Fethiye with Snow on the Mountains

I came to Fethiye last night after about a month. It is interesting to see that there is still snow on the mountains. Last night the streets were wet in Dalaman when I arrived and Fethiye was much cooler than I expected. I missed this lovely piece of the world. No matter how much I like travelling, I love coming back home. My zodiac sign is Gemini and maybe like the air elemen this sign belongs to I love travelling and flying to different places of the world. I like change, trying new things and meeting new people. Yet may be because I was born on the first day of the sign, there are some astrologists who consider that day the second day of the month of Gemini, on May 22 I see myself display some Taurian qualities at strange times. Of course if you ask a Kabalistic Astrologist, he or she may say that is only natural since I am born in the sign of Taurus according to Kabalistic Astrology, which takes into consideration both signs, one determined by the sun and the other by the moon.

I was not going to talk about astrology, where did this come from now? Well, today is May 22 and it is my birthday. Birthdays definitely change their meaning as the years pass, at least for me. For the last few years I feel like I am at the completion of a project at the end of each age. Not better or worse, but as if one adventure ended and a new one will begin. As I have been studying various energy healing techniques over the years, I am becoming more and more sensitive to the energy that seems to welcome us at our birthdays. A new energy, a new package of possibilities arrives at our doorstep on our birthday and stay with us for about a year. Of course as the end of our birth year approaches, the energy of the coming year can be felt a little as well. As there is a specific energy available for us each and every day, there is a different energy available for us starting with our birthdays every year. There are 22 main energy times with many many variations. Therefore you will probably experience some similar energies over your life time, yet some you may experience 3-4 times and some maybe only once.

Maybe that is one of the reasons all teachings ancient and new talk about the importance ‘being in the now’ and ‘experiencing today’. The same energy may never be available to you again. And this is a good thing. Life continuously brings us new opportunities and changes. As I look ten years back today, I would have never ever imaged myself sitting in front of my computer on a cloudy but wonderful Fethiye morning writing an article for the Land of Lights newspaper in Fethiye. I was a person of plans, so I indeed had many plans and programs, and they did not turn out to be as I planned. Yet, I am also thankful that they did turn out the way they actually did.

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When I was in Japan, I had the chance to stay at the home of a wonderful family while I was visiting the headquarters of Shumei, Misono, and The Miho Museum in the Shigaraki Mountains. The family had two wonderful kids, Haruka-Chan, age 6, and Chisato-Chan, age 3.

And if I remember correctly on the third day of my stay in their home, we discovered that their mother, Sachiko-San was born on the same day as I. The same day, May 22nd, 1970.

It was a nice surprise, and I was not surprised at the same time. I had felt very close to this joyful, happy, loving and caring woman from the first moment I saw her. Maybe it was from seeing the piano in their home, or it was her smile, or her natural and peaceful care. In her approach to life, there is joy, there is happiness and love, all very natural and true. Today I cannot help but think of my ‘twin sister’ in Moriyama, Japan. I wish you a very happy birthday Sachiko-San. And hope to see you soon in Turkey or in Japan.


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As I got together with a friend late last night, I got good news and bad news at the same time. ... I learned that one of my precious friends in Fethiye, Rose, lost her beloved daughter. It is hard to find the words... I just want to send Rose my love and wish her strength and patience...

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This week I would like to end by sharing a short section from Michael Gelb’s famous book How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci:

“You can witness an ironic testament to Leonardo’s lament when you next visit the Louvre. As you approach the Mona Lisa, you will see a number of signs, written in large letters and different languages, reading: “No Flash Photography, Please.” As you attempt to take in the subtleties of this most mysterious of all paintings, you’ll find yourself almost blinded by the stroboscopic effect of the nonstop camera flashes of the Philistines who never bother to stop and actually look at the painting.”

...

May your days be filled with love and light,
Zeynep.

I'm Back Home

After being away in Japan with no cell phone connections for over two weeks have been an interesting experience for me. I have been traveling to various cities and centers and now that I am back I find not that easy to be here in Istanbul totally yet. This may take a few days. May be partly due to the jet-lag, my soul might need to catch up with my body which seems to be traveling at a faster pace. The traveling schedule was also quite full which in a way required me to be in Japan totally with mind, body and soul. I am trying to digest what I really experienced. There was a lot about spirituality, a lot about friendship and connecting with Japan and Japanese people. Once again I felt I was deeply connected with this land of Islands.

My first trip to Japan was last year, and everything had felt strangely familiar during that trip also. This time there is no doubt. With people I meet in Japan, I kept on having this lovely strange feeling of meeting old acquaintances, in every city I went to, one after the other. I do not question it any more, I just welcome and appreciate.

This time in Japan I had the opportunity to visit many temples and shrines in different parts of the country. Tokyo was a lot less chaotic than I expected. Yokohama was really fresh like the breeze called Hamakaze Yokohama is famous for.

There is an amazing attention to details in Japan. People carry this energy of loving whatever that they are doing. The love may not come naturally, but they seem to be able to add that love and care that seems to make a great difference.

In general there are also amazing similarities between the Turkish and the Japanese cultures. The futon beds on the floor remind me of the floor-beds I have seen in rural areas all around Turkey. Use of home slippers is quite a common tradition in Turkey as well as in Japan. And there are many more similarities. Yet, I could not help but think that there is a lot more to learn about dedication, respect, care and attention to life, to people and to details in Japan.

I believe I still need to allow some time to let my soul to completely arrive back home. So this week I will share more pictures with you than words, hoping that they speak louder.

I send my love to you all and hope to see you soon.

Zeynep