Underneath

Deep in the Earth, Kastraki (Meteorea) in Central Greece

I had been in the area for a day already, visiting the amazing byzatine monasteries perched high on apparently unscaleable natural stone towers. The isolation of these places, although beautiful, was tinged in deep sadness; many of the frescos in the churches portrayed in graphic detail the cruel, violent religious persecution which drove these monks into such isolation.

One afternoon I spied a trail which I suspected might lead up through a canyon to one of the churches I had not yet visited and so I set out on an adventure. To my delight I discovered a wooded grove in the midst of which there was a most magical oak tree surrounded by lush greenery... and a cave! The cave was shaped just like a yoni, and as I sat in the cool, nurturing stillness it occured to me that I was hundreds of feet directly below the monastary above. As I imagined my friends joining me in the cave for song and celebration I got the biggest tingle of mischievious glee at the thought of generations of people gathering to worship in nature "underneath the churches"...

LYRICS:

underneath the churches
down deep within the stone
lies a house of
the mother of the one

and all around us gather
the creatures of delight
to celebrate the presence of the one

we're calling back the goddess
when we sing our songs in the night
we're calling out to the mother
lift us up once again in the light

1..2..3..4..
C.C.DD.TKD.D

...go to the next chant!