The Area

Platbos, situated on the slopes of the Baviaanspoort Hills, is an ancient forest at the root of Africa. “Platbos” means “Flat Forest.” Seen from a distance, the forest blends and merges into the surrounding fynbos and shrublands. Its very existence puzzles botanists. The trees grow in deep sandy soil, there is no visible water source and the rainfall is generally not considered sufficient to support a forest. Some of the trees are over one thousand years old. Most striking of the tree species is the Celtis africana, (African White-stinkwood), a tree revered by African culture as a mystical, spiritual tree with protective powers.

Platbos, the largest remaining fragment of the Swartkransberg Forests, is home to numerous mammal, bird, reptile and invertebrate animal species. Francois and Melissa Krige dedicate themselves to the management and conservation of this unique habitat. A few kilometres from the forest, large groups of Southern Right Whales gather each year in spring to birth their young in the blue waters of Walker Bay. Nearby too, is the Klipgat cave of De Kelders, a world-famous archaeology site inhabited by Middle Stone Age People more than 100 000 years ago. A short distance inland from the forest is Byneskranskop, home to the ancestors of the modern Khoisan some 7000 years ago.

The Journey

Platbos stands in the ancient heartland of the Khoisan hunter-gatherers of southern Africa, recently identified by geneticists as the ancestors of all modern people. The ethic of caring for the total web of life formed a core principle of Khoisan social relations. Dreams played a pivotal role in spiritual initiations and ceremonial rites of passage at birth, puberty, marriage and death. Covenants with Nature, accepted on behalf of the community by the shaman on vision quests to the metaphysical world, established spiritual generosity as fundamental to the struggle for survival. At that time, aboriginal cultures worldwide sustained an ecological balance between human society and pristine nature.

Experiential workshops at Platbos are based upon the archetypal Vision Quest pattern: Separation – Initiation – Return. The setting enables modern people to withdraw from urban consciousness and to enter the domain of Nature. Ancient traditions used dreams and visions for personal development, healing and transformation. Chiron the Centaur, according to Greek mythology, taught Asclepius, the father of modern medicine, the art and science of curing wounds and treating illness. People journeyed to healing temples where they incubated and recorded dreams. The figure of Chiron, with the head and torso of a man united at the solar plexus with a unicorn, suggests that the holistic process of growth and development seeks to optimise the balance between body, mind, spirit and the instinctual power and energy of Nature.

The Experience

“The richness of dreams reveals itself, one might say, only to him who understands the language of animals and plants” – C. G. Jung

The central purpose of this workshop is to develop an intuitive relationship with this ancient site of natural history. We use experiential exercises in a group context designed to heighten conscious awareness by means of (1) intuiting tree energy and (2) appreciating dream imagery.

Trees, on an energetic level, perform the spiritual purpose of assisting all beings to evolve to a higher state of consciousness. With their roots in the Earth, and their crowns in the Heavens, trees connect these two planes of existence, integrating what is above with what is below. We know instinctively that trees affect us on an energetic basis. We are generally calmer and more relaxed after a walk in a forest. Unlike humans, whose energy fields become clogged and blocked by negative emotions and thought patterns, trees maintain clear channels of pure energy that impart peace, wisdom and tranquillity to the world. Opening our heart centres to the spiritual dimension of trees can be the catalyst for profound healing for both ourselves and the planet. This aspect of the workshop presents:

An understanding of the spiritual nature of trees
A brief overview of the human energy field and its chakra system
An understanding of how we can connect energetically with trees
Simple techniques and exercises to enable you to directly experience the healing tree energies
Meditation techniques to still the mind, balance the chakras and develop intuition
Experience in making your own vibrational tree essence

Silent walks beneath the forest canopy and time for contemplation at the forest’s beautiful labyrinth will be counter-balanced with voluntary group discussion and sharing in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. Free time to reflect on material emerging from both inner and outer landscapes is also important. Individual consultations may be arranged.

The dream appreciation aspect of the workshop pays attention to both the personal and collective meanings of dreams. Animals may sometimes appear as dream “messengers” and may make helpful comments, trigger insights or suggest alternative options and positive perspectives. Such archetypal imagery usually occurs in dreams rich in colour, with strong emotional tones and transcultural, mythological themes and motifs. The experience enhances the natural rhythms of Nature. In the morning, we gather as a group and share dreams of the previous night. In the evening we spend more time on dream appreciation around the campfire. In an open, accepting and respectful atmosphere, you will learn:

A systematic, step-by-step process in a group context for approaching dreams as dramatic scripts suggesting creative solutions to problems of everyday life, personal crises or life-stage transitions
To develop your in-tuition by entering into a dialogue with your “inner teacher” who provides regular, emotionally-toned images to assist your conscious mind to make realistic, logically sound decisions

To appreciate how your dreams may reflect important current issues in your life
How transcultural, archetypal or universal dream symbols may anticipate the onset of significant life transitions

How vivid and evocative dreams may anticipate the timing of future events to assist you to make important decisions at the right place and right time.

To appreciate how dreams may help to restore balance and harmony in your life and effectively reduce anxiety

The Presenters

In her Trees for Transformation workshops, Melissa Krige (nee Saayman) has unified her two great passions: the nurture and growth of the human spirit on the one hand, and the natural environment on the other. For her, the healing of our planet, and the healing of ourselves, are one and the same. A qualified horticulturist, Melissa has a thorough understanding of, and appreciation for plants and nature. She has also trained in aromatherapy and Colourworks, a system of healing that incorporates the subtle vibratory healing powers of colour, light, crystals, plants and sacred geometry.

In 1998, she married Francois Krige, an arborist with a great knowledge and respect for trees. Melissa’s personal journey into the spiritual world of trees began two years ago when they moved from Cape Town with their two young children, to a wooden cottage beneath the canopy of ancient trees at Platbos forest. Her writings on her intuitive encounters with trees have been published in the magazine “Renaissance: Cutting Edge Consciousness.” She also writes a regular column for the same publication about the family’s experiences of living in this magical forest.

In addition to her workshops, Melissa manages their tree nursery and forest walks where visitors learn more about the botanical nature of the forest as well as its ecology. Currently, she is advancing a reforestation project at the forest – Plant a Tree: Grow a forest. She is also developing her own range of African Tree Essences and Aura Sprays.

Graham Saayman was educated in South Africa, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Interested in the evolutionary origins of the family system, he was one of the first behavioural scientists to introduce Jungian Psychology to university-based research. In his early career, he studied the social behaviour of baboons in the Limpopo Valley and in the Kruger National Park. Subsequently, he completed one of the first systematic studies of the social behaviour of dolphins and whales off the south-eastern Cape coast of South Africa.

As Professor of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, his research group analysed the relationship between the practice of meditation and the archetypal content of dreams. He developed a Jungian approach to family therapy and a systematic process for dream appreciation in a group context. He was elected an Honorary Member of the International Association for Analytical Psychology in 2001. Criteria include international recognition and original scholarly or professional contributions to Jungian thought. His interests in spiritual emergence are reflected in his book, “Hunting with the Heart: A Vision Quest to Spiritual Emergence” (2007) Cape Town: Kima Global Publishers.

Four-Day Platbos Forest Retreat: Workshop Structure & Fee

N.B. Accommodation is at Bodhi Khaya Retreat, situated about 2 km from Platbos Forest. Transportation costs, to and from the forest, are included in the workshop fee.

Date: Friday 7th November to Monday 10th November 2008

Times: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lunch Break: 12 to 1 p.m.

Mid-afternoon: Tea/coffee break

Full Fee for Four-Day Workshop: R2800.00 per participant

Includes Workbook & Tree Essence
Picnic Lunch included in accommodation fee structure.

Bodhi Khaya Retreat Accommodation Fee:

Arrive: Thursday afternoon, 6^th November 2008

Depart: Tuesday, 11^th November 2008

For a 5-night stay: R1700.00 per person in a single or shared double room

R2050.00 per person in a single room with en suite bathroom

R2275 per person in a double room en suite bathroom staying as a single

Accommodation to be booked and paid for directly with Bodhi Khaya Retreat (see: www.bkr.co.za)

(fees include wholesome vegetarian breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meals)

These rates are valid for a group (8 people) booking only

Additional Costs:

· Transfer Costs (group fee): From Cape Town International Airport to Bodhi Khaya Retreat: R700.00 per person (return trip)

Optional Outing: A day tour at Grootbos Reserve: whales, caves & fynbos (see attachment)

· Please note: the high season fee for this outing is R1050.00 per person (fee includes transfers to Bodhi Khaya Retreat.)

This workshop is limited to a maximum of eight participants. Some guidelines, such as refraining from the use of psychoactive substances, are normal practice in group work. If you are presently in a state of emotional crisis or in psychotherapy, please consult your mental health team and inform us prior to registration to ensure your ongoing therapeutic well-being.

For bookings or further information on this workshop, please contact Melissa Krige at: platbos@orcawireless.co.za