An Esoteric Quest in Portugal and Galicia, Spain:

The Templars, the Camino, Saudade and the Soul of Portugal

June 4 – June 8, 2023

This June, we invite you to join the Esoteric Quest as we continue our long-running and highly-regarded exploration of the Western Tradition with an outstanding program in Portugal and along the Camino of Santiago de Compostela. Our time will be spent in lands richly endowed with little-known but compelling spiritual and esoteric history. Portugal is a country of bright sun, lush vineyards, millennia-old towns and cities, with the steady presence of the expansive Atlantic Ocean that has played such a vital part in Portuguese history.  

Our Main Conference will take place in Tomar, the legendary stronghold of the Knights Templar, with its magnificent castle, sacred convent and magical ambience. We will also address  Portugal’s fascinating Jewish and Sufi histories, introduce participants to the extraordinary modernist philosopher and poet, Fernando Pessoa, and embrace the exquisite music of Fado, ‘longing turned to melody’ as it is described, that is perhaps the most moving expression of the Portuguese soul, known as saudade.

Portugal is filled with beauty, a complex history, and deep spiritual traditions. The Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Jews, and Christians have all left significant legacies, as have the Knights Templar. Suppressed in France and throughout most of Europe, the Templars continued in Portugal under a new guise, the Order of Christ. Their grandmaster, Prince Henry the Navigator, placed his country at the forefront of the Age of Discovery as the search began, not just for trade and empire, but for Prester John, the mythical priest king thought to rule an enlightened kingdom in the heart of Africa or Asia. In modern times, Portugal has continued to express great esoteric vitality through its many gifted painters, poets and dancers. Like other formerly imperial cultures, it is beginning to come to terms with its colonial history and honor its multicultural present. 

There will be two Pre-Conference options in and around Lisbon involving short journeys to extraordinary sites of mythic and spiritual significance. In addition, we will take a Post Conference trip along the Portuguese Way of the Camino, to the Heart of Galicia, Spain. Today, this legendary journey is an inter-spiritual pilgrimage traversed by people of all faiths or none.

As always, since our very first event in 1995, the whole experience will be imbued with our special alchemical blend of deep learning, evocative locations, exhilarating music, dance and poetry, and the warm conviviality that is so close to the the heart of the Esoteric Quests. We look forward to welcoming you to this moving and transformative experience in June.