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Harmony Tours and Isha Lerner
present
The Return of the Goddess
France Tour.
In the heartland of France we will trace the
footsteps of the awakening of the divine feminine through
the ages. Our journey will include lectures and discussions
regarding the history, lore, and mythical evolution
of the Divine Feminine whose true identity has been
hidden behind thousands of veils and whose face has
been painted in numerous images around the world. She
is known as the Black Madonna, Mary Magdalene, Isis,
Aphrodite, and Shakti, to name a few. Together, as a
group, we will explore the various relationships we
have established with the Divine Feminine from both
a global and personal perspective. Anima Mundi, or,
"The Feminine World Soul," is strengthened
in each of us by the echo of Her footprints that remain,
to this very day, within the soil, land, and architecture.
Let us journey together and retrace Her Sacred Wisdom.
Itinerary
Saturday, Sept. 20:
We will meet in the late afternoon at the JFK
airport. We will check in, have an orientation and then
board our flight to Paris.
Sunday, Sept. 21:
We will arrive in Paris in the morning and check
in at our hotel. After some rest time, we will gather
and introduce ourselves. At this time we will set our
intentions for this journey. We will then go on an afternoon
walking tour of our neighborhood, including the Eiffel
Tower. Each evening we will do some sharing and hear
a story from Isha.
Our hotel is located on the Rue de Cler, Paris’s
charming market street. About six blocks from the Eiffel
Tower, we are located on the left bank. There are cafes,
markets and shops all over the city, but National Geographic
wrote about the ones on the Rue de Cler. You can find
it in the March 2003 issue on page 82. Paris is not
only beautiful, she is also a most livable city. That
will become very apparent in the neighborhood we have
chosen to hotel in.
Monday, Sept. 22:
At the very center of old Paris is the island
known as Ile de la Cite. On this small island in the
Seine River is the famous Cathedral Notre Dame and the
beautiful Sainte Chapelle. We begin with the Cathedral
dedicated to "Our Lady". Since 1768 all distances
in France were measured to a point just in front of
Notre Dame. She is that central to the French feeling
about the Divine. The feeling in the Cathedral is really
quite wonderful. The size of the place, the columns,
the stained glass and other art is an inspiration.
Two blocks down the street from Notre Dame is a Sainte
Chapelle which was completed in 1248. Street level entrance
is interesting but the real treat awaits you when you
climb the short, narrow staircase to the upper chapel.
The sunlight streaming through its brilliantly hued
stained-glass windows is an unforgettable sight, and
you are surrounded by the reds and the blues of the
glass, as if you had just walked inside a magnificent
piece of jewelry.
The afternoon is free time to shop or visit perhaps
the Tuileries Gardens, Avenue de Champs Elysees or L’Arc
de Triomphe.
Tuesday, Sept. 23:
Paris is a city of great museums. Today we visit
the two richest collections the musee Louvre and the
musee d’Orsay located on opposite sides of the
Seine.
In the Louvre we will see much more than the three
most famous ladies: Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and
the Mona Lisa. The largest collection of Egyptian art
outside of Cairo is in the Louvre. After lunch we cross
the river to the d’Orsay with their breathtaking
works from the impressionist and modern eras.
We will then have some free time in the Latin Quarter
before returning to our Rue de Cler.
Wednesday, Sept. 24:
Two things are scheduled this final day in Paris.
They are a talk with Isha and a cruise on the River
Seine. The rest of the day is your day in Paris for
walking, sharing, journaling or more of the many Paris
sights.
Thursday, Sept. 25-Friday, Sept.
26:
After Paris we move onto the wonders of Chartres.
We will have two nights to explore this beautiful provincial
town which still maintains its Medieval character. Winding
streets between old gabled houses, which cling to the
hillsides among terraced gardens, make a charming setting
for Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral - a key pilgrimage
site. Originating in the Middle Ages, stained glass
has its undisputed capital in Chartres. The stained
glass windows of the cathedral make for the world’s
largest collection of 12th and 13th-century stained
glass. The unique blue glass is related to Mary the
Divine Mother, for whom the Cathedral is named. Malcomb
Miller, the well known authority on the Cathedral, calls
the church a library of glass and stone. From that "library"
we will not only learn about the Divine Feminine, but
about creating sacred space with sacred geometry.
We will also walk the famous 12th Century Labyrinth.
A large labyrinth forty feet across was set with blue
and white stones into the floor of the nave of the church.
It’s design is a pattern of twelve rings that enclose
a single meandering path which slowly leads one to the
center rosette. Pilgrims of the Middle Ages would often
end their journeys at Chartres, crawling the length
of the Labyrinth on their knees.
Another feature of Chartres Cathedral that Pilgrims
would come to see is the Black Madonna statue. Black
Madonnas are statues or paintings, mainly of Medieval
origin(12th-15th century), of dark or black features
whose exact origins are not always easy to determine.
One theory is that they are "the ancient earth
goddess converted to Christianity". Black Madonnas
are found in countries all over the world and are worshipped
by millions. Each year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims
visit Black Madonna sites and leave inspired, confident,
relieved or healed of their afflictions.
Saturday, Sept.27-Sunday, Sept.28:
We will leave Chartres and head into the Brittany
region to Carnac village, home to the mysterious and
phenomenal Carnac Stones. We will stay in this magical
place near the sea for two days. Eleven rows of standing
stones stretching for 12 kilometers. Date and origin,
unknown. For scores of miles in all directions, scattered
throughout the forests, in the fields, in the midst
of human settlement, the dolmens, menhirs, circles,
and alignments of an unknown age before history. Local
mythologies about the stones abound. These are said
to walk to the water sometimes, those to move or dance
under the moonlight. They are almost always associated
with fertility. The arrangements of stones at Carnac
constitute a most important prehistoric site in Europe,
long predating Knossos, the Pyramids, Stonehenge or
the great Egyptian temples of the same name at Karnak.
Monday, Sept. 29:
From the South of Brittany we travel to St.
Malo on the north coast of Brittany. St. Malo is a very
popular summer destination and for good reason. The
ancient walled city has been rebuilt to its former splendor.
The beaches nearby are among the best in France. The
founding of the city was during Celtic times. By the
way, it is the Celtic connection that gives us the similar
languages spoken in Wales and Brittany.
Tuesday, Sept. 30:
We will travel east for less than an hour and
arrive at Normandy and Mont San Michel. The island at
the very frontier of Normandy and Brittany, which for
over a millennium has housed -indeed all but consisted
of- the stupendous abbey of Mont-St-Michel, was once
known as "the Mount in Peril from the Sea".
Many were the pilgrims of medieval times who were drowned
or sucked under by quicksand while trying to cross the
bay to this 250 foot high rocky outcrop. The Archangel
Michael was its vigorous protector. The abbey, an architectural
ensemble which incorporates the high-spired archangel-topped
church and the magnificent Gothic buildings known since
1228 as the Merveille (The Marvel) is visible from all
around the bay, but it becomes even more awe-inspiring
the closer you approach.
We will spend half a day here before returning to St.
Malo and free time.
By this point in the journey everyone’s journals
should be full of sights seen, connections with the
Divine Feminine made, good food eaten and much more.
Wednesday, Oct. 1:
In the morning we leave St. Malo and in less
than two hours we arrive in Rouen. This city has major
links to Saint Joan of Arc. We will learn about her
amazing story while we are here.
At our final Cathedral of Notre Dame we will meet with
a monk who will give us a tour and discuss with us the
modern church and the Divine Feminine.
This night, our last night in France, will be our closing
banquet.
Thursday, Oct. 2:
In the morning we are off to the Roissy Charles
de Gaulle airport north of Paris. Our return flight
will depart at mid-day. We will arrive in New York in
the mid-afternoon.
For those going to Scotland we leave Paris in the afternoon.
Tour Price of $2,850 Includes:
-Roundtrip airfare from NY to Paris
-All hotels first class and better
-All breakfasts and 8 other meals
-Transfers and ground transportation
-Entrance fees
-Teaching sessions with Isha Lerner
-Private tours of:
-Les Chapelles
-Chartres
-Stones of Carnac
-Mont-St-Michel
-others
To Register:
Please send a $500 deposit to Harmony Tours, P.O. Box 1737, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32170, tour@harmonytours.com. The final payment is due 30 days prior to trip.
Cancellations and Refunds:
(same for all tours)Cancellations made 60 days or more
prior to the departure are subject to $100 cancellation
fee. Reservations canceled 30-45 days prior to the departure
date are subject to a cancellation fee in the amount
of 50% of the trip cost. Reservations canceled less
than within 29 days prior to the departure date are
nonrefundable. You may want to consider purchasing a
commercial travel insurance policy that would include
trip cancellation protection. Please contact Harmony
Tours for details.
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