The ascension teachings describe a network of temples and centers of light in the etheric realm, the finer level of the Earth that lies just beyond ordinary sight. Each is the home of a Master or an Archangel, and each holds a particular flame for the whole planet. They are called etheric retreats, and the teachings say that a great many people visit them, without remembering it, every night of their lives.
What a Retreat Is
An etheric retreat is described as a real place, built of a finer substance than stone. Those who remember visiting them describe halls, gardens, libraries and sanctuaries, each filled with the color and quality of the ray it serves. At the heart of each is a flame: of will, wisdom, love, purity, truth, peace or freedom. The Master or Archangel of the retreat tends that flame on behalf of everyone on Earth, and its radiance is said to reach far beyond the place itself.
The retreats are also schools. The teachings say that souls travel to them in sleep to receive instruction, healing and rest, and that much of the real training of the path takes place there. What is learned at night surfaces during the day as intuition, as a sudden understanding, or as a decision that seems to have made itself.
Why Above Particular Places
Most retreats are said to be located above particular places on the Earth: a mountain range, a city, an island. The teachings explain that each retreat anchors its flame into the region beneath it, and that many of the world's sacred places owe something of their atmosphere to the retreat above them.
None of this means that a person must travel to a place in order to visit its retreat. The retreats are reached in consciousness, not by road. A student on the far side of the world can visit any of them in a single night.
The Retreats of the Masters
The table below gathers the retreats named in the entries of this library.
| Master | Retreat | Location |
|---|---|---|
| El Morya | The Temple of Good Will | Above the Himalayan foothills |
| Lord Lanto | The Royal Teton Retreat | In the mountains of western North America |
| Paul the Venetian | The Chateau de Liberte | Above the south of France |
| Serapis Bey | The Ascension Temple | Above Luxor on the Nile |
| Hilarion and Pallas Athena | The Temple of Truth | Above the island of Crete |
| Lady Nada | The Arabian Retreat | Beneath the desert of the Arabian peninsula |
| Saint Germain and Lady Portia | The Cave of Symbols | In the mountains of western North America |
| Kuthumi | The Cathedral of Nature | Above Kashmir |
| Kuan Yin | The Temple of Mercy | Above the hills of northern China |
| Djwal Khul | A teaching retreat | In the mountains of Tibet |
| Gautama Buddha | Shamballa | Above the Gobi Desert |
| Maha Chohan | The Temple of Comfort | Above the island of Sri Lanka |
| Sananda | The Temple of the Resurrection | Above the Holy Land |
The Retreats of the Archangels
| Archangel | Retreat | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Michael | The Temple of Faith and Protection | Above the Canadian Rockies |
| Jophiel | A temple of golden light | Above the plains of north-central China |
| Chamuel | The Temple of the Crystal-Pink Flame | Above the central plains of North America |
| Gabriel | A temple of white light | Above the mountains of northern California |
| Raphael and Mother Mary | A temple of emerald light | Above central Portugal |
| Uriel | A temple of peace | Above the Tatra mountains of central Europe |
| Zadkiel | The Temple of Purification | Above the islands of the Caribbean |
Archangel Metatron has no retreat on Earth. He is said to work through geometry and through the crown. The temples of the Venusian Council are on Venus itself, and are described in The Temples of Venus.
Shamballa
Of all the retreats, Shamballa holds a special place. It was founded by Sanat Kumara and those who came with him from Venus, on an island in an inland sea where the Gobi Desert is now. The physical city has long since been withdrawn into the etheric realm, where it remains the spiritual capital of the Earth. From its central flame a thread of light extends to the heart of every person on the planet. It is now in the keeping of Gautama Buddha, the Lord of the World.
Visiting in Sleep
The teachings say that anyone may ask to be taken to a retreat during sleep, and that the request is always heard. A simple method:
- Before sleep, sit up in bed for a few minutes and become quiet.
- Call on Archangel Michael to protect you through the night.
- Choose one retreat, and say: I ask to be taken tonight to the retreat of (name the Master or Archangel) for whatever instruction and healing I am ready to receive.
- Picture the color of that ray around you as you lie down.
- Keep a notebook by the bed, and on waking write down anything you remember, however slight.
Most people remember little or nothing at first, and this is entirely normal. The teachings say that what is received is not lost because it is not remembered. More on this practice, and on recording what comes, is in Receiving in Dreams.
Questions People Ask
Are the retreats real places?
The teachings describe them as real, on a finer level of reality than the physical. They are not visible to ordinary sight, and they cannot be found by traveling to the places they are said to be above.
Which retreat should I ask to visit?
Choose the one whose quality you most need. For protection or courage, the retreat of Michael or El Morya. For healing, Raphael's. For forgiveness, Zadkiel's or Kuan Yin's. If you cannot decide, ask your Higher Self to take you where you most need to go.
Why do some sources place the retreats differently?
The retreats have been described by many channels over a long period, and the descriptions vary. The locations given here are the ones used throughout this library.