Full Description
A guide to spiritual pilgrimage and the healing powers of immersion in sacred places
• Takes you on a mystical journey to the sacred Greek island of Poros, a site of pilgrimage and healing for more than 3,000 years, and presents its mythological, literary, historical, and cultural heritage
• Examines pilgrimage, sanctuary, and asylum under the god Poseidon, the ruling spirit of the island, and how these have been practiced through the millennia
• Explores ancient healing traditions, including dream incubation of Asklepios, and using sacred art and ritual to connect with our visions and the divine
Transformational psychotherapist Edward Tick, Ph.D., takes us on a journey of healing, transformation, community, myth, and divine presence to the sacred Greek island of Poros, a site of pilgrimage and healing for more than 3,000 years.
In this book, Tick rediscovers asylia, the original practice of sanctuary that provides safety and inspiration while facilitating healing and connection to divinity. Drawing on ancient traditions, Tick explains how we know ourselves, our destinies, and our connection to the divine through dreams, visions, oracles, and synchronistic events. He shows us how Poseidon's fierce and unpredictable power can rescue as well as destroy, and that we must express humility and balance in order to receive his gifts. Tick continues his decades-long revival of Asklepian dream incubation and other modern versions of ancient rituals while providing a deep dive into the sacred history of Poros and how it can bring transformation and serenity today. He also reveals life-changing mystical experiences his travelers and he have had over 40 years of pilgrimages, including encounters with animal guides, higher powers, and oracles, as well as examining the physical and spiritual restoration of Poseidon's sanctuary and contributing to its literary and mythological legacy.
Contents
FOREWORD RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PILGRIMAGE
by Phil Cousineau
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION PASSAGE TO THE PAST
1 PORTRAIT OF POROS
Immersion in the Greek World
2 COUNSEL WITH THE DEAD
Poet George Seferis on Poros
3 THE GIFT OF THE SEA TURTLE
A Meeting in Poseidon's Sanctuary
4 POSEIDON
The Powerful, Unpredictable
Protector of the Sea
5 GREEK MYTHOLOGY ON POROS
The Naming of an Island
6 A HISTORY OF ASYLIA (SANCTUARY)
Stories from Refugees through the Ages
7 THE SUN OF POROS
Writers and Artists on Poros
8 IN THE AGORA
Meandering the Streets
9 THE SHADOW OF PARADISE
Struggles Facing a Rural Community
10 A HEALING ISLANDJKN
Physical, Emotional, and
Spiritual Transformations
11 ASKLEPIOS ON POROS
Dream Incubation and Therapeutics
12 RESTORING POSEIDON'S SANCTUARY
Living in Agape
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
