Awakening Goddess Retreat

Join us on beautiful Denman Island for a full immersion/retreat focusing on Farima Berenji’s signature project, “Awakening” – Sacred Dances, History, and Rituals of Persia, Mesopotamia, and Ionia.

We will take the path of the ancients, a journey of discovery, in space and time…reconnecting with the ancient Goddesses and sacred elements of Persia and the Near East. Drinking deeply from hidden wells of inspiration, now being revealed in our time, we will re-discover ourselves in the process. Join us on an exciting and unique journey of personal transformation as we awaken these figures on beautiful Denman Island.

In many cultures it is believed that each woman is the embodiment of a Goddess, a divine feminine energy. To stay in harmony with ourselves it is important to acknowledge and embrace this energy. In this journey, we will gather in the mystical circle of women to the Seven Holy Immortals, (Goddesses) of ancient Persia and honor the Goddess within. We will create a sacred, supportive space where we can all release whatever energy no longer serves us, relax and open both heart, body, and mind. We will explore the magic within us, and spirituality about us. We will discover the power and mystery of dance—a gateway for self-growth and spiritual transformation—through sacred movement, music, love, and stillness. In that space, the promptings of the Inner Divine are found and loving kindness and compassion flow naturally into our daily life.

Location

The Denman Island Community Hall, Denman Island, BC will be our center for the duration of the retreat but we will make several outings. Invocations, ancient Indo-Iranian rituals, dancing, whirling, Zoroastrian mantras, and zikr aka sufi meditations will take place at various magical island locations. We will literally move within the elements relating to the various Goddesses.

The Denman Island Community Hall is centrally located in “Downtown Denman” and is within walking distance to the ferry terminal, emporium/cafe, general store, guest house/bistro, Peircy Farm Market/Chuckwagon Cafe and several other amenities.

Tentative Schedule

Day 1 – Thursday, Aug. 25th

5:30-7:00 pm – Arrivals and Greetings

Optional meet and greet dinner at Peircy Farm (dinner is not included in the retreat fee). Includes meeting Farima, a historic background and introduction to sacred/temple dances of Indo-Iran and Ionia, an overview of the weekend plan, Q/A and discussion.

7:00-8:00 pm – Opening Ritual Ceremony.
Processions, Chanting, Offerings.

8:00-10:00 pm – Awakening Daena
Rituals, Ancient Persian Mystical and Temple Dance (Partner and Group), Poetry in Motion, Mystical Beauty and Self-Rejuvenation, and Sharing Circle.

Day 2 – Friday, Aug. 26th

11:00-11:30 am – Meditation and Visualization – Breath Work

11:30 – 1:30 pm – Awakening Armaiti and Awakening Haurvatat
Rituals, Sacred Circles and Spirals, Ancient Persian Prayer Dance, Balancing Negative and Positive Energies, and Sharing Circle. There will be breaks for snacks in between workshops

3:00-5:00 pm – Awakening Anahita and Awakening Ahurani or Ufratu
Rituals, Water Therapy and Healing Movements, Dance and Whirling based on Water Element, and Sharing Circle. There will be breaks for snacks in between workshops.

5:00-8:00 – Dinner Break (Potluck at beach optional)

8:00-10:00 pm – Awakening Artemis
Rituals, Ancient Persian Warrior Dances and Movements, and Processions. Ancient Persian Mystical Dance and Whirling based on the Astrological Energy of the Moon, and Sharing Circle.

Day 3 – Saturday, Aug. 27th

9:00-11:00 – Free store and Saturday market outing (optional)

11:00-11:30 am – Meditation and Visualization – Breath Work

11:30 – 1:30 pm – Awakening Homa
Rituals, Veil Dance, Ecstatic Dance, Circles and Spirals, Scarf Dance, Whirling based on Air/Wind Element, and Sharing Circle.

3:00-5:00 pm – Awakening Ameretat (Workshop in the Forest at Fillongly Park)
Rituals, Processions, Offerings, Nature Therapy and Healing Movements, Dance and Whirling Based on Flowers and Trees, and Sharing Circle.

5:00-6:00 – Priestess Crown Making
With Cathy Stoyko at the back hall. We will collect flowers and leaves for crowns on previous outings, all other tools and materials provided.

7:00-8:00 pm – Dinner Break
Potluck at beach optional.

8:00-10:00 pm or longer – Sacred Circle (The Cave)
Ancient Indo-Iranian Shamanic Healing Rituals, Zoroastrian Mantras, Chanting, Drumming, Gowati (Calling on the Ancestors), Medicine Dance, and Zar.
*Optional attendance – due to steep climbing this is an optional gathering and it is at your own risk. Retreat will not be responsible for lost or damage of your items or minor injuries.

Day 4 – Sunday, Aug. 28th

11:00-11:30 am – Meditation and Visualization – Breath Work

11:30 – 1:30 pm – Awakening Mitra
Rituals, Candle Dance, Fire Therapy and Healing Movements, Dance and Whirling based on Fire Element and the Sun

1:30-2:00 Break for snacks, rest

2:00-3:30 pm – Closing Ritual Ceremony
Processions, Sacred Markings, Sharing Circle, and Ancient Persian Prayer in Dance.

3:00-5:00 pm – Late lunch

5:00-6:00 – Rehearsal for performances in the “Front Hall”
Performance is optional for retreat students but rehearsal is mandatory for those performing for the evening show and Awakening Artemis Dance.

6:00-7:30 pm – Dinner Break
Potluck at Hall.

7:30-10:00 Performances and Sema Gathering (Whirling)
Open community event.

Registration

Retreat fee $385 CND ($350 for Simorgh Collective members).

A deposit of $150 received by June 10th, 2016 will secure your registration. Deposit can be sent by mail/cheque, dropped off in person at the Abbey Studio in Cumberland or sent by email $ transfer.

Fee includes all workshops, outings, evening events AND light lunches on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as well as healthy snacks throughout the day. Retreat fee does not include accommodations, breakfasts, or dinners. We will share potluck dinners and participants will have access to the hall kitchen to store and prepare food.

After registration you will receive details on what to bring for the workshops and retreat.

Contact

Cathy Stoyko
Cathy Stoyko on Facebook
email cdstoyko@uniserve.com or call (250) 218-0704 for details or make arrangements.

Cheques should be made to Cathy Stoyko and mailed to:

Cathy Stoyko
Box 1196
Cumberland B.C. V0R 1S0

Accommodations

There are several accommodation options available in a broad price range, many with walking distance to where we meet at the Denman Island Community Hall.

Budget options

Stay with your friends on the island, camp at Heather Hilberry’s Farm (contact Cathy Stoyko for details), camp at Fillongly Park Beach (call 250-474-1336 to reserve), or stay at Denman Island Guest House and Bistro (for private or shared room options).

Mid range/B&B’s

• Hawthorn House (within walking distace to hall) 1 (250) 335-0905
• Fillongly Forest B&B AKA Norma’s Place near Fillongly Park
• Blue Owl B&B aka Julie’s place —Private cottage walking distance to Graham Lake (nice place to swim!)
• Erik and Basha’s Farm Guesthouse —private house can be shared with up to 4 people.

For general info about Denman Island and more accomodation options visit http://www.denmanisland.com/

Transportation

To visit Denman Island, you need to catch a small ferry at Buckley Bay ferry terminal on Vancouver Island. The ferry ride is only 10 minutes. For the latest up-to-date ferry schedules and fares, please visit the BC Ferries website. Travel to Vancouver Island is by air, or car ferry from Vancouver, WA. For information about the major routes from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, please see the BC Ferries website (above).

If you are not familiar with the area and need assistance in finding accommodations or have any other question please feel free to contact Cathy Stoyko at (250) 218-0704 or e-mail.

About Farima Berenji and her Awakening Project

Led by award winning, internationally acclaimed dance artist, scholar, ethnologist, and archaeologist, Farima Berenji, you will be introduced to rituals celebrating the grace and joy of life and to a society where and when women were honored and people lived in harmony with each other and with nature. Come be introduced to a place where women were known as Goddesses and a Goddess was revered as the source of life.

From the beginning of time, sacred movements and music have brought people together and healed the soul. In Awakening, Farima has combined the sacred phrases, chants, music, and movements from many spiritual traditions to help touch the spiritual essence within us and to help us recognize it in others. These fundamental elements compose the ancient, contemporary, and devotional roots of sacred dance.
Farima will teach her own findings, methods, techniques, researchers, and exercises that make the connection between soul and movement and that makes one an artist not just a dancer. She will show you how dance depicts the creation of the Universe through a spinning series of fantastic formations, metamorphoses, and rhythms.

Farima will introduce you to ancient and contemporary Persian knowledge in a way that will make you proud to be a woman and yourself. Farima’s vision is to bring back the light and the power of the divine feminine, the Goddesses and Lionesses, through dance, education, and a sense of wonder and reverence.