star is activating and rewilding humanity with modern and indigenous wisdom, reminding people of what is already inside but forgotten or suppressed. Chrissie has been facilitating transformational weekends, workshops and 14-day gatherings around the world intensively since 2012, moving online also in 2017.

Brittany Jane Laidlaw

Brittany Jane Laidlaw is a Somatic Ecologist and Rewilding Mentor with over 11 years of experience leading embodied, soul-centric programs in the wild. She is a PhD Candidate in eco-somatics and her research explores ways of relating to and restoring living ecologies through dance. Her work has received numerous awards for its unique leadership in socio-ecological regeneration, including the inaugural Westpac Future Leaders Award, and Prime Minister's Endeavour Award. Brittany also holds a Masters of Environment in Somatic Ecology, and various certifications in nature connection, trauma-informed somatics, and permaculture. Today, Brittany offers a range of programs that guide people through The EARTHED Framework, an experiential map for conversing with the body, soul, and nature, based on her research. The framework integrates comprehensive knowledge from somatics, neuroscience, ecology, and mythology. Previously, Britt was the Co-Founder of Wildsong, a nature mentoring program for children and families where she shared ancestral skills, stories, music and movement as a catalyst for holistic well-being and cultural repair. Britt also applied these skills as a contestant on the popular tv show, Naked and Afraid, which is one of the most challenging survival experiences in the world.

Hildur Björk

Hildur Björk is a leading priest in the Free Church of Reykjavík, Iceland, a sweat lodge facilitator, spiritual lecturer and a yoga teacher. She has a Bachelor degree in theology, a certification in family ministry, a Masters in Practical Theology, Mag.theol, Diploma in Teaching, Masters in Human Resource Management and a Diploma in Equality Studies. She has also a certification as a mediator and a diploma from IVAT in “Trauma Through the Lifespan”. Hildur Björk has lectured at many conferences, companies and institutions about trauma, church, religion and spirituality. She has worked as a pastor, field director, project manager and director for the last ten years.

Lisa Darveniza

Lisa Darveniza is an accomplished counsellor, psychotherapist, and growth work teacher with thirty years of clinical experience supporting personal transformation. She holds a master’s in counselling & applied psychotherapy and has a deep understanding of Eastern philosophy. Lisa uses her exceptional empathic abilities to help clients resolve long-term, personal difficulties. During a decade-long global pilgrimage, Lisa immersed herself in diverse cultures and philosophies, gathering the tools needed for her transformative work. Her Awareness Work framework blends insights from psychotherapy, Buddhist philosophy, eco-psychology, somatics, feminist theory, and neuroscience. She also has specialized training in group therapy, trauma-informed psychotherapy, Narrative Therapy, and Internal Family Systems. Lisa leads two transformative group programs annually: The 6 Month Therapy Course and The 4 Month Therapy Course. These programs form the comprehensive AWARENESS WORK pathway, promoting healing and realignment, and often serving as a pivotal reset towards purposeful and awakened living. The AW mission is to contribute to global healing by addressing the deep developmental needs of the individual.

Are you interested to join ZORA in June 2025?

Drop in your email below and we’ll send you the information.

The Slavic dawn goddess Zora ("Light") lives in Buyan, a legendary paradisaical island east of the sunrise. She is the daughter of Dazbog, the god of the sun. Her main responsibility is to open the gates of her father's palace in the morning, to let him create dawn and travel through the skies, then to close the gates after him at dusk.

In her dawn aspect, she is called the Morning Star (Zorya Utrennyaya). In her dusk aspect, she is the Evening Star (Zorya Vechernyaya).

 TROGIR, CROATIA - Our departure and arrival town

Gorgeous Trogir (called Trau by the Venetians) is set within medieval walls on a tiny island, linked by bridges to both the mainland and to the far larger Čiovo Island. On summer nights everyone gravitates to the wide seaside promenade lined with bars, cafes and yachts, leaving the knotted, mazelike marble streets gleaming mysteriously under old-fashioned streetlights.

The old town has retained many intact and beautiful buildings from its age of glory between the 13th and 15th centuries. In 1997 its profuse collection of Romanesque and Renaissance buildings earned it World Heritage status.

We will begin our ZORA Retreat in Trogir with a Celebration Dinner on Friday 20th of June. Then we’ll set sail the next day from Trogir Marina.

THE BOATS

The LAGOON 42 is a catamaran of immense style and is the choice for the DAWN STAR journey.

Bring your mother, your daughter, your sister or a dear friend to share your ZORA cabin with. All cabins are shared between 2 women. Each boat will be skippered by a man that provides exceptional service.