Mother Maria
The German nun whose painful visions lead us to Mother's Mary Home in the hills above Ephesus
Attributed to Piero di Cosimo (1462–1522)
This Virgin and Child, by Elisabetta Sirani, shows the sensitivity of woman’s point of view and the fullness of maternal emotion. Sirani , who painted in the 1600s, was much admired in her day, often attracting travelers from across Europe who would come to watch her paint.
The archetypal und archaic Anatolian goddess, Cybele, was revered not only throughout Anatolia but also on the neighboring (modern day) Greek islands.
Evidence of her cult can still be seen today in the cave formations and niches carved into hillsides. Her great gift to humanity is the mystery of rebirth.
Many of these caves symbolize the birth canal and end in womb-like forms. On the island of Samos, for example, one enters the caves as if stepping back into the darkness of the womb—not of a biological mother and father, but of the Great Goddess of eternity.
During our journey through Anatolia, we will visit many such places—caves and rock niches where Cybele was likely venerated long before the appearance and unveiling of the many goddesses who later emerged in human consciousness, in our hearts and in our souls.
