Throughout the mists of time, legendary heroes have consciously adventured into the unknown. These journeys were a quest in search of something grander than themselves. Their adventures were beyond the ordinary and many times their quests were ones to recover what had been lost or to discover some life-giving elixir, such as the Holy Grail. And at other times, it was the call to action such as the 300 Spartan Knights defense of Thermopylae—the Gates of Fire.

The true hero has always answered the call to action or adventure. This is the first step in becoming a hero in one’s own life. Hero comes from the Greek word hêrôs. The idea of a great adventure, such as a quest or pilgrimage to an unknown land, has always appealed to the mythic hero’s of Greece.

Pilgrimage is one of the oldest endeavors of humankind. It may very well be triggered by a mysterious urge deep within our souls to follow in the footsteps of the ancestors. This inexplicable urge is felt by only a few of us. And of those, still fewer follow this heart-felt need to adventure into the unknown, not for riches and external power, but for purity of heart and soul and to answer the ageless questions of the meaning of our existence on earth.

Since the dawn of time, seekers of these questions have made pilgrimages to sacred sites pursuing true knowledge, wisdom and power. They always brought an openness of spirit to the potentiality of being in touch with the elements and becoming one with nature and the mysteries of life. To these spiritual adventurers, the mountains, jungles and the valleys facilitated a relationship with the Otherworld. Here they discovered inspiration, transformation and healing.

Pilgrimage is one of the corner-stones of developing the feathered-serpent ideal. Entering into the mountains, jungles and valleys, we become detached from the limitations of mundane time and space and the attachment to ordinary life. We step into the extraordinary and it is in this space that we develop and grow our ideal and the ‘heart that sees.’

The way to true knowledge, power and wisdom is through direct and personal experience. The more that we can separate ourselves from the mundane world, the closer that we may then come to the realm of the divine. The magical mist that surrounds this sacred world stays hidden from the human ego, but will evaporate for the pilgrim who sincerely searches for the truth. It is possible to experience this sacred environment as an immortal human being, dwelling in the divine presence of the heaven and the earth.

Come and join us in celebrating Dr. Husfelt’s 60^th birthday at the Gates of Fire—Thermopylae, Greece. This is a heroic warrior’s journey honoring the courage and extraordinary sacrifice of the Spartans and the other Greeks at Thermopylae while exploring the sacred knowledge and mysteries of the ancient Greeks.

In my opinion, King Leonidas and his Spartan Bodyguard may be used as a paradigm of legendary heroic warriorship. The glorious and fearless action of Leonidas and his three hundred Spartans, against overwhelming numbers and certain death, shines as a beacon of courage and loyalty for all of us who love liberty and freedom, while despising slavery and oppressive tyranny. This wise and noble conduct of the Spartans gives heart to all who strive to overcome adversity and provides a legacy of fearlessness that echoes for an eternity.

Additionally, our Gates of Fire Quest will explore the sacred knowledge of the sun god Apollo known also as the Archangel Mikael. Mikael is the guardian of the Holy Grail and is acknowledged within Christian, Hebrew and Islamic lore. He also extends back through the mists of time and has been called by many different names in many diverse cultures. Two of these names were the Greek Apollo and the Celtic Lugh, both Sun Lords.

Mikael’s symbology and iconology include: the laurel tree (Apollo’s tree according to the Greeks), feline energy, the dragon-slaying sword—the ‘sun sword,’ the spear of truth—the ‘sun spear,’ serpents and dragons. He is the patron of warriors, swordsmiths and mariners as well as the great initiator into the Mysteries and the guardian of high places, spirals and labyrinths.

Our journey will also explore the goddesses of Greek mythology such as Artemis, Apollo's twin sister. She is the goddess of the hunt and protector of wild animals and chaste women. She is chief of the nymphs, who are female spirits of the forests and streams. Called the “Mistress of the Animals” in the Iliad, Artemis was originally a goddess of the wilds who provided hunters with their prey.

Once, while out hunting, a mortal named Actaeon chanced to see Artemis bathing in a stream. Artemis saw him looking at her naked body, and for this act of impudence, she splashed water in his face, and turned him into a stag. Poor Actaeon was now fair prey for his own hunting dogs that chased him down and tore him to pieces.

Our eight day pilgrimage begins in Athens:

Within Athens it is easy to imagine the golden age of Greece when Pericles had the Parthenon built; when the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were performed in the Theater of Dionysus; and when democracy brought all citizens together to decide their common fate on the Pynx Hill. Athens is built around the Acropolis and the pinnacled crag of Mt. Lycabettus, which the goddess Athena was said to have dropped from the heavens as a bulwark to defend the city.

Dominating the Athenian landscape, the Acropolis is unsurpassed in its beauty, architectural splendor and historic importance. The entrance to the Acropolis is the Propylea, which extends 150 feet adjoining the temple of Athena Nike or Wingless Victory. The Parthenon is on the highest part of the Acropolis and was built between 447 and 437 BC. It was here that modern democracy began its early foothold.

On the third day, we travel to Delphi:

Delphi in ancient times was considered the center of the known world, the place where heaven and earth met. This was the place on earth where humans were closest to the divine. Delphi was known as the center of worship for Apollo, son of Zeus who embodied spiritual clarity.

When one views the dramatic site of Delphi, it is understandable that the god Apollo would choose it for his principal sanctuary. It is nestled on the south slopes of Mount Parnassos, under the twin cliffs, the Phaedriadhes (the Bright Ones), which glow red when they catch the setting sun. Delphi was considered the centre of the world and the myth recounts that Zeus, curious about the exact location of the earth's centre, released two eagles from Mount Olympus which flew in opposite directions and met at Delphi. He marked the spot with the omphalos ("navel") stone which his mother Rhea had wrapped in swaddling clothes to take his place and fool his father Kronos.

The god Apollo was born on the island of Delos from which he set out to make his way in the world. When he arrived at Delphi, the site was already occupied by the cult of the mother goddess and protected by her son, the dragon snake Python. Apollo defeated Python but revered him by maintaining his name as an epithet for his cult at Delphi, and his priestess was known as the Pythia and his games as the Pythian. The sanctuary of Pythian Apollo was the most famous oracle in the ancient world.

At the exact place where he had 'speared' the serpent, an omphalos stone was set in the ground. This omphalos stone (meaning 'center of the earth' to the ancient Greeks) later became the center of the inner sanctum of the shrine of the Delphic oracle. The site was originally called Pytho, after the guardian serpent. It was renamed Delphi after the dolphin (delphis in Greek) whose form Apollo took in order to bring Cretan sailors to Delphi so that they might become priests in his new temple. Regarding the omphalos, one legend tells that the original stone, now lost, was a large meteorite fallen from the sky in deepest antiquity, while another legend says it was the first physical object to emerge on dry land after the waters of the Deluge had settled.

Delphi was also the site of the Pythian games, established as a quadrennial event by 582 BC and the most important games in Greece after the Olympics. Because Apollo was the god of music and the arts, the games here had a very different flavour. The first event was for singing a hymn to the god, but soon the usual athletic contests such as running, riding and chariot racing, joined other contests for singing, dancing, flute and lyre playing.

During our stay at Delphi, we will explore the surrounding area (including the sacred Corycian Cave, the Castalian Spring and the Gates of Fire) before returning to Athens for our final night in Greece.

DATES: August 23rd to 31^st. Extension to the Greek Isles—August 31^st to September 3^rd.  

FEE: $2200 per person double occupancy. This fee does not include transportation costs to and from Greece and within Greece. Non-participant fee: $1500. These fees are based on a minimum of 6 spiritual participants. Extension Fee to the Greek Isles—TBA

DEPOSIT: A non-refundable fee of $250 will reserve a place on our team of adventurers.

If you are interested in joining us on this journey to the Gates of Fire, please e-mail us for a registration form at – spirit@divinehumanity.com.