RETREAT DESCRIPTION:

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As you travel the spiritual sites and teachings of the Greco-Romans, Egyptians, Celts, Kabbalists, Indo-Europeans, Neolithics, Christians, Cathars, Templars, and Troubadours, you will also traverse the inner lay lines of your own heartland back to the sanctuary of the Goddess within.

 

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ITINERARY:

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While immersing yourself in the sun-soaked landscape, culture, and history of the Languedoc, you will:

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~ dip your toes into the sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Collioure – a seaport town storied as a route for saints, mystics, and masters to and from the Holy Land and beyond

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~ look out over the majestic Pyrenees and famed Sacred Temple Valley from the hilltop village of Rennes-les-Chateau, below which a fabled Temple of Isis is hidden; discover the legends of the Holy Grail as we honour Mary Magdelene, the church and tower dedicated in her name here, and the esoteric geometry and enigmatic symbols that point us the way back to her

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~ visit the thermal waters that originated as Roman baths over 2000 years ago in Alet-les-Bains - site of a long-ago temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, current home to one of the Languedoc's Black Madonnas, and once-refuge of 

the prophet Nostradamus

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~ experience the pagan visions of the world’s Neolithic shamanesses through the 14,000-year-old paintings of the Grotte de Bedeilhac as we enter the mother-cave of both the Earth and the heart

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~ visit the “upside-down” mountain of Bugarach – believed to be a gateway to the fae folk by the Celts, to multi-dimensional energies by spiritual seekers, to initiation for the Cathars, and to sacred ceremony for the monastic Essenes

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~ pilgrimage along the breathtaking Gorge de Galamus as we enter into mysteries of the Rose Line in the beautiful cave chapel of Saint Antoine’s cliff-side hermitage

 

~ walk through the enchanted forest of Rennes-les-Bains - known for the hot and cold healing springs of the salt-water River Sals - to the holy spring of the Source du Circle, the Druidic grove of the Trembling Rock, and the sacred priestess site known as the Seat of Isis

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~ journey to the mountain-top castle of Chateau de Queribus- thought of as the last Cathar stronghold - and behold the soaring vista from one of the highest peaks in the Aude region

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~ uncover the treasures of Minerve, named in antiquity after the temple of Minerva that once stood on this medieval site: Roman bridges and 

ruins, rustic cliffs and canyons, scenic vineyards and olive groves, stunning architecture and ramparts, martyr monuments and ancient carvings, sweeping gorges and forests, a secret waterfall and an underground river

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~ practice yoga amid the stirring wonder of the troglodyte church carved into the stone of Vals; come face-to-face with the wooden-carved gargoyles in the arcade market square of Mirepoix; hold ceremony with the Celtic ancestors at the Dolmen des Fades - the largest megalithic tomb in the South of France; light a candle as you contemplate the famous Pregnant Virgin statue in Cucugnan 

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~ revel in the romance of Market Day in Limoux – our home for the week – as you peruse the wares of local farmers, artisans, textile merchants, jewellers, soap, olive oil, and cheese makers; hike local trails, sit with the Dark Goddess statue in Notre Dame de Marceille, and sip a glass of wine at a café in the festive town square while you luxuriate in its joi de vive

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INCLUSIONS:

 

~ pick-up & drop-off at the airport in Toulouse

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~ shared luxury accommodations at Hotel Le Monastere ​(lemonastereadventures.com), a restored 14th century Cordelier Order monastery in the Languedoc town of Limoux
 

~ gourmet meals of daily breakfasts and 6 multi-course dinners that include selections of the finest local wines

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~ all on-location transportation, entry fees, and guided tours, including highlights such as a local wine tasting, visit to an olive oil factory, and dinner in a French artist's studio-gallery

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~ morning 1-hour Gentle Yoga session and afternoon Meditation (all levels welcome) alchemizing the day’s mystic teachings and mythic locations

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~ evening Moon Circle in which we gather in sisterhood to witness each other, share our encounters with the Sacred Feminine, and hold space for ritual and involution through guided meditation

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~ final night Goddess Blessing Ceremony in which we will gather in the courtyard to celebrate as 

daughters and sovereigns, and to receive our personal gifts

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*flight fees and lunches are extra

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Cost: $2750

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BOOKING DETAILS:

 

~ $500 deposit (credit card or cheque made payable to Le Monastere Adventures) required upon registration

 

~ $250 fee (etransfer of cheque made payable to Erin Holtz Braeckman) required 6 months prior to trip

 

~ $2000 remainder (credit card or cheque made payable to Le Monastere Adventures) required 2 months before arrival

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Contact retreat leader Erin Holtz Braeckman at villageyogastudio@hotmail.com to register.