A Sacred site for healing, teaching, ceremony, and celebration
All Retreats And Programs Are Currently Suspended
Solstice and equinox Gatherings
The four turning points of the year, the solstices and the equinoxes, have been part of the sacred celebrations at Madre Grande since the beginning in 1975. We continue this tradition by hosting a Meditation Retreat for each change of season.
The significance for the monks, friars, guests and supporters of the monastery is subtle and varied. We participate in a changing variety of practices and ceremonies during our Meditation Retreats. From individual reverence, to theosophical readings from the Temple of Peace in Point Loma, to setting intention activities, to Labyrinth journeys, to nature walks, and more.
Besides the meaning of passing from one season to another we observe these times of the year as portals to self-discovery and knowledge.
Madre Grande Monastery
The winter solstice is symbolically celebrated as the birth of mystic individuality. We open ourselves to the renewal of creative energy and let the divinity within take over our personality.
At the spring equinox, anchored in our greatness metaphorically, we journey in search of our shadow and regain the power that is trapped within.
At the summer solstice our contemplative, individual experiences symbolically find a way of expression as love and service for all beings.
The autumnal equinox signifies the transcendence of the ego, and the cycles will repeat themselves all over again at deeper and deeper levels throughout eternity.
For information on the next Seasonal Gathering click here.