We have postponed our retreat due to the possible war in the Middle East. Let us all hope that the better angels of human nature prevail in our troubled world. Please contact me if you would like to be on our waiting list for 2025: rennbutler (at) shaw.ca. Peace/shalom/salaam.
Toward the New Eleusis
The Rebirth of the Archetypal Vision and Reunion of the Sacred Feminine and Masculine
A Workshop in Grof(R) Breathwork, Archetypal Astrology, and Visits to Sacred Sites on the
Mythic Island of Aegina
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October 13-20, 2024 - Amforeas Retreat Center, Aegina, Greece
Join us for this special seven-day retreat on the mythic island of Aegina, sometimes referred to as the Mother of the heroic Greek bloodline. This enchanting and storied island south of Athens is the home of timeless temples to Aphaea and Apollo, abandoned medieval chapels, ancient olive groves, epic mountain trails with stunning vistas, and picturesque beaches. Each participant will experience four Grof(R) Breathwork sessions, twice as a breather and twice as a sitter, with integration and sharing sessions. There will also be presentations on archetypal astrology and the transformation of Greek myths in our time, readings in nature of some of the greatest ancient Greek verse in both Greek and English accompanied by lyre, a boat ride to a special islet nature sanctuary, dancing to a live Greek band, ancient ritual dance performance to lyre, visits to a museum, relaxing picnics and walks by the sea, swimming in the ocean, strolls through the charming town of Aegina, and demonstration of Hellenic Archetypal Expression. See details below.
A theme we will explore deeply is: how did the ancient Greeks, in their philosophy and approach to life, come to terms with and integrate the powerful archetypal forces in their psyches and in the universe, which correspond to the ten planetary archetypes? How can the primal and potent rhizome of the eternal Greek soul help humanity to solve the pressing challenges we face in our own time? In what ways can we rediscover and reclaim the great spirit of wonder, celebration, and investigation that defined this brilliant dawn of Western civilization? And finally, how can we redeem the epic breakthroughs and successes, as well as the mistakes and tragedies, of our Greek cultural forbears, and through their lived experience contribute to the profound coming rebirth of humanity?
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https://breathwork9.com/product/death-rebirth-and-embodiment-of-the-goddess-in-greek-mythology/
Visits to Sacred and Historic Greek Sites
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With our own private guide and bus, we will explore the magical ancient and sacred sites of the Parthenon, Delphi, and Eleusis. We hope you can join us for these special four days and three nights on the mainland of Greece.
More Details
1) Toward the New Eleusis: The Rebirth of the Archetypal Vision and Reunion of the Sacred
Feminine and Masculine
A Workshop in Grof(R) Breathwork, Archetypal Astrology, and Visits to Sacred Sites on the Mythic
Island of Aegina (October 13-20)
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Amforeas Retreat Center
Aegina, Greece, 2024
Sunday October 13 - Sunday October 20
Join us for this special eight-day, seven-night retreat on the mythic and storied island of Aegina. This enchanting island is the home of ancient temples to Aphrodite, Aphaea, and Zeus, abandoned medieval chapels, ancient olive groves, epic mountain trails with stunning vistas, and picturesque beaches. Each participant will experience four Grof(R) Breathwork sessions - twice as a breather and twice as a sitter - with integration and sharing sessions afterward. There will also be presentations on archetypal astrology and the transformation of Greek myths in our time, readings in nature of ancient Greek verse in English and Greek, a boat ride to an uninhabited islet sanctuary with animals friendly to humans including peacocks, deer, and kri-kri (Cretan goats, a symbol of Aries), a visit to the cave where the nymph Aphaea was said to have vanished and was later reborn, hiking to abandoned ancient pagan temples and medieval Christian chapels, dancing to a live Greek band, watching an ancient ritual dance performance accompanied by lyre, visits to a museum, walks by the sea, swimming in the ocean, strolls through the charming town of Aegina, and demonstration of Hellenic Archetypal Expression. Professional bodywork sessions at reasonable rates will also be available.
The workshop will begin with supper at the Amforeas Center at 6 pm on Sunday evening (October 13) and will end after breakfast on Sunday, October 20. Participants enrolled in the subsequent three-day workshop at Eleusis can leave together on the ferry to Athens, where a chartered bus will take us all to the Parthenon and then on to our hotel in Athens for people participating in Part Two of the workshop. ​
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Available Rooms (Prices for the week on Aegina Island are all-inclusive, covering room, meals, workshop fees, and excursions. Not included are ferry costs from Piraeus (Athens) to Aegina and back, one supper in the town of Aegina, and one lunch in Aegina.)
On the Property (Big family house)
Shared room with one other person (1 remaining for a male)
$2,395 USD - ($2,095 early-bird rate until August 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions
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Shared room with two other people (3 remaining)
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$2,295 USD - ($1,995 early-bird rate until August 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions
In One of Two Nearby Hotels (Klonos Anna or Klonos) (six-minute walk away)
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Private room
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$2,495 USD - ($2,195 early-bird rate until August 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions
Shared room with one other person
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$2,295 USD - ($1,995 early-bird rate until August 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions
Shared room with two other people
$2,195 USD - ($1,895 early-bird rate until August 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions
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Pyrgos Ralli Chateau
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There are also four suites available at the Pyrgos Ralli Chateau Guesthouse, which is a short walk from the workshop venue.
https://pyrgosralli.gr/. Approximately 910 Euros for 7 nights.
You would be responsible for booking a room at Pyrgos yourself, but could then subtract $350 USD from the cost of the workshop. So your workshop fees, without accommodation, would then be $1,945 USD (early bird rate until August 1 - $1,645)
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* For more info or to register, please email: rennbutler (at) shaw.ca
2) Visits to the Sacred and Historic Greek Sites of the Parthenon, Eleusis and Delphi
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Throughout these four days, we will enjoy a cornucopia of sharing about the ancient Greek mythology and spirituality. We are just finalizing details on our hotel in Athens, but prices are below.
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Parthenon - October 20, 2024 - With Private Guide
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We will meet at the ferry terminal at Piraeus (near Athens) where a special chartered bus will take us to the Parthenon in Athens, where the proud Athenians showcased their grand goddess of gold, Athena.
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Eleusis - October 21, 2024 - With Private Guide
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Our private bus will take us all to the legendary, sacred site of Eleusis and a guided tour of the Telesterion site, and accompanying museum, where ancient Greek priestesses conducted spiritual rituals with ergot for over 1,900 years, devoted to Demeter and Persephone.
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Delphi - October 22, 2024 - With Private Guide
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Our private bus will take us to the storied sacred site of Delphi, where oracles gave advice to leaders and ordinary people for centuries in antiquity. Also the site of the classic temple to Apollo.
We hope you can join us for these magical adventures! There will be additional time for people to explore Plato's Academy, the National Archaeology Museum in Athens, and the Parthenon Museum.
For more info or to register, please contact: rennbutler (at) shaw.ca.
Shared room (two beds) with one other person in Athens Hotel for three nights
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$695 USD - ($545 early-bird rate until August 1) - includes room, breakfasts, excursion transportation and entrance fees
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Private room in Athens Hotel for three nights
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$895 USD - ($745 early-bird rate until August 1) - includes room, breakfasts, excursion transportation and entrance fees
3) Death, Rebirth, and Embodiment of the Goddess in Greek Mythology
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This stand-alone online course is available for interested participants in our retreat, as well as for the general public.
Course Description: In this course, we will discuss the profound concepts of ancient wisdom through Greek mythology and archetypes. We will explore specific Greek goddesses to understand how identifying with these archetypes can foster psycho-spiritual development of the Self. An examination of the concepts of death, rebirth, and embodiment will be described. We will better understand why reconnecting with ancient sacred sites can be powerful for self-transformation. A discussion on how uniting the masculine and feminine aspects within can benefit both individual self-growth and the collective consciousness of humanity.
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This course will be led by two sisters, residents of the island of Aegina, Eleni Skrekou, MA, MSc in Prehistoric Archaeology and Grof Studies student and Vasiliki Skrekou, MSc Consciousness & Transpersonal Psychology, Archetypal dancer and psychological astrologer, along with Mari Castle, PhD.
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DATES: Wednesdays, September 4, 11, 18, 25 at 12 pm Eastern time
COST: $95 for participants in our Greece Retreat (Free for people who sign up for the retreat by August 1).
https://breathwork9.com/product/death-rebirth-and-embodiment-of-the-goddess-in-greek-mythology/
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The Amforeas Healing Center on the Island of Aegina
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Eleusis, the Acropolis, and Delphi
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More Amazing Photos and Videos of Aegina
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Video: Flying over Aegina https://youtu.be/NZZJu4j5hTU?si=D6U83AYtb3vmnDe9
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Video: Aegina Harbour City Project https://vimeo.com/752701837/47b4382419?ref=fb-share
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Video: Aegina Chronolapse https://youtube.com/watch?v=Qq41CKXAar0&feature=share9
The Rich Spiritual History of Aegina Island
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Aegina Island has a rich spiritual history from the beginnings of its human occupation. Since prehistoric times, the location where the Temple of the goddess Aphaea stands now was a place of pilgrimage, dedicated to a potent fertility goddess venerated locally and beyond. The largest collection of votive figurines in Greece was discovered there, now exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum at Athens.
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Aphaea, originally a Cretan nymph named Vritomartis and consort of goddess Artemis, fled Crete after her persecution by King Minos, swam across the Aegean Sea escorted by a dolphin appointed by the god Apollo, reached the Aeginetan shore, and ended up hiding in a cave below the current location of the temple dedicated to her on top of a majestic hill. In historic times the temple of Aphaea was a famous pilgrimage, the initial fertility goddess now influenced by the patriarchal worldview and acquiring the traits of Athena, thus renamed Aphaea-Athena.
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Aegina also played a fundamental role in Greek myth-history as the place of origin of the Greek heroic bloodline, wherein emerged Achilles, Οlympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, and Perseus. The ancient historian Pausanias documented many temples on the island, including those for Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Demeter and Ekate. Of great importance is the healing sanctuary of Aesclepios, the first doctor-demigod of medicine. Asclepius was said to have been such a skilled doctor that he could even raise people from the dead. Stemming from the myth of his great healing powers, pilgrims would flock to temples built in his honor in order to seek spiritual and physical healing.
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In modern history the deep spirituality of the inhabitants of the island is reflected in the medieval town of Paliachora in the mountainous center of the island, where during Ottoman occupation, the local people build 365 Christian chapels, so that they can gather in worship every day of the year. Last but not least, Aegina hosts Saint Nektarios, one of the two twentieth-century saints of the Orthodox church. Saint Nektarios is an active saint called upon by worshippers from all over the globe and performs miracles up to this day.
Workshop Facilitators
Renn Butler, PhD
Renn studied with Stanislav Grof and Richard Tarnas at the Esalen Institute in California beginning in 1980 and certified as a Holotropic Breathwork® facilitator in 1989, recertifying in Grof® Breathwork in 2023. He offers workshops in British Columbia and abroad, as well as archetypal astrology consultations with clients around the world. Renn’s first book, Pathways to Wholeness, about astrology and psychedelic experiences, was published in 2014, followed by The Archetypal Universe in 2018, which focuses on dreams, and The Astrology of Love and Relationships in 2022 about relationships. His seven-month online course in Archetypal and Holotropic Astrology has received enthusiastic reviews. Renn received his PhD in Archetypal Astrology and Transpersonal Psychology from Ubiquity University in 2022 and is one of the cofounders and teachers in the new Grof Studies Graduate Programs through Ubiquity. He also cofounded the Archetypal News Network (ANN) to offer timely videos in Tarnas’ approach to archetypal astrology. Renn worked part time as a health care worker with physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged adults for over thirty years and lives in Victoria, B.C.
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Mari Castle, PhD
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K. Mari Castle is a dedicated scholar, author and practitioner with a passion for holistic healing modalities and transformative education. As the co-director and registrar of Grof Studies, she brings a wealth of expertise in the field of transpersonal psychology, consciousness research, and somatic therapy. With a background in psychology and extensive training in breathwork techniques, Mari is committed to empowering individuals on their journey toward self-discovery and personal growth. Her doctoral research focused on the integration of ancient wisdom traditions with modern therapeutic approaches, and she continues to explore the intersections between spirituality, psychology, and wellness. Through her work, Mari seeks to create a supportive and inclusive community where individuals can explore the depths of their inner worlds and tap into their innate potential for healing and transformation. For more information about her work and upcoming events, please visit www.breathwork9.com.
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Irena Antolic
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Irena is a devoted therapist, professional transformational coach, mentor, supervisor, educator with a lifelong passion for consciousness research. Throughout her career, she has trained in numerous psychotherapy and other modalities, always aiming to elevate awareness, facilitate healing, and foster transformation in those she works with. Wearing many hats, Irena seamlessly integrates her diverse skills and knowledge into her practice. Among the various psychological theories, Irena finds the scientific frame of transpersonal psychology to be the most comprehensive, with a particular admiration for Grofian Psychology. She has been fortunate to learn directly from Stanislav Grof for over a decade, and regards his work as the cornerstone of her practice. As a skilled and experienced holotropic breathwork facilitator, Irena supports individuals in their journeys of healing and transformation through non-ordinary states of consciousness. Beyond psychology, Irena is a passionate explorer of human experience, delving into mythology, anthropology, archetypal astrology, cosmology, and different philosophies and spiritual practices of the world. This broad exploration enriches her ability to serve her clients effectively. Deeply connected to Greece, Irena looks forward to supporting you on your inner journeys in this mythic land. On a more personal note, she possesses an adventurous spirit, currently finding joy in paragliding.
irena@holotropic-development.com
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Eleni Skrekou, PhD
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Eleni is a life-long researcher of what makes us Human. Inspired by long-forgotten cultures, she strives to reconstruct the thread that connects past, present and future. To this end, after she studied Economics with a BSc from the University of Athens, she went on to receive an MA in Archaeology and an MSc in Geoarchaeology from Reading University, focusing on the prehistoric civilization of the Aegean. Both her master theses are on the prehistoric settlement of Kolona on Aegina. Following the calling of Potnia of the Minoans, Aphaea, Athena and Medusa, she has been living on Crete and Aegina, exploring the interconnections of archetypes and places through mythology, archaeology, psychology, and philosophy, as well as through personal insights and visions. Currently, she lives on Aegina and is the co-owner and retreat facilitator at Amforeas Estate, while she deepens her studies on human consciousness delving into Grof Studies and Archetypal Astrology, as well as Internal Family Systems modality and pre- and perinatal psychology.
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Vasiliki Skrekou
Vasiliki is a mother, a dancer and the founder of Hellenic Archetypal Expression - a method of psychosomatic balancing based on Ancient Greek Dance and Archetypes. For the past decade she has been an on-going experiential researcher of the Ancient Greek tradition, in quest of holistic health and well-being amidst our modern way of life. Her academic background consists of a BA in Business Administration (2000, AUEB) and an MSc in Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology (2007, LJMU). Following her own healing journey, she was drawn to study further in the areas of Psychological Astrology (2018, MISPA) and Bodynamic Psychotherapy (2021 Bodynamic International Greek Branch). She offers group and individual Hellenic Archetypal Expression sessions, Whirling Masterclasses, Psychological Astrology Consultations and relevant tailored workshops on Aegina & Athens, Greece, as well as online.
For more information or to register: rennbutler@shaw.ca.
