Sweetwater A Big Sur Retreat

A Path to our Ancient Roots

An Earth Based Mystery School

“At night… make me one with the darkness…. in the morning… make me one with the light” Wendell Berry

Earth Based Registration & Questionnaire

An Earth-Based Mystery School is an exploration of the mysteries of the human soul, an in-depth exploration of both outer and inner wilderness. It is reconnecting with an ancient way of listening to nature, the earth and ourselves. It is discovering the many levels of a deeper Reality. It is a nature-based mystical path of Self-realization. A Mystery School is a path of integrating the realization of True Nature into our lives and becoming an expression of this deeper Reality. An earth-based mystery school utilizes our connection to Nature, which can facilitate a deeper connection to Spirit. We will use various spiritual practices and ceremonies where students may access these different levels of Spirit.
We will use meditation, inquiry, movement and body sensing practices within wilderness settings. We will use sound and voice, the rhythm of the drum, and sacred ceremony on the earth, around a fire, or in the canvas yurt. We will return again and again to the “wild within,” the unconditioned mystery of ourselves. We will study and walk the medicine wheel to bring its wisdom and understanding into the changing seasons of our lives. At different times, enhancing our various themes, we will use acrylics, fabric, yarn and natural materials bringing spirit into form.

JOYCE LYKE is the primary teacher for this program. She has been working with groups of students for over 25 years in on-going spiritual groups. She worked at Esalen on their Gestalt Staff. During her time in Big Sur she was deeply involved in earth-based ceremony, wilderness journeys, medicine wheel teachings, Gestalt Dreamwork and simply living on the land. She is a senior teacher of The Diamond Approach, and leads on going groups in Canada and US. D.A. is a contemporary spiritual path, which incorporates the knowledge and practices from depth psychology and spiritual wisdom traditions; it is a precise and effective method for spiritual transformation.
A culmination of all this knowledge and training informs her work with the Earth Based Mystery School.

Guest Teachers

SARA HURLEY has been exploring the relationship between body, movement, breath and consciousness for over 25 years through meditation, dance, martial arts and modern movement disciplines. She is a Diamond Approach teacher, having studied in the school since 1987 and is co-founder of the Diamond Approach San Francisco group.

KATHLEEN POULS Honoring all that is, all that we are, within and without and bringing in song and rhythm, she has been participating in earth based mystery sacred ceremonies and circles for many years. A ceremonial singer and drummer. A teacher of The Creative Process Journeying Classes with Clay, Paints, Collage and Inquiry. Steeped in Traditional Chinese Medicine and an Acupuncturist/ Bodyworker. With a Family Practice since '84. A long time Diamond Heart Student and Lover of life.

Please write or call for more information and an application.
joylyke@aol.com or 831.626.8148.

Initial Curriculum

Self Remembering: The Basis for the Work

1. Inner sensing of the body, looking and listening.
2. Subtle awareness and tracking one’s experience from moment to moment enhances one’s capacity to contact inner wilderness and outer wilderness.
3. We will teach the “Practice of Self-Inquiry”.

Study of Presence

1. We will experientially study various qualities of living presence within the human soul.
2. We will study the qualities of living presence within nature.

Study of the Soul

1. What is the Soul?
2. We will study the soul’s capacities and qualities, its inherent True Nature and the levels of soul; animal soul/ human soul/ angelic soul.
3. We will study and explore how the soul develops and transforms.

Study of the Universal Soul

1. We will explore the earth as living soul; plant /animal /mineral kingdoms/ancestoral realms.

Study of the Four Centers in the Subtle Body

1. Belly, Heart, Head, Above the head.
2. Four centers in relation to Inquiry Practice.
3. Four centers in relation to the Four Directions.

In-depth Study of the Medicine Wheel Teachings

1. Four directions, their various qualities of True Nature.
2. Study of the Non Cardinal directions.
3. Study of the Four Elements one in each direction.

Study of the Stages/Seasons of Life

1. Birth through many stages: separation, individuation, maturation, old age, death.
2. Stages of Ego Development and Essential Development.

Study and Exploration of Guidance

1. Inner guidance/Outer guidance.
2. How to listen to our own guidance and recognize and develop guidance within ourselves and within the Medicine Wheel.

Study and Exploration of Dreams

1. Gestalt Dream Work; working with dreams.
2. Dreams were a part of indigenous tribal life; making dreams a part of the on-going exploration of our work together as a group.

Study of Animal Spirits

1. How they reflect and embody qualities of True Nature.
2. How they communicate through our Dream Life.
3. How they teach us about qualities within ourselves.