Yia Mas

Lion’s Gate Portal 🤝 Ancient Greek Lions

In esoteric circles, many refer to today as the Lion’s Gate. While it’s not technically an ancient concept, this date marks the alignment of Sirius (the brightest star in the sky) with Earth, the Sun (in the zodiac sign of Leo), and Orion’s Belt. The Ancient Egyptians marked today for the heliacal rising of the star Sirius, an astronomical event that coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile River.

🦁In modern esoteric, new age, and astrological circles, it’s been combined with numerology, using the connection of August 8th (8/8) to mark the day as energetically potent.

What does it all mean? Does it mean nothing? Is it a great excuse to ponder the mystery of the night sky, as well as the beautiful symbolism of Lions throughout ancient history? Sure :)

Lion’s Terrace on the island of Delos, an important ancient sacred site located near modern day Mykonos. The lions were a dedication to Apollo from the Naxians.

The literal Lion’s Gate at Mycenae, the grand entrance to the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae.

Close up of Lion on Delos, the mythical birthplace of Artemis and Apollo.

Close up with more Delian lions.

FOR THE LOVE OF GREEK ALTARS AND ALL THINGS HOLY. Our photos from across Greece plus a vintage gem, locations include Serifos, Pelion, Tinos, and our village Lidoriki.

From the Ancient Greeks through Christianity, ours is a highly visual spiritual language. There are reminders everywhere - locations of car accidents, little altars, small churches dotting the countryside.

Sacred spaces are designed to give us a feeling of awe, be in the angles of light, scents (straight to the amygdala baby), transportive images, and sounds. Greece is full of them. While typically much smaller than the cathedrals found around the rest of Europe, I love the combination of village simplicity and unique Byzantine era art found around our country. Symbols abound, and it’s always humbling to stumble upon Tamata and other offerings that have been left by people seeking divine intervention and aid.

Maybe this inspires you to pause and light a candle or incense this weekend ✨💙

AN ODE TO THE VERY ANCIENT BEE PRIESTESSES: meet the Melissae. 🏺🍯

In ancient Greece, priestesses of Demeter, Artemis, and even at Delphi were called the Melissae, aka the Bee Priestesses. We love them so much they inspired one of our OG, lemon balm driven tea blends. 🌿 Their collective spirit and sensitivity to the earth makes them an excellent inspiration for finding connection in this wild digital age.

For those not yet familiar, you’ve likely seen some of the imagery, such as the iconic coin from Ephesus and the Minoan bee symbol.

🍯Swipe through to learn more about these women who were deeply connected to the earth, the bees, and all things holy. We’ll explore an apiary near Delphi on our October retreat to connect with the enduring magic of honey and bees!

🐝 As for the Melissae, we’ll save a much deserved deeper dive for future workshops and immersions.

As our container for October in Athens and Delphi, Greece continues to form, we are so honored to announce a deeply sacred addition to our retreat itinerary: Ancestral Bread Crafting & Ritual with the wonderful Alexandra Mitsiou 🌾

For millennia, bread was at the heart of the home. Making bread was a way women came together, passing down stories, song, secrets, and recipes. It was medicine, a community celebration, and one of the most foundational rituals passed down from woman to woman through generations. Baking bread with my late Yiayia is a core memory. I remember rushing to her house to pick up her bread while it was still warm. This workshop is an ode to the grandmothers who fed and nourished us. Not to mention DEMETRA (Demeter), our mother of grain.

Led by ALEXANDRA MITSIOU, we will step into this ancient yet timeless practice together. In conscious presence with our bodies, our senses, and each other, we will gather in circle to knead, share stories, and reclaim the sacredness of this timeless women’s craft.

🏺This is tactile remembrance in its purest form.

REMINDER: We are down to our FINAL 3 SPOTS! If you’ve been feeling the call to disconnect from the noise of the digital world, step onto the sacred land of Greece, and honor the women who came before you... your seat at the table is waiting.

Epicurus reminded us over 2,000 years ago that peace isn’t found in constantly chasing more. Rather, can you recognize the abundance that’s literally right in front of you?

It can be a fully stocked fridge, living in a peaceful country (for some of us), or simply our health. The things we take for granted until we lose them.

On that note, we are seeing wildfires rage, once again, across our planet. I’m reminded that we should never, ever take for granted our safety, our homes, and our stunning nature. What we have can disappear in an instant.

In the micro, August is a time when I try to actually enjoy the fruits of my labor and everything I’ve been working on all year. It’s hard not to be prepping for what’s next, and sometimes stepping back is a conscious choice. How can you fill your cup? How can you pause to mindfully notice and savor the richness you already have? 🏺

And yes, this quote comes from the same Epicurus who inspired word “epicurean,” a name coopted by culinary brands and hospitality efforts worldwide. Since his whole shtick was in knowing how to savor life’s pleasures, we’ll gladly soak in his wisdom. 💙🧿

Kinda chic, when in Greece version 🤭 Because we personally think it’s TRES chic to choose the family run taverna over the trendy spot. 🧿🇬🇷 What say you?

Sometimes you just have to hop on a trend, we couldn’t resist this one. Choose your fighter!

Were ancient Greek Asclepias the OG wellness retreats? Why don’t more people talk about this?

🏺Dreaming in the Abaton, purification, and healing in ancient temples, oh my.

Two of the most famous Asclepia were at Epidauros and Kos, home to Hippocrates (yep, the guy who inspired the modern medical oath), but there were likely around 300 of these scattered across the Ancient Greek and Roman world. Today they’re literally in ruins, which is pretty sad because I’d love to check myself into one of these for a few days. 🤭

🧿🏺Here at Yia Mas we are kind of obsessed with how the Greek land, ancient philosophy, and folklore commingle and potentially hold the blueprint for modern wellbeing. Join us 🏺

MONDAY MOOD: Aphrodite emerging from her shell. Is the emergence reluctant? Was it grand? Was she startled? The beauty of myth is that truly, we’ll never know, and we can interpret however we wish. 🐚

I’ve always felt draw to imagery of “Venus” (Roman) and/or Aphrodite, and her interpretation through the ages remains a muse. Boticelli’s Renaissance era “The Birth of Venus” remains a favorite, one we reinterpreted for our 2019 Koufonisi retreat tote.

Pre historic art is having a moment - see Jeff Koons at the Cycladic museum, as well as the narrative of embracing the divine feminine. Lately I’ve been thinking about how many folks paint a cultural narrative that there was matriarchy, or at least some worship of the feminine, pre recorded history. I don’t doubt this to be possible, sometimes I even feel it in my bones, BUT I think our pre historic ancestors had a more animistic relationship with reality. I’m not sure we can even draw the traditional masculine/feminine binary as a point of comparison. Their experience of being human was likely something we can hardly imagine, perhaps only through certain ceremonies, deep subconscious work, and/or psychedelic experiences.

Not all private pursuits are shared here, but I have been on my own journey with the feminine and interest in more ancient ways. As the “divine feminine” has become a HUGE trend in wellbeing and spiritual places, I hesitate to speak to it for fear of misinterpretation. There’s the feminine through the male gaze, and then there is so much more. It’s a huge conversation, one to continue another day. As I settle into mothering my concept of the feminine is not just on the softening seen in much of the discoure, but also on how FIERCE and able to contain multitudes women /femmes are. Whatever your gender, we can all benefit from softening like sea foam - maybe even start right now by softening your jaw, your tongue, and breathing a bit deeper. Voila.

Image 1: James Pradier, 1790-1852 and Salvator Marchi, active Paris 19th Century Vénus à la coquille, 1844, plâtre patiné, 23.5x15.5x16 cm Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Ville de Genève, Inv. 1910-0227

Polychrome terracotta statuette of Aphrodite, Tar

IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR BEACH READS IN ORDER. 🏺 Here’s a short list of some of our vetted Yia Mas favorites. We have a MUCH longer list on Bookshop.org (link in bio) if you’ve been there, done that. 🧿 ALSO! Tell us what you’re reading this summer, we want to hear. I’m also currently reading Patrick Leigh Fermor’s MANI, not pictured, and in the not Greek world, I just finished (and enjoyed) The Correspondent.

🏺Fun fact, we used to host an online book club, and a few of these were also favorites from the crew.

to reading more and trying to have an analog summer 🤌🏽

Written in poems ✨

We want the family recipes, but do we want to be the ones who sacrifice our time to make them with love and care? There’s a reason our Yiayiades were so fierce when it came to our education. Mine was traditional, and like so many of her time, full of contradictions. She insisted her daughters get a proper education.

🧿The beauty of our current era is actually incredible, when you think about it. We can preserve the culture and tradition at risk of being lost. We can also work to heal ancestral trauma.

🏺Our Reclaiming Our Roots retreat (a friend said just call it the Yiayia retreat, lol) is all about honoring and celebrating the women who came before us, while also having those tough conversations. It’s going to meaningful, but also it’s going to be fun. We can prioritize joy in a way these women often couldn’t… and just know that epigenetics shows us how what we do to heal our nervous systems affects our children and beyond.

🧿 There are just 3 spots left! Join us.