Assisi by night

When the external world appears to spin with anger, violence and judgment, I find myself guided to walk in the footsteps of the man of peace.  Through the beauty of the Umbrian country we began a pilgrimage to find the spirit of Sophia as we walked the path of Saint Francis.  You seem to enter another time and space far away from the fast world.

st germain

Saint Francis is one of the incarnations of Saint Germaine.  I have always felt a deep resonance to this gentle man who spoke to the animals and walked the earth nearly 800 years ago. Francis from Assisi, son of a wealthy man had been a successful warrior when he heard the divine speak to him and ask him to return home as a man of peace.    He taught the Path of the Rose in the structure of the Church of Rome.

I questioned long ago in my early youth, structured religion which condemned and judged others, but yet I knew in my heart the Path of the Rose was the very teachings of the man who cared for those who struggled, held compassion in his heart for the natural world and taught the ways of peace and humbleness.

Robbyne altar

Hundreds of thousands come to Assisi each year, drawn by some unseen force, some following a pilgrimage, but for me it was something deeper. Sophia had called me the year before and now she had summoned me to return to share the Path of the Rose.

crosses on altar

For me it is not the Basilica where I feel the spirit of this humble man who was larger than life, it is instead in the green temple where he would spend his days and nights in prayer and meditation.   Here we would leave our offering of a cross representing the four elements and the balance they bring to our world as we made our commitment to be the fifth element, a vessel of love.

flute playing

Our beautiful group journeyed into the sanctuary of silence to renew our vow of faith keepers and receive guidance.   The faery world came to life and the tree spirits smiled as Marlis and Ueli played the sacred flutes honoring this enchanted place that exists just outside of the human world.

I shared the prayer of Saint Francis which always makes my heart fill with light when I speak the words out loud as we each let the forest speak to our soul.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

Divine Mother Goddess, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Forgiveness is our greatest tool to find inner peace and to look through the eyes of love.   If we can find it within we can be that change that our hearts long for.

alpha omega

Through the eyes of an enlightened artist, now housed in the Church of the Rose, one will find the most beautiful sanctuary where the Magdalene will touch your heart.

33 Mary's

33 carvings of the artists image of Mary from 33 sacred woods around the world holds the heart essence of Sophia.  The wood represents the earth fertile with possibility and the glass containers are the light.  In this place where Alpha and Omega come together we prayed to open our hearts to receive the light.  To heal old hurts of the past and to be gifted with the sight to choose the right path where we could be vessels of love.  We prayed for strength to walk a path of truth in a world troubled and confused.

33 mary's

As the divine presence came through I was moved to tears. I was breathing her breath, I felt her touch my face as my heart was truly expanding.  The guardians of the church, had allowed me an hour for the group to meditate in stillness before they opened the doors.   The experience was profound for each of us.  The simplicity of this place and the acceptance of all faiths, beliefs, cultures and sexual preference emanated such incredible beauty.  It is a place to step into your grandness as an expression of Sophia.

st francis

As part of our journey, we would travel to the place where Saint Francis had built a simple church, hundreds of years before known as the Porziuncola . Now housed within a great basilica, this was the site where the Franciscan movement began.   This is a place of great mystery and a very special energy.   It was here that the miracle of the rose garden took place and Saint Francis would find his faith once again.  Like each of us have experienced at some point on our journey, Saint Francis had lost his faith and was struggling with feelings of inadequacy.  He threw himself naked into the rose bushes thinking if he physically suffered his doubts would be lifted.  Legends say that on contact with the Saint’s body thorn less roses began to bloom, as they continue to this day.

st francis dove

It was here, that I had a profound experience one year before, when Sophia appeared to me with guidance to share the teachings of the Path of the Rose and asked me to return to Assisi.   If we ever questioned if we were on the right path it would be confirmed as we walked towards the rose garden.  A white dove, the symbol of the Path of the Rose and the Goddess Sophia had flown in to the sanctuary and sat within the basin of water the image of Saint Francis held within his hand.  A universal cue of confirmation.

Isola Maggorie

We traveled to the Isle of Maggiore where I would again feel the presence of this humble man. As though walking with a friend we spoke of many things.  The land beneath my feet and the forest of the green temple felt familiar to me.    I had spoken to the animals all my life and understood why I had always needed these places of nature to find myself when I struggled to fit in with the fast world.  I was older now and had found my way.  I understood the struggle and now asked for guidance how to assist others to find their way.

A place of absolute peace where Saint Francis had journeyed to 800 years before to meditate and pray for 40 days.  Legends say that when crossing the waters a storm began.  Francis an alchemist, stood on the boat in a place of calm holding a candle to light the way.  Being one with the natural world he was able to calm the storm, the miracle of light, as the candle never went out.  I needed to come to this land and just be.  The first time we came the isle had been shrouded in a mist.

Isola Maggoire

I would return this day with the group and the sun would be shining.  We would sit at the very place on the isle, where Saint Francis spent his time mastering the art of just being.   When you sit at the water’s edge you can truly feel this is a place where the veil is thin, and two worlds merge together.  Both times the island has called me I would feel Saint Francis sit down beside me.

Isola Maggorie

It is when we find the stillness in our heart that the flame, the light of the Goddess we carry can burn brightly.

Isola Maggorie

The Path of the Rose teaches that we have the power as well to calm the storms of our own emotions.   Here we each prayed for peace and sent those prayers into the waters of this sacred place with the andara crystal.

Assisi has called deeply to my heart and I will continue to guide personal journeys and intimate group experiences here next year in 2019, in this enchanted village.  There is something magickal around every corner, an Assisi one can experience through the eyes of the Goddess.   This is a place of pilgrimage for those who follow the Path of the Rose, a place to find one’s truth.  If you are interested in a small group experience or personal retreat, please contact me as I will be scheduling these for October.

For those who are interested in the teachings of the Path of the Rose and how to prepare for 2019, I will be weaving the magick and teachings of this special place to Bern, Switzerland in November as well as Austin, Texas.

Love and cuddles, Robbyne

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