sacred sites

[Guest guest]

Jo, Wendy ...

 

Two of the most profound experiences I've had were in Greece - at Delphi

and at Sounion, both ancient sites. At Delphi most of the site is dead

- too many tourist feet and closed minds - but up around the stadium, in

the woods, by the Castalian Spring and down on the terraces there is

extraordinary atmosphere, and a very definite sense of the liveness of

spirits. Up in the woods above the temples and the stadium, I kept

seeing shapes in my peripheral vision, like black cats sitting just to

my right - when I looked, of course, there was nothing there, but it was

such a benign and alive place.

 

Down by the Castalian Spring there is a cleft in the rock big enough to

scramble up (forgive me if I've told this story before), fenced off -

presumably dangerous. But there was a hole in the fence big enough to

climb through and it did look enticing ... I put my head through, and

stepped through - but as my foot touched the ground the other side of

the fence, an owl hooted. An owl, in daylight, about 100 yards from the

temple of Athena Aphaia. I don't argue with those kind of warnings ....

 

At Sounion, overlooking the Saronic Gulf about 2 hours south east of

Athens, is Poseidon's Temple on a cliff top; about 300 feet below the

temple is a big flat rocky shelf, and beyond it is the wine-dark sea. It

looked like a good place to swim from, so I scrambled down. The 'flat'

rock was in fact razor-sharp pumice that caught at my rope soles and

skinned my knees like tiny scalpels when I fell over. And as for diving

into that flat calm, clear blue sea .... I had the clearest impression

of a giant creature in the depths below waiting for blood. I don't know,

but believe it was probably a place of human sacrifice, many ages before

the classical temple was built. Poseidon is one of the three most

ancient Greek gods. I was seized by a fear that sent me flying back up

the cliff, scrabbling up scree and clambering over scrub plants and rock

to reach the top. I don't want to feel that fear again - it was

keep-down primal terror of something we've mostly forgotten.

 

Call it an overactive imagination if you like, but I'm learning - many

years later - to trust my intuition. Delphi is benign; Sounion - down on

that rock anyway - isn't.

 

Does anyone else have experience of these places? I'd love to hear ....

 

Arabella

[Guest guest]

Arabella wrote:

<. I don't want to feel that fear again - it was

keep-down primal terror of something we've mostly forgotten.

 

Call it an overactive imagination if you like, but I'm learning - many

years later - to trust my intuition. Delphi is benign; Sounion - down on

that rock anyway - isn't.

 

Does anyone else have experience of these places? I'd love to hear ....>

 

Not in Greece, I'd love to go there one day, But in the area of the gallows

in old Hobart Goal, Tasmania, Australia I felt so sickened and overwhelmed

by the torment and fear of the souls that were hung there.

I have experienced a site in Victoria, Australia called Mt. Zero that was

positively uplifting, it is also surrounded by aboriginal cave paintings,

so I guess it is special to other people as well.

Long before they made the film " Picnic at Hanging Rock " I visited there as

a small child and the place positively terrified me.

 

Love and Light, Ninox

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

At 21:14 14/10/0, Ninox wrote:

>Long before they made the film " Picnic at Hanging Rock " I visited there as

>a small child and the place positively terrified me.

 

I visited 'Hanging Rock' after that film was made. I climbed with 3

children in tow who hadn't seen the film. They clung near as never before.

It is spooky and the book and film was just trading on that. They certainly

didn't need to create atmosphere, it's there.

 

Its not very big as hills go and despite the hundreds of picnickers at the

base and people crawling all over it its possible to lose sight of everyone

and be alone and quite lost very, very quickly.

 

Sacred sites in Australia are not man made structures but places the

aboriginal feel has significant relationship with ancestors. It's a

political hot potato more than reverence ot tourism that brings them to the

attention of the media as roads are diverted around them and bridge

building is halted.

 

Around where I live it might be a " midden' a place where shells were

discarded after eating. The same exact spot must have been used for

centuries because the piles of shells remain visible for a long long time.

It becomes a place of reverence for ancestoral spirits.

 

In Asia I noticed little shrines in many homes. Just shelves with some icon

or a few flowers and incense sticks. Personal shrines set aside to

acknowledge Spirit by whatever name we might select in cultural/belief

context.

(I once meditated whilst listening to a chant of 180 different names for

" God " )

 

I think it is innate in human nature to want some traditional sacred site

evidenced by the innumerable archaeological sites found around the globe in

every culture.

 

Taking a leaf out of these books I realised anyone can make a " sacred site "

for themselves by establishing a place for ritual in their own space. It

can be as secret or as public as our needs allow. It might be just a

flower placed regularly in a source of light or it might contain icons of

significance.

 

Development has taken so much from us I wonder if there might be a need

to recreate our own " traditional " sacred site within our personal sphere to

answer some innate need for spiritual expression in our world.

 

I would love to hear from others who already have created a " sacred site "

for themselves and what and how they might draw upon this to answer their

own spiritual needs.

 

Love

Liz in Australia.

[Guest guest]

Dear Liz,

I wonder if you know the Yarra valley up around Warburton in Victoria.

There is a Seventh Day Adventist Church, printing works, and hospital. The

whole valley has a special healing effect on people and I have often

contemplated whether the " Sevies " created it or just recognised it and

decided to set up their " head quarters " there.

Love and LIght, Ninox

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry but I have never heard of " Picnic at Hanging Rock. " Could someone

please explain to me about it? I have never been out of the USA, only into

Canada several times. It really has been interesting all the things you have

talked about lately. Please keep on talking. I know I will never be able to

see any of these things but the way you all have been talking I can picture

it all in my minds eye and I love it.

 

Listening to Jo has been nice to. She has a way of explaining things very

nicely. The past week I have been feeling so much better. I've been happy

every morning. Its actually a pleasure to get up. I haven't felt this way in

about 10 years and I do believe it has to do with everyone in this group. I

know I've asked for long distance healing and all your prayers and I do feel

that you have kept me in your thoughts and so much else. I want to say thank

you and please keep remembering me.

 

Florie, I'm still trudging along. Take care all of you and you are all in my

prayers too. Keep writing it gives me pleasure to read all the posts.

 

Ellie