In the Footsteps of the Goddess: An Initiatory Journey to Crete and Mainland Greece

Transcription

1 1 In the Footsteps of the Goddess: An Initiatory Journey to Crete and Mainland Greece May 18 31, 2018 The loss of the feminine has led to the diminishing of the feeling, intuitive, and imaginative values in life, and to the exploitation and denigration of our Earth. We can no longer afford to live without recovering the vision of life as a unified whole. This image of cosmic inter-relatedness of all life was once represented by Goddess myths across the globe. The subsequent rise of patriarchal cultures epitomized by a transcendent male god, supplanted the previous organic relation with life and nature. The onesidedness of this worldview has now proved to be at a considerable cost both to humans and our planet as a whole. Today we are witnessing the re-emergence of the Goddess myth embodied in the vision of the oneness of all Life. This is evident in the new sciences, in the widespread concern for environment and justice, and in the rise of a new spirituality that includes the sacredness of our bodies and the soul of nature. The Minoan civilization of ancient Crete represents the apex of the Neolithic cultures that placed the feminine principle at their center, a worldview that spread across Old Europe from c BC. The Minoan culture, which thrived from BC, was remarkably well-developed and sophisticated, both technologically and artistically. In surprising ways, the Minoan civilization was a cradle for western civilization (we owe even our alphabet to the Minoans). Temple-palaces of Knossos, Phaestos, Malia, and Kato Zakros beautiful and intricately designed were the seats of religious/administrative life. Nearby mountain-top and cave sanctuaries provided secluded precincts for sacred worship of the Goddess. The goal of our Pilgrimage is to travel back in time, and so be inspired by the values of the high Minoan culture of ancient Crete as a living presence, in order to move forward in our lives today with renewed vision and purpose.

2 Our days will be punctuated by lively conversations about the main mythological stories relating to our Journey Theseus and the Minotaur, Ariadne, and the symbolism of the Labyrinth. We will also look at the temple sites from the perspective of the Mystery Schools and the spiritual science taught there. Crete was the seat of the purest Orphic doctrine, where Pythagoras was initiated into its Mysteries by Idaean Dactyls (priestesses who officiated at the sacred Dicteon Cave). The location and design of Minoan templepalaces (as well as other sacred sites around the world) followed the codes of Temple science an ancient sacred knowledge transmitted to initiates of the Temple Mysteries. We will examine some of these codes that included sacred geometry and Earth energies, engage energetically at all sites to heighten our awareness of Earth energies, and practice imaginal work as a way of entering into the star codes and akashic records/ living libraries of Gaia consciousness stored in these sites. In all these ways, we will seek the wisdom of the Goddess for ourselves and our planet. By bringing into our hearts some of the joy, beauty, grace, and strength found in the images of women, we will reconnect with the Goddess in her three aspects birth, death, and regeneration. Through the rich symbolism of snakes, bull horns, birds, lions, bees, and dolphins, we will immerse ourselves in this wild and rich cauldron of the glorious display of nature and the celebration of life. The effigies of the Snake Goddess with entwined serpents, bared breasts, and trance-like stare speak of invoking the subtle and sacred energies of the Earth. As Pilgrims, we will explore these energies, and seek to activate and be grounded in them. Come join our May Pilgrimage! In mythology May is often seen as the month when the Goddess returns from the underworld or death of winter. The return of Persephone, Demeter s daughter, is a well-known example of this myth, which may have originated in Crete. In the Footsteps of the Goddess offers its participants a path for transformation and renewal, a time for letting go of what is no longer serving, either personally or planetary. Here is your opportunity to descend into the depths of your own being, accompanied by the rich symbolism and energy of the Minoan culture and other sanctuaries. In doing so, you will bring forth the new green shoot of your soul s life in service to a vibrant vision of Life here and now in the midst of challenging times. 2

3 3 Summary of the Journey: We gather in Heraklion, Crete, and first visit the famous archeological museum in Heraklion as a prelude to our immersion in Minoan culture and Goddess mythology. Having so opened the door, we will visit the beautiful Minoan temple-palace at Knossos, then hike to the mountain-top sanctuary at Mt. Yuktas, which served as a sacred shrine for the Knossos complex. Next we will visit the temple-palace at Malia, followed by a hike to the Dicteon Cave legendary birthplace of Zeus and the cavewomb of the great Mother where the new son was born. We continue to the eastern part of the island and the temple-palace of Kato Zakros, hiking through the gorge of the Valley of the Dead beforehand. Our next destination, the temple complex of Phaistos, is located near the southern coast, which is also famous for the Neolithic Matala Caves. Our days on Crete will include overnight stops at beautiful beaches, and relaxation time for journaling, meditating, and dreaming, as a necessary part of integrating experiences as we travel along. Our connection with the life-affirming feminine principle will be strengthened as we hike in some of the most sacred corners of the island, rest on pristine beaches, and savor the delicacies and celebratory quality of Greek meals. Leaving Crete we fly to Athens and visit the Parthenon. A special excursion is being planned for the beautiful temple to the Minoan Goddess Aphaia on the little island of Aegina just off the coast of Athens (the only extant temple of this goddess). This will be followed by a visit to the famous mainland oracle at Delphi. A final full-moon celebration and ritual will bring this extraordinary Pilgrimage Journey to a close.

4 4 Your Pilgrimage Leaders: Veronica Goodchild, PhD, is Professor Emerita, Writer, Jungian psychotherapist, and more recently Pilgrimage Leader. Called by her visits in recent years to sacred sites all over the world (including Egypt, Peru, Malta, France, and England), and her solo Pilgrimage walks on the Le Puy route of the Camino de Santiago in France, as well as her engagement with oracular and earth energy ritual and practices in the Path of Pollen, she has extended her lifelong Jungian interests to a more focused relationship with our earth, and with subtle earth energies. A dream of a Chalice of the Grail has led her to a further engagement with the Grail and Mary Magdalene/Black Madonna/Isis traditions in France and northern Spain, and to the Path of the Blue Rose, a tradition relating to womb shamanism, and out of which Veronica created her Mary Magdalene and Blue Rose Pilgrimages. Veronica s book, Songlines of the Soul: Pathways to a New Vision for a New Century, explored the synchronicity principle of Carl Jung and led to a description of the imaginal world as that reality between spirit and matter, also called the anima mundi. Pilgrimage as Initiatory Journeying activates a relationship to the anima mundi, and can help us bring in the energy of the coming age of Wisdom by recovering our relationship with goddess traditions, a felt connection with the spirit of the Earth or anima mundi, and the embodiment of a new vision of Life as a Unified Whole as above, so below, as within, and so between. veronica.goodchild@gmail.com Svetlana Meritt, M.A., is an author, teacher, public speaker, and esotericist. Setting out as a modern-day pilgrim, Svetlana traveled the globe for ten years on a quest for mystical adventure, spiritual knowledge, and self-discovery. Her transformation from a foreign correspondent for a Serbian magazine, who interviewed world celebrities (including the Dalai Lama, Yoko Ono, Laura Huxley, and Stanislav Grof), to a teacher of the Ageless Wisdom was precipitated by experiences at sacred sites around the globe. Meet Me in the Underworld: How 77 Sacred Sites, 770 Cappuccinos, and 26,000 Miles Led Me to My Soul is Svetlana s spiritual travelogue that follows her inner transformation as she journeys through ancient healing centers and oracles, temples and shrines. Based on her personal experience and study, she believes that there once existed a body of knowledge a spiritual science which it is now time to reclaim. As part of her contribution to reviving this knowledge, Svetlana gives talks about Earth energies and teaches classes on the history, science, and myths of sacred sites. As co-leader of this Pilgrimage, Svetlana reclaims and advances her early work as a tour guide to mediaeval Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Kosovo, Muslim architecture on the Adriatic Coast, and Madonna pilgrimages to Medjugorje in her native Yugoslavia. svetart@svetlanameritt.com

5 5 Details of the Daily Schedule, Pricing and Practical Information, and a Registration Form will be forthcoming. Pricing will not include round trip airfare from your home city, or separate airfare to Crete. There might be a couple of options: 1. Plan to fly into and leave from Athens. The round trip to Crete will also need to be made (depending on when you plan to arrive*) when we confirm the date we return from Crete to Athens. 2. Alternatively, note that it might be possible to fly direct to Heraklion, Crete on the inbound journey, and out of Athens at the end. With this option, the Crete to Athens one-way fare will need to be made when we have the exact date. *People often plan to come a couple of days early, or leave a couple of days after the end of the Journey.