“From the duality of patriarchy towards the oneness of the Goddess.”
After our visit to the stone circle ‘Cromlech des Almendres’ we drive on to Evora, where the three of us take a B&B: Eran, Anne and me. The B&B is located in a kind of city villa, in one of the many winding streets of the city that lies on top of a hill. Evora is a world heritage site. The city feels like a temple with many small chapels, alleys, churches and museums, all built against each other and then painted white. There is a pleasant atmosphere in the city, which feels ancient as well as young and modern. The young students find each other on the squares and terraces of the city, continuing a tradition that must have been built up here for centuries: Evora is a city of culture, knowledge and meeting where the Romans already lived, and many centuries before. Perhaps the history of the city goes back to the time of the stone circles.
Anne and I take the double bed in the B&B and Eran sleeps on the couch. It’s small but it fits just right. The next morning Anne has a Women’s Council, which she has been giving every 8 days since the start of the pandemic. About 10 to 20 women gather on Zoom to keep a finger on the pulse of the undercurrent: in themselves, in Belgium and in the world. It’s as if these women are holding and carrying the world’s web of life. Not by doing anything, but by ‘holding the space.’ Since the war broke out in Ukraine, that feels more necessary than ever. The western world reacts in shock; how is it possible that in this 21st century conflicts are still conducted through war? For the sake of convenience, we forget for a moment that there have been wars all over the world in recent decades, but just happened to be not near us. It took four years for the West to realize that the Syrian people, who for years had pleaded for help under the brutal violence of their own tyrannical leader, needed support. It was only when the Syrians left the country in large numbers and came to Europe as refugees that we realized the seriousness of the situation. The image of a dead Syrian boy washed up on a beach woke us up.
The war seems to be the next link of disasters that engulf us worldwide: forest fires, floods, epidemics, global warming, and now a war that could just get out of hand. I think of the message from the Black Madonna of Montserrat that we received at the beginning of the journey: “Don’t be alarmed, my children, when the storm comes. The savior is there. There will be a big upheaval on one part of the planet which will upset many people, but don’t you be worried. It is only a distraction in the greater plan. Of course when things happen, this is tragic, but you have to keep your focus on the light and do your work. Open your hearts and connect to eternity. Encompass all of humanity in your own heart, so that the suffering becomes less. These coming three years, 2022, 23 and 24, will be turbulent times. So be as an anchor in a stormy sea. Ground yourself.”
Eran and I decide to explore the city. The weather is nice and we stroll through the alleys, looking for the highest point of the hill town. ‘Strange, the city feels like it hasn’t been build, but as if it has grown as an organic, living structure of stones, erupting form the earth. It has a very comfortable feeling. It fits the body like a glove.’ A Roman aqueduct runs right through the city. Several houses and balconies have been built on top of or attached to it. The water once came from a well 18 kilometers away.
When we arrive at the highest point we find the only building that is not painted white: a large cathedral in stone color. We go inside, pay both the local bum and the church warden an entrance fee, and climb up the tower via small steps. Once at the top, a small door leads to the roof of the cathedral. Amazing, suddenly we are on top of the arched trusses of the sloping stone roof. A small wall separates us from the depth next to it and from the city that lies below us like a large white cream cake. Around us the wide panorama of the country around it: Alentejo.
The cathedral’s towers, three in number, have a somewhat Tolkien-esque feel to them. I sit on the roof to pant from the climb. My lungs are not what they have been since Corona and I lie on the stones. Later, when we want to tune in to the energy of the place, the bells start to ring. It’s twelve o’clock. The magic is palpable. This is the message we get:
“This is the power place of the Great Mother. Just like you went to the power place of the North: the Schiehallion, here is the power place of the south: Evora. It is the name of the Great Mother – Deborah, woman of wisdom – but also the name of the yew step. The yewtree was connected to the crone and to the old wisdom of the grandmothers. This was a place of yew trees, a place of wisdom, connected to power.
So it’s time to start to use your power, because it is yours to use. Don’t be afraid to use it. When the three of you are together you are creating this triangle, this sacred space, through which the portal can be opened and you can go deep into the ground, like Anne is doing right now with the women. You can connect to this earthly power of the Great Mother. And this is exactly what is needed in this time of war, when the patriarchal powers are taking over control, which is a very immature masculine energy. So it needs to be countered by this mature, old wisdom of the crone, of the grandmothers.
So gather your forces, gather your troops, to echo the voice of the Mother, to make it heard in the world today. Not to start a new religion or to become famous or to gain status, but to use this power as a positive healing force. A process of initiation, from duality to oneness: the duality of the patriarchy towards the oneness of the Goddess.
This will release you of your burden and of your heavy breathing and lack of breath. When you take in all your space and connect to that broader force, than you don’t need to carry it, it just runs through you. You need to become like an open channel, an open source. For that you need to be connected all the time, going inwards into the Matrimandir, the Temple of the Mother. You are sitting on top of it. But also in it, because it is so much bigger than only a building of stone.
Visualize this grand ball of light, this temple of light as a circle all around you. And then let that light shine forth from that centre, that ball, into the world around you. And think as if a sun is coming out of the ground rising up, heralding a new dawn, a dawning in which the wisdom of the Mother is being shared again. It’s the men, and also women, who are holding the space for that. Who are the guardians of the temple, the warriors of the heart, the leaders of the future. Don’t play small anymore. So let the bells be heard and let the music start. Everything is part of the divine plan.”
Ton: (laughing) I hear this sentence: “Think big or go home!”
(25/2/2022)
- to be continued –
DUTCH VERSION
“From the duality of patriarchy towards the oneness of the Goddess.”
Na afloop van ons bezoek aan de steencirkel ‘Cromlech des Almendres’ rijden we verder naar Evora, waar we met zijn drieën een B&B nemen: Eran, Anne en ik. Noa is teruggereden naar haar huis in de Algarve. De B&B bevindt zich in een soort stadsvilla, in een van de vele bochtige straatjes van de stad die bovenop een heuvel ligt. Evora is een ‘world heritage site’. De stad voelt als een tempel met vele kleine kapelletjes, steegjes, kerken en musea, die allemaal tegen elkaar aangebouwd zijn en daarna witgeschilderd zijn. Er heerst een prettige atmosfeer in de stad, die zowel oeroud als jong en modern aanvoelt. De jonge studenten vinden elkaar op de pleinen en terrasjes van de stad, en zetten een traditie voort die hier al eeuwen moet zijn opgebouwd: Evora is een stad van cultuur, kennis en ontmoeting waar de Romeinen al woonden, en vele eeuwen daarvoor. Wellicht gaat de geschiedenis van de stad terug tot de tijd van de steencirkels.
Anne en ik nemen het tweepersoonsbed in de B&B en Eran slaapt op de bank. Het is klein maar het past precies. De volgende ochtend heeft Anne een Vrouwenberaad, dat ze sinds het begin van de pandemie iedere 8 dagen geeft. Een 10 tot 20 tal vrouwen komen bijeen op zoom om vinger aan de pols te houden met de onderstroom: in zichzelf, in België en in de wereld. Het is net alsof deze vrouwen het ‘web of life’ van de wereld vasthouden en dragen. Niet door iets te doen, maar door ‘holding the space.’ Sinds de oorlog is uitgebroken in Oekraïne voelt dat als meer dan ooit noodzakelijk. De westerse wereld reageert in shock; hoe is het mogelijk dat in deze 21ste eeuw nog via oorlog conflicten worden uitgevoerd? Voor het gemak vergeten we even dat er de afgelopen decennia overal ter wereld oorlogen waren, maar toevallig niet bij ons in de buurt. Het duurde vier jaar voordat het tot het Westen doordrong dat het Syrische volk, dat al jaren om hulp smeekte onder het brute geweld van zijn eigen tyrannieke leider, steun nodig had. Pas toen de Syriërs in grote getale het land verlieten en als vluchteling richting Europa kwamen beseften we de ernst van de situatie. Het beeld van een dood Syrisch jongetje dat op een strand was aangespoeld maakte ons wakker.
De oorlog lijkt een volgende schakel van rampen die ons wereldwijd overspoelt: bosbranden, overstromingen, epidemie, klimaatopwarming, en nu een oorlog die zomaar uit de hand zou kunnen lopen. Ik denk aan de boodschap van de Zwarte Madonna van Montserrat die we aan het begin van de reis kregen: “Don’t be alarmed, my children, when the storm comes. The saviour is there. There will be a big upheaval on one part of the planet which will upset many people, but don’t you be worried. It is only a distraction in the greater plan. Of course when things happen, this is tragic, but you have to keep your focus on the light and do your work. Open your hearts and connect to eternity. Encompass all of humanity in your own heart, so that the suffering becomes less. These coming three years, 2022, 23 and 24, will be turbulent times. So be as an anchor in a stormy sea. Ground yourself.”
Eran en ik besluiten de stad te verkennen. Het is mooi weer en uitgelaten slenteren we door de steegjes, op zoek naar het hoogste punt van de heuvelstad. ‘Strange, the city feels like it hasn’t been build, but as if it has grown as an organic, living structure of stones, erupting form the earth. It has a very comfortable feeling. It fits the body like a glove.’ Een romeins aquaduct loopt dwars door de stad. Diverse huizen en balkons zijn er bovenop of aan vast gebouwd. Het water kwam ooit van een bron die 18 kilometer verderop ligt.
Als we op het hoogste punt aankomen vinden we enige gebouw dat niet wit geschilderd is: Een grote kathedraal in steenkleur. We gaan naar binnen, betalen zowel de lokale zwerver als de kerkbewaker een entree, en klimmen via kleine trapjes de toren op. Boven aangekomen leidt een klein deurtje naar het dak van de kathedraal. Wonderlijk, opeens staan we boven op de boogspanten van het schuine stenen dak. Een klein muurtje scheidt ons van de diepte ernaast en van de stad die als een grote witte roomtaart onder ons ligt. Om ons heen het wijdse panorama van het land eromheen: Alentejo.
De torens van de kathedraal, drie in getal, doen een beetje Tolkien-achtig aan. Ik ga op het dak zitten om uit te hijgen van de klim. Mijn longen zijn niet meer wat ze geweest zijn sinds Corona en ik ga liggen op de stenen. Als we later willen afstemmen op de energie van de plek, beginnen de klokken te luiden. Het is twaalf uur. De magie is voelbaar. Dit is de boodschap die we krijgen:
“This is the power place of the Great Mother. Just like you went to the power place of the North: the Schiehallion, here is the power place of the south: Evora. It is the name of the Great Mother – Deborah, woman of wisdom – but also the name of the yew tree. The yewtree was connected to the crone and to the old wisdom of the grandmothers. This was a place of yew trees, a place of wisdom, connected to power.
So it’s time to start to use your power, because it is yours to use. Don’t be afraid to use it. When the three of you are together you are creating this triangle, this sacred space, through which the portal can be opened and you can go deep into the ground, like Anne is doing right now with the women. You can connect to this earthly power of the Great Mother. And this is exactly what is needed in this time of war, when the patriarchal powers are taking over control, which is a very immature masculine energy. So it needs to be countered by this mature, old wisdom of the crone, of the grandmothers.
So gather your forces, gather your troops, to echo the voice of the Mother, to make it heard in the world today. Not to start a new religion or to become famous or to gain status, but to use this power as a positive healing force. A process of initiation, from duality to oneness: the duality of the patriarchy towards the oneness of the Goddess.
This will release you of your burden and of your heavy breathing and lack of breath. When you take in all your space and connect to that broader force, than you don’t need to carry it, it just runs through you. You need to become like an open channel, an open source. For that you need to be connected all the time, going inwards into the Matrimandir, the Temple of the Mother. You are sitting on top of it. But also in it, because it is so much bigger than only a building of stone.
Visualise this grand ball of light, this temple of light as a circle all around you. And then let that light shine forth from that centre, that ball, into the world around you. And think as if a sun is coming out of the ground rising up, heralding a new dawn, a dawning in which the wisdom of the Mother is being shared again. It’s the men, and also women, who are holding the space for that. Who are the guardians of the temple, the warriors of the heart, the leaders of the future. Don’t play small anymore. So let the bells be heard and let the music start. Everything is part of the divine plan.”
Ton: (laughing) I hear this sentence: “Think big or go home!”
(25/2/2022)
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