Songlines of sleep
12 - 22 April 2027
Epidavros, Greece
You are invited to the annual springtime Dream Mysteries training retreat for facilitators, artists, therapists, teachers, storytellers, and anyone else interested in working deeply with sleep and dreamstates.
Over the course of 10 nights and 11 days we shall explore the true art of the dream, and work with what I call ‘dream alchemy’ - the creation (within a dream) of a substance that can awaken lucidity, awareness, ecstasy, and inner knowing. The placebo effect works best in dreamstates!
We shall explore the storied nature of our waking and dreaming self, how dreamscapes, memories, and our personal oneiric odyssey function as ‘songlines’ that when woven together with awareness, help us to lucidly navigate a path back to our true self.
Our theme for this retreat is the healing power of narrative, and the unique power dreams have to alchemise and integrate personal, and collective myth. We shall be working again with our regular chorus conductor and διδασκάλισσα in the cathartic sacred arts of Dionysos - Rosanna Lowe. Using movement, story, sound, and song to embody the dream. We shall also be joined by two other special guests - to be announced later.
The group will stay together in the beautiful seaside village of Ancient Epidavros, next to the beach. Here it is possible to swim over a sunken Roman villa, sometimes with the turtles! The villa is at a very shallow depth so you can actually just wade out to it.
Rooms are private, spacious, with a large bedroom, lounge, small kitchenette, private bathroom, and balcony or garden with views over the garden and mountains/or out to sea, looking across the dreamy Saronic Gulf to the volcanic Methana peninsula. Friends who would like to share a room with a group of 3 or more can contact me to arrange. Max capacity would be 4.
Our focus will be one of most famous myths of our local area - the abduction of Demeter’s daughter, the Kore, Persephone at Elefsis. The sacred landscape and architecture of the Sanctuary of Demeter at Elefsis will act as our dreamscape and memory palace. Together we will create a ritual performance (just for members of the group in our retreat workshop space) and a private dream incubation ritual that mirrors the journey of the Kore in the underworld, and her crowning as Queen of the Dead.
Inspired by our local myths as a form of songline or dreaming track, we will also use these techniques to draw maps of our own personal dream terrain, and follow our own stories to their origin point, exploring the journey of the hero(ine) backwards. We will work with dreams using the Art of Memory, divination, the mantic arts, ridiculous games (including Oracular Scrabble), and somatic exercises for cultivating the ‘ka body’ (the creative spirit body as described in ancient Egyptian spiritual texts and art) to improve dreaming continuity, coherence, and vitality. We will work with image and movement, and other novel ways of remembering.
Curiosity and openness is great, but absolutely no previous experience of acting is required and we will never push you to do something you feel uncomfortable about. Our training retreats are most importantly, safe, fun, and inclusive, so all are very welcome, we know you are going to love this idyllic and dreamy corner of the Peloponnese, this is a truly mythic land, a land protected by the Goddess of rain and civility Hera. We hope you will take away from the retreat confident and creative use of story, dream, and the art of memory in both your personal life and work.
Look forward to dreaming with you in Greece!
Arrival and Departure:
Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos”
Accommodations: Sunny Gardens, Sunken City Road, Ancient Epidavros, Argolis
Approx two hours south of Athens city centre.
Pick up from Athens:
Acropolis Car Park 3pm 16th Sept
43 Robertou Galli, Athens 117 43 Greece
Drop off to Athens:
Syntagma Square 3pm 25th Sept
This is best for metro connections around the city and airport.
The archaeological sites we will visit also include:
Temple of Isis and the Baths of Beautiful Helen
Poseidon Sanctuary of the Isthmus
The Virginity-restoring spring of Hera near Nafplio
Sanctuary of Asklepios and Apollo Maleatus in Epidavros
The Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Elefsina (site of the Eleusinian Mysteries)
Costs:
£2800 All inclusive single occupancy suite with private bathroom and balcony in Ancient Epidavros on the Sunken City Road. You can swim or kayak over a sunken Roman villa from the beach here.
£3300 All inclusive double occupancy suite, twin beds or double.
Please contact me to discuss the cost of sharing suite for 3 +
Discounts:
£150 discount for previous retreat attendees.
Instalments:
Instalments can be arranged upon request sarahjanes@themysteries.org
Price includes:
All transportation in Greece, all accommodation costs, meals (as described below), all museum and archaeological site entrance fees.
Meals:
Meals will be taken at local restaurants with a variety of freshly prepared, mostly vegetarian, healthy Greek cuisine. Breakfast will be served buffet style at 8:30am every morning at the retreat centre, and lunch will be taken late and leisurely, starting at 3pm and probably lasting till 5pm. For best dream results we recommend not eating after this time. Alcohol will not be served and we also recommend not drinking alcohol for the duration of the retreat for best sleep and dream quality.
Payment:
Payment links will be sent with confirmation email and invoice.
Email for invoice: sarahjanes@themysteries.org
