MY NAME IS ODILE

Keeper of the Erotic-Mystic Initiation Rites of Antiquity

I impart initiatory rites of erotic-mystic union and esoteric gnosis to the male artist who feels the loss of innate eros – the inspiration, pleasure and physical vitality that once moved naturally and effortlessly through his body turned to tension, weariness and cynicism.

I guide the contemporary artist whose practice echoes the timeless vocations of ancient creators – storytellers, musicians, dancers, actors, painters, designers, architects, sculptors, and makers of sacred or votive objects.

My rituals emulate the ecstatic mystery rites of antiquity – an experience of sacred sensual adoration expressed through ritual drama, the re-enactment of archetypal myths, which poets and artists sought for creative renewal through the reawakening of eros, to ensure their art did not serve vanity but was inspired by the divine.

Such rites were once led by the Oracle-Priestess, who would invoke the nymphic presence of the sacred spring – the serpentine emanation of the primordial Goddess – to take possession of her whilst a male initiate, representing the mortal, virile hero, valiantly crossed the threshold to descend into the underworld to encounter Her chthonic aspect and partake in acts of sensual devotion, surrender and transformation. From this encounter he returned bearing a gift of divine favour – his artistic immortality.

For the initiate who remained steadfast and true through the ordeal of initiation, he was granted passage to the supreme rite of erotic joy, hieros gamos, to become the Sacred King who embodies the year-god or seed-deity reborn at midwinter.

In the first ages, the King-Priest and Lover-Artist were one. He communed with the divine and brought back visions made manifest in art and form. Early temple architecture and sculpture were the visible revelation of divine Beauty.

Antiquarian & Sensualist

I am drawn to the ancient mysteries of prehistory and the great civilisations of antiquity, their knowledge of astronomy, sacred alchemy and ritualistic use of entheogens and aphrodisiacs, such as during the time of the fertility cults of Minoan Crete and Anatolia, the Arcadian nature cults of Artemis, Pan and Despoina, and the secret devotees of Orpheus and Dionysus.

Equally at home in a retreat in the forest, gazing into a roaring fire, or in a vintage hotel, appreciating breakfast on a balcony overlooking the city rooftops, I enjoy the pursuit of beauty and pleasure in all its forms; some of my favourite experiences include:

Admiring the ornate antiques, ancient devotional sculpture and artwork in museums when the crowds have departed; watching a candle-lit ballet performance at a grand opera house; intimate afternoons escaping the heat or the cold of the day; tasting Greek/Anatolian coffee with dates, grapes and figs; savouring a full-course dinner of exotic cuisine with many dishes of distinct flavours; bathing in hot springs or swimming among the ocean bioluminescence; and dancing all-night until sunrise.