Beauty, music, bellydance, the Dark Goddess, Nature, magick, ritual-theatre, death and love.

compendium of Aepril's communications on art, beauty, bellydance, the dark, faery tale, nature, magick, ritual, theatre, death and love. The talk of a priestess and shaman of the Dark Goddess.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Germany and Rome Travels: Part One

I am having such an INTENSE time!!!Where do I start?

Well, I suppose I should start at the beginning.… My arrival in Strasbourg, France (right across the border from Germany) was at 10:40 AM Europe time, so to me it felt like 4:40 AM. Yet, even after a long flight across the pond, and having to ride two buses to get to my plane in Paris that would take me to Strasbourg, I was wide awake when I arrived.  Upon landing there was a muder of crows on the tarmac. I took this as a very good omen.

At the airport, I was approached by a lovely woman who asked me if I was on my way to the tribal Festival in Offenburg. When I replied that I was, Christine of the Zafira tribal dance company introduced herself to me. (Wave to Christine! Hope to see you again soon!:))

Christine and I were greeted by a very sweet man who was there to pick us up and bring us to our respective hotels. Out the window of his taxi, we could see the farms of Southwest Germany, until we crossed the famous Rhine River. I was really here!



St. Ursula
I was taken to the Hotel Sonne in the heart of Offenburg. Hotel Sonne is one of the oldest hotels in Germany, if not in all of Europe. This hotel dates back to the 1300s, and the stone sculptures on its walls attest to this fact. My room was up high on the third floor; my window overlooking the town square with its patron saint Ursula at the very top of an obelisk, arms open to the residence of this beautiful medieval city. She reminded me of the goddess Mary, and I was glad to see her as I was very deep in mourning for my sister. I've lit many candles for her all over the sacred places in my travels. More about that later.


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The death of my sister was a great shadowy fact that was a deeply sewn into the fabric of this trip. In fact, today is her birthday. Her death was unexpected and she was very young. My sister had been sick for most of her adult life, but that she should die so suddenly was still a shock to everyone. To add to the devastating impact of this event, my family is not among those fortunate enough to have harmonious relationships. Generations of trouble and trauma have caused many rifts and much heartache. While some of us became closer and more compassionate with one another over this event, others chose to stubbornly reinforce their positions. It is a fact that causes great heartache, though I am glad my sister is finally free from it. I am lucky to have had her beauty and grace in my life, and her love. I am also lucky to have the love of my partner Mike, and all my friends who are my extended family.

Offenburg and the Black Forest
That Germany should be my destination for this trip was a perfect act of divine synchronicity. As it turns out this part of Germany is where my Schaile ancestors most likely originate. That makes me a child of the Swabian tribe , a people that live in or near the Black Forest. My visit to Germany coincided with the sacred holiday of Samhain, the time of connecting to the ancestors.


Surrounded by new friends I was part of a Samhain ritual outdoors, in front of the fire, at the edge of The Black Forest. My sweaters still smells like fire! I can't tell you how powerful this experience was for me of being in the black forest, near the land of my ancestors, asking them to watch over my sister and sending her light and love and peace. There are so much healing to be done, and the grandmothers were there to help. One of the participants brought this song:



Ihr Ahninnen, wir grussen euch

und reichen euch die Hand

wir setzen uns auf Geier's Schwingen

fliegen uber's Land



Die Spinne webt den Lebensfaden,

Perlen schnenkt der Tau.

Die Erde taucht Nebelschwaden

badet sich in grau



Die Blatter fallen auf das Land

ein Bett zur sanften Ruh

Die Dunkelheit hat uns erkannt

Und legt sich mit dazu



Die Erde zeiht sich nun zuruck

sie holt sich neue Kraft

Geschenkt wird uns ein tiefer Blick,

die Alte ruhrt den Saft





Rough English translation: (native German speakers feel free to correct!)



Ancestors, we are greeting you

and unto you extend our hands

we sit on vulture's wings

and fly over the Land



The spider weaves the thread of life,

Leaving pearls of dew.

The earth is shrouded in a mist

bathing in gray



The leaves fall on the Land

a bed of gentle peace

The Darkness has recognized us

And lies down with it



The earth is now calls us Back

she gets a new power

Gives us a deeper look,

The Old Woman stirs the sap





So Mote it Be



But I haven't told you yet about the Black Forest Tribal Festival! Claudia Dufner put on an amazing event and I can't wait to tell you about it! And, about the rest of my travels. But right now I am on my way to a ghost tour of Rome's dark side. More soon about Germany, and about Rome!