SACRED PLANTS OF
THE MEDITERRANEAN
SEPTEMBER 23rd-27th
Terra Elāya, Puglia, Italy
The trees formed the first temples of the gods… Each kind of tree remains immutably consecrated to its own peculiar divinity, the beech to Jupiter, the laurel to Apollo, the olive to Minerva, the myrtle to Venus, and the poplar to Hercules
ABOUT THE COURSE
During our days together we will be exploring the realm of plants through a direct and mythosomatic journey. We will be exploring 9 plants in total (we won't reveal them yet!) that are sacred to the Mediterranean traditions and have been used for centuries for healing, ritualistic and magical purposes.
Each day we will be meeting 2 different plants through the lens of mythology and storytelling, through tea meditations and plant communication, through astrology and correspondences, through creative explorations and ritual.
We will approach the plant world with reverence, as allies, friends and faithful guides. Our prayer is, as a matter of fact, that we may come out of these days not only with more knowledge but also feeling expanded and rejuvenated by the encounter with our beloved plants and trees.
THE FLOW
Upon arrival on the land we will open our time together through ceremony and sharing about our relationships with the plant world.
In the following four days we will have the time to create intimacy with each plant. Mornings and early afternoons will be spent in contemplation with the chosen plant or tree, followed by some storytelling or wisdom sharing and finally coming into contact with the plants again by making medicine with the plant and finally engaging in rituals that support us to get closer to understanding the essence of each ally.
On our final day we will take time to choose a plant that we have particularly connected with and we will create a special talisman for ourselves to carry in our lives.
Once again, our hope is that we can have a feeling of each plant, understand their personalities and essences, creating connections and relationship through remembrance of how our ancestors experienced them, through poetry, mythology and reverence.
THE LAND
Nestled amongst ancient olive groves, fig and pomegranate trees, Elāya is a home, sanctuary, gathering place & regenerative land project.
Built on the ruins of a 17th century farmhouse it has been restored to preserve its traditional feel. Around the house is a 3 hectare land that is being stewarded and tended to in order to nurture the soil, foster biodiversity, and cultivate ecosystems that sustain life in all its forms.
Our prayer at Elāya is to foster a culture of care and offer a space that recalls the ancient healing sanctuaries present all around the mediterranean. These were places where people would come to find refuge, restore connection between body and soul and receive visions for the future.
We are also a creative center, that values cross pollination of peoples, cultures and the land. We are here to support the re-imagining of a world that is in right relationship to the web of life.
FOOD
We will be sharing three meals together: breakfast, lunch and dinner. All will be cooked using local, organic products of the region.
Puglia, and Italy as a whole, is known for its traditional, seasonal, nourishing recipes. We will be inspired by these whilst of course adding our own personal touch.
These will be shared together, as a community, in celebration of these lands and their fertility.
ACCOMODATION
We offer three different accommodation options
- Double bedroom with ensuite bathroom
- Triple bedroom with ensuite bathroom
- Camping (we provide the tents) with shared bathroom
*prices will vary according to accommodation
HOW TO REACH US
We are located in the town of Carovigno, a small and charming town of Puglia. Close to us you will find the famous Ostuni, Ceglie Messapica and a little further north Polignano a Mare. We are also just a few km from the magical Mediterranean Sea.
The best way to reach us is by
FLYING
-
Flying into Brindisi which is around 25 minutes from us. From here we will organise a private transport for you. Price for this will vary according to how many of you are sharing the taxi.
-
Flying into Bari which is around 90 minutes from us. Here again we can organise private shuttle shared with other participants. However, prices might be slightly higher as the distance is greater.
You can also choose to rent a car from these locations and drive to us. There is enough parking for this.
TRAIN
-
The closest train station is the station of Ostuni, around 10 minutes from us. From here a private taxi will be organised for you. Price is around 15/20 euros
DRIVING
If you choose to rent a car, live in Italy or want to road trip before reaching us, let us know and we will share precise locations to Elāya.
FACILITATORS
Emilia is a woman dedicated to restoring the sacred, in our lives and in our connection to the earth and the Divine. She is trained as a somatic therapist, depth psychologist and a wide variety of healing methodologies. Beyond her more formal trainings she has travelled around the world to study from different indigenous leaders, mystics and people dedicated to the healing and ritual arts and brings this embodied knowledge in the spaces she curates as a facilitator, healing arts practitioner and steward of a new culture.
In wild and eclectic path she has created deep connection with the plant world, deciding to then study herbalism with Sage Maurer from the Gaia School of Healing and Astro-herbalism with Sajah Popham. For her plants are a way to commune with the unseen, to bring healing to our hearts and minds and a way to restore right relationship with the Earth.
She is also a doula and a rites of passage facilitator. Whatever she is engaged in, from 1:1 sessions to pilgrimages around the world, Emilia is in devotion to the way of remembrance, of deep listening and awakening to our human potential
Medina Trevathan is an interdisciplinary artist and facilitator based in the United Kingdom and Southern Spain.
She grew up in an international Sufi Muslim community in Andalusia, and her roots span far and wide from North Africa to Pakistan and Cornwall. Medina teaches courses and facilitates on the themes of Sufism, plants, myths and dreams. She is a keeper and researcher of the henna tradition, offering the plant's wisdom in ceremonies, talks and workshops.
Her artwork is inspired by the richness of the lands she is woven from, Celtic and Islamic thought, the feminine, dreams and inner landscape work.
Some of Medina's collaborations include Diriyah Biennali Foundation, Vogue India, The Womens Sanctuary and Whitechapel Gallery
Her work has been recognised in publications such as Vogue Arabia, The Face, Dazed and has has exhibited throughout London, Southern Italy and Southern Spain
OUR PRAYER
IS TO HUMBLY LEARN FROM THE PLANTS AS A WAY TO HEAL OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE EARTH, AS A WAY TO EXPAND OUR HEARTS AND MINDS AND CONNECTED TO THE LINEAGES OF HEALERS, DOCTORS, MYSTICS, STORYTELLERS, POETS, MEDICINE MAN & WOMEN THAT CAME BEFORE US TO SHARE THE WISDOM OF THE PLANTS AND TREES.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Through this course you will learn intimately about 9 plants, understanding their energetics, their use, communing with them in unseen and subtle ways and learn how to create medicine and ritual with and through them.
The old people used to say that we don't need to know many plants, just a few that can help with different ailments of the body, heart and mind. This is our vision for this course.
All the material will be grounded in the lineages of the Mediterranean in particular the Italian & Greek folk medicine & mythology, the Andalus tradition from the south of Spain and the Sufi tradition from all around the world. It will be a true cross-cultural journey between plants and people.
PRICING
THESE INCLUDE ACCOMMODATION + FOOD + THE COURSE.
TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE VENUE IS NOT INCLUDED.
DOUBLE ROOM
1350 euros
*single beds + ensuite bathroom
TRIPLE ROOM
1200 euros
*three single beds + ensuite bathroom
CAMPING
990 euros
*we provide the tent + bedding. Toilet is shared
Spaces are limited! To secure your spot we ask a 250 euro
NON REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT.
if you have any question or inquiry please email us at terra.elaya@gmail.com
