Seeing the Divine Within
As I write this I am in Greece. I have travelled here before, but it has been a number of years since my last visit. After a few days in Athens, my family and I decided to spend time in Crete. The change in energy was instant. This place feels raw, harsh in places. No longer did we have the site of the beautiful Acropolis to wake up to every morning as a reminder of its importance to both early and modern democracy. Rather, we enjoyed a fantastic view of Souda Bay each morning and all the expected scenery trimmings one can expect from a visit to the Mediterranean.
I found that in Athens and while staring at the Acropolis, wondering why it has survived the many wars and potential natural disasters to this day, I recalled information I read that described how ancient Greeks saw (or at least suspected) the divine in everyone and illustrated both equality with Gods and the perfection of form in all of their art and architecture. For example, representations of Gods were depicted in size relative to man (only slightly larger thus they were not superior) and the architecture was constructed using a specific mathematical calculation to give the illusion of perfection. I concur with what I read in follow-up material, which is that inherently and through the ages generations of people have come to instantly recognize the aspects of perfection and equality of the individual and humanity when gazing upon ancient Greek creations (sculptures, pottery, temples, friezes, stadiums, amphitheatres), which is why many of the important sites were not destroyed completely or at all through the suppression of the Greeks by early cultures and in wars. Where damage has occurred, one can still feel the relevance of what I call “pure thought form” of ancient Greece, and we can instantly imagine how life would have been for that society.
When we arrived at the hotel in Athens, the moment I spotted the Parthenon my heart skipped a beat. I knew I was home again. I had this same feeling 16 years earlier. Nothing has changed from our first visit, except for the fees now charged to gain entrance to ancient sites and the commercialism at the Acropolis that wasn’t there before (16 years ago it was free and we wandered aimlessly amidst many ruins throughout mainland Greece). I was dismayed with these changes but at the same time understand the economic drivers at work to preserve the national treasures. Yet, it raises the question of what perhaps the Greeks intended. Initially, the Parthenon was built over several years in a cult-like atmosphere to honour the Goddess Athena. Later, the Parthenon and Acropolis itself became a symbol of justice and equality. Did the divinity of ancient Greek art and form actually represent the power (spirituality) we all have within to express democratically through our own perfection?
The outer always reflects the inner. If you’ve travelled to Greece, you perhaps felt as I do when looking at ancient artifacts the absolute perfection of art and form in each one (not to mention the superb functionality). While statues may depict an early form of idolatry of the human body that western culture has come to ridiculously worship at the peril of forgetting the inner divine, when we do honour our aspect of holistic perfection we are one with all else. If we were to all chose to live harmoniously in modern times (something like what we feel when coming together at the Olympic Games), we could continuously be creating an abundance of beauty and harmony globally that one can easily observe in ancient Greek culture.
While it’s true I am on holiday and not living the everyday struggle in Greece that many here are, I have found the locals don’t treat tourists any differently than the next person that walks through their door. Everyone is the same. There is no competition for patrons to shop, eat or buy tickets to attractions. You buy/eat/go here, there – it doesn’t matter; it’s all the same. This can’t be a reflection of anything else but an innate understanding of the goodness we come from and willingly share despite, despite, despite.
My heart to yours,
Vonne
