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LA SOURCE OF PROVENCE

Watch for next dates.
An Immersion Experience in Sacred Sites, Art, Old Provençal Cuisine and Culture.
Limited to Seven Travelers.


Fountain photo Nature is not on the surface, it is in the depths. Colors are an expression of these depths on the surface. They rise from the roots of the world.

— Paul Cézanne

Cross photo

What was it that drew Mary Magdalen to the shores of what was then known as Gaul? That attracted important progressive artists? And continues to pull those who can sense what is inherent in the very earth of Provence, those who recognize what is reflected in the incredible light that floods the region?

Black Sarah statue Join us in this unique program that melds sacred historical sites, the energy of the land, with a hearty taste of old Provençal culture — and the influential art that was born of it. Witness terroir, a closely held value of living with respect toward nature, responsible for producing foods and wines fit for gourmands. This special way of life may soon be gone, threatened by technology and those wanting to dispense with old ways.

This is the region that so profoundly underwent the struggle between the Roman Catholic Church and those they called heretics, finally culminating in the Inquisition. Perhaps that's why locals live with the open secret that registers the presence of the woman who, legend says, carried the Holy Grail.

Our travels take us to the picturesque village of St. Maximum, visiting the basilica whose crypt contains an important relic of Mary's. Then, a short distance away, we come to the most hallowed of sites, near St. Baum, the grotto in which The Magdalen lived and taught during her remaining years. Here we will immerse ourselves in the energy, so prevalent and strong that the last king forbade the villagers to embrace the trees in the surrounding forest, and it will inform the rest of our journey. A day trip to the coast, through the beautiful Camargue with its famous white horses and flamingos, brings us to the place where "The Marys" landed. We spend time in the Church Stes. Maries and the shrine to Black Sarah, the patron saint of the Gypsies, where countless healings have been documented.

Mountain in FranceStirring in the artistic component, we experience places that inspired famous painters. We spend a morning in Arles where Van Gogh stayed for a time and see the nighttime café he captured in a well-known work. And we visit the village of St. Remy and the asylum where he voluntarily committed himself, remaining until shortly before his death. In this poignant place, we can get a real sense of this tragic master and appreciate the beauty in which he sought to surrender himself.

We learn why Cézanne was so enamored with St. Victoire, a huge limestone mountain arising from the landscape, which he often painted, and we hike the very paths he took up to a refuge. In Aix-en-Provence we enter his atelier, or studio, and get the feeling that he just stepped out for a moment.

Town in France Pleasurable surprises are peppered throughout, leading to an immersion in local flavor and encounters with colorful characters. Look forward to tastings of fresh cheeses, wine, and absinthe... vespers with the chanting monks of Abbaye de Senanque, ancient villages, traditional markets and more...

... We invite you to enter into a deep appreciation of beauty and the natural rhythms of connection to place, an opportunity to step outside time — and into the legendary mystique of Provence.


SEE THE COMPLETE ITINERARY         PREVIOUS FRANCE TRIP PHOTOS

Your Guides...
Carla Woody photo Carla Woody, MA, CHT... author of Standing Stark and Calling Our Spirits Home... is the founder of Kenosis LLC, an organization based in Prescott, Arizona, supporting human potential through workshops and spiritual travel opportunities. She leads retreats internationally sharing an integration of NLP, subtle energy work and world sacred traditions, with a special emphasis on the mysticism of the Andes. Carla is the developer of "The Re-Membering Process", a model for spiritual growth, and works with individuals and groups in areas of transition, relationships, spirituality and whole health. She has a distinct reputation for weaving together the elements needed for creating a sense of place and people to ensure a meaningful journey. In this program she combines her work in spirituality with a love for art and France — well-nurtured since her early years when she lived there.
 
Marlene Boyer photo Marlène Boyer is a French native living in Provence who has worked in the tourism and hospitality industries for over ten years, emphasizing culture and gastronomy. She is well-known for creating reliable, personal, and positive travel experiences to out-of-the way places. She says, "My deep passion for my own region and my never-ending enthusiasm combine to insure that you will see and taste the best Provence has to offer. Representing the 'heart' of my region to the world is my pleasure."
 
Claire Turquin Silhouette photo Claire Turquin Silhouette, originally from France, has lived in the US, Mexico and Senegal, and now calls Provence her home. She invites you on a genuine experience rooted in ancestral traditions through the rhythms of the seasons. Her background includes counseling, event planning, development aid and tourism. Claire delights in sharing Provence, a land she calls "embroidered with knowledge and passion that my grandmother's stories would sing to me as a child."

Cost: Early registration discount $3297 by June 15. After June 15: $3397. Tuition includes all work with Carla Woody, lodging in a 3-star hotel in double rooms in Arles and Aix-en-Provence, all breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, 3 tastings, entrance fees, in-country transport and guides, and airport transfer to/from Marseille Provence Airport during specified hours. Single supplement lodging, if available: $700.

The program does NOT include airfare, travel insurance (minimum emergency medical/evacuation required), beverages, snacks, meals not mentioned above, tips, or personal expenses incurred at lodging or elsewhere.

Group size limited to seven travelers to provide a truly intimate opportunity to immerse deeply in the gifts of Provence and to further the intent of your own spiritual journey.

Also includes a pre- or post-trip Lifepath Design session — complimentary — with Carla Woody regarding intent or re-entry. Participants of spiritual travel programs are offered a special discount for the six-month mentoring program Navigating Your Lifepath. This deep discount is not available to others but offered as an add-on to further support integration of the spiritual travel journey.

For complete details, contact us. MC/Visa accepted via PayPal here.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 9, 2013
Deposit: Non-refundable deposit of $500 per person to hold your place. Remainder due in full by July 16. Additional $75 returnable deposit as insurance against the US dollar falling below 1.30 Euros, to be determined by the end of July. Send checks payable to Kenosis to: Kenosis, PO Box 10441, Prescott, AZ 86304. For credit card and PayPal payment go here.
Cancellation: Up to 90 days prior to the trip start, full refund (less non-refundable deposit). Between 89-70 days prior: 50% (less non-refundable deposit). Less than 70 days: no refund. Please note that this program is restricted to 7 travelers and involves costly upfront expenses incurred by Kenosis in order to secure arrangements, which are passed on to travelers should cancellation occur as shown above. We suggest travelers obtain travel insurance that covers trip cancellation for any reason.
Bunches of Lavender Important notes: We reserve our programs for those harder to reach, often unusual places and seek to offer experiences that are unlikely you would have elsewhere. Through this vessel called spiritual travel, we can give permission — to ourselves — to open and explore the beauty and depth we own but may have forgotten. We can remember it all by creating connections through such places and people that extend them to us... as possibility.

AN EXPERIENCE TO FEED YOUR SOUL...

Field When you register for our programs you are also helping to sponsor others. A percentage of profits are donated to Kenosis Spirit Keepers, the nonprofit extension of Kenosis, that seeks to honor and preserve indigenous wisdom and sacred cultural practices. Donations support cultural exchange and community-building projects to benefit indigenous peoples.

To learn more go to the Kenosis Spirit Keepers web site.

Photos ©2008 Carla Woody. All rights reserved.

Kenosis LLC - PO Box 10441 - Prescott, AZ 86304 - 928.778.1058 - www.kenosis.net
info@kenosis.net

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