A guide to spiritual pilgrimage and the healing powers of immersion in sacred places

• Takes you on a mystical journey to the sacred Greek island of Poros, a site of pilgrimage and healing for more than 3,000 years, and presents its mythological, literary, historical, and cultural heritage

• Examines pilgrimage, sanctuary, and asylum under the god Poseidon, the ruling spirit of the island, and how these have been practiced through the millennia

• Explores ancient healing traditions, including dream incubation of Asklepios, and using sacred art and ritual to connect with our visions and the divine

Explore the reawakening of ancient Greek healing practices by taking this journey of transformation, myth, and divine presence to the sacred island of Poros, a site of pilgrimage and healing for more than 3,000 years.

This book examines pilgrimage, sanctuary, and asylum, the duties of Poseidon who was the ruling god of Poros. Edward Tick rediscovers asylia, the original practice of sanctuary that provides safety and inspiration while facilitating healing and connection to divinity. He explores “crossing the strait” as safe passage between the visible world and the invisible realms of the sacred. Drawing on ancient traditions Tick shows how we know ourselves, our destinies, and our connection to the divine through dreams, visions, oracles, and synchronistic events. He continues his decades-long revival of Asklepian dream incubation and other modern versions of ancient rituals while providing a deep dive into the sacred history of Poros and how it can bring transformation and serenity today. He also reveals life-changing mystical experiences his travelers and he have had over 40 years of pilgrimages, including encounters with animal guides, higher powers, and oracles, as well as examining the physical and spiritual restoration of Poseidon’s sanctuary and contributing to its literary and mythological legacy.

Passage to Poros offers wisdom for anyone seeking healing, sanctuary, spiritual presence, and reconnection with ancient and eternal forces.

Edward Tick, Ph.D., is a therapeutic mentor, pilgrimage guide, educator, and poet. He guides transformational growth by restoring our connections with the numinous. An international “thought leader” in cultural and war trauma healing and psycho-spiritual development, he restores ancient spiritual and holistic practices for modern seekers. He is the author of The Practice of Dream Healing, Soul Medicine, and six other books.

FOREWORD RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PILGRIMAGE
by Phil Cousineau

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION PASSAGE TO THE PAST

1 PORTRAIT OF POROS
Immersion in the Greek World

2 COUNSEL WITH THE DEAD
Poet George Seferis on Poros

3 THE GIFT OF THE SEA TURTLE
A Meeting in Poseidon’s Sanctuary

4 POSEIDON
The Powerful, Unpredictable
Protector of the Sea

5 GREEK MYTHOLOGY ON POROS
The Naming of an Island

6 A HISTORY OF ASYLIA (SANCTUARY)
Stories from Refugees through the Ages

7 THE SUN OF POROS
Writers and Artists on Poros

8 IN THE AGORA
Meandering the Streets

9 THE SHADOW OF PARADISE
Struggles Facing a Rural Community

10 A HEALING ISLANDJKN
Physical, Emotional, and
Spiritual Transformations

11 ASKLEPIOS ON POROS
Dream Incubation and Therapeutics

12 RESTORING POSEIDON’S SANCTUARY
Living in Agape

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX