Releasing the God and Goddess within
A Mythic Pilgrimage of
Sacred Sites in Greece and Turkey
with
Marcus Mason & Galatea
8th - 22nd September 2007
A Pilgrimage through Greece and Turkey ~
weaving a path through sacred space and human history.
Meditate, Dance & Sing at Ancient Temples of Athena & Apollo,
Aphrodite ~ Artemis ~ Dionysus ~ Demeter & Kore
Athens ~ Delphi ~ Hierapolis ~ Aphrodisias ~ Didyma ~ Miletus ~ Priene ~ Selçuk
Delve into the Mysteries of Goddess Cybele
Çatal Höyük ~ “Ancestress of all Cities” ~ Ayzini ~ Arslantas ~ Arslankaya ~ Midas Sehri
Experience the beauty of Mystical Islam, opening the Heart with Sufi Poetry
at Rumi’s Tomb, in the 800th Anniversary year of his birth ~ Konya
and transcending with the Whirling Dervishes
Honour the Divine Mother at her first Church in Asia Minor
the Church of Mary at Ephesus & Meryemana ~ the “House of Mary”
Contemplate the Mysteries of Pythagoras & the Prophecy of Revelation
on the Isle of Samos & the Cave of St. John ~ Isle of Patmos
as Pluto approaches it’s conjunction with the Galactic Centre
Mythic Journey ~ booking form and prices ~ booking form and prices
THE MYTHIC JOURNEY
A Pilgrimage through Greece and Turkey ~weaving a path through sacred space and human history.
Our Journey will weave a path through sacred space and human history. At this time of global, spiritual transformation, it offers a unique opportunity for a gentle, healing release of ancient patterns that have existed in the Earth, in our souls, and in the mythology of the ancient cultures of this region, since the dawning of civilisation.
At this time of global, spiritual transformation, the Mythic Journey offers a unique opportunity for gentle, healing release of ancient patterns that have existed in the Earth, in our souls, and in the mythology of the ancient cultures of this region, since the dawning of civilisation, over 9,000 years ago.
THE TIME
The Journey begins at a time of profound Astrological significance as Pluto turns “direct” to re-align towards the Galactic Centre. It is a time of challenge for us all to live from our highest truth and deepest conviction, to follow the inner spiritual laws of our Divine nature.
THE FACILITATORS
The rich, diverse experience of our facilitators will lead us on journey of inner and outer healing, through meditation, astrological insight, poetry, inspired mythological dance, ceremony, vocalisation and ancient musical rhythms at some of the world’s most stunningly beautiful and spiritually inspiring sacred sites.
ACCESSING THE DIVINE POTENTIAL WITHIN
The method of imparting this knowledge will be immediate and easily approachable to all, because it will tap into the divine potential within each of us. It is not necessary to have ever written a poem, to have sung a song, or to have danced a dance: your heartbeat has a rhythm, your two feet walking have a rhythm, your speech has pitch, modulation, rhythm and all of us, the inherent gift of poetic expression. With simplicity, ecstasy and grace we will loosen self-consciousness and tap into our innate divine inheritance.
THE ITINERARY: GREECE ~ ATHENS
Our journey in Greece will take us from its ancient mythology to the spiritual wisdom of Pythagoras and the esoteric teachings of St. John’s Book of Revelation.
DELPHI
At Delphi, the “Navel” of the Ancient world, home of the Delphic Oracle, we will spend two days exploring mythology, movement and voice at the Oracular site of Gaia, sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena, and the Cave of Dionysus, We will enter the ancient mysteries, absorbing the subtle energies of each site, and the heart of Gaia- the Earth herself.
ASTROLOGICAL POTENTIALS
Here, we will begin to link the astrological significance of this time with your individual birth chart, using a simple approach for direct experience of your planetary potentials. No previous knowledge of astrology will be necessary for this.
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TURKEY
We will enter the ancient Anatolian landscape of Asia Minor, moving from the exquisite beauty of the mosques of ancient Constantinople / Istanbul to the simplicity of Phrygian cave dwellings; from rock-carved Byzantine churches to ancient amphitheatres, with their extraordinary acoustic properties and mystical energies.
Travelling back in time, from the mystical wisdom of the Sufis, to the ancient wisdom of the Magi, to the nature religion of Cybele, to the Minoans and the first agricultural settlements at the beginning of the Age of Cancer, excavated at the 9,500 year old site at Çatal Höyük.
Turkey, ancient Asia Minor, the meeting point between East and West, carries the potential of holding the balance between western ideals and values with deep-rooted, ancient eastern spiritual traditions and wisdom.
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ISTANBUL / CONSTANTINOPLE
We will explore the beauty and mystery of Hagia Sophia and the magnificent Blue Mosque, with an opportunity to visit Topkapi Palace and shop in the Grand Bazaar - the world’s largest covered bazaar.
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KONYA, RUMI & THE DERVISHES
We will journey to Konya, home of the Sufi dervishes, to explore dervish movement and the heart-opening mystical poetry of Rumi. In the 800th anniversary-year of his birth, we will allow the mystical presence of Rumi’s Tomb to awaken the deep beauty of the “Beloved” within our own hearts, before we experience the transcendent beauty of the traditional Dervish sema dance, in the evening.
ÇATAL HÖYÜK
We will travel back in time to the 9,500 year-old site of Çatal Höyük, to visit its museum and multi-layered archaeology; then meditate into the deep stillness of this place, which gave rise to the Goddess religion, to agriculture, and the roots of modern civilisation. We will drum, sing and dance to celebrate the mysteries and wisdom held here, the “ancestress of all other cities”.
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AYZIINI, MIDAS SEHRI, ARSLANKAYA
Then west to Afyon, to restore our bodies in healing thermal waters, and explore Phrygian cave dwellings and a magnificent rock-carved Byzantine church at Ayzini, and honour the Mother Goddess, Cybele at her shrines at Arslankaya, and Midas Sehri.
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HIERAPOLIS AND PAMUKKALE
At Hierapolis, we encounter the Light of Apollo as healer of Hades, king of the Dead, to integrate the light and shadow energies of this time; then we will purify ourselves in the azure-blue waterfalls and snow-white mineral cliffs of Pamukkale.
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APHRODOSIAS
The extraordinary, panoramic site of Aphrodisias is set in the foothills of snow-capped mountains; we will balance Ares, god of war, with Aphrodite, goddess of love. Then to Selçuk, with its triangle between St. John’s Basilica, the Mosque and the Artemision Temple, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
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EPHESUS
At Ephesus, one of the most intact cities of the ancient world, we will pray at the site of the first Christian church in Asia, dedicated to Mother Mary.
DIDYMA, & PRIENE
The third conjunction of the male and female takes us, on our final day in Turkey, to the temple of Didyma, devoted to Apollo and his sister Artemis. Then we will seek out wisdom at Athena’s magnificent temple at Priene, and begin our quest for the oracular within us, at the temple of Demeter and Kore.
OPTIONAL EPILOGUE TO SAMOS AND PATMOS
The ferry from Kusadasi will take us to the Isle of Samos, birthplace of Pythagoras. Those who wish to complete their journey here will fly to Athens for their return flights home. Those wishing to continue on will unveil Pythagoras’ hidden texts before proceeding to the revelatory Isle of Patmos.
We enter the cave where St. John received the Divinely inspired Book of Revelation: he poetically describes the spiritual and physical transformation of the Earth and human consciousness, as we receive the down-pouring of Divine Light, and ascend into the Age of Aquarius, which is happening NOW! We complete our journey into the first ascetic habitat of Patmos, by climbing Kallikatsou, a great rock, resembling a giant skull, jutting out of the Aegean. Finally we return to Samos and fly to Athens for our connections home. We hope you can join us on this magical journey.
BIOGRAPHIES
Marcus has explored, researched and worked with Sacred Sites and Earth Energies for 25 years,
facilitating workshops, meditations and ceremonies.
Since 1997 he has co-facilitated Sacred Sites Journeys with groups in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, and in South Africa for the Total Eclipse of December 2002.
In 1994, he discovered a vast Earth Temple of our solar system and its sacred geometric patterns, marked in the landscape by the sacred sites of southern England, with Stonehenge at the centre, as the Sun.
He practises Soul-centred Astrology, which he has taught in the UK, USA, Ireland and Belgium, and has been a practitioner of Traditional Acupuncture for over 18 years.
The integration of these disciplines brings to his work with sacred sites a unique perspective on working with the relationships between the movements of the planets and stars, with the subtle energies of the Earth.
Galatea is a mystical poet, mythographer, singer of the sacred and ‘dance archaeologist’, who has 
performed, been published and televised internationally in venues from Carnegie Hall in New York, to the castle of Piovera in Italy and the Acropolis in Greece. She has studied in New York, Amsterdam, and Athens, with various scholars, and under the aegis of many famous artists, poets and musicians.
Galatea’s life-long work is to revive the ancient sacred unity of word, song and dance - an inseparable trinity in ancient Greece. In her reconstructions of ancient Greek dance she explores the natural, anatomical possibilities of frieze, amphora and statuary; in poetry, the rhythms, melodies and myths associated with gods and goddesses; in vocalisation, modes, techniques and intoning of the ancient Greek musical fragments and Byzantine chant. This triadic unity is transformative and healing on a cellular level for the performer and viewer alike.
In Search of the Word
The Ancient Unity: Poetry, Music, Dance
By Galatea
In ancient Greece there existed an inseparable trinity of word, song and dance, known as the Melos. The Word was primary, robed in melody and strengthened with dance. It was divine, and at the same time an expression of humanity’s longing to unite with the Divine.
The two gods most closely associated with this unity are Apollo, god of poetry, music and healing, and Dionysus, god of wine and ecstatic utterance. Delphi is the omphalos, the center where these two gods are worshipped and come together.
On this Mythic Journey you will explore and rediscover the ancient rhythms, words, musical pitches, movements, hymns and myths surrounding the ancient mystery of these gods. You will tap into the refined, creative energies of Apollo and the raw ecstatic energies of Dionysus. The method of imparting this knowledge will be immediate and easily approachable to all because we will tap into the divine potential within each of us.
It is not necessary to be a professional. It is not even necessary to have ever written a poem, or to have sung a song, or to have danced a dance: your heartbeat has a rhythm, your two feet walking have a rhythm, and your speech has pitch, modulation and rhythm, and all of us, the inherent gift of poetic expression.
We will create poetry, song and dance in a way that heals us and those who watch us. With simplicity, ecstasy and grace, we will loosen self-consciousness and tap into our innate divine inheritance. For those of you who have already cultivated any or all of these graces, this ancient unity will open a yet undiscovered artistic portal to expression.
Let Galatea help you, let Delphi and these magnificent sacred sites inspire you to “Know Thyself”, to find that silent space in the heart, the wellspring of all creativity, where the poet receives the word before it forms, where the singer tunes the song and where the dancer rests before the dance. The spirit of the sacred sites will enter you as you enter them, to empower the poet, singer and dancer within.
For details and info on previous eclipses visit: www.solarspirit.eclipse.co.uk