Catch-up Syria-Orkney part 3: Deir Mar Musa

Image: The path to Deir Mar Musa (Mar Musa Monastery), Syrian Desert.

Some parts of my journey are smooth, some are rough, some are rough AND tough. Yet I would not want to miss any of the 'rough parts' for anything in the world as they often hold the greatest rewards. Walking up the steep path to Deir Mar Musa, with a fever in 35c heat was worth the effort. Mar Musa is one of those amazing places on earth where one is welcomed without questions, allowed to just be. What a gift!

Image: Deir Mar Musa (Mar Musa Monastery), Syrian Desert.

This ancient place was "rediscovered" by Father Paolo, an Italian priest,in the 80's and given a new lease of life. It is a stop on the Abraham Path Initiative, a concept as interesting as the Monastery itself. I spend a week at Mar Musa, enjoyed the solitude of a cool cave room, great company during the delicious shared meals with the residents and the many visitors, the meditative quality of the old church and the unusual experience of witnessing a catholic mass being conducted in Arabic.

Image: a Syrian Catholic contemporary icon. Interesting to see an icon with text in a language associated with Islam, uniting the two just like that!

My time there provided much needed healing time. I healed the fevers and even better the underlying emotional baggage. I sobbed, old sobs from deep within my being, they did not need any tears, they were silent, yet I felt the power they had over me all those years. As I was able to let them surface and release, with that my fevers were released as well and I was able to continue my physical journey through Syria in good health.

Image: my reflection in the door handle of the gate of Deir Mar Musa.

Bardo (Tibetan) means intermediate, transitional or in-between state. Usually it refers to state between death and (re-) birth. In the west Bardo refers to times when a usual way of life is suspended such as during a retreat or as I have done by going on a long journey. It is a way to remove external constraints of daily life to free up time to focus on the bigger picture of one's life. It can also be a time during which one will be presented with challenges because habitual patterns do not always work in new situations or different cultures, so one is forced to review and change. This often leads to new insights and growth, accompanied by 'growing pains' or maybe 'healing pains'. I like to call it spiritual growth as I regard each challenge and the insights gained from such challenges as a step towards the blueprint of my Soul.

Catch-up Syria-Orkney part 2: Damascus

Image: demonstrations Damascus, Syria.

You can't discuss politics in Syria and it will be difficult to find people willing to discuss politics with you. That did not stop me observing and being in the midsts major political demonstrations in Damascus. The political reallies added God knows how many extra decibels coming from distorting loudspeakers and honking cars to the city's already hectic sound scape.

Enduring the noise was worth the experience though. It was interesting to observe this passionate expression of a people-ruler relationship in a Middle Eastern context. I have witnessed a great variety of events that give expression to the relationship between a ruler (king, queen or president) and the people: the cremation of the assassinated Royal Nepalese family (2001), the burial of the Maori Queen in New Zealand (2006), the demonstrations in Damascus and the annual Carnival celebrations in Maastricht, and Queens Birthday celebrations in Amsterdam. They all relate to the 'king archetype' which I am exploring as part of one of my video projects.

Image: roaming the back streets of old Damascus revealed a beautiful surprise in the form of a small family run cloth dyeing business. The machines used, the actions performed and the setting were fascinating and provided a visual feast.

Image: bridal mannequin with missing hand, jewelry and a local woman in traditional black dress in the souk or market of Damascus.

Catch-up Syria-Orkney part 1

It has been a while since I have published anything on this blog and not without reason. It is time to do a catch-up. I choose to do that through a series of images which hopefully will speak to me and allow me process and understand the experiences of recent weeks.

It has been a challenging and confusing time, like this bit of knotted rope. I haven't quite understood the lessons contained in it. Once I do I expect to be ready to continue my journey without the confusing baggage of recent weeks.

Image: Abandoned rope in the harbour of St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney Islands, Scotland.

With the images I intend to connect Syria, from where I last published, with Orkney, Scotland, the place I am now. It was a journey that was neither planned nor anticipated, it kind of 'just' happened, and of course I allowed it to happen. I am still kind of surprised about how I got here.

Image: broken stone in the Syrian Desert.

This stone serves as a fitting metaphor for the period of my journey that I will document in the following catch-up series. It was a challenging period that raised many questions and created many doubts.

Is the fact that this structural stone is broken a bad thing or a good thing? Is it less beautiful or more beautiful as a result? Should this stone be fixed, should such a thing be possible or is there nothing to fix? Interesting questions to which I know the 'correct' answer, yet I am not quite ready to fully accept the answer at all levels. So I note and acknowledge the resistance and choose to spend more time with the 'broken stone'.

Image: Boat in the harbour of St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney Islands, Scotland.

It is funny how people and objects can become messengers and signposts along a journey, such as this stranded boat in the harbour during low-tide called KIA-ORA, which is Maori (the native language of New Zealand) for 'hello/welcome'. I have felt stranded for a while in my journey, yet the flow of life has carried me safely to this harbour, where, with the tide being out, I have no other option but wait for the carrier of life to return and enable me to continue my journey. Of course being stuck in a harbour is as much part of the journey as any 'sailing' on currents that circle the globe. I will use this time to reflect and digest. Hehe!, interesting that the word 'digest' popped in my head as it high time to get my digestive system back into shape with a healthy diet after too much food that clogs my system (wheat, gluten) or throws my sugar levels out of balance (cookies, yeast, alcohol and chocolate, -lip!).

I have received a very warm KIA-ORA indeed from the locals I have met so far. I am very happy to be 'stranded' in this outpost of Europe, a tiny island north of Scotland. It is very peaceful here. All I hear are birds, the wind, the sea and sheep. I am looking after a mansion with 27 rooms, 2 dogs, a cat and 5 chickens for the next three weeks, so 'shipwrecked' in full comfort.