It is one thing to read about antiquities but quite another to visit one. All the descriptors in the Michelin Green Guide were most useful and gave me some familiarity with much that happened. However, nothing prepared me for the encounters with the energy of the island. On Sicily, the sense of a spirit, something else, some kind of energy was felt inside of me in several places and most profoundly on Ortygia.
Over the last twenty years, I have spent many a happy hour deeply immersed in different beliefs and cultures. My fascination with the teachings of the Buddha took me to a cushion to practice meditation and attend Vipassana retreats for about five years. My love of Native American ways took me from ceremonial Medicine Wheels in Rutland, Massachusetts with Otter Heart, all the way to the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My love of the seasons eventually brought me into a Wiccan circle which helped me understand that the goddess appears in many forms. So much has been learned moving in harmony with the esbats and sabbats. My love of earth, air, fire, and water also lead me to Tao. Of all the paths, this is most natural. Tao-Jia gives purpose to daily activity. A life spent in contemplation has many subtle rewards. These spiritual paths raised awareness about the mystery of all that is unseen. There is something out there. The Spirit of All Things is close.
Yet, I rarely felt more than an awareness of something deeper. Not a living being. Not a specter. A glimpse into a different way of expression perhaps is the way to convey the subtleness of some other life form present. Sort of like trying to step out of the human perception of things, not just obviously living things, but the animism of stones, earth and all that is tangible. During quiet hikes through fields and forests, I would connect to the energy of the trees. An awareness of the peacefulness of a place would come through. Hiking paths I was fond of had names like the soft moss trail or the golden bronze leafed walk and the red pine needle path. Brooks sang and held their own little life energy. The poplar leaves being bustled about by the breeze at times, seemed to be talking their own language. I recall a green shimmer hanging over the ferns at midsummer along the Robert Frost trail. There was almost something I could see, or more, sense. One thing I came to understand is I had to be alone to be open to it.
Taormina was the first place to stir my spirit and represented the solidity of earth along with its fiery energy just under the surface. I felt a presence when I looked at Mt. Aetna. The summit was smoking high above the tranquil, sparkling bay. Lava was creeping down the mountainside. The solid mass of the mountain rising up from the sea bed gave a sense of being in flight and the energy of the sun and sky. Sicily has feminine energy. All the Zen teachings finally made sense. A person can sit, and sit and sit for years waiting for enlightenment; nevertheless it can occur with the simple skip of a stone. It is in living that awareness comes. By looking at the panorama in Taormina, the magic of being on the island began to take over. I was becoming aware of her, of Sicilia.
A day trip to Ortygia was arranged long before I arrived. The hired driver dropped me off at the gateway to the island where I had several hours to explore on my own. The guide books encouraged the traveler to look carefully at the ruins surrounded by the modern bustle of commerce. Ortygia is the old city of Siracusa. At a certain point after crossing the bridge, cars were no longer allowed and it was a pleasure to walk around without a little Fiat sputtering too close. The Temple of Apollo sat at the gateway to Ortygia. The city historians have preserved the site and visitors can get an excellent look at this antiquity. It’s a worn down structure of steps, walls and columns supporting nothing but sky. The area is about the size of a baseball field but oblong in shape. Honestly, I couldn’t make sense of it.
As impressive as this could be, everything came to a stop when I entered Archimedes Square. In the middle of the piazza is the Fountain of Diana. All that I knew about Greek mythology came back in a joyful moment. She I knew something about. Diana is the Roman name for Artemis, the great goddess of wild animals and the hunt, protector of women in childbirth, guardian of agriculture and animal herding. She is the moon, nature, and women all at once.
My journeys in Wicca sacred circles prepared me for this moment. Wicca honors the goddess and keeps myths alive in different ways. The ancient archetypes are celebrated and called on for guidance. A full moon circle is the Wiccan monthly celebration that honors the ancient part of us that marks the stages of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Women understand this pattern of life instinctively. We co-create life, birth it, support it and pass, but live on in our children. The old expression as above so below to a Wiccan, means literally, as the stars, planets, and all celestial bodies move above, so what happens up there reflects below on earth in us. We are stardust. We are the energy of the moon as well as the sun. The moon is feminine energy. Some women can look at the phase of the moon to understand their own hormonal cycle. Wiccan honors the goddess in myth and honors the goddess potential in every woman. A goddess is a feminine deity with supernatural powers. The phrase, “she’s a goddess” refers to a woman’s strengths, character, qualities, and her beauty.
All those nights in sacred space, all the offerings, contemplations, and wanderings in nature came back to me. So, that is why I followed that path. At the time, I thought it was just a fascination with a philosophy out of the ordinary. As much as I participated and enjoyed the full moon celebrations, I held back, I connected to the rituals, but the people often got in the way.
The reader might have sorted it out by now, I tend to do things in a solitary way. I pick up all kinds of energy and do better without the distraction of other folks around. People project their emotions and feelings in different strengths. All too often, I feel their discomfort. I can let my guard down in nature, not with others present. I trust in the unseen of natural surroundings, not the unseen nature of people. Intimacy with nature is natural.
Artemis is an archetype that impressed me but I did not know how to incorporate her qualities into my own. The only female deity I knew well from childhood was the Virgin Mary. She has limits and does not represent the aspect of the feminine that is independent, choses her sexuality, choses to give birth or not, honors all creatures, and is self-sufficient. Artemis is power without hostility. Mary always appears as a passive figure, things happen to her. Artemis creates her own future and that is the attraction. No one tells her what to do.
Standing at the edge of the fountain, putting my hands deep in the waters, feeling the spray was a singular spiritual moment of connection to water. I was able to disconnect from the awareness of other people all around and immerse in what deeper awareness the images conjured up. I was home, I am in my first, best, safest home. I am with Artemis.
The large circular fountain in Ortygia is an elaborate depiction of a myth that was unknown to me. The central figure was Artemis with her bow, at her foot was Arethusa, behind Artemis was the river god Alpheus and in the water were several figures riding sea creatures. A young boy rode a sea horse thrashing the waters. A mermaid and child rode a wide-mouthed fish. A merman rode a sea turtle moving through the sea. The gentle spray of water surrounded thel figures above.
The legend of Arethusa says there was a water nymph bathing in the sea. She felt the brush of something against her foot. It was Alpheus. He became infatuated but pursued her with too much ardor. The frightened nymph appealed to Artemis to save her chastity and obliged by transforming her into fresh water. Arethusa flowed under the earth and enjoyed the streams and bogs, finally emerging at the base of Ortygia as a fresh water spring.
According to the guide book, “Arethuse was transformed to be a source of clear waters, which from Greece, through the Ionian Sea, reached Siracuse. So Alpheus decided to follow his beloved, transforming himself into a river and once he reached her, he mixed his waters with hers. The tale makes a clear connection with the indiscernible bond between Siracuse and Greece. Arethuse became the symbol of the city, called in fact Arethusean and it was represented in the silver coins in Siracuse of the 5th C BC.” As I connected to Earth, Air and Fire at Taormina, I blended with Water at Ortygia.
The Fount of Arethusa has a fresh water reservoir near the sea. It’s a deep, large well of water filled with papyrus and reeds. A brood of ducks live there and cats are seen lounging on the walkways. A few steps away is a shaded place with a bathing area called the Fountain of the Slaves. With the beauty of ancient things, comes the reality that not everyone was here of their free will. This is sacred ground.
The Olympian version of Greek mythology has Artemis and her twin brother Apollo born in Ortygia. Her mother is Letto and came to Ortyx, Greek for Quail, to give birth. She was in labor for nine days and nights. As much as I saw the ruins of Apollo’s temple, I did not feel a connection. They are large blocks, parts of a wall and stone steps. It’s large and hard to imagine what it might have been like.
Close to the Fount of Arethusa along the seawall is a grove of enormous magnolia trees. In width, it would have taken a connected circle of ten people with linked hands outstretched to reach around the trunk. The branches curved gently out and upwards, making it perfect climbing for man or beast. The roots seemed to be growing right out of the branches reaching into the ground. There may have been nine trees in all. The grove reminds one of the Ents from Middle Earth. These trees are old and have a different connection to the earth and sky. Magnolia flowers early in the spring season. It was not in bloom during my trip. The fragrance and sight of it in flower must have been without words to describe its beauty.
The magnolia tree symbolizes magnificence because of its impressive height and enormous flowers. Sicily is so sensual a being, I conjured up this image of the nymphs gathering the flower blossoms and preparing a petal bath for the goddess. Never mind the goddess, I would enjoy just such an immersion. Perhaps that is the rite to become a devotee of Artemis, honor the magnolia and become magnificent.
The shade offered a lovely resting place on a sunny afternoon. The planters around the park are filled with bird of paradise in full bloom. Incredibly large blossoms with black beaks and tall white plumes. In my native Massachusetts, the magnolia tree might reach 20 feet high and might live 20 years at best. They were in their glory in this island environment. Sicily is more arid than humid. There always seems to be a breeze and it cools off splendidly at night. Of course, I was visiting in May and found the climate most refreshing. We had rain for one or two days, but it was a nourishing kind. The one thing missing from this landscape are rivers and streams. I rarely saw the type of water common to my native New England. We are abundant with ponds, marshes, lakes, streams, and rivers. Sicily seemed to hide her fresh water sources. The rainy season is typically in fall and winter. I commonly read signs along the highways for torrente. These seemed to be deep ravines designed to hold large quantities of water. Maybe that’s how it is in Sicily, when it does rain, it can turn a stream into a torrent requiring containment. Everything about Sicily is fascinating.
Ortygia has so many more attractions that make this a worthwhile stop for a day. I went back to Artemis and put my hands in the water and let the spray cool my head. Now, I think I ought to have taken a vial of the waters back home. To be with her, to know these stories that had only existed in books and lectures could be real, had been cherished and admired is so satisfying. It’s not a myth at all, it’s a living philosophy and way of life.
What captured my attention, is different for the next tourist. Ortygia has a large open area in Duomo Square. The Chiesa Madre was built alongside the Greek Temple to Athena. The open piazza is surrounded by different buildings. When I first entered the island, I encountered a one-man puppet show at the foot of Piazza di Minerva. The owner was swinging the little guy along in a fun rendition of “Johnny B Good” by Chuck Berry.
Alleyways and side streets offer shops and restaurants. There is a large outdoor farmers market up near the Temple of Apollo with everything including fresh oysters, champagne and lemons. I became enchanted with the doorways to tiny apartments around Ortygia. There’s something beautiful and inviting about the clean swept entryways to these homes. The doors are painted a cheery green or yellow. A little flower garden gentles old stonework. A vespa is parked to the side under the shuttered windows. I want that to be my home. I would love to walk about Ortygia, shop at the open air stalls and return home with fresh mulberry, cheese and bread for an afternoon treat. There is a massive structure at the point of Ortygia called Maniace Castle built in 1240 and open to tourists in the morning. Windows, catwalks and portals look out to the sea for advancing invaders.
I never thought a place could offer as much as this little island did. Why does statuary draw my attention like nothing else? Who walked along these ancient stone walkways? I wonder if I returned, would it feel as enchanting? The spirit of Daphne, the mystical connection with water, is following me around. The bay at Casa Cuseni, now, this marvelous sculpture brought to life at play in water. I see the nymph in the waking world. Sicily is the best place on earth.
LuceStellare 