Ticino Encounters
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011Last weekend we went together with a friend to Ticino in the Southern part of Switzerland to visit another friend whom I had come to know via the web. The lady has been one of the first persons from the West to go to India in the early 1980ies to meet Master EK. She is now working with horses as a therapy of integration – besides her professional activity: “Ipsi-E, Centre for human-horse relationship and self-empowerment through the horse”.
She has three horses from the Pyrenees which never were used for riding, but for expressing their equine energies in the dialogue with humans. Thus they didn’t develop fear, but trust, curiosity and an intense presence. It was fascinating to touch and feel them, sensing their different qualities and observing their reactions. Saturday I only had little time with them, but Sunday morning I just stood for quite a while with two of them in silence, and there was an intense inner communication.
Later our friend took us to Ascona to the Monte Verità, the Mount of Truth, a very beautiful power spot above the Lago Maggiore, where in the early 20th century there was a “new age” community experimenting with new forms of life. Many artists, philosophers and theosophists had been attracted there. Our friend, who had lived nearby for many years and very often been at Monte Verità told us that also Blavatsky, Steiner and Hermann Hesse had lived there for a while and that a mayor with a theosophical background had attracted many spiritually oriented people.
We went through the Japanese tea garden to the Tower of Utopia, then followed the lines of a Feng Shui serpent leading to a colourful mandala, which Tibetan Buddhists had installed after a ceremony.
The Japanese garden
A little shrine
Stairways to the Tower of Utopia – leading into the light of life
Feng Shui serpent
The Mandala at the end of the serpent
Artwork in the garden
Beautiful Magnolia trees in full bloom
A house on the compound
Everywhere bushes with Camellia flowers
After dinner in the historic hotel / seminar centre our friend brought us to an old-fashioned b&b house, a villa in Art Deco style surrounded by a little park overlooking Locarno. The landlord gave us a warm welcome. and showed us the house with historical chandeliers and painted walls.
Sunday morning there was a splendid sunrise over the mountains and the lake. While I was meditating I couldn’t but open my eyes here and then to take a shot of the rising sun. Very special sounds of a nearby old pilgrimage church reverberated through the air.
A pine and a huge magnolia tree
Golden dawn
The old church looking through the palm trees
After breakfast I walked up the road along villas with their gardens, traversed by little stairways.
The road went along a little forest where a brook came down the hill with some waterfalls
I breathed in the fresh spring air – it was a great surprise to be at that place with so much natural beauty. We only had arranged to be there 24 hours ago…
Later we met again with our friend and the horses before, after lunch, we set out to our way back through the Gotthard tunnel and some pass roads back home.
Camillas in front of the house of our friends
