We spent many hours on the bus on June 12 and passed a
notebook around for people to reflect on two questions:
What was your favorite experience of today?
What was your favorite experience of this trip so far?
What was your favorite experience of today?
Kay: Buying a rainbow bear.
Anonymous: The Church of St. Paul---wonderful!
Judy: Being at Catal Hoyuk. I have wanted to see that ever since I first
heard of the goddess civilization there.
Anonymous 2: It was wonderful to visit Catal Hoyuk. And even more wonderful
to do our ritual together in the mountains with the trees and birdsong,
dappled sunlight, sharing our loves of Ana---Mother Nature---Mother
Earth.
Anonymous 3: Seeing actual excavations at Catal Hoyuk was a great opportunity,
and hearing the leader (a Polish archaeologist) explain their goals
on the spot.
Lillian: Going to Catal Hoyuk. And the ritual was almost as powerful.
Sun: On the bus, women sharing themselves and opening their hearts.
Veronica: Sharing the ritual with this group of women.
Emily: The ritual. Communing with Mother Earth at one of her many fine
sites, a beautiful mountain glen.
Nancy: Going out in the early morning to photograph Rumi's tomb and
the mosque and interacting with local Konyans.
Ellen: I love the mountains today, green, granite, Turkish carpet of
pine and cedar. I feel refreshed after the cityscapes, close to the
Mother.
Anonymous 4: I enjoyed seeing the smile on the nuns when we shared their
joy of playing music. Most people must regard them as part of the church,
but we showed our interest in them.
Yvonne: I cannot choose one. Walking with new friends to search out
Rumi's tomb, the view at breakfast, realizing the intentional "collapsing"
of homes, the incredible views, our ritual, the sharing, Meli's belly
dancing, Beebe's songs, Karen's performance, the food, finding my table
cover---love it all. I particularly love the shifting in energy that
I believe is an outgrowth of all of the above. Blessed Be! With gratitude…
Diane O.: Looking for the Great Mother Goddess amidst the boulders just
above our ritual site.
Roberta: Quiet time in the mountains.
Joanne: I was really touched by the two nuns at St. Paul's Church, keeping
the church sanctuary open for people who want to visit and for the small
Christian Community to meet together.
Linda: Sharing on the bus, in particular, the vulnerability and honesty
of my daughter-in-law, Sun. The singing by the two nuns, which brought
tears to my eyes.
Sarah: Watching the archeologists patiently dig, brushing dirt from
long dead skeletons at Catal Hoyuk.
Anonymous 5: Seeing women active in shaping their experience: from women
joining the ritual to women saying, "I respect your experience,
but I also have to honor my own calling" (for example, by opting
out of the ritual as well as the offering of self on the bus). Now the
backdrop of Turkey makes the picture complete.
Bonnie: The Black Madonna painting at St. Paul's Church in Konya.
What
was your favorite experience of this trip so far?
Kay: Breakfast on the train (from Istanbul to Ankara).
Anonymous: The boat ride on the Bosphorus .
Judy: To be in Hagia Sophia, a place I have always wanted to visit.
Seeing the Blue Mosque was also very powerful---a beautiful place
to pray.
Anonymous 3: It is not possible to choose a favorite of the trip.
So many are once-in-a-life-time (experiences). I would have been very
disappointed if I had never seen the Blue Mosque.
Sun: Meli, her knowledge, her charisma, and the way she loves herself
and her country.
Veronica: So far, the Blue Mosque still sends shivers up my spine.
The sensation was centering and gave me a sense of peace.
Emily: The Whirling Dervishes. They were quite enchanting and it was
a privilege to see their sacred practice and to feel the spirit with
them.
Nancy: Feeling the peace and openness of the Blue Mosque.
Diane O.: The fragrant air everywhere, even at petrol stations. Meli's
wondrous dog, so wise, seems to be smiling.
Roberta: The Grand Bazaar the first day. All the wonderful new sights,
sounds and smells of a place I have wanted to visit for a long time.
Joanne: I loved Meli's talk on Rumi in the quiet of the mosque. It
really brought home to me the similarities of all belief systems.
Linda: The walk back from dinner, passing by the Blue Mosque with
the light show and music. My heart sang.
Sarah: Walking from dinner and unexpectedly finding myself at the
Blue Mosque "sound and light" show. Surreal!
Anonymous 5: The combination of the beautiful country Turkey and my
experience with women. I am so appreciative of each of you. The awesomeness
of the mosques was equally unbelievable and inspiring.
Bonnie: I admired everything about Istanbul, including being awakened
by the calls to prayer. It was an adventure to take the night train
from Istanbul to Ankara. I love the idea that I've done such a thing.
Did I see Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Ustinov sneaking
past our compartment at midnight?
Your editor can't resist commenting on the huge percentage of us who
named some aspect of Islam as our favorite experience on the trip so
far.