"I saw evidence in Crete that there was a time when the feminine divine was approached with awe and gratitude, when human beings lived together in peace, and without huge class differences between rich and poor, when common needs were met and creativity flourished, and when women played leadership roles in religious and communal life. I also learned of the destruction of this way of life, and how new myths were created that turned the distinctive elements of Minoan culture on their head. For the last five thousand years we have lived with war, class differences, a terrible de-valuing of women, and a dangerous disrespect for the Earth. Growing up in a patriarchal society, I had always assumed these forces to be an inevitable consequence of human nature. Now at least I know a happier alternative is possible and workable. I pray we begin to make choices that will take us in this direction. And I hope my own grief and outrage over what we have lost is channeled into productive activism."
—Read more of Carolyn Holt's "Travel Journal: Crete" (2007).
"I realize my eyes are closed and laugh that I have closed my eyes in this black dark. I open my eyes to the absence of light and ask the Goddess to show me what I need. 'Give me a vision. Show me the way.' I see a straight road before me leading through distant mountains. A long journey but the mountains await me. Hopeful. The road and horizon begins to move and the image becomes a labrys. The road the handle, the horizon and mountains the blades. My guide for the future, a symbol to hold on to. Spirals and circles dance before my eyes. Moving and rotating and then fading."
—Read more of Pat Gordon-Rice's "Into Skoteino Cave: Four Levels Down" (2007).
"What is so threatening about the idea of a feminine, or a non-gendered presence, one that honors creation of life, the beauty and harmony we can find in nature? I felt a bond to the Minoans, their reverence and joy felt for the earth. It affirmed my sense of spirituality as part of the natural order, not of a creationist deity."
"Present-day Crete is a beautiful, sensuous place. We hiked the mountains, smelling the naturally occurring sage, thyme, oregano; we swam in the indigo and turquoise-colored sea; we explored sacred caves. We performed simple rituals, honoring our ancestors, affirming our self-worth as women, feeling our place in the natural order of life."
—Read more of Cindy Biboux' "On a Goddess Odyssey" and "After a Goddess Odyssey (2007).
"The Minoans were a deeply spiritual people who worshiped not only at human-made shrines but on mountaintops and in the womb-like caves found throughout Crete. We pilgrims followed in the ancient worshipers’ footsteps, laboriously climbing mountain paths and carefully making our way down into the darkness of the earth, celebrating rituals at the ancient sacred sites. Prayer, singing, dancing and ritual were woven into the tour, at sacred sites (including an initiation ritual at a prehistoric tholos-tomb), on the tour bus, and at special celebrations at the beginning and end of the pilgrimage. At the end of each day, the pilgrims shared a storytelling time, where we reflected on the experiences of the day, and the process that had brought each of us on this sacred journey."
—Read more of Mary Ann Beavis' "My Goddess Pilgrimage to Crete" (2003).
"A Pilgrimage is one of the most ancient and abiding rituals in all cultures. Pilgrims travel to sacred space to receive inspiration and guidance in the journey of life, to give thanks, and to pray for the healing of physical and spiritual illness.
Crete is one of the few places where a highly developed prepatriarchal culture is clearly documented. The Minoans celebrated the grace of life. We saw museums with incredible treasures, visited spiritual centers, descended into sacred caves. We climbed to the tops of holy mountain, swam in the life giving seas, visited convents, gained a renewed sense of the beauty and strength of our bodies an our souls."
—Read more of Anne Harrison's "Grace of Life: A Sharing of the Goddess Pilgrimage to Crete" (1998).
Come with us to Crete!