Elemental Moon Retreats
- Goal:
To give a broad spectrum of concrete, complementary, useful “tools” and skills to the trainees in order to thrive in both their human and spiritual experience, at an affordable price.
- Why?
Most courses and retreats are usually very specific, and offer services that are very intense throughout a very short period of time. This retreat explores many topics and teaches the trainees how to interconnect them in order to understand the bigger picture of the big Cosmic Puzzle we live in, and to give them more time for setting their intention and integration, and for coherent, practical application into their daily life.
Not only is this retreat a profound introspection of the world inside and outside to assimilate it better, but it is also a wonderful insight to maintain and balance the attendees' energetical space ever after.
Consequently, they can (re)connect with their original essence, potential and equilibrium between the body, the mind and the spirit. This process is conveyed through the permanent motion and emotional process of the moon cycles, and through their intimate energetical connection with the elemental equilibrium inside and outside of us.
- How long?
Technically, retreats as we perceive them can be very short (at least for a couple of days, like I organised a few times when I was living in Ecuador and Peru) or much longer depending on what is their emotional and energetical intention and purpose.
Nevertheless, I am going to remain focused on the 30-day retreat I have designed.
Thirty days are an entire moon cycle (the moon orbit around the Earth is 27.25 days – sideral period - but the full phasing cycle is about 29.5 days– sinodic period-, since from our perception the sun also moves in the sky according to the Earth's orbit around it). Or from one new moon to the following one.
In astrology, we are influenced by many cosmic aspects at the same time, and they start long before we were born in this life and they keep going long after we depart from it. Yet, the celestial body that rules our life on a daily basis is the moon, because it represents the fluctuation of our emotional body, the core of our unique personality.
The moon remains for approximately 2.3 days in each and every of the 12 signs of the Zodiac and their elements (fire, earth, air or water) during each and every of its cycles around the Earth.
Therefore, the practices and activities during the retreat follow the signs of the zodiac, hence their respective elements and their specific attributes.
It is important to note that the moon not only influences the way we feel and behave, but it also incarnates the feminine divine within us. Although it particularly impacts women on the physiological level (through the menstruation cycle), it is also fundamental to understand that this process is not just all about the physical gender. Yes, men experience emotional menstruation as well, because the moon impacts the 70-ish% of water that composes our physical body as much as it does with the tidal cycles of the oceans.
Since water is the element that most incarnates our emotions and feelings, the influence of the "Queen of the Night" has overall very little to do regarding whether we are a woman or a man (again, aside from the massive physiological aspect of it, of course, for it is absolutely no coincidence that the moon revolution around the Earth and a regular menstruation cycle both last for 28 days).
Overall, we all do have a feminine and a masculine side as part of our primordial Yin (feminine)-Yang (masculine) balance, and understanding how it works (and how intensely we are connected with astrological events at all times) is a fantastic tool to understand the subtleties of how we connect with this physical plane throughout our human experience.
- What?
The different 'tools' that are included in the retreat are divided into 4 modules according to their nature, as each of them is inherently related to one of the 4 elements of ancient astrology (like for any other activity or emotion in our daily reality, as well as our very own essence or'personality').
As such, each day of the course will revolve around one or multiple activities from the module related to the elemental moon transit of that specific day.
Note: It does not mean that if the moon element of the day is earth, the courses will involve more earth (or more grounding). Indeed, since the intent of the retreat is all about reconnecting with a form of personal and collective (or inner and outer) balance, an 'earth' day is actually perfect to work with one of the other 3 elements.
Then, it is all about the experiment of the process, for the outcome may be very different for each and every of the participants, including for the teachers.
Example:
[Trainee's predominant chart's element (out of 11 aspects) -A- + his/herchart's moon element -B-] + [specific day's predominant element (out of 10 aspects) -C- + its moon element -D-] = Elemental tool of the day
For instance: [Fire -A- + Earth -B- ] + [Fire -C- + Air -D- ] = [(+) (Yang)+ (-) (Yin)] + [(+) (Yang) + (+) (Yang)] = 0 Yin + (2+) Yang = (2+) Yang =elemental tools/activities of the day in Earth or Water (in Yin) in order to counter-balance and channel efficiently this person's energy and astrological influence of a specific day (or period of time/cycle).
Of course, since each trainee's chart is personal, the sun, moon and planetary transits will all differ from one another, and the course curriculum can only be based on the predominant element of the day (or of the course) and its moon element (2nd half of the equation).
Nonetheless, we still believe this will provide the participants with useful insight into the ruling of the sun, moon, planets and of the elements upon their personal and collective energies. It will also teach the trainees how to make the most of the overall astrological influence ona daily basis, especially as it is paired with sufficient, concrete knowledge and practice regarding many other compatible, complementary skills, taught by experienced and qualified teachers.
- How?
200-hour retreat (theory + practical activities)
5 days/week theory + practice (about 8 hours)
1 day/week exclusively practice (about 8 hours) + feedback + sharingcircle + staff meeting
1 day/week completely off (+ silent day + optional fasting) + fun activities (photo-plancton tour + surf, …)
- Typical day (example):
7.30 - 8 am: Tea + juice
8.00-9.30 am: Yoga
Breakfast
10.00 am - 12 pm: Input 1
12.15 – 2.15 pm: Input 2
2.30 – 3.30 pm: Lunch
3.30 – 5.30 pm: Input 3
5.30 – 7.30 pm: Free time or sharing circle or individual feedback/supportor extra activity
7.30 pm: Dinner
9.30 pm: Astronomy + astro-photography (twice or three times a week as part of “air module”)
- Content specifics:
1) Module 1 (WATER): 50 hours
36 hours morning yoga (6 classes/week X 1.5 hour) (9 hours for each element's specific flow -fire, earth, air, water-) for all levels
6 hours yoga anatomy/physiology
2 hours yoga intention (goals of Asanas on energy level & channeling)
4 hours emotional development
2 hours conscious nutrition
2) Module 2 (AIR): 50 hours
36 hours Greek astrology theory + practice (how to read/interpret an astral chart + planetary transits)
4 hours Mayan & Chinese astrology theory + practice
10 hours astronomy + Greek mythology stories + find your way across the sky
3) Module 3 (EARTH): 5o hours
40 hours Chinese medicine & acupuncture theory + practice (+ energy meridians)
4 hours aromatherapy (theory + practice)
2 hours medicinal mushrooms & psychedelic mushrooms + micro-dosing + ceremony
2 hours tincture making (theory + practice)
2 hours cacao ceremony theory (+ ceremony/ecstatic dance practice for full moon)
4) Module 4 (FIRE): 50 hours
20 hours reiki level I & II (chakras + meditation + pendulum) & practice
20 hours holistic physiotherapy (+protection/cleansing/crystals/music/mushrooms therapy)
4 hours tantra (+ “shadow work” + emotional honesty practice)
2 hours meditation/breathing work theory (practice part of yoga classes)
2 hours sound therapy (practice part of yoga/holistic therapy)
2 hours quantum physics + law of manifestation debate
Extras: - 1 cacao ceremony/Ecstatic dance every week (upon moon phases/other astrological events)
Certificates in Chinese medicine, acupuncture, astrology, reiki, yoga, aromatherapy
