A Mystical Voyage to the land of the Mother Goddess

From the breathtaking ruins of Ephesus to the sapphire coastline of Phokaia, this experience is an invitation to reconnect with the Divine Feminine, honor the ancient wisdom of the land and receive sacred songs from the Earth.

Embrace this rare opportunity to journey amidst Turkey’s ancient sacred sites in ceremony with the Divine Feminine, woven by a daughter of these lands.

Your guide Sema, Turkish songstress and temple artist, is inviting an intimate circle to her Motherland, where her family continues to reside, to bring back the song of the Great Goddess.

Through ceremony, song, and spiritual communion, we will walk the path of the ancient pilgrims, immersing ourselves in the profound energy of Mary, Artemis, Cybele, Muses and Sirens.

Sacred Sites & Mystical Experiences

This pilgrimage invokes the essence of the Divine Mother through sacred sites, ancient rituals, and the power of song.

Şirince:3 night stay at a charming boutique hotel in the quaint wine village.

Ephesus:Visit the ruins of the ancient city, Milk and Honey Ritual at the church of Mary.

Ephesus Archaeological Museum:Homage to the bodies of Artemis, the Muses and the reliefs of drumming priestesses of Cybele’s cult.

Temple of Artemis:Pilgrimage, Song Ceremony and sharing the secret mantra.

Phokaia (Foça):3 night stay at a vibrant boutique hotel on the coast of the Aegean sea.

Turkish Bath:Rejuvenation and singing in the marble hammam.

Temple of Cybele:Pilgrimage to the ancient open air temple and Maiden to Mother Ceremony.

Boat Tour of the Aegean Islands:Sea immersion and Sirens of the Sea Ceremony at the siren rocks.

Cybele’s Hill:Sunrise hike to the grain mills.

Ingiliz Burnu:Sunset hike and Closing Ceremony at the peninsula.

The journey takes us to…

Ephesus

Once a thriving metropolis, Ephesus was a center for worship of Cybele, Anatolian (Phrygian) Mother Goddess of nature, fertility and the wild as well as Artemis, Greek Goddess of land animals, fertility and the moon. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city’s grandeur is evident in its Library of Celsus, grand theater, ancient temple of Cybele, bath houses, world famous port and breathtaking architecture.

Milk and Honey Ritual

The ancient church of Mary, the first church dedicated to Mother of God is the most significant building from Christian times in Ephesus. It was built on the ruins of an earlier basilica known as the "Hall of the Muses” as the city has a long tradition of religious worship of female deities. Here at the ruins of the church of Mary we will honor the Goddess and her names Cybele, Artemis and Mary with a Milk & Honey Ritual witnessed by the Muses. This will be the first ceremony to initiate our pilgrimage.

House of Virgin Mary

Nestled in the hills of Ephesus, the stone house was discovered following the descriptions of Anne Catherine Emmerich’s visions. It is believed that Mother Mary was taken here by Saint John after the Resurrection of Christ to live for the remainder of her earthly life until her Assumption. The site emanates profound peace. Pilgrims come from around the world to receive blessings from the sacred spring.

Rose Ceremony

Here on Mt. Koressos (Mount Nightingale) we will have our Rose Ceremony consisting of communion with Meryem and her sacred heart at the shrine, water blessing ritual at the sacred spring and prayer ties - a long lasting tradition of the sacred site.

Temple of Artemis

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Artemision was the grandest sanctuary dedicated to the goddess of land animals, fertility, and the moon, who was highly revered as the protector of Ephesus. The temple was not only a religious center for the cult of the Great Goddess, but also a symbol of cultural convergence, attracting worshippers, tourists, and pilgrims from various regions. Renowned for its architectural grandeur at its day, today only the foundations and fragments of the temple remain at the site, although it remains a powerful energetic grid.

‘In Her Name’ Song Ceremony

The main ceremony of our pilgrimage will take place here at the ruins of the Artemision. We will make bountiful offerings, connect with the ancient grid and commune with the sacred caper flower as well as the Melissae - oracular bee nymphs. Invoking the power and wisdom of the fertility Goddess, we will channel and sing her song back to her. The participants will receive a secret mantra in her sacred name and be initiated into temple keepers of the spiral. This is a ceremony of deep remembrance, home-coming into her body and rejoicing in her song and dance.

Phokaia (Foça)

An ancient Ionian port city, Phokaia was home to seals, seafarers and mythical sirens. The picturesque coastal town is rich with Aegean history and famous for fresh caught seafood and daily fish markets. We will immerse ourselves in the beauty of the Aegean coast through sea immersion, rituals, song, and connection with the elements.

Siren Rocks

These legendary cliffs are said to be where Sirens, mythical part-bird, part-woman creatures with alluring voices, lured passing sailors to their doom with their songs.

Sirens of the Sea Ceremony

We will reach near the cliffs by boat to conduct our "Sirens of the Sea" ceremony, freeing our wild voices and reclaiming our feminine power in harmony with the sea birds, wind song and the caverns. This ritual is a reclamation of the wild feminine and all that has been misunderstood and feared about our true essence.

Temple of Cybele

Cybele, also known as the Great Mother, is the Phrygian mother goddess of nature, fertility, and wild animals, often depicted with a lion and crowned on a throne. Her temple was accessible by sea and welcomed seafarers to perform blood sacrifices. The Temple of Athena was later built on top of the site marking the archaeological and spiritual significance of the harbor sanctuary.

Maiden to Mother Ceremony

Here we will attune ourselves to the energetic grid of Cybele’s sacred lands around Foça and beyond. Her ancient worship sites are unmarked and pretty much everywhere on the hills, shores and islands as well as the village. Our Maiden to Mother Ceremony will take place here along with moon blood offerings in honor of her ancient rituals.

This is an initiation into full embodiment of her power; of the frequency of the mountain and the lion.

What’s Included

• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Accommodation
• Daily yoga practice
• 3 local organic meals per day
• All ceremonies
• Entrance to all sites
• Boat tour
• Turkish bath
• All transportation during the pilgrimage

What’s Not Included

• Airfare
• Optional massage at the spa
• Optional offerings

Accommodation

Rooms available: Private rooms (queen bed) or shared rooms (single beds), all with private bathrooms.

Şirince:A charming boutique hotel nestled in rolling hills and vineyards, infused with the essence of rose, offering a grace-filled retreat.

Foça:A vibrant family-run boutique hotel in the heart of the old town with a swimming pool, serving fresh produce from their organic farm.

Nourishment

Enjoy fresh, organic and locally sourced Turkish cuisine.

Breakfast:Traditional Turkish breakfast featuring tea, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, honey, jams, eggs and specialty pastries such as simit (Turkey’s beloved sesame seed pastry)

Lunch & Dinner:Home-cooked meals and local restaurant experiences, including fresh caught seafood, mezes (a selection of small, appetizer-sized dishes), and Aegean greens.

Vegan and vegetarian diets honored.

Transportation

Sema’s beloved brother Alp will provide all transportation during our journey.

• Shuttle rides from Adnan Menderes Airport (Izmir) to Şirince on September 17.
• Final shuttle back to the airport from Foça on September 23.

Optional Offerings

Available for booking at an additional rate. Not included in the package.

• PrivateOracular VoiceCoaching Session with Sema.
• Coffee Oraclewith Sema’s mother, Emel (with translator).
• AstrocartographyorNatal Chart Readingwith Irem, our local support angel.

Schedule

Day 1:Arrival in Şirince, Check-In, Optional Village Exploration & Wine Tasting, Dinner, Opening Ceremony.

Day 2:Yoga, Breakfast, Visit to Ephesus, Milk&Honey Ritual, Lunch, House of Mother Mary, Rose Ceremony, Dinner, Evening Activity or Rest.

Day 3:Yoga, Breakfast, Ephesus Archeological Museum, Lunch, Temple of Artemis, Song Ceremony, Dinner, Evening Activity or Rest.

Day 4:Yoga, Breakfast, Transfer to Foça, Check-In, Turkish Bath, Lunch, Beach & Play, Dinner, Temple of Cybele, Maiden to Mother Ceremony.

Day 5:Yoga, Breakfast, Boat Tour, Sirens of the Sea Ceremony near Siren Rocks, Lunch on the Water, Sea Immersion, Dinner on Land, Evening Activity or Rest.

Day 6:Sunrise Hike to Cybele’s Hill, Yoga at the Grain Mills, Breakfast, Shopping & Village Exploration, Lunch, Optional Private Sessions or Integration Time, Sunset Hike, Ingiliz Burnu Peninsula, Sacred Fire, Dinner, Music and Closing Ceremony.

Day 7:Yoga, Breakfast, Departure.

What Makes This Retreat Special

Unlike typical retreats or tours, this pilgrimage is a remembrance.A reclamation of the voice of the Goddess on this sacred land where she had long been revered. We are weaving back together her song and rituals to make herstory; to anchor her power and prosperity back upon the Earth, where her memory has been purposefully erased. A special circle of her daughters are called forth to do the work of re-initiating this lineage at this time. Expect to journey with powerful priestesses.

Note from Your Guide

Sema Ece Gündoğdu (aka Sema Rae) - Voice of the Goddess, Daughter of Anatolia

“For a long time, the voice of the Goddess and her many names have been buried beneath oppression, disrespect, and abuse. Her temples lie in ruins, but her spirit is alive in the stones, the waters, the fruits, and in us—her daughters.

My soul chose to be born and raised here this time around. This land is the soil of my bones. So are my grandmothers. Yet I could not wait to leave as a young girl. Called by the mystery, I left when I was 18 for the song-lines far and wide. I had to journey across the world to hear her again.

I became a vessel for her song, channeling her voice in mountains, deserts, oceans, and forests. Every melody, every prayer brought me closer to her heartbeat—until I could no longer keep it to myself.

Now it is time to return.

Not only for me—but for us.

This pilgrimage is my soul’s offering. A return to the Mother in her own land. A ceremonial restoration of the songlines that once carried her voice across these hills and coasts.

We are not just visiting—we are remembering.

We are not just learning—we are reawakening.

My mission is to gather the priestesses once more. To stand in our power, confident and heart-led, and sing the song of the Goddess back to her. To restore her silenced voice and erased legacy of abundance.

This is my devotion to her.

If you are reading this and your heart quickens, your breath deepens, or your eyes begin to water…

You’ve heard her too.

And you are being called home.”

Are you called to embark on this pilgrimage?

To walk in the footsteps of the ancients,

sing for the Goddess,

and together with her daughters claim her legacy...

Welcome to Song of Anatolia Retreat