The Path to Initiation

An Online Journey into European Mystery Traditions

The wisdom of the Western esoteric tradition is not a relic, but a living current, quietly present beneath the surface of European culture, waiting to be reawakened. The Path of Initiation is our invitation to you: step beyond the merely intellectual and into direct, embodied encounter with the Mysteries.

Through myth, archetype, and conscious breathwork, this course opens a practical and experiential gateway into the shamanic roots of pre-Christian Europe, the Mystery Schools of Greece, and the Hermetic arts of alchemy and astrology. This is where ancient wisdom becomes personally real.

This course marks the beginning of a collaboration with host Jaques Theroen, leading toward two workshops at the Embassy of the Free Mind (June 2026), a pilgrimage to Rome (July 2026), and a weekend retreat, The Mysteries of Rebirth, held in a monastery in the Netherlands.

What You Will Experience

• Learn to work with different guided breathwork practices, archetypes, and myths as tools for inner transformation and as a vessel of the Divine.
• Explore European Mystery Traditions and their connection to land, nature, and the cosmos to help strengthen your relationship with the natural world and its subtle, animating presence
• Discover how alchemy, astrology, and shamanism offer the key to an all-encompassing spiritual path relevant to the contemporary world.

Event Details

Dates: April 30, May 7, May 21 & May 28, 2026

Time: Thursdays, 19:00 to 21:30 Western European Time

🌐 Online, in English

All sessions are recorded. Every participant receives full access to the videos, including the guided breath work practices, to revisit at any time.

Ticket price: € 195 for the full programme

The first session is completely free. Experience the journey before you commit.

As part of this inaugural collaboration, this first cohort is offered at a special foundational rate. If the fee presents a genuine difficulty, please reach out to tickets@efm.amsterdam. Arrangements can be made.

Programme Overview

Part I: Elements of a Modern Mystery Spirituality

Free introductory session- RSVP here

Experience your first taste of conscious breathwork while exploring the crisis of meaning in our modern world. We introduce how the Mysteries offer spiritual rebirth through nature-based wisdom, discovering Rome, the Eternal City, as a symbol of spiritual and cultural synthesis in Europe.

Part II: Nature Spirituality and Shamanism in the Modern World

Connect with shamanic traditions and the Five Elements through the Cosmic Tree (or Acis Mundi) model, a universal framework for understanding transformation and sacred connection. We will also examine the legendary Eleusinian Mysteries and practice rebirthing breathwork for personal and spiritual renewal.

Part III: The Journey of Rebirth

Meet the Greek pantheon as living archetypes, decode the Tarot's Major Arcana as your Map of Consciousness, which charts the Hero's Journey. We will talk about the timeless stories of initiation of Orpheus, Osiris, and Christ, discovering how these cycles of descent (ego) death, and spiritual rebirth operate both in myth and in our own lives. With the practice of Heaven & Earth Breathwork, we ground these forces into our lived experience.

Part IV: Alchemy, Astrology, and the Art of Transformation

Discover Hermetic cosmology and propose nature, the Five Elements, the Seven Heavens (or planetary spheres), and the Stellar Realm as elements of a Mystery Pantheon that is alive, not based in theory alone. Learn to make daily life sacred by cultivating our chosen Future Self, including a "Future Tapping" breathwork to embody your transformative vision.

About the Host

Jacques Theroen was born in Australia in 1971 and has since lived in South Africa and France. He currently resides in Brazil. Based in São Paulo, he leads regular pilgrimages and retreats worldwide. His commitment to spiritual growth is a lifelong path. His passion is to share the wisdom he has gathered to facilitate transformation in others.

Since 1995, he has guided seekers through the symbolic landscapes of Tarot and mythology while facilitating Conscious Breathwork for healing through trance. Since 2008, he has focused on shamanic practices, which create sacred space and allow connection to personal healing, vision, the Earth, and Spirit. His quest for authentic spiritual connection has caused him to train extensively with Peruvian and Brazilian shamans, practice rituals in the temples of Nepal, Bali, and Japan, as well as walk the pilgrim paths of Italy’s Via Francigena and Spain's Camino de Santiago several times.

Jacques is the creator of the Classical Mythology Deck and author of Living Mythology and The Building Blocks of Tarot. All his works seek to combine ancient wisdom with contemporary practice, inviting seekers to explore the divine forces that continue to shape our inner and outer worlds.

Visit Jaques' website and YouTube channel.

Do you have questions? Email jeroenberndsen@proton.me or academy@efm.amsterdam.