We will have a sharing circle and two dance sessions on both days with a break in the middle to share lunch / food. Please bring something simple to share. Thank you.
Our inner Gods and Goddesses are archetypal images that arise from our collective unconscious. Each of these images corresponds to a particular type of energy and is associated to natural tendencies shared by all human beings.
Carl Jung observed that due to cultural, family and personal circumstances, some of these archetypes were more active in individuals whereas others lay dormant. Before his death, Jung realised that his approach to the archetypal contents of the unconscious lacked physicality. Rolando Toro, the founder of the Biodanza system, incorporated the body into Jung´s work by proposing a series of archetypal dances to directly experience these archetypes and actualize their qualities as embodied beings. These dances work at an unconscious level, making them deeply transformative to both men and women.
In this workshop we will summon up and embody the different qualities of the Greek Gods and Goddesses that have shaped our Western culture - and we will experience for ourselves the power of these mythical archetypes to help us to tap into our inner resources. Dancing their different energies can help us to recognise our latent potentials and to become all that we can be in a balanced way. In turn, this will allow us to respond to the situations that arise in our daily lives in effective and appropriate ways.
Our inner Greek gods and goddesses are many, and they´re just waiting for us to give them a chance to shine. Here are some of them. Athena represents our intelligence, inner strength, capacity to make plans and work out strategies, and the determination to achieve our goals. Artemis comes alive when we feel at home in nature, with animals, finding healing plants or fighting for environmental protection armed with bow and arrow. Aphrodite reminds us how to be sensual, at ease in our body and with our sexuality. Demeter is expressed in our instinctive capacity to nourish others, to nurture the earth and to celebrate the cycles of life. Persephone’s task is to renounce the helplessness of her maiden self, to recognise her power, and to emerge as a Woman. Hestia surfaces when we focus on our inner, spiritual world. Letting go of worldly concerns and finding meaning in a more solitary life. Ares reminds us the need for positive aggressiveness in a cruel world. Poseidon helps us to fearlessly transform our darkest feelings into a sense of emotional mastery, and Hephaestus awakens our ability to see our inner beauty and to transform it into beautiful gifts for our loved ones.
Examples of archetypical qualities
- Demeter - Nourishment, protection, caregiving
- Persephone – Intuition, inner world
- Poseidon – Passions and emotions
- Ares - Warrior aggressiveness
- Aphrodite - Sensual seduction
- Athena – Reason, strategy, rationality
- Dionysus – Instinctive drives
- Hermes - Communication
- Isis and Osiris - The ability to be reborn and transform
Investment: £135 (£50 deposit)
Early birds: £120 by July 1 // £125 by Aug 1
For bookings and payment details please email [email protected] * Thank you
Time: 11am - 4:45pm on Saturday and 10am to 4:45pm on Sunday
Venue: St Michael´s on the Mount Primary School Hall (aka St Michael´s Parish Hall), Park Lane, Bristol BS2 8BE
Location: If you haven’t been at St Michael’s Parish Hall before, please allow extra time, as it can be tricky to find – the hall is just behind a church off the main road. The lane leading into the car park is very long and narrow meaning only one car can fit.
Parking: The satnav should bring you there… the hall is up the steep narrow street Old Park Hill following Lower Church Lane, and a very narrow entrance to the right.
Getting there
By Bus: The nearest bus stops are on Park Row and St Michael’s Hill
By Car: St Michael’s Church of England Primary School is next door to the Parish Hall – we can use their top playground for parking, the area of carpark behind the hall.
FFI please email [email protected] * Thank you