Away from the demands of everyday life, we invite you to share the deeper rhythms of your individual and authentic spiritual life in pilgrim fellowship and community.
The circle of each day will be marked by guided meditation in the quiet stillness of dusk and dawn. Held in this ancient rhythm will be time for silence, reflection and guided practices – contemplative and creative. There will be ample opportunities for listening deeply to your own journey while also hearing those of your other companions.
Throughout the week, we will explore the four-core questions of Quadratos in meaningful ways:
Like the seasonal rhythms of nature, the journey of outer and inner transformation is fourfold. And two primary symbols of this journey - the circle and the equidistant cross – will help us to connect and absorb the deeper rhythms of pilgrimage – personal and collective.
We abide by perennial wisdom and the universality of all spiritual traditions. We welcome people from all walks of life, all faiths or none.
1. Dawn group gathering 8 am: Guided Meditation.
Silent breakfast. Followed by quiet time for individual reflecting on provided texts, questions, journaling, walking, etc.
2. Morning Session ~ 10. 30 am - 1 pm: Creativity & Contemplation.
Lunch 1. 30 pm
3. Afternoon Session ~ 3 - 5. 30 pm: Sharing Circle.
Dinner 6. 30 pm
4. Dusk group gathering by the fire ~ 8. 15 pm: Guided Meditation
Sharing circle ~ each day will focus on a particular element present in the whole of this Fourfold Path retreat. Participants are invited to share insights emerging in, gleaning from their contemplative and creative practices, reflections and experiences of the day.
There will be two special visits incorporated in the week.
Anne Miner - Pearson (MDiv, DMin) is an ordained Episcopal priest for almost 40 years, serving a number of congregations in the United States. She holds a BA in education as well as seminary & doctorate degrees. She has worked in various spirituality materials, leading individuals & groups through transformational experiences. With deep passion & personal commitment to the spiritual journey for herself & others, her interest in people & what makes “their heart sing” forms a foundation for her retreat leadership style.
Basia Goodwin (MA) is an artist, educator and co founder of Flores del Camino. She is dedicated to providing hospitality to pilgrims & a purposeful space for inward journeying for all guests. She is passionate about pilgrimage as a transformational journey & its parallels with the creative & contemplative aspects of sacred art. An alumni of the Princes School of Traditional Arts, she specialised in the use of geometry in traditional arts, craft & philosophy. She is currently co authoring a book on the sacred art of the Camino de Santiago.
* Day 0. Welcome and Gathering
Check-in at Flores del Camino between 4 & 5pm.
Evening welcome meal, followed by the opening dusk guided meditation by the fire at dusk.
*Day 1. Pilgrimage - a Fourfold Path
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Symbols of pilgrimage : Chartres labyrinth meditation. Poetic presentation on the Sacred art of Pilgrimage and its living geometry. Pilgrimage as rite of passage : the four fold journey of transformation. Drawing, the flower of life, circle square & equidistant cross with ruler and compass.
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle.
Dusk pilgrim vespers (meal in Rabanal)
*Day 2. Deeper Rhythms - Outer & Inner.
Dawn group gathering at Petroglyphs
Morning session: Sacred geometry on site. The labyrinth, circle & square, the solstitial rectangle where heaven & earth meet, outer expression, inner meaning. Collect natural pigments. Optional walk back along the Camino to retreat centre from Santa Catalina after coffee/refreshment (3km walk).
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle
Dusk group gathering
*Day 3. Going with the Flow
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Making pigments & getting to know them. Painting the flower of life.
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle
Dusk group gathering
*Day 4 Holding the Tension
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Geometry in sacred art continued : the equidistant cross.
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle
Dusk group gathering
*Day 5 Exploring the Four Questions
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Mandala: methods & materials
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle
Dusk group gathering
*Day 6 Creating with the Four Questions
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Work on equidistant mandala
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle
Dusk group gathering
*Day 7 Absorbing the Deeper Rhythms
Dawn group gathering
Morning session: Work on equidistant mandala
Afternoon session: Sharing Circle
Dusk closing ceremony
*Day 8. Departure after breakfast.
... about the retreat centre & our retreats, transport, location, how to get there on our website.
Please note that we have reached the minimum number of participants and this retreat is confirmed to happen.
Please read carefully the Terms & Conditions.
This retreat is based on the work of Alexander John Shaia, student of Joseph Campbell and founder of The Journey of Quadratos.
From his primary work as an anthropologist, Jungian psychologist and spiritual director, Alexander John has moved to being a widely sought teacher, trainer, and inspiring keynote speaker. Known as a creative, multi - disciplinary thinker with deep conviction, he invites us into spiritual practices for the 21st century - ones that cross traditional boundaries, encourage vital thinking and inhabit a genuine community of the heart.
He is author of “Returning from Camino.” and his seminal book on Quadratos is available under two titles. The hardback is "Radical Transformation”. The paperback and Kindle editions are "Heart and Mind". For more information or to purchase see the Quadratos website.