Genom Leonide Martin

Yucatan är en plats för subtila skatter, kamouflerade i spektakulära ruiner och spännande naturliga skapelser. Den kalksten platå som stöder savann och torra tropiska skogar sammanflätad med underjordiska vattendrag. Inga floder köras på ytan, men under är grottor och rör vatten, som en stor schweizerost. När ytan av vattendrag bär tunna, kan det kollapsa att bilda Cenotes (cirkulära öppningarna avslöja klart vatten.) Medan vissa Cenotes är nära marknivå, fler är på ett djup av 20 till 50 fot. Rötter av träd dingla ner, söker näring i vattnet nedanför, medan vin drapera graciöst över kanten och sväljer bo under steniga takfoten.

Den feminina element, vatten, tränger den hårda Karst formation. De heliga feminina svävar strax under ytan av kantiga stenar och linjära pyramiderna i gamla Maya städer. De Mayalands anses feminina med ursprungsbefolkningar: Pachamama, Heart of jorden.

Efter att jag hade bott i Yucatan i två år, kom min vän och andliga syster att besöka. Hon hade rest tidigare i denna del av Mexiko, att finna det ganska hårda energiskt och intensivt klimatmässigt. Som anhängare av Gudinnan, delade vi intresset upplever Hennes närvaro var vi åkte. Yucatan halvön, till min vän verkade mest maskulina. Slätter, steniga åkrar, gömda vatten, och skarpt kantiga ruiner projiceras maskulina svårighetsgrad. Jag bjöd henne på sökande efter den heliga Feminin i Yucatan.

Uxmal

De Puuc Hills stiga svagt i den västra kanten av Yucatan slätter. Deras kurvor är mjuka och rundade, täckt med frodig grönska. Du känner insvept i famnen på Moder Jord. Uxmal är den dominerande Maya platsen i Puuc, med rester av upphöjda vägar (kallas Sacbe) länka till andra närliggande städer. Grundades omkring 600 CE nådde Uxmal sin spets i 800-1000 CE och till stor del övergavs ett sekel senare. Det har några av de finaste fresker och mest dekorerade byggnader i Maya världen.

Det övergripande känslan du får på Uxmal är harmoni. Det är kanske den mest visuellt tillfredsställande av platser, med öppna ytor mellan höga strukturer som vid differentierade plattformar. Få träd hindrar utsikten, och gräs ger gröna stillheten där en gång vita torg reflekteras solljuset. Mest slående är dock en harmonisk placering av byggnader, hur hela webbplatsen utstrålar elegans och balans. Den äldste säger Uxmal har den perfekta balansen mellan kvinnliga och manliga energier. I Maya sakral geometri är Uxmal strukturer anpassas till solen, månen och återkomsten av Venus.

Vid mitt första besök i Uxmal, kände jag en vibration runt mitt hjärta när vi närmade sig. Avkänning mina länge sedan anslutningar här, berättade intuition mig att platsen fungerade som ett utbildningscentrum för prästinnor och präster av gudinnan IxCheel. Flera år senare beskrev Maya äldste Hunbatz Män för vår grupp hur denna plats var ett universitet att utbilda kvinnor, särskilt i konsten heliga sexualitet. Att sitta på trappan till Nunnery Quadrangle, påpekade han den primära symboliken i de fresker för varje väderstreck: Den södra byggnaden hade små hyddor och spannmål för jord-och familj, hade östra byggnaden ugglan visdom i himlen rutnät med nio dubbel-headed ormar dualitet, hade den västra byggnaden sammanflätade ormar kundalini med en panel av blommor (symbol för vulva) och norra byggnaden hade staplat Chak ansikten (gud av regn och livgivande vätskor) och manliga fallossymboler.

Mästare Maya Lärare Miguel Angel Vergara kallar Uxmal "The City of the Kindness of the Moon" och säger att det var en kosmisk Feminin universitet för Priestess initieringar. IxCheel hedrades i hennes många aspekter som Lady Rainbow och Moder Jord, med Face of the Moon, healer, herbalist och barnmorska.

Öster om fyrkanten står mäktiga Pyramid av trollkarlen. Besökare som kommer in ruinerna firas med synen av denna 117-fot hög struktur, och det tar andan ur dig. Till skillnad från nästan alla Maya pyramider, som är kvadratiska och fyra-sidig är denna pyramid oval. Brant trappa stiger öst och väst sidor. Mot väster, ger ett stort monster mask tillgång till det inre genom sina gapande käftar. Uppe på toppen av masken är en liten kvadrat tinningen. De svällande pyramid sidorna tyder på graviditet, och de ovala inslag form av kvinnliga kurvor. I skarp kontrast, de raka linjerna i trappan är avgjort maskulin. Under nätter fullmånen, som utförs prästinnor i Uxmal sina ritualer på höjderna av pyramiden, slå samman de kreativa krafterna i universum, ära fertilitet och överflöd.

Rakt söderut av pyramiden, reser sig en stor tredelad terrassen för att stödja den imponerande guvernörens palats, som egentligen är ett tempel av solen. Framför två anmärkningsvärda små strukturer. Den dubbel-headed jaguar tronen sitter på en låg fyrkantig plattform, ett huvud på varje ände utåt. Med olika vänner, har jag upplever de olika energier av de två jaguar huvuden. En person står inför varje jaguar, höll händerna palm öppen mot jaguar. Den mindre huvudet hämtar energi sakta mot sig själv, som om mottagning. Den större huvudet blaster energi ur, dess kraft nästan överväldigande för vissa människor. Archeologists say the Uxmal ruler used this throne for ceremony. I think it brought his feminine and masculine sides into balance.

Between the jaguar throne and middle steps of the Governor's Palace stands an elongated stone about eight feet tall. Now tilted about 45 degrees but originally upright, this stone phallus symbolizes the fertilization of earth. Possibly it was empowered to draw down masculine creative forces and focus them in the person of the leader who manifested creative cycles for the people.

Southeast of this broad platform, now surrounded by brushy overgrowth, is the House of the Old Woman. The structure is crumbling, with vines and bushes growing between stones. Few tourists visit here. The old woman is IxMucane, goddess of the center of the earth, the convergence point of planetary energies and place of transformation. Called the Grandmother, she is the legendary sorceress who hatched her dwarf son from an egg, and magically aided him in his contest to overcome the Uxmal ruler. During this process, the dwarf created the imposing Temple of the Magician in one night.

Determined to do ceremony for IxMucane, a friend and I braved the narrow thorny path and found a small clearing in front of the House of the Old Woman. We spread our altar cloth on the ground in typical indigenous manner, and placed objects for earth, water, fire and air at the four corners. Making offerings of copal (resin of the copal tree) and ground maize (corn), we offered prayers and salutations quietly. In our meditation there, we caught glimpses of Uxmal when it functioned as a center where Maya women received both human and cosmic knowledge, learned the ceremonies of the elements and directions, and celebrated the power of creation in song and dance.

My friend was deeply moved and felt the Feminine Divine presence strongly. We agreed that Uxmal offered an amazing balance: sky-earth, sun-moon, masculine-feminine.

Xcambo

An hour from Yucatan's capital city, Merida, lies hidden the small coastal site Xcambo. My friend and I drove past palm-stippled beaches lining the calm Gulf of Mexico to Telchac Puerto, a sleepy fishing village. A short sandy road took us into the Xcambo ruins, a collection of modest structures. The tallest building, composed of five levels, rises 50 feet. On top, a large flat platform gives unobstructed 360-degree views of the surrounding marshes and the nearby gulf. Palmettos dot the marsh and water birds abound. Around the central plaza are four structures, the southern one presenting masks in deteriorated condition. The architecture is simple, mostly without adornment.

Xcambo is full of stillness and the song of the wind. It brings you in touch with the vastness of seas, the meeting of water and earth. Meditating on the high platform, we easily communed with the goddess of the sea, IxYumHa. She embodies the life of the seawaters, her crown elongating into a sea bird holding a fish. Shells rattle at her wrists and ankles, and seaweed forms her hair. Her special bird is the pelican, and she protects both birds and fish.

We reveled in the gentle feminine energy of Xcambo. Not much is known of this mysterious site, and few tourists visit. In the spring, the local Mayan villagers make a pilgrimage walk to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe with ceremonies on the high platform. A small open-sided Catholic church was appended to the structure long ago. To us, the energies of IxYumHa and Guadalupe merged, as they undoubtedly do on a deep level for the local Maya.

Although the more famous sites of the Mayan Goddess IxCheel are on the Caribbean islands Cozamel and Isla Mujeres, we discovered a strong Sacred Feminine presence in Yucatan. Just as the underground channels hide abundant water, the land and sites here conceal the Goddess; but gladly reveal her energies to those who really look.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leonide Martin lives in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico where she gives classes and excursions focused on ancient Maya teachings, goddesses and calendars. She received training as a Maya Solar Initiate and Fire Woman, and is an ordained Priestess of Isis. Her book “Dreaming the Maya Fifth Sun: A Novel of Maya Wisdom and the 2012 Shift in Consciousness” reveals how indigenous wisdom supports global transformations. Experiences of the Sacred Feminine through the Maya goddess tradition are offered with Trudy Woodcock at Iluminado Tours: www.iluminado-tours.com

by Glenn Broughton

Why do so many people visit ancient sacred sites each year? Why are so many people drawn to England's Stonehenge, or the Pyramids in Egypt. What is going on?

In my experience as a guide to ancient sacred sites in Britain there are various reasons why people make these journeys. For some it is a quest, such as following the Arthurian legend in a personal search to find the meaning of the Holy Grail. For others it is a modern pilgrimage to walk the paths of our ancestors. Others instinctively know that a healing awaits them at one of these places shrouded in mystery. Whatever prompts the decision to travel, journeys of this kind are almost always transformative.

Reading The Signs
Our ancestors knew the Earth intimately and understood her wisdom. Living in much closer communion with the planet than we do their sense of the natural forces of the Earth was a finely-tuned whole body awareness.

Imagine yourself as a member of a neolithic society living five thousand years ago. You are walking along and suddenly you feel a tingling in your hands or feet or maybe a rush of energy throughout your body. You have just walked over an energy hot spot. This is where you would choose to build a structure in which you could work with the energies present for purposes of healing or spiritual insight.
Today this same sacred site might appear to be just a dead relic of a bygone age. However, myths passed down through the generations tell a different story. For example, it is said of several stone circles that the stones go down to the water to drink at midnight or on a full moon. This folktale speaks of the connection between the stone circle, ever-present underground water and the earth energy that is carried by the water. This varies according to the seasons, the phases of the moon and even day and night. All holy wells have stories of healings attached to them. When we realise that strong Earth energy currents have turned the waters into something akin to a homeopathic remedy, these tales make perfect sense.

Sacred Space

Originally all energy spots were simply in nature – a hilltop, a wooded copse, a spring. The trees were the first to teach us the consequences of enclosing natural energy. The energy can be contained and built up to create a super-charged space. The Druids performed all their ceremonies in sacred groves for this reason. We can all feel these 'magic' places still, even if we don't feel energies; they create in us a sense of silence, of wonder, of gratitude. The stone circle builders developed this theme and used crystalline rocks in order to control the energies. Today we utilize crystal (silicon chips) in all our computers; our ancestors were really using the same technology but for different purposes and on a different scale.
Medieval churches and cathedrals were often built on the sites of stone circles, ensuring that these energy hot spots would empower their Christian ceremonies.

Intent

What makes the crucial difference between a tourist visit and a transformative experience is our intent. Combining this committed intent with the super-charged atmosphere of a sacred site on a spiritual journey opens the door for extraordinary things to happen. On some level we still know what our ancestors knew – that the ancient sacred sites hold power and potential. Yet, our logical thinking often tells us this can't be true. If we are prepared to quiet the sceptical mind for a while and act as if magic is possible, then magic does indeed become possible. As Albert Einstein once remarked “He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”

About the Author:
Glenn Broughton has been researching and visiting ancient sacred sites for twenty years and is drawn to explore their energetic properties and how such places of power affect us today. He has been a tour guide for most of this time leading groups exploring the mystery of sacred sites through http://www.journeyswithsoul.com
He also lecturers internationally on sacred sites, earth mysteries and crop circles, and is the co-founder / co-organizer of http://www.earthspiritconferences.com

The iconic Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor was a gift from France, in 1886. But, did its inspiration originate almost 2000 years ago, in Turkey? A recent discovery in the remnants of excavation in one of the country's most important archaeological sites is cause for speculation.

The history of Perge, situated 18km from Antalya, in the Pamphylion Plain on the Mediterranean coast and one of Turkey's most popular vacation destinations, dates back to at least 1500 BC, the end of the Hittite Empire's period. Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia and one of the great Emperor conquered there in 333 BC But the height of the city's power was during the Roman Empire, in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD Since 1946, Perge has been carefully excavated, revealing some of the most complete and largest ancient ruins to be found in a part of the world that tells the entire story of western civilization through newly discovered antiquities, buildings, artworks and even entire towns and cities.

This in itself would be reason enough to visit Perge, and the many other ancient discoveries in Turkey but the added intrigue of Perge's “Statue of Liberty” makes a trip there irresistible. Carved into a tall column, the three-dimensional figure bears an uncanny resemblance to New York's own, including a crown and a torch held high and, as same as the American “lady,” a sword instead of a tablet of law. And, the similarities make sense because it turns out that Frederic Bartholdi's inspiration for American Statue of Liberty was none other than the Roman deity, Libertas, the goddess of freedom. Could it be that Perge's figure, with her distinctive pose and characteristics, became the model all the “Lady Liberties” down through the ages?

Americans may want to decide for themselves. In addition to a first-hand examination of the newly discovered statue, they will have the opportunity to explore the entirety of Perge's ancient wonders, which include a large agora, or market place, that served as the center of political and social life; a theatre that held 12,000 spectators; Roman baths; a colonnaded boulevard between Hellenistic gates, the city walls, gymnasium, numerous fountains and statues of Roman gods and the mother goddess Artemis, even a necropolis for the dead. Perge is also of interest because of its connections to early Christianity, having been famously visited by Saint Paul and St. Barnabas.

Adding to the appeal of a trip to Perge, of course, is Antalya itself. Some 500 miles of Mediterranean shoreline offer some of the cleanest beaches in Europe while the surrounding province contains ancient cities, picturesque seaside villages and exceptional natural beauty.

The city is noted for its hotels and resorts, appetizing restaurants, lively nightlife and shopping as well as year-round sporting events. A Cultural Center, opened in 1995, is the focal point for special events, festivals and exhibitions showcasing music, theater and other creative arts.

About Turkey

Turkey is a modern nation with a captivating blend of antiquity and contemporary and of East and West. The cradle of civilization and center of world history today stands as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world. Turkey was the site of the first human settlement; the seat of the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman Empires; the birthplace of Homer and the last home of the Virgin Mary, just to name a few. Today Turkey, with its spectacular coastline, majestic mountains, cosmopolitan cities and quaint villages is one of the world's most fascinating destinations.

For information call 1-877-FOR-TURKEY or contact the Turkish Culture and Tourist Offices in New York at 212-687-2194 or in Washington, DC, at 202-612-6800, or in Los Angeles at 323-937-8066 and visit their Web sites at www.goturkey.com or www.tourismturkey.org