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, 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?

Toward the New Eleusis: Rebirth of the Archetypal Vision II

A Workshop in Grof Breathwork and Archetypal Astrology at Eleusis Itself

October 20-22, 2024 - Elefsina Hotel, Eleusis, Greece

Join us for this very special three-day retreat at the sacred site of Eleusis, in a comfortable hotel just a five-minute walk from the legendary sacred ruins. Each person will participate in two Grof(R) Breathwork sessions, once as a breather and once as a sitter. We will also go on a guided tour of the Telesterion site where the ancient Greek spiritual rituals were conducted for over 1,900 years, and will begin the workshop with a visit to the legendary Parthenon and the sacred healing site of Aesclepius in Athens. There will also be integration and sharing sessions, and presentations on Tarnas' archetypal astrology, Grof's transpersonal psychology, and the rich Greek mythology. See details below.

Visits to Sacred and Historic Greek Sites

1) Delphi - October 23, 2024 - Special Group Chartered Bus Journey from Eleusis to Delphi, with professional guide.

2) Mycenae - October 24, 2024 - Special Group Chartered Bus Journey from Eleusis to Mycenae, with professional guide.

The two excursions above are extra, stand-alone events. People can pick which of these day trips they might be interested in. See details below.

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)

Amforeas Retreat Center

Aegina, Greece, 2024

Sunday October 13 - Sunday October 20

Join us for this special seven-day 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.

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 Eleusis.

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 Athens (Piraeus) to Aegina and back, one supper in the town of Aegina, and one lunch in the town of Aegina.)

On the Property (Big family house)

Shared room with one other person - (6 remaining)

$2,295 USD - ($1,995 early-bird rate until May 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions

Shared room with two other people - (6 remaining)

$2,195 USD - ($1,895 early-bird rate until May 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions

Double bed in private room - (1 remaining)

$2,495 USD - ($2,195 early-bird rate until May 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions

Double bed in private room with shared bathroom - (1 remaining)

$2,445 USD - ($2,145 early-bird rate until May 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions

In One of Two Nearby Hotels (Klonos Anna or Klonos) (five-minute walk away)

Private room - (15 remaining)

$2,495 USD - ($2,195 early-bird rate until May 1) - includes room, meals, and excursions

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Artist's Suites

People with a larger accommodation budget, or a group of friends who might want to share a studio, may also consider the Nikolaou Residence artist's suites. Ranging from $136 USD (125€) to $166 USD (153€) per night x 7 nights = $952 - $1162 USD for the week.

https://nikolaouresidence.gr/gallery/

You would be responsible for booking the suite at the Nikolaou Residence yourself and could then subtract $685 USD (630 Euros) from the cost of the workshop.

* For more info or to register, please email: rennbutler@shaw.ca

2) Toward the New Eleusis: Rebirth of the Archetypal Vision II

A Workshop in Grof(R) Breathwork and Archetypal Astrology at the Spiritual Site of Eleusis (October 20-23)

Elefsina Hotel, Eleusis, Greece

Sunday, October 20 - Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Join us for this very special three-day retreat at Eleusis itself, in a comfortable hotel just a five-minute walk from the legendary sacred site. Each person will participate in two Grof(R) Breathwork sessions, once as a breather and once as a sitter. We will also go on a guided tour of the Telesterion ruins where the ancient Greek spiritual rituals were conducted for over 1,900 years., There will also be integration and sharing sessions, and presentations on archetypal astrology and the Greek mythic mind.

Participants can choose to begin the workshop at the Port of Piraeus (Athens) in the early afternoon of Sunday, October 20, where a special chartered bus will take us to the legendary Acropolis to see the Parthenon and the sacred healing site of Asclepius. Afterward, the bus will take us to the Elefsina Hotel in Eleusis to allow people time to get settled in before dinner. Participants may also choose to skip the Acropolis and meet directly at the Elefsina Hotel on Sunday evening.

Accomodations (Prices include room, workshop fees, and buffet breakfast)

Participants will stay at the modern and comfortable Elefsina Hotel, a five-minute walk from the ancient Telestrion for the nights of

October 20-22 (three nights). https://www.elefsinahotel.gr

Prices include buffet breakfast, but participants will be responsible for their own lunches and suppers, which can be purchased at one of the hotel restaurants on site, including a rooftop restaurant with a view of the mountains, or at other restaurants nearby.

Private suites (20 remaining)

$1145 USD - ($945 early-bird rate until April 1) - includes room, workshop fees, and breakfast

Double suites - shared with one other person - (20 remaining)

$995 USD - ($785 - early-bird rate until May 1) - includes room, workshop fees, and breakfast

We hope you can join us for this special opportunity to breathe and explore the sacred inner realms at Eleusis this fall!

* For more info or to register, please email: rennbutler@shaw.ca

3) Visits to Sacred and Historic Greek Sites (Delphi and Mycenae)

You can participate in and pay for these excursions separately or purchase them together for a discounted rate -

see below.

a) Delphi - October 23, 2024 - Special Group Chartered Bus Journey from Eleusis to Delphi, with professional guide.

Join us for a special guided trip to the sacred site of Delphi. We will leave from the Elefsina Hotel in Eleusis after breakfast and be back in time for supper. In a special chartered bus, in the company of a professional female guide, we will travel to Delphi, the sacred and storied site considered to be the center of the world by the ancient Greeks.

$75 US for a trip to Delphi. (Does not cover food and lodging for the night of October 23 at the Elefsina Hotel.)

We hope you can join us for this magical adventure!

b) Mycenae and Epidaurus - October 24, 2024 - Special Group Chartered Bus trip from Eleusis to Mycenae and Epidaurus, with professional guide.

Join us for a special guided trip to the historically momentous site of Mycenae. We will leave from the Elefsina Hotel in Eleusis after breakfast and be back in time for supper. In a special chartered bus, in the company of a professional female guide, we will travel to Mycenae, the seat of warlike patriarchal kings during the Bronze Age in Greece (until 1200 BC) - succeeding Crete as the center of cultural power. The character Agamemnon from the Iliad was from Mycenae. We will also visit Epidaurus, the largest surviving ancient Greek theatre, and have lunch nearby.

We hope you can join us for this epic adventure!

You can also book both excursions as a package, for the discounted rate of $125 USD.

(Does not cover food and lodging at the Elefsina Hotel in Eleusis.)

Participate in both excursions for $125 USD.

For more info or to register, please contact: rennbutler@shaw.ca.

$75 US for a group adventure to Delphi (Does not cover food and lodging for the night of October 23 at the Elefsina Hotel.)

$75 US for a group adventure to Mycenae and Epidaurus (Does not cover food and lodging for the night of October 24 at the Elefsina Hotel.)

The Amforeas Healing Center on the Island of Aegina

Eleusis, the Acropolis, Delphi, Mycenae, and Epidaurus

The_Plutonion_at_the_Sanctuary_of_Demeter_in_Eleusis_on_5_April_2019.jpg

index.php?curid=2303943

More Amazing Photos and Videos of Aegina

Photos: https://www.discovergreece.com/travel-ideas/best-of/14-best-things-to-do-aegina

Video: Flying over Aegina https://youtu.be/NZZJu4j5hTU?si=D6U83AYtb3vmnDe9

Video: Aegina Harbour City Project https://vimeo.com/752701837/47b4382419?ref=fb-share

Video: Aegina Chronolapse https://youtube.com/watch?v=Qq41CKXAar0&feature=share9

The Rich Spiritual History of Aegina Island

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.

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.

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.

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.

www.rennbutler.com

Irena Antolic

Irena

Mari Castle, PhD

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.

Eleni Potnia, PhD

Eleni

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.