"Perched on craggy peaks above forgotten rivers, where their spires pierce the clouds formed over the Black Sea, lie dozens of ancient monasteries rarely seen by Westerners. Eastern Orthodox Churches, Byzantine, Antiochene, Armenian, and Chaldean Rite churches survived centuries of Islamic attacks in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Cappadocia.
In these very mountains and valleys the
Apostles established communities,
the Disciples preached.
Buttressed by stone walls, guarded by falcons....history was preserved for generations a millennium into future....
Secluded for centuries, lost to scholarly study
are untold treasures:
icons, frescoes,
tapestries, vestments, bejeweled
crosses and chalices,
manuscripts...."
St. Helena and the true Cross
The Gift of the Magi
St. George vanquishes
the dragon of Islam
Forbidding terrain...
Astounding geography...
poignant natural beauty...
beckons to the modern seeker-pilgrim:
a new summons, an ancient message"
( Note: Most of ya'll ain't into religious stuff, I knows that--but the fella whose site I lifted these marvelous photos from also has terrific commentary http://notesfromacommonplacebook.blogspot.com/
Scroll down to Travel Journey 21 , August 7 iffin' anybody would like to go deeper into this idea of pilgrimage)
16 comments:
Excellent post. Good use of visuals. You should play Mute Mondays.
Oh, I'd play iffin' I could remember in time.... but gracious---doan anybody wanna go wif me on this pilgrimage?
i shall never fear though i travel through the valley of gigantic phallic totems. grrherherhaha.
Well, akshully She-pup, the local name fer that spot is translated "Valley of love."
Got yore boots laced up? I'se aimin' ter do this--afore I'se much older.
funny you should ask who would want to go.
as i was looking at those photos i figured you might need a tagalong.
me, of course..
Glad you enjoyed my photographs. For the commentary, go to:
wwww.notesfromacommonplacebook.blogspot.com
Hey Foamy--let's go!
John!!! Wow--I'd crib yore commentary too, 'cept it's a long read--but worth it ya'll--go check it out...and
John would ya' leads us iffin' we git a group up??
Aunty Belle, give me time to pack my bags and I'm ready!
valley of love? that's perfect!
but ab, you fooled me - for a minute there i thought you were off traveling and posting pictures from afar.
did you meet your deadline?
flap/flap/swoosh
and happy to be back on the grid!
No Aunt, I am not a teacher in school, just a student in Graduate study. But I also attend school on the weekend, and ponder spirituality. i got through FIVE lessons this weekend!!
And I learned this:
FLOW. Ever hear the term, "go with the flow"? God is water. Water flows. The spiritual realm has an order, a flow and we simply need to relax into it and float the tide of love and things will unfold naturally for us. When we hear a whisper into our hears we must follow the instructions, knowing that they are whispered from a divine source. It is in this way that we fall into the flow and can relax and coast into our destiny.
I also learned the language of the heart:
FLOW
PICTURES (Visons, Dreams and also Artworks-Imagination)
EMOTIONS
and
PONDERING (Meditation)
The language of the heart is :
LOVE
HOPE
and
FAITH
There are both positive and negative energies operating within our hearts.
The positive consist of the above, and the negative are called:
fear
rejection (the big one)
blame
jealousy
and
bitterness.
which cause depression and may result in an end of physical life.
It is in this way that we are given what we picture. If we hold negative pictures, then we gain more negative energy, and if we hold positive pictures then we gain only positive energy.
So, Yes I will go on your journey with you.
I see myself there already.
You need to supply me with an address, for I have something to give to you.
Hoo-whee, John! How soon is the weather fine enough to git to those amazin' monasteries? I mean, how does yore calendar look fer June of 2008?
Looky, Sweet Thang, ya' ain't gonna credit this, but no foolin' I jes' read a novel that described the Rila Monastery--I left a peice of mah heart in Turkey, regret not goin' on ter Baku, ...work recently mixed me up wif' an Azerbaijani professor....well, they's a lot more, but mah point is--I'se really itchin' ter go see these wonders. I take fallin' over yore site a sign--ya know?
Hey Bird Beauty!! Is ya in that new nest finally?? Chile' we missed ya'! Nope, ain't made the deadline so this heah yakkity yak is playin' hookey an' I gotta git mah nose back on the grindstone.
Ok Sweet Pets, today is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I done as't her to smile on ya'll all.
OOOPs, Contessa, I'se postin' when youse writin'....
Already worked through five lessons--smokin'! I see how yore theme goes...an pray it help wif the headbangers.
Only thang Aunty does wanna note on it all is that "rejection is void whar' they ain't no reception" --hearin' that darlin'? You ain't rejected lessin' you accept it--so don't. Only one thang counts--God ain't rejectin' ya', He is yore Daddy (Abba) and ain't no daddy on the cosmic block any bigger.
Ya wanna go on this pilgrimage we's got in our sights? Wow--Foamy, you, me--that She-pup will trot ahead of us, fer shure...hey Artfulsub, Boney....Mayden? Wouldn't it be loverly?
nice pics. indeed those parts of the world seem so rich with so much. i'd be with you in spirit ... one day i will travel again ... but for now, i am happy liking where i am ... not wanting to really be anywhere but where i find myself ~ y'know?
the next place i would go, if given the chance to travel again, would be the places in europe that represent the suffering of humanity ~ the fields upon fields of white crosses in france ... the ruins of the camps in germany, poland, etc. that's where i'd go ... if given the chance. that would seem like a huge sorta-religious pilgramage to me ~ touching the immense suffering and death of other humans. those places to me seem spiritual, because of all the suffering and death which took place there.
regarding the negatives of which infini spoke ~ they only exist in one's heart of one lets them in. you said it ~ acceptance ~ if we refuse to accept all those nasties such as fear, rejection, blame, jealousy, bitterness, then they do not exist for us. i know this for a fact ~ i have learned it the hard way. and i am still learning it. in fact, i would also add that these negatives are from the EGO ... and not the heart or soul. its hard, sometimes, to discern where feelings come from. i am learning still. awareness ... its so important.
we make destiny with every breath we take ~ this moment contains all moments. there is no such thing as coasting into destiny.
if you are in FLOW there is no reception of rejection.
Fear of rejection is what stops many in their tracks and renders them immobile.
As far as EGO goes, Red, I am a huge critic of all things Freud or tainted by Freud. I think he was a twit.
I am rejecting Freud. Good thing he is dead and cannot be receptive to it!
I'de sure voluteer 'cept fer two reasons.
Too poor t'travel there being one.
'Tother'de be I hates planes. Danged things cannot pull over t'correct any engine problems.
However, I CAN wish y'a happy go at it!
Have fun, gal. Quick! While yer still young!
I want to go...I want to go...
I want to go...
Maybe if I tap my heels long enough- sigh...maybe??? I'll go?
YES- one day I will :)
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