The Threshold Mysterium
An embodied ritual journey with Persephone, Demeter, Hekate & Inanna
November 12-15, 2026
Step into the Mystery
On the eve of Friday the 13th, a small group of women will gather at a threshold on a mountainside in the Catskills
The Threshold Mysterium is an immersive descent into the sacred stories and magic of Persephone, Demeter, Hekate & Inanna
Over four days, we will descend into the Mysteries so that we may return carrying only what is ours
The Descent
There are moments in a woman’s life when the way forward is not forward at all…
It is down.
Down beneath the roles you have learned to play.
Beneath the expectations you have carried.
Beneath the identities that once fit but somehow no longer do.
Down into the quiet place where the old self begins to loosen and something more YOU waits to be remembered.
This is the path of Persephone & Inanna
And this November, I am inviting you to walk it with me.
The Threshold Mysterium is an intimate weekend retreat devoted to the ancient mysteries of Persephone, Demeter, Hekate & Inanna.
It’s a living, embodied journey through descent, initiation and return.
The Eleusinian Mysteries
For nearly two thousand years, people from all walks of life made their pilgrimage to Eleusis in Greece to take part in the Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone.
Those who entered were sworn to secrecy.
We don’t know exactly what happened there. What we do know is that people returned to Eleusis generation after generation to experience something that changed the way they understood the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
What did they experience that was profound enough to remain this sacred and secret for thousands of years?
We may never know… And perhaps that is the point…
The Mysteries need to be experienced
While we won't attempt to recreate the rites of ancient Eleusis, we will follow the rhythm that has always belonged to initiation:
Purification
Descent
Encounter
Revelation
Return
And over our days together, we will allow that rhythm to become our own.
Persephone’s story is our story
The Persephone myth is often told as a story about a girl who was abducted and taken into the Underworld.
But the Mysteries ask us to look deeper.
Because eventually, every woman encounters an Underworld.
A relationship ends
A career changes
A child leaves home
A body changes
A dream dies
Grief arrives
The life that once made sense no longer does
Sometimes there is no dramatic ending at all, there is simply the quiet knowing:
I cannot keep living from this version of myself
And yet we are rarely taught how to be in that place.
We rush toward the next beginning. We search for the lesson. We try to reinvent ourselves before we have allowed ourselves to descend.
The ancient Mysteries understood something we have largely forgotten:
Before the return, there is the Underworld
Before Persephone becomes Queen, she descends.
Before Demeter restores the earth, she grieves.
And before the initiate emerges from Eleusis, she enters the darkness without knowing exactly who she will be when she comes out.
There is wisdom & medicine in that darkness
And there are parts of ourselves we can only meet when we stop trying to find the fastest way back into the light.
The Threshold Mysterium is for the woman standing at a threshold
This retreat is for you if…
You are preparing to cross a threshold and reclaim your sovereignty
You are craving in-person, meaningful connection and hungry for embodied ritual and experiential processes
You are in the middle of a life transition or standing at a crossroads
You can feel an old identity falling away but do not yet know what comes next
You have spent much of your life caring for, leading, supporting or becoming what others needed… and you are ready to hear yourself again
You are feeling grief, loss, or transformation stirring below the surface
You walk with Persephone, Demeter, Hekate, or Inanna, and want to deepen that relationship
Or maybe there is no explanation and you just feel the pull to explore what a weekend in the woods with like-hearted women could lead to…
What you can expect
Over the course of the weekend, we will move through the Mysteries together
You will not spend this weekend being taught mythology.
Instead, you’ll experience the particular kind of magic that happens when a small group of women gathers with intention and allows something real to unfold.
You will encounter Persephone not simply as a goddess from an ancient story, but as an archetype alive within your own life.
You will meet Demeter and the places where grief, love and attachment have shaped you.
You will stand with torch-bearing Hekate at the crossroads and listen for what can only be heard when the old directions stop making sense.
And you will come face-to-face with Inanna, who shows us what needs to be released in order to discover what it means to become Queen of your own Underworld.
Our rhythm throughout the weekend
Below is a loose itinerary of the flow of our days. Our weekend will be full and rich with experiences, magic, and ritual.
AND you will have spaciousness in your days because The Underworld needs quiet.
There will be room to wander and explore. To journal. To sit by the fire or gaze at the mountains from the balcony. To drink tea. To talk late into the night. To sleep. To relax in the hot tub. To notice what is moving inside you.
Our retreat space is located on a mountainside in the Catskills.
FRIDAY THE 13th: THE DESCENT
Morning circle
Lunch & free time
Afternoon ritual
Dinner
Evening ceremony
THURSDAY: THE THRESHOLD
6:00 PM Arrival
7:00 PM Opening Ceremony
We cross into the liminal ‘time between time’ and enter the Mysteries
SATURDAY: THE RETURN
Morning circle
Lunch & free time
Afternoon ritual
Dinner
Evening ceremony
SUNDAY: THE CLOSING
8:00 AM Closing Circle
10:00 AM Goodbyes & Departure
Your journey starts here
Join us for a long weekend devoted to the Mysteries and the journey home to yourself.
Location:
Mount Tremper, NY in The Catskill Mountains
10 minutes from Phoenicia & 20 minutes from Woodstock
Your retreat includes:
The Threshold Mysterium
Thursday evening opening ceremony
Friday & Saturday full-day retreat experience
Sunday morning closing ceremony
Meals + refreshments (Friday & Saturday)
And a few things that will remain secret until you enter the Mysteries…Accommodations are not included. See below for details.
Accommodations:
There are a limited number of rooms available in the retreat house, which you may select during check-out for an additional cost.
Alternatively, you can secure your own offsite accommodations to fit your needs and budget. There are many hotels and airbnb’s in the area to choose from.
Investment: $1,333
Does not include travel or accommodations.
Space is limited to 10 participants. It’s important to me to foster an intimate environment that allows for witnessing and connection.
REFUND POLICY:
The Threshold Mysterium is a deeply curated and intimate experience. Due to the nature of the retreat and the commitments made on your behalf, all payments are non-refundable.
Life is full of mystery, which is why we strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance that covers cancellations, illness, delays, and any unexpected changes. This protects your investment and allows us to hold the container with clarity and trust.
By signing up, you’re saying yes to this sacred journey, and to caring for both yourself and the group through thoughtful preparation.
Your guide
Hi! I’m Silvana, a ceremonialist, astrologer, and sacred storyteller.
My work lives at the crossroads of astrology, myth, and embodiment, where ancient stories hold mirrors and where ritual becomes a way to remember who we are.
Over the past two decades, I’ve guided hundreds of women through astrology readings, seasonal circles, workshops, retreats, and rites of passage.
I approach astrology and myth in the same way: as living, unfolding stories that reflect what we’re here to learn, embody, and re-member.
The Threshold Mysterium is born from decades of holding space at sacred thresholds, my own and others’. From grief and celebratory rituals to soul pilgrimages to myth-rich lands, I’ve followed Persephone, Demeter, and Hekate not just through books or other people’s interpretations but through lived experience.
In my own zodiac, Ceres (Demeter) is opposed Pluto (Hades), and is squared by Persephone and Hekate from the 12th house.
I was born for this work.
I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO DESCEND & I KNOW THE SACREDNESS OF RETURNING, CHANGED
What I bring to this work is depth, structure, and devotion. You’ll be held inside deep story, guided ritual, astrological insight, and embodied practices.
This container is not about fixing anything or figuring stuff out. If you’ve been circling a threshold, the Mysterium was made for you, and I’m honored to guide you through it.
If you have any questions or just want to connect, send me a DM.
I hope to see you around the cauldron,
xx,
“What you find in the underworld is not death. It’s your own becoming.”
— Silvana Perelli