- The Awakening Retreats -

 Our Creation-Centered Group Gatherings

Discover Your Sacred Nature & The New Consciousness

  Personal, Eco-spiritual and Planetary Transformation, near Mt Warning & Byron Bay. 

"I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive." (Joseph Campbell)

Brief outline with all 2011 and 2012 dates:

The Lover Within: Caring, feeling and relating intuitively, authentically and with empathy, awareness, compassion, sensuality or passion for oneself, another, the world and the mystical with wisdom, presence and clear purpose (Th. 22 to Sat. 24 Sept. 2011 & Sat. 22 to Mon. 24 Sept. 2012, Spring Equinox).

The Queen / King Within: Being the source of energy, blessing and right order for abundance and transformation in life, enabling enchantment, renewal and the re-creation of life from‘ death’ to rebirth through the sacred (Fri. 9 Dec. - Sun.11 Dec., 2011 & Thurs. 20 - Sat. 22, 2012, Summer Solstice).

The Sacred Warrior Within: Honouring, protecting and carrying out what is aspired to and needs to be fulfilled in attending to your needs, wants and interests, or those of others, with balance, awareness, presence and purpose (Mon. 19 - Wed. 21 March, 2012, Autumn Equinox).

The Shaman / Priestess (Magician) Within: Safely holding, containing, channelling, transforming and transmuting energies, states of awareness & situations in order to heal, empower, guide or awaken, often through presence, ecstasy, ritual (Tues. 19 June - Th. 21 June, 2012, Winter Solstice).

Our 3 day guided group retreat gatherings held right on each change of season (equinox and solstice) are called The Awakening Retreats. These are a powerful opportunity to enjoy and awaken to the change of season with others whilst discovering the archetypes of the Inner Lover, Heroine / Hero, Sacred Warrior or Shaman / Priestess (depending on your timing of retreat).

These retreats enable you to discover Nature, particularly the power, depth, way or Spirit within nature as a significant teacher, guide, healer and awakener. This provides an opportunity for recovering and returning to your Self … to sacred nature within and around you. The retreats are part of our response to the current personal and planetary situation with its potential for human change, growth and awakening. Three key pillars of our approach within the retreats, as in all of our work, are spiritual emergence, transformational inner work and the care of the soul.

Each Awakening Retreat is a ‘rites of passage’ for your whole Self, to feel the presence and pulse of creation with each new season, and to grow in relation to one of the four key archetypes that help shape your experiences and way of life - the Lover, Heroine / Hero, Sacred Warrior and Shaman / Priestess (Magician) Within. These form a strong, creative foundation for joy and conscious relating when properly applied. You can join with others for any retreat as part of our ongoing program. We have designed these to evoke the deepening discovery and emergence of your natural feminine or masculine soul. Each retreat works with the direct experiencing of your Self in relationship with one of these four primary archetypes - patterns of consciousness and perceptual fields - through which we each live and express our Self and lives. The intention is to actualise the potentials of this archetype to empower and awaken you into living your emerging personal, relational, shamanic and spiritual realities, such as the prompt or whisper that says 'Here is how to honour yourself' or 'I am here to learn what love is.' 

Our retreat centre is beautifully set amidst sacred lands with views over the river valley to iconic Mount Warning (Northern Rivers, NSW). Each retreat is held right at the equinox or solstice, the cusp between the seasons. This marks a time of intentional transition from the old to the new in one’s life in tune with nature and the new energies that accompany seasonal change and personal & planetary awakening. Participants can attend one or all of the retreats.      

In the Awakening Retreats you can…

* Explore your relationship to the changing climate, atmosphere, seasons and energies of the planet – with practices that attune you to the call, love, presence and frequencies of this new and evolving consciousness and that empower you to respond from your direct felt sense, knowing and heart of your most natural Self.

* Focus on your spiritual emergence.. your movement toward "a more expanded way of being that involves enhanced emotional and psychosomatic health, greater freedom of personal choices, and a sense of deeper connection with other people, nature and the cosmos. An important part of this development is an increasing awareness of the spiritual dimension in one’s life and in the universal scheme of things.” (Grof & Grof, 1990)

* Enable personal and planetary awakening through your inner work – bodily aware & emotionally focused approaches; Jungian active imagination, activation of the four key archetypes and the Self-Spirit alliance, mandala drawing, nature based sandplay, breathwork, the use of ceremony, and processes for bringing the personal and collective shadow supportively to light; shamanic journeying, techniques and practices; Gurdjieff’s way of divided attention; zen, crazy wisdom and other consciousness work.

* Open to the care of the soul – personal actions and ways that nurture the inner life and essential nature of your Self, your relatedness to others and care of the soul of the world.

Details for each retreat:  

Location: Earth Retreat near Uki, NSW. Transfers: From Coolangatta (G. Coast) airport.

Meals: Quality seasonal vegetarian. Accommodation: Comfortable, simple and clean.

Times: Commence12 noon, finish 4pm, except the final retreat which completes at 6pm  

Full Cost: $585 (place reserved on acceptance of enrolment & payment).

Further details: Paul on 0412 540 250 or email info@earthinstitute.com.au 

"Come out of the circle of time, and into the circle of love." (Rumi)