with Freddy Silva

Seen from the air, the island of Malta, together with its bijou neighbour, Gozo, resemble two miniscule limestone leaves floating on the wide, blue Mediterranean Sea, and yet they contain more sacred places per square mile than perhaps anywhere in Europe.

Malta is also unusual in another respect. Its ancient temple culture is like no other: the temples often come in pairs, each representing the divine feminine and masculine, and each accompanied by underground temples that replicate those above in the negative. To say this small territory has been a prime focal point for honouring the ways of nature, the universe and the gods is an understatement.
http://www.greatmystery.org/events/malta2012.html

When the apostle Paul inadvertently shipwrecked here and hid from persecution he was merely following in the footsteps of countless hermits whose caves dot the island, as though it provided shelter from the troublesome world and allowed for a closer, introspective experience of God. Perhaps it is the energy in this land that allows for such an experience, for it has drawn seers and visionaries to its soil from the Paleolithic right up to the 16th century. The original Knights Templar were founded on the same principles of devotion to the divine feminine and were drawn to places of solitude and introspection, so it almost comes as no surprise that one of their counterparts, the Knights Hospitallers, also decided to make this their home.

AND SO COMES THE VISION FOR THIS JOURNEY.

In arranging this pilgrimage to Malta I hope to bring you on a passage through time, to experience the pendulum of worship from divine feminine to the masculine and back again, and the manner in which it was explored. In doing so we shall travel to some of the oldest temples in the world whose origins may precede a global flood that raised the level of the sea and made an island out of Malta. Their monolithic limestone blocks may bear the weathering of time but they still exert a powerful influence on the senses, particularly at Mnajdra, with its exceptional position on a vertiginous cliff and an uninterrupted view of the sea.

We will walk in the footsteps of the first Order of Knights Hospitallers in what is today the enchanting town of Vittoriosa, and look at the palace of their nemesis – the Holy Inquisition – who inevitably followed them here.

Given Malta’s proximity to Sicily, the presence of the Catholic Church now overwhelms the entire island, and we shall take in a couple of unique cathedrals to marvel at the architecture and discuss how this new religion is so derived from the older pagan tradition.

We shall experience a couple of remote chapels, and a cave where Homer is said to have hid – all places where the hermit inside us is granted the solitude to connect with the subtler forces of nature.

We will examine the mysterious ‘cart ruts’ that cross the entire island, and why they reach the edge of cliffs only to continue under the sea.

We shall certainly spend an afternoon walking in quiet contemplation along the vehicle-free labyrinthine streets of the 10th century arab walled city of Mdina, the Silent City, where the later Grand Masters of the Temple swore an oath.

In small groups of ten we will enter the underground temple of Hal Saflieni, one of the finest wonders of the world, a complete underground temple and marvel of the temple builder’s craft.

Finally, you will walk Valletta, quite possibly one of the world’s most enchanting cities (and mostly car-free), with its limestone walls and verandas, its cafes, its statues guarding every street corner, its luscious hill gardens and fountains. I have walked this city five times, and each time is like tasting it for the first time.

Malta may be one of the world’s remotest places but you will leave feeling much more connected to the earth than before.

Full Journey to Malta information at: http://www.greatmystery.org/events/malta2012.html

On Monday I had a truly lovely time with Diego Mulligan of Santa Fe Radio, who interviewed me about The Path of Synchronicity.

Now, the thing that made this very special is that Diego had recently undergone surgery, but was in his hospital bed, hosting the show despite everything. That is truly professional dedication at its best.  And yet it is also far more than this.  Every listener would have noticed that Diego was dedicated to his show, dedicated enough to disregard pain and discomfort, and do what he feels is important.  And I have to say that is profoundly inspiring. In fact Diego did something extraordinary.  He took what may have looked like bad luck and, because of his sense of what truly matters, he turned it into a blessing for everyone.

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I'm just back from Antwerp in Belgium, where I did some interviews for "The Wisdom of the Heart" documentary, due out in early 2012.  I'll be in good company. Deepak Chopra, Desmond Tutu, Marianne Williamson, Gary Zukav and others are already in this wonderful movie. I didn't get to hang out with them, but I was blessed in a different way, because I got to spend time with Baptist de Pape, Mattijs van Moorsel and Arnoud Fioole, the three inspired friends who are making it happen.

To be part of a splendid project is always a delight, but to be part of a project where the three main figures complement each other so well, and have so much shared vision, and generate such a magnificent synergy - that, my friends, is truly extraordinary.

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This past week has been rather busy - between Dr Pat’s radio show (more interviews to come on Sept 29th) and Summer McStavrick on VoiceAmerica.com I’ve found myself delightfully in demand.

The thing that I enjoy most is that in this age of video everything, with extra effects and music, there seems to be a robust call for interesting conversations on the radio. The media may like us to think it’s all zippy effects and explosions, with rock music attached at brain-numbing levels, but I am not buying that.  Far more prevalent are the thoughtful conversations and explorations of intelligent radio hosts.

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As I travel around the globe speaking and training, I have consistently found that most people ask me the same question, ‘how do I discover my purpose in life?’  In the past, who you became was determined by your family and circumstances. You didn't have much choice. But now there is an open moment in history where you have the chance to tap into the soul of your purpose.            

Millions of people right now are experiencing a yearning and desire to awaken to their unique gifts and offer them in service to the world—while living a life of joy and fulfillment. It's a surging of the human spirit, a virtual global awakening, at a scale that no one has ever seen before. Simply put, people are longing to finally feel fully alive and to fulfill their unique purpose in life.

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Today, Saturday, at 3:30 EST I'll be speaking on the Dr Pat show as she participates in a three day event to Memorialize 9/11. The idea is not to dwell on the grief but to acknowledge how the fear and sadness can be transformed, if we choose, into love and forgiveness. Love and forgiveness are not soft options.  On the contrary, they are far stronger than the evil that terrorists can bring to us.

We can remove that darkness by bringing the light of love to dispel it.

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Some of you may remember this fine political body as the joke party of Quebec, some years ago.  It derived its name from Eugene Ionesco's famous play "Rhinoceros", which was, as I recall, about how to deal with something that wouldn't go away.

Perhaps it's time to revivify this ancient and venerable party.  After all, we have Republicans as elephants, and Democrats as mules, and nothing can get done in Congress right now. A rhinoceros might be the creature to push through some changes. After all, it's big, strong, armor-plated, and well armed.

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Thousands of young people will be heading, or already have headed, to college this September. About 30% of them in the USA will drop out by the end of their first year, for various reasons. Even those that remain are sometimes tortured with feelings of stress that they do not measure up, either academically or socially.

Luckily, many colleges are sensitive to this and extend helping hands. And many students do find themselves empowered, excited at their new potential, and happy to be making their way in life.

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Hurricane Irene is headed our way and the media have told us to prepare for this emergency. Many people are piling up food and water and flashlights. Others are rushing around trying to find safe places to put their lawn furniture. Still others have headed for the hills.

Which asks the question: what actually is worth worrying about? And to what extent do we worry about the wrong things? I recently read Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky - all about the exodus from Paris in 1940, when everyone thought Hitler would flatten the city. The tale is terrifyingly human, as people worry about their china, their money, their papers, their pets.... And the tragic irony that completes the book is that Ms. Nemirovsky herself managed to save most of her essential belongings from a threat that turned out to be not a threat - and then was rounded up by fellow citizens and to be killed in a concentration camp.

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As a small child my parents would read to me from A.A. Milne’s stories. One of the stories I remember best is when Pooh and Piglet decided to go hunting for Woozles. As they walk through the snow to where the think the Woozles are hiding they see, just ahead, a pair of tracks, side by side, and decide that these are the marks left by two Woozles, a big one and a small one. Going a little further they see that there are now four sets of tracks, and they begin to feel a little anxious. Then, a short while later they see that there are now six sets of tracks…

We know, of course, that they’re walking in a circle and the tracks are their own, but the two animals become more and more concerned. As a child I laughed at this, feeling superior to these silly creatures.

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