Rose Alchemy
ROSE ALCHEMY RETREAT
I had many visionary dreams in my life, and walking through meadows with wildflowers was amongst the vivid ones. I came to walk my aromatic path on Crete 10 years ago, and unfolding chapter by chapter, those dreams were magically coming true. Never in my wildest dreams a fragrant hill of Damask Roses came up as an image that would later become part of my physical reality. Yet, this year marks the third season that I find myself picking and distilling these majestic roses of the most special kinds.
My Rose Alchemy retreat is a unique opportunity offering a genuine aromatic experience and a dream coming true for you too! With all my heart, knowledge and support, I am your guide for a life-changing exploration where our abundant aromatic fields offer endless experiences for being present, practicing meditation, connecting with the plants, learning through plant observations, creating art, and of course, making herbal medicine. If this is your calling, I encourage you to step into my world where I will be welcoming you to experience this special kind of magic!
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Orientation dates
Spring Rose Alchemy Retreat:
Dates for May 2024 are closed.
If it’s on your wish list for 2025,
please get in touch!
> Arrival/leaving dates can be adjusted to travel arrangements.
A FRAGRANT ROSE JOURNEY ON CRETE?
Each year we harvest and distill our roses two times a years. Our beautiful classic Damask Roses blossom around May-June, while our local old Roses bring their fragrant flowers both summer and winter. We welcome you to experience this magic with us!
More on Rose Alchemy Retreat
We harvest and distill the magnificent rose flowers with humble appreciation and fully engaged in this luxury experience. What makes our Rose harvest truly exceptional is the natural blending of various aromatics across the abundant fields.
Our working apothecary gardens and fields, currently over 50 species of aromatic and medicinal plants beyond our Damask Roses, is an opportunity to meet and greet the local varieties of Cretan herbs such as Oregano, Sage, Thyme, as well as lesser known endemics like Dittany, Cistus, Cretan yarrow, plus many other plants that may even surprise you. You will learn about their characters, gifts and properties and how to invite them into your life.
Throughout our programs we will support your calling by engaging you in a journey to complement and deepen your knowledge in a blend where botany, herbal medicine and aromatherapy create a base of connection. What’s in our basket?
🌿 Enjoy the uniqueness of picking Damask roses;
🌿 Engage in the luxury experience of distilling the Roses;
🌿 Take away a bottle of our fine artisan distilled Rose hydrosol;
🌿 Walk in Cretan nature opening your senses for visuals, smell, touch, sounds and energetic capacities to embody mental studies;
🌿 Connect more with the world of medicinal and aromatic plants;
🌿 Alchemise yourself through daily realisations in what you conceive;
🌿 Empower through experiences that will keep you inspired when walking along your individual aromatic path;
🌿 Pick some amazing herbs of the season for tea, tinctures or infusions;
🌿 Make a couple of smudge sticks from our local sage, cistus and other aromatics;
And most of all, have the most amazing time on Crete!
Rose blossoms for budding Alchemists – is it you?
If you are a student or practitioner of aromatherapy, botanical perfumery or herbalism, please come and smell our roses, and do your extended field studies in our dream-come-true aromatic fields!
> Harvest and distill Damask roses;
> Enjoy our apothecary gardens and field explorations;
> Develop your relationship with the diversity of nature;
> Expand your aromatic smell library;
> Practice aromatic medicine-making;
> Learn about my artisan distillations; > Discover the abundance of aromatic hydrosols from Crete
Get in touch to discuss options of your personal alchemy journey, so we find the right arrangements for you.
> Individual private retreats
> Small-group arrangements
> Flexible dates by request
> Inquire for full details
The story of Damask Roses on Crete
About a decade ago Yiannis Psillos – a teacher of homoeopathy, therapist and farmer – decided to realise his long-time dream and started planting roses on the fields that he had taken over from his parents. The main fields are on a lovely hillside, nearby the picturesque traditional Cretan village of Kritsa. The land is surrounded by olive orchards that produce one of the highest quality and finest extra virgin olive oil the area is known for. Yiannis himself planted over a thousand Damask roses, one by one, and this journey also proved to be his own therapy to mend his heart. The gift of his commitment, dedication, and passion for the ever-changing phases of working with the land all year around is transmitted by the beauty and the most exquisite fragrance of the roses that come into blossom year and year again. With a shared passion for Nature, Plants and teaching their therapeutic gifts, Ildiko and her partner Yiannis have joined in their vision transforming the land into a working apothecary garden with currently over 50 species of aromatic and medicinal plants.
DO YOU JUST NEED A BREAK?
What if life is not so rosy...?
You may simply need a break.
If you want to achieve substantial change in your life, it is very helpful – if not inevitable – to get out of your usual environment and to contemplate on your life from the far. Sometimes, the longer the time period the better the clarity you achieve. You need time and space to breathe, to heal, to recharge, to empower yourself, to figure out the next steps, and to make that happen. Ildiko had been there, done that and more. Genuinely passionate about catalysing transformation on both a personal and collective level, she offers to facilitate that process for you!
You are also given the possibility of enjoying the truly unique nature of Crete for an extended period of three weeks to three months, experience village life or stay in a small picturesque town, and work with Ildiko participating in her long-stay mentoring program.The choice is YOURS.
TAKE TIME OUT !
Are you ready to take a break from your life? It might be just the right time and opportunity to CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Get in touch to discuss options of your personal alchemy trip, so we find the right arrangements for you.
> Individual private retreats
> Stay from 3 weeks up to 6 months
> Dates and details by request