I love Greece. That may not surprise you with my jabbering and gushing over all things ancient and old. You can't get much older than Greece. At least not in Western civilization (if we can call it that some days). I traveled to Greece on a pilgrimage in 2002. I went alone, but with a group. We explored many of the ruins consecrated to the Sacred Feminine, the Goddess. At the same time we delved deeply into the study of archetypes. Our personal archetypes to be exact. It was a trip of a lifetime. My first time away from my family and on an adventure I had dreamed and read about for years. I could hardly believe my good fortune.
Now, many years later, I remember it as if it were yesterday. And many days it seems but a dream, perhaps a story I read or pictures I have seen that I somehow confused with my own experience, my own life. To be in such an ancient place while doing deep and personal inner excavations at once seem mystical and ordinary. Walking the stones Socrates stood upon as he proclaimed "An unexamined life is a life not worth living", or sitting alone at dusk in Delphi's temple of Athena Pronaia as the Oracles' command to "Know Thyself" rang through my ears, I felt I had been there before. Lived there before. Perhaps in another lifetime or only in my dreams. For the first time in my life I felt I had come home. Not to Greece necessarily, although I did leave a portion of my heart behind in her magical hills. I had come home to myself. For the first time I felt I was totally and most completely in my own body, the steward of my own life. Charting a path that needed to make sense only to me.
To be continued. . .
WOW.
How utterly incredible. I soooo wish I had been there with you... if I could get over my humungous fear of flying that is... lol
Looking forward to the next installment.
Jen
Posted by: Jen | March 18, 2009 at 05:11 PM
Beautiful, friend, simply beautiful. I am so glad to know that you took some time by yourself to learn about yourself. I am proud of you for doing that. I went to Mexico twice by myself, about two years ago. Each retreat was one week at a time and it was the longest I had ever been away from my husband and daughters. When I think about my trips, the feelings are like nothing else I have ever experienced. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to go to Greece alone!
I have been meaning to get back to you. When will you be in CA? I am only an hour away from both Los Angeles and San Diego. Almost right in the middle! I would love to meet with you when you are out here if you have some free time!
Love,
Deb
Posted by: Debbie | March 18, 2009 at 05:19 PM
Love your words "inner excavation"... I need to do some of that kind of digging right now...
xoxox
Posted by: Jennifer White | March 18, 2009 at 10:40 PM
In Paestum in 95 I left the group to draw the Doric temples to Hera and the heft of 2700 years is an amazing thing. Thanks for taking me back there!
Posted by: shirley ende-saxe | March 19, 2009 at 06:56 AM
"I had come home to myself. For the first time I felt I was totally and most completely in my own body, the steward of my own life. "
Oh, how lucky are those woman who learn how to come home to themselves and to be stewards of their lives. Such a beautiful and wise sentiment.
Posted by: Mayberry Magpie | March 20, 2009 at 08:06 PM
"Charting a path that needed to make sense only to me."
That's the beauty really of authenticity... it stirs my heart to hear this said... a beautiful open post. Thanks...
Posted by: mansuetude | March 30, 2009 at 01:25 PM