The Magic Garden · Fredensborg, near Copenhagen
Life-transforming plant medicine retreat near Copenhagen
You meet with us three times in a small group: Friday afternoon, all of Saturday and an integration evening on the Tuesday after. It all happens in the Roundhall in Fredensborg – the preparation, the ceremony itself and the integration – with live music from Axis Mundi Experience.
- Friday 4.45–9 pm · Saturday 8.30 am–8 pm · Tuesday 6–9 pm
- At most 11 participants
- DKK 3,300 · DKK 3,100 per person if you bring a friend
- Fredensborg, 35 km north of Copenhagen
- Minimum age 21
- English speakers are welcome; we guide you in English
Reviews: Facebook 98% recommend (54)Trustpilot 4.5 (13)Google 5.0 (4)as of October 2026
You can't buy a place here. You apply, we read your application, and you only pay once we have said yes.
Videos
Hear it from the participants
People who have been on a retreat at The Magic Garden tell you about it in their own words (in Danish).
“If you’re considering The Magic Garden … then run up there”
Sanne talks about her journey from pain, fear and anxiety to clarity, joy and love
Casper talks about his three visits to The Magic Garden
Miriam talks about her experience at The Magic Garden
Anette talks about her retreat at The Magic Garden
Johannes talks about his retreat
Christoph talks about a retreat
Meet Christoph, who has joined several retreats
See 7 more videosSee 3 more videosShow fewer videos
Anette talks about her retreat at The Magic Garden
Johannes talks about his retreat
Christoph talks about a retreat
Meet Christoph, who has joined several retreats
A participant talks about their retreat
Anders shares his experience in a few words
Lasse talks about his journey
A few words from Ecaterina
You don't need to be in crisis to come here. Many of the people I talk to are doing well enough – but for a long time they have sensed that there is more in them than the life they live day to day. This place exists for that feeling.
I know myself what it means to carry something. In 2000, memories of violence from my childhood came back – not as thoughts, but in my body. Jacob was by my side, and it changed the direction of my life. What I learned in the years after is that a deep experience needs something around it: time set aside for it, people you can trust, and support both before and after. That is why there is a Friday before the journey and a Tuesday after it.
Holding retreats and seeing people shine – really shine – and come home to themselves is the reason Jacob and I do this. It is why we built The Magic Garden, and why we keep taking care of it.
When you apply, it is me you write to – and me you talk to in the clarity call. You are welcome to ask about anything – in English, of course. I once asked most of those questions myself.
Warm wishes,
Ecaterina
Is the retreat right for you?
The retreat is for you if you
- are curious to know yourself more deeply – or stand at a turning point in your life
- want to work with old patterns, emotional wounds or a longing you can't put into words
- are doing well – and still sense that there is more to discover
- are ready to prepare in the week before, and to give the integration time afterwards
The retreat is not for everyone
Certain mental health conditions, heart problems and some kinds of medication can mean that the retreat is not right for you – at least not right now. That is why we ask about your health in the application form, and you always get an honest, personal answer – even if the answer is no. You can read more on the page about safety and guidelines. You must be at least 21.
Read about safety and guidelinesWhat you can take home
The retreat is built for more than a good weekend. It is built to support you in finding your way to your heart – and to the part of you that knows who you are and what you are here for. Most people have carried those questions for a long time. Here there is time, space and support to listen for your own answers.
What it becomes for you, we can't promise – you bring your own life. But we can tell you what we see again and again. For some it is healing of something they have carried for many years: calm where there used to be an inner struggle, and a new relationship with feelings they were afraid of. For others it is clarity about a relationship, a job or a direction that no longer fits who they are. For others again it is deeper joy, creativity and a vision for their next chapter – even if they were doing well when they came. And for many it is a peace that lasts long after they have gone home: a feeling of belonging in their own life. Everyone tells us afterwards about results that surprised them.
How the retreat works
The retreat runs from 4.45 to 9 pm on Friday and from 8.30 am to 8 pm on Saturday. On Friday afternoon and evening we get to know each other and prepare together, on Saturday we hold the ceremony, and on the Tuesday after, from 6 to 9 pm, we meet again for the integration evening.
- Friday4.45–9 pm
Getting to know each other
On Friday afternoon you meet the people you will travel with. We get to know each other, and Jacob introduces the group to, among other things, psychotherapeutic tools that are useful during your inner journey – often at exactly the moment on Saturday when you least expect it. You also get guidance and answers to any questions you may have.
After a sharing circle – a round in which everyone shares – and Jacob's talk, we eat a light, plant-based dinner and then fast. After dinner you have a personal conversation with Jacob or Ecaterina, where you can talk about more personal matters if you need to. Many people say that this conversation, before anything deep happens, makes the whole of Saturday feel safer.
You are welcome to explore both the Roundhall and the garden. Friday is arranged so that you feel safe, open and trusting – mentally prepared and ready for your inner journey.
Friday evening: Jacob's talk in the Roundhall – here about The Blue Road and The Red Road. - Saturday8.30 am–8 pm
The ceremony
On Saturday morning you arrive by 8.30 at the latest. After some preparations and a sharing circle, we begin the ceremony, which lasts until late afternoon. Throughout the journey there is always an experienced guide who can help you. The music is live and listens to the room: Jacob and Ecaterina play to what is happening – not to a playlist.
Straight after the journey we invite you to draw or paint a mandala – no artistic skill needed. It is a powerful way to work through and integrate an inner journey, and it anchors the experience while it is still fresh. Then we meet in a circle where everyone can tell the story of their journey – it is very rewarding both to share your own experience and to hear about the journeys of others.
We round off the day with dinner together. After that you can go home whenever you feel completely ready. Whether you can drive after a ceremony varies from person to person; most people can drive or take public transport home. If it is your first journey, it is a good idea to arrange for someone to pick you up.
Saturday: the ceremony under the starry sky, with the musicians at the front. 
Saturday evening, in the circle: everyone tells the story of their journey, and everyone listens. Jacob and Ecaterina in the middle. - Tuesday6–9 pm
Integration evening
On the Tuesday after, you meet your fellow travellers again for the integration evening. By then a few days of ordinary life have put what you experienced to the test – and this is often when something falls into place. We work in depth with your journey and the journeys of the others, and with how they are best integrated into your life. Following up on a deep inner journey is essential for gaining the full benefit and for safely “coming ashore” again.
We would much rather see you in the Roundhall. If you live far away or can't get time off, you can join online – but if you feel that a lot is still moving in you after Saturday, come. This is where you get help to land it.
The Tuesday after: the integration evening in the Roundhall, with the group gathered around the candles once more.
Programme (approximate times)
Friday
- 4.45 pm Arrival
- 5.00–5.11 pm Meditation
- 5.11–6.00 pm Sharing circle
- 6.00–7.00 pm Talk and guidance by Jacob
- 7.00–9.00 pm Dinner and a personal conversation with each participant, perhaps combined with a walk in Fredensborg Palace Gardens
Saturday
- 8.30 am Arrival and setting up your place to lie in the Roundhall; meditation in the garden
- 9.15 am Sharing circle
- 10.00 am–5.30 pm Ceremony and integration with mandala drawing
- 5.30–6.30 pm Sharing circle
- 6.30 pm Dinner and rounding off
The Tuesday after
- 6.00–9.00 pm Integration evening
Accommodation
The retreat price does not include accommodation, and you sleep away from The Magic Garden. When Friday ends at 9 pm, you can go home to sleep if you live nearby, or book a room in the area and come back on Saturday morning. A lovely place close by is Fredensborg Husene, 400 metres from The Magic Garden, with nine guest rooms. There are also Airbnbs and hotels in the area. Coming from abroad? Book a room nearby for Friday night. Fredensborg Husene ↗
Preparation: the week before
We encourage you to be as introspective as you can in the week before the ceremony. Give special attention to your feelings and body sensations, and to any dreams or visions. Listen inwards, keep a diary if you like, and perhaps draw small mandalas. Make time for yourself – in nature, in meditation, in yoga – and pay attention to your breath.
Preparation doesn't have to take hours. If your days are full of work, family and children, give yourself small moments in between. And if you can't sleep for a night or more before the ceremony, take it calmly – it is perfectly normal once you have decided to go on an inner journey.
The day before the ceremony we serve a light, plant-based meal. We suggest a plant-based or vegetarian diet in the week before – or just the last 2–3 days – but it is not a must. Drink plenty of water, and cut down on coffee, sugar and other stimulants. On the morning of the ceremony you fast, though you may drink water. Once you have your place, you receive a list of foods to avoid.
How we look after you
We read your application first
No one gets a place until we have read the application and talked through whatever needs talking through. On Friday, everyone also has a personal conversation with Jacob or Ecaterina.
An experienced guide is always by your side
During the journey you get help, support and guidance from the whole team: Jacob (42 years of experience), Ecaterina (25 years of experience) and 4–6 guides, each with their own skills. There are at most 11 participants, so safety and trust are the key words.
A ceremonial setting, not treatment
The retreat is not medical treatment and does not replace your doctor or psychologist. Some people should not take part – we find that out together before we say yes.
We don't promise a result
We promise preparation, presence and integration – before, during and after. What you experience is yours.
Will it help me too?
Some people hesitate before they apply. They have heard what others experienced, and still the question comes: ‘It helps so many – but will it help me too?’ It is an honest question, and you don't need the answer before you come. No one can tell you in advance what you will experience. What we can do is be with you all the way: in a free clarity call with Ecaterina, if you would like one, and in Friday's preparation with the group. On Saturday there is always a guide close by if you need support. And on Tuesday we meet again for integration, because after the retreat you stand somewhere new – many say as a new person – and the new needs help to land.
I had the best experience in the world, from start to finish.
The team and the music
The retreat is led by Jacob and Ecaterina Moth and facilitated by a dedicated, experienced team with a background in psychotherapy, plant medicine, sound healing and spiritual guidance. Several members of the team are in our 4-year Integral Transpersonal Psychotherapy Training.
With 42 years of experience, Jacob has trained with Stanislav Grof, Terence McKenna and Michael Barnett, and has taken and guided hundreds of inner journeys himself. He is the author of Land of the Nocturnal Butterfly – an Inner Journey, with a preface by Stanislav Grof.
Read more about JacobSinger, healer and facilitator. Ecaterina has walked the inner path herself for 25 years, and for 20 years she has guided others – for the last 11 years in groups too. Her presence and her voice are an essential part of the ceremony.
Meet EcaterinaWhat is different here
- A place we built ourselves. The garden and the Roundhall were built so that you can meet yourself here and find out what you want to do with your life. Jacob planted the first trees in 1995. From 1999 we built on together, and in 2009 we raised the Roundhall with the help of many others. It took many years, and it was not always easy. We still live here.
- The musicians are your guides. Jacob and Ecaterina play the music live themselves – and they are the same people who know the inner work and are with you all day.
The music for your journey
The music during the ceremony is played live by Axis Mundi Experience – The Magic Garden's own travel band, which is Jacob and Ecaterina. On an inner journey, music is the most important tool for guiding you, and Axis Mundi specialises in authentic, original, live travel music: Jacob orchestrates a six-hour landscape of music on his two butterfly guitars, and they both sing – their voices carry, help and guide you.
In The Magic Garden Tribe you can listen to the recording of your own ceremony afterwards and use it for integration – the first month is free – and when you hear it again, your insights and experiences come back more vividly.
Where the retreat takes place
The retreat takes place in the Roundhall – 123.4 m² with a floor shaped like a key – in the middle of a garden laid out around the 22 tarot cards of the Major Arcana. The place is built for meditative and transformative states of consciousness; the garden's figures, spaces and sculptures give shape to the universal archetypes and the Hero's Journey. You can read how it all began in our story.
Kronprinsessevej 11, 3480 Fredensborg, Denmark – 35 km north of Copenhagen. You park on Slotsgade, 222 metres away, and go in through the green gate to the right of the tree stump.
In the participants' own words
It was a fantastic journey. I feel healed, and very, very clear in my mind. … The music carried me through. It was magical.
I won't hide that I was incredibly nervous in the days before this inner journey … But what for? To this day I keep thanking myself for taking the step.
The Magic Garden's ceremonies and music are, for me, unmatched and unparalleled. It is deeply moving and so healing. THANK YOU!
Questions and answers
What does it cost, and what is included?
The retreat costs DKK 3,300 – DKK 3,100 per person if you bring a friend. The price covers the whole retreat: Friday afternoon, all of Saturday and the integration evening on Tuesday, including meals on Friday and Saturday. Accommodation is not included.
How many people take part?
At most 11. The team is Jacob, Ecaterina and 4–6 guides, so there is always an experienced guide by your side.
I don't speak Danish. Can I join?
Yes. You are welcome on the retreat without a word of Danish – we guide you in English. If you would like to talk it through first, book a free clarity call with Ecaterina.
I'm coming from abroad. How do I get here?
Fly to Copenhagen. Fredensborg is 35 km north of Copenhagen and has its own railway station; our contact page shows the way from Copenhagen, step by step. For Friday night, see “Where do I sleep?” below.
Is a retreat the right first step?
Not necessarily. A free 20-minute clarity call with Ecaterina can help you find out what is right for you.
What actually happens in a ceremony?
You lie on your mattress in the Roundhall and travel inwards to live music for about six hours. The guides are with you the whole time. Afterwards you draw a mandala, we share in a circle, and we eat together.
What about food and fasting?
On Friday evening we eat a light, plant-based meal and then fast. On Saturday morning you are fasting, but you may drink water. On Saturday evening we eat together again. In the week before, we suggest a plant-based or vegetarian diet, and you receive a list of what to avoid.
Where do I sleep?
At home if you live nearby, or in the local area – Fredensborg Husene is 400 metres away. Accommodation is not part of the retreat.
Do I need to come on Tuesday?
Yes, the integration evening is part of the retreat, and we encourage you to come. If your journey went well and work keeps you away, it is completely fine to join online – and if you live abroad, you can join online from home. But if the journey is still working strongly in you and you need help to integrate it, it means a great deal that you come in person.
Can I drive home on Saturday evening?
It varies from person to person. Most people can drive or take public transport home. If it is your first journey, it is a good idea to arrange with someone you feel safe with that they can pick you up if you need it.
What if I can't sleep in the week before?
That is perfectly normal. Once you have decided on an inner journey, your system starts to prepare. Take it calmly – everything is as it should be.
Price and booking
How to get a place
The retreat costs DKK 3,300 (DKK 3,100 per person if you bring a friend). There are at most 11 places, so we recommend writing in good time. You must be at least 21.
You apply
Write to Ecaterina, and we will send you the application form. Fill it in and send it back.
We get back to you
We read your application carefully. If we have questions, we call or write to you.
We confirm
Once you are accepted, you receive the payment details.
Then you pay
You pay by bank transfer, and we send you detailed information about the retreat. Nothing is paid here on the website.
It has been one of the most important decisions I have made in my life.
Read what others write: Facebook 54Trustpilot 13Google 4
Included in the price
- Friday afternoon and evening: meditation, a sharing circle, Jacob's talk and tools, time in the garden and the Roundhall
- A personal conversation with Jacob or Ecaterina on Friday
- A light, plant-based dinner on Friday and dinner on Saturday
- Saturday: the ceremony with live music from Axis Mundi Experience and a team of 6–8 by your side – for at most 11 participants
- Mandala drawing and sharing circles on Saturday
- The integration evening on Tuesday – in the Roundhall or online
- The music from your ceremony, professionally recorded – you hear it in The Magic Garden Tribe, where the first month is free
We are here for you before, during and after
After the retreat you are an important part of a community of other seeking souls. The full moon concerts are a way to come back to the Roundhall and the music, and in The Magic Garden Tribe, our online temple, you can listen to the music from your ceremony and meet like-minded people. As a member, you also help keep the place open.
Other ways to take part
- Private ceremonyWould you rather travel without a group? Then you journey inwards with an experienced guide by your side.
- Couples therapyWould you rather go together? Couples therapy is a journey you share as a couple, guided all the way.
- The Free WomanThree retreats over three months in a circle of at most six women – with integration in between, so what you experience has time to settle.
An evening in the Roundhall
Come to a Full Moon Concert
An evening of live music in the Roundhall with Axis Mundi Experience – about 1¼ hours, DKK 111, and everyone is welcome. You see the room, you meet us – and you create the music with us, with your energy. Next concert: Tuesday 27 October 2026 at 7 pm.