October 10 October 23, 2011 with Brian Clark and Demetra George STARLOTUS SACRED SITE TOURS Homage to the Asteroid Goddesses: a journey to the sacred sites of Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta in Ancient Greece Author Demetra George invites you to join the celebration of the 25 th anniversary of the publication Asteroid Goddesses in the goddesses mythological homeland of Ancient Greece. Brian Clark will join Demetra to co-facilitate this poignant and lyrical journey through the mythic landscapes of ancient Greece that were sacred to the goddess. Through mythic and astrological narratives, storytelling, poetry and the classics we will honor and deepen our personal understanding of the goddesses who symbolize the sacred feminine in her appearance as mother, daughter, sister, and wife. Fees include 13 nights accommodation based on double occupancy in 4 star hotels with private facilities, all breakfasts, two dinners, four lunches, all transportation within Greece, entrance fees to all museums and sacred sites, tips, taxes, guides, tuition fees and materials. TOTAL PRICE: US $ 4,995.00 if fees are paid in full by May 1, 2011 The total fees are $ 5,495 if paid after May 1, 2011. Fees are based on double occupancy. Single rooms are available and a single supplement of US $895.00 applies. Payment received after September 10, 2011 is subject to a surcharge. Fees are quoted in US dollars and in the case of a dramatic currency fluctuation, Starlotus Sacred Sites Tours reserves the right to charge a supplement due to any disparity in currency rates. Demetra George and Brian Clark are your guides for this distinctive tour. Both Demetra and Brian share a love of mythology, astrology and travel, and this is their 3 rd collaboration on a tour of the sacred sites of ancient Greece. This time the asteroid goddesses are their inspiration. As practitioners in astrology, Greek myth has played a major role in informing and infusing their understanding. Inspired by the muses of myth they both returned to university to pursue the classics, both completing their MA in Classics.
STARLOTUS SACRED SITE TOURS Homage to the Asteroid Goddesses: a journey to the sacred sites of Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta in Ancient Greece with Brian Clark and Demetra George October 10-23, 2011 Day 1 Monday October 10 Athens In the late afternoon we will gather together for an opening reception in our spacious Athenian hotel. After meeting one another and introducing our tour, we will stroll through the colorful streets of the old town, the Plaka, where we will share a traditional Greek meal in an outdoor garden taverna with local music and folk dancing. Day 2 Tuesday, October 11 Athens After breakfast we will present the four goddesses who are being honored on our pilgrimage. We will then walk through the Agora, the ancient marketplace where the great classical philosophers gathered and taught. Pausing by the Altar of the Twelve Gods, we will honor Hestia/Vesta who traditionally received the first and best of offerings before any other deity. We will continue to follow the Panathenaic Way, the ancient processional path to reach the Acropolis, the heart of ancient Athens. Here Pallas Athena was worshiped in her two main temples the Erechtheum and the Parthenon. Today s outing concludes with a guided visit to the treasures of the New Acropolis Museum, a state of the art building that opened in 2008 to house the archaeological antiquities. The rest of the afternoon and evening are free for your own personal exploration. Day 3 Wednesday, October 12 Sounion In our morning seminar we will deepen our understanding of the myths and mystery rites sacred to Athena. Afterwards we will drive by motor coach along the coast to Cape Sounion at the tip of the Attic peninsula. Here King Aegeus grieved when he glimpsed the black sails of his son Theseus ship as it returned from Crete. A magnificent temple to Poseidon looms over the promontory cliff above the Aegean, and nearby is a temple to Athena who bested him in the contest for the rulership of Athens. We will continue our discussions in the hilltop café above the site and in the seaside taverna where we will eat an early dinner as the sun sets over Sounion.
Day 4 Thursday, October 13 After breakfast, we will depart Athens following the Sacred Way to the sanctuary of Demeter/Ceres at Eleusis. For over a thousand years the Eleusinian death and rebirth mystery rites were held on this sacred ground. Our guided visit will include the Well where Demeter mourned the loss of her daughter Persephone, the Cave of Hades where legend says Persephone descended to the Underworld, the great Hall of the Telesterion where the mysteries were revealed, and finally the museum housing much of the art excavated from this site. After lunch we will make our way through the pine forests via the old mountain road to Thebes, where Oedipus encountered his father where the three roads meet. Entering Delphi around sunset, we will first purify ourselves at the Kastilian Springs and pay homage at the Temple of Athena Pronaia before entering the small picturesque town nestled against the imposing slopes of Mount Parnassus. Eleusis and Delphi Day 5 Friday, October 14 Delphi, Corycian Cave After breakfast we will gather together to go deeper into the mysteries of Demeter and Persephone, integrating our experiences from Eleusis. In the afternoon there is an optional excursion to the Corycian Cave high in the mountains above Delphi. In the original cave site of Gaea s dream oracle guarded by the serpent Python, we will have a teaching on the Delphic mysteries. For those who want a further adventure, a local trekking guide will accompany us for a four hour hike (mostly downhill) along an ancient processional footpath back to Delphi. Others can return via taxi and bus, with a stop in Arahova, a small village known for its crafts, rugs and textiles. Day 6 Saturday, October 15 Our day begins with a guided tour of Delphi, the most important divination center of the ancient world, where for over 1000 years the serpent-wreathed Pythia priestesses would go into trance and give prophecies to a host of pilgrims, including kings, generals and philosophers who came to consult the oracle for spiritual guidance. We begin our tour at the newly renovated museum that has an exquisite collection of artifacts; including the bee hive shaped Omphalos, the beautiful antiquities from the treasuries, the Naxian Sphinx as well as the famous statue of the Charioteer. We will pass by the Rock of the Sybil, the Temple of Apollo, the Theatre of Dionysus, and the magnificent treasuries. In the late afternoon, we will regroup again for a seminar. Delphi
Day 7 Sunday, October 16 Olympia We leave Delphi early and drive along the Corinth Gulf crossing over the spectacular new bridge onto the Peloponnese arriving in Olympia by early afternoon. Later we will visit the impressive archaeological site that hosted the Olympic Games. Our main interests are set in the Altis, the sacred precinct bound by the rivers Alpheus and Kladeos: the Prytaneion that had an eternal flame dedicated to Hestia/Vesta and the Temple of Hera/Juno, the oldest cult sanctuary on the site. Olympia has one of the best archaeological museums in Greece displaying spectacular finds including the 7 th century limestone bust of Hera. One of the exhibits features the pediment and friezes of the 12 Labors of Heracles from the temple of Zeus. Statuary includes Praxiteles controversial masterpiece of Hermes holding the infant Dionysus. Day 8 Monday, October 17 Olympia and Lala This morning we will drive to the high plateau of Pholoë and its famous forest often referred to as the Centaurian Forest, where Heracles hunted the golden hind sacred to Artemis and where he diverted the river Alpheus to clean the Augean stables. The vast forest of Pholoë is a fabulous place, famous for its numerous myths and legends of gods, nymphs and centaurs. This is the site of the kingdom of Pholus where the kind and virtuous Centaur gave shelter to Hercules on his hunt for the Erymanthian Boar. It is considered the oldest European self planted beech and oak forest and the biggest in the Balkans spreading for almost 33.000 square meters. Here we will enjoy an afternoon picnic in the protected parkland. Day 9 Tuesday, October 18 Alipheira and Lepreon Today and tomorrow we will delve into the mystery cults of Arkadia with visits to beautiful and remote sites that are hidden in the wild mountainous terrain. We will start our exploration at the ancient settlement of Phigalia where we will discuss the mysteries of the local cave, sacred to the mourning Demeter Melaina. Our journey will take us through the spectacular mountains and nearby the scenic Neda River Gorge. We will continue on to visit Demeter s temple at Lepreon, ending our day at Alipheira, the sanctuary to Athena where legend locates her birth from the forehead of Zeus. Today we will share lunch in a mountain taverna.
Day 10 Wednesday, October 19 Lykosoura, Tegea, Nauplion This morning we leave early to continue our journey across the central Peloponnese to Nauplion stopping midway at Lykosoura, reputed to be the most ancient city in Greece. We will visit the museum and mystery cult site of the chthonic goddess worshipped by the Arcadians as Desponia: the mistress whose real name was revealed only to initiates, the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. Finally we arrive in the Venetian seaside port of Nauplion, the original capital of modern Greece that has an enchanting old town. Day 11 Thursday, October 20 Nauplion Today is dedicated to seminars on the four asteroid goddesses we have been honoring. It is time to also reflect on where we have been and what we have experienced, supported by the ambience of our restful scenic hotel just a few kilometers outside of Nauplion. Day 12 Friday, October 21 Argos The Argolid was the area of ancient Greece most sacred to Hera. Today and tomorrow, we will visit the places of her worship: the Argive Heraion, a terraced sanctuary served by priestesses for over 2,000 years, and the Spring of Kanathos at the convent of Agia Moni, where Hera bathed annually to renew her virginity, the crops and all life. The afternoon will be spent in the beautiful town of Nauplion that has a variety of shops offering local handcrafts, walks along the seaside, swimming holes and the world famous Komboli Museum. Day 13 Saturday, October 22 Perachora and Athens After breakfast, we will leave Nauplion, and spend most of the day at an ancient oracle site of Hera at Perachora, on a promontory with a lighthouse jutting out into the Gulf of Corinth. We will share our picnic lunch together. Here, we can bathe in the healing turquoise waters and begin our closing with offerings to the four goddesses. Later in the afternoon we will drive back to Athens with time for last minute shopping before our farewell dinner and final goodbyes. Day 14 Sunday October 23 Today we share our final breakfast and bid farewell to our fellow travelers.
Tour space is limited so early registration is advised. To ensure your place on this unique tour, please remit a non-refundable deposit of US $ 795 to Demetra George at Starlotus Sacred Sites Tour. Paypal and cheques drawn on US banks are accepted. Visa and MasterCard facilities are available upon request. Upon registration further information on the tour is available. Should you have questions please contact Demetra George on (541) 345-5680 or demetrageorge725@gmail.com or visit www.demetra-george.com/ Demetra George Starlotus Sacred Sites Tours PO Box 5431 Eugene, Oregon USA 97405 For enquires in Australia, NZ and the Asian region please contact Brian Clark on (61-3) 8415-0315 or by email at astrosynthesis@bigpond.com/ Brian Clark The Chiron Centre PO Box 407 Kew, Victoria 3101 Australia Highlights include: the flame at Olympia which reminds us of our inner hearth protected by Hestia/Vesta; the temples to Pallas Athena perched on the stunning cliff face at Sounion, on the pilgrims way to Delphi and high in the mountains of the Peloponnese; Eleusis the place of the return of Persephone to Demeter/Ceres and the sacred site of the greatest mystery initiations in the ancient world; the Argolid and the harbor sanctuary at Perachora sacred to Hera/Juno.