Announcing our 2019 Sacred Sites Journeys
Spiritual Pilgrimage to
MALTA!
After reading the information below, if you'd like to join us, HERE'S
HOW:
If you've traveled with us
before during the last three years,
please email Andrea Mikana-Pinkham at info@SacredSitesJourneys.com
to request a Registration Form.
If you haven't traveled with us before,
or it's been more than three years since you've done so,
(Life does change very rapidly these days!),
in order that we will be better able to support you on this Sacred
Sites Journey to MALTA,
we ask that you fill out and return an Application Form.
To request this, email Andrea Mikana-Pinkham at info@SacredSitesJourneys.com
Once your participation is assured, you will be provided
with
a
Registration Form and our
Terms and Conditions.
At that time
you will be required to submit a
deposit of
$450.00
to reserve your place.
Final payment will be due 60 days before the journey begins, on August 13,
2019.
MALTA - GENERAL INFORMATION & HISTORY
Sacred Temples of Malta
General Information
In the inset on the above map, the star indicates the location of the Malta in the Mediterranean,
60
miles south of Sicily, the "boot" of Italy.
In case you've not heard of Malta, as many people haven't, here's some information about
it.
Malta is the largest of the three major islands that constitute the Maltese archipelago,
and is 95 square miles.
It's located east of its sister islands of Gozo and Comino.
In
October average temperatures is around 77 °F during the day and 64 °F at night.
Lovely weather!
Malta is one of the few places in Europe which is "green" all year round.
Native Maltese people make up the majority of the island.
However, there are minorities, the largest of which are British, many of whom have retired
to Malta.
Thus English is spoken almost everywhere.
History
Humans have inhabited Malta since about 5200 BCE, when stone age hunters or farmers
arrived from Sicily.
Early Neolithic settlements were discovered in open areas and also in
caves, such as Ghar Dalam.
Around 3500 BCE, a culture of megalithic temple builders then
either supplanted or arose.
They built some of the oldest existing, free-standing
structures in the world in the form of megalithic temples,
such as those at Hagar
Qi and
Mnajdra.
After 2500 BCE, Malta was depopulated but soon became the home of Bronze Age
settlers.
They built first fortifications in Malta.
Being an island and thus a natural crossroads in the sea, Malta was later ruled by the
Phoenicians,
Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs before it was occupied by the
County of Sicily in 1091.
It then became part of the Kingdom of Sicily until it was given to the Order of Saint
John,
also known as the Knights of Malta, in 1530, along with Gozo and Tripoli.
The Order ruled Malta for over 250 years and built many great pieces of architecture,
including the capital city Valletta.
In 1565, The Order and the Maltese withstood a major Ottoman invasion.
In 1798 the French under Napoleon occupied Malta and ruled for a couple of months until
the Maltese rebelled.
In 1800, the British took control over Malta and it initially became a British
protectorate, and a colony two years later.
The British ruled for about 150 years.
Malta became independent in 1964.
In 1974 the State of Malta became the Republic of Malta.
Malta joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the Euro in 2008.
Esoteric History
Legend has it that thousands
of years ago very tall lovers of the Goddess
with elongated skulls known as the Serpent
People
built megalithic temples on the summit of a ridge of towering mountains that united Africa
to Europe.
This ridge was eventually swallowed up when the immense wall of water that sunk Atlantis
poured through the Pillars of Hercules and then created the Mediterranean Sea.
The only temples to survive were those built upon the highest peaks, which then became
islands.
One of those peaks and its associated Goddess temples survives today as the Island of
Malta.
The Serpent People who built the temples of Malta designed them to
reflect the body of
their beloved Mother Goddess.
They covered them in Goddess spirals and then set “Fat Lady” images of Her
inside for worship.
Their temples were calendars in stone, perfectly aligned with many solar and stellar
positions,
as well as chambers for initiation into the Goddess Mysteries.
TOUR
DESCRIPTION
Join Featured Guest Speaker Artist
Connie
Rodriguez PhD,
SSJs Director
Andrea Mikana-Pinkham,
and our group of like-minded spiritual seekers
to explore and experience the
powerful transformational energies
of the
ancient megalithic Mother Goddess temples,
some of the oldest free-standing structures on Earth - over 7,000 years old!
Participate in
meditations and rituals
facilitated by Andrea to step back in “time”
as you connect with the still palpable energies of these amazing sacred sites
that were in
use when the Mother Goddess was
center stage in the hearts and minds of the people who built
them!
OPTIONAL SPECIAL OFFERINGS!
Join Connie for
meditations to travel
into the past where you may find yourself
experiencing another time, another
era.
After this
inner journey, you will have also have the opportunity to
sketch with
pastels and journal
about the images from your experience.
She will
support you during this time of solitude to bring your experience into
consciousness.
The process will conclude with group
sharing of the
lives, images or experience
that was elicited while journeying inward.
OTHER SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS
PRIVATE ENTRANCE for our group at the Hypogeum,
one of the greatest remaining structures from prehistory on our planet today!
Explore the mysterious ancient
“cart ruts”
that have been the subject of debate
for hundreds of years
as to their origin, form and function
- one of the most perplexing mysteries
of ancient megalithic building technologies of all time!
TOUR PERSONNEL
Connie Rodriguez, PhD
Doctorate in Depth
Psychology, Retired Jungian Psychotherapist and Artist
Connie
Rodriguez, PhD has
a doctorate in Depth Psychology where she studied Jungian dreams, myths
and archetypes. A psychotherapist for over 35 years, she conducted
hundreds of Past Life Regressions and as founder and teacher of The
Sacred Journey Mystery School, Connie has led many groups in dreams and
deep inner processes. She has authored 2 books: Sacred Portals and Gifts
of the Soul. She also led pilgrimages all over the world to sacred sites
including Egypt and Machu Picchu in tandem with Andrea Pinkham and Sacred
Site Journeys.
Now Retired from psychotherapy, Connie loves painting as
a full time artist. He work has been featured in local and international
magazines. As a contemporary artist, her art is layered with images,
symbols and often is inspired by dreams and nature. She exhibits and
sells her work in several Northern Ca. Galleries.
From Connie:
I'm thrilled to be once again teaming up with Andrea,
this time to journey to the sacred goddess
sites on Malta. Like true initiations, sacred pilgrimages are life
altering experiences that bring you to an awareness at deeper levels of
your self that which you couldn't know otherwise. The mystery of answering to
the call of a place automatically elicits synchronicity, magic and awe.
I hope you will join us to connect with the mysteries of this place of
the feminine, the Goddess, as she has been known for thousands of
years.”
Andrea Mikana-Pinkham
Shamanic
Practitioner and Researcher/Teacher of the Goddess Tradition
and Ancient Megalithic History & Director of Sacred Sites Journeys
Andrea
has led our groups to Malta in the past and is now returning to support YOU!
All are welcome
Andrea
has been leading spiritual pilgrimages around the world since 1994. She is a
longtime avid practitioner of the Goddess Path. During this spiritual
journey she will assist you to connect with the powerful energies of the Goddess at Her sacred sites and
temples.
Andrea is a trained Shamanic Practitioner, a Priestess of
Sophia in
The Sisterhood of Sophia, a branch of The Order and Mystery School of the Seven Rays.
 An
Invitation from Andrea: I invite you to join our diverse group of
spiritual seekers on this awesome spiritual pilgrimage in Malta. I've designed our
exceptional itinerary in order to give you the optimum experience at the ancient sites of
the Mother Goddess that we’ll explore and experience. I
will support you to connect with Her timeless Wisdom, as well as Her energies of love,
compassion and nurturing. As we explore the historical aspects of these sites you'll gain
an insight into how Her influence has continued to flow in these important areas
throughout time, influencing "Her-story" and thus our culture and civilization
of today. You will experience that the Goddess is still Alive, without and within! I'll be
honored to be with you to help facilitate your sacred travel experience and to support you
to have the transformation you seek. Blessings to you!
For more information about Andrea, Click here
TOUR ITINERARY
(B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
Day 1.
Saturday, October 12. Arrive Malta. Group Meeting & Welcome Dinner (D)
Arrive in Malta today on your own. Please book your air to Malta - Airport
Code MLA. We encourage you to arrive early enough in the day so that you’ll
have a chance to rest before our afternoon and evening activities.
After clearing Immigration and Customs look for SSJ’s local tour
representative in the Arrivals Hall with a sign with your name on it. He
will assist you to transfer to the hotel. Check in and rest a bit before our
evening meeting and dinner.
5:30PM –Group Introductory
Meeting & Presentations by Andrea
Mikana-Pinkham and Connie Rodriguez, PhD
7:0OPM - Welcome Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight Valetta. The
Grand Hotel Excelsior.
http://www.excelsior.com.mt
Day 2. Sunday, October 13.
Cart Ruts, National Museum of Archaeology, Free Time (B)
 Buffet
Breakfast at your leisure. Begins at 6:00AM
9:00AM – Be in the lobby
ready to depart
9:15AM – We're off to explore the mysterious ancient
“cart ruts” that have been the subject of debate for
hundreds of years as to their origin, form and function - a most perplexing
mystery! Here on the islands of Malta and Gozo they are the most famous and
numerous. Deep ruts, tracks and grooves left in the limestone in such
numbers, variety and confusion leave more questions than answers. On Malta
there are cart ruts going off high cliff tops, while some are located on the
sea floor. At both Clapham Junction and San Gwann
Junction. there are many that intersect each other in total chaos.
The Clapham Junction site was nicknamed that after the complex railway
tracks of a London station. How were they formed? If they're made by humans,
who were they and why did they make them? We'll explore this longtime
mystery and see what conclusions we can come to for ourselves.
Optional Box Lunch.
Then we’re off to the National Museum of
Archaeology, a Maltese museum of prehistoric artifacts that is
managed by Heritage Malta. The ground floor of the museum exhibits
prehistoric artifacts from the Maltese islands, from the Għar Dalam phase
(5200 BCE), the earliest appearance of settlement on the island, up to the
Tarxien phase (2500 BCE).
Early Neolithic Period Room
(5200–3800 BCE)
This room exhibits artifacts from the early Neolithic Period, including
decorated pottery from the Għar Dalam, Grey Skorba, Red Skorba and Żebbuġ
phases. Of particular importance are the Red Skorba figurines,
the earliest local representations of the human figure and the predecessors
of the statues of later temple periods. The exhibition features a
reconstruction of the rock-cut tombs that were a characteristic of the early
Neolithic period in Malta.
Temple Period Rooms (3800–2500
BCE)
These rooms show examples of architecture, human
representation and other items that date from the Mġarr, Ġgantija, Saflieni
and Tarxien phases of Maltese prehistory. The temples that were built at
this time are considered to be the world’s first free standing monuments and
are listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
 The
museum exhibits numerous corpulent statues representing human bodies
unearthed from temple excavations, along with phallic representations. Are
these statues of the Mother Goddess, Fat Ladies, Deities or Priests?
The discovery of temple altars and corpulent human representations suggests
that some type of cult existed on the islands of Malta and Gozo in
prehistory. Given the corpulence of the statues it may be that the cult was
tied to a fertility rite. Fertility at this time must have been very
important since, apart from family growth, it also meant the reproduction of
crops and animals. We’ll explore the theories during our time here in this
sacred land.
We return to hotel later afternoon. You have free time.
Dinner is on your own this evening. You can either eat at the hotel, or
stroll along the nearby streets where there are many restaurants.
Overnight Valetta.
The Grand Hotel
Excelsior.
Map of Megalithic Mother
Goddess Sites on Malta and Gozo
Day 3.
Monday, October 14. Mgarr: Skorba and Ta
Hagrat Temples; Mdina (B)
Buffet Breakfast at your leisure. Begins at 6:00AM
8:30AM – Be in the
hotel lobby ready to depart
8:45AM – Depart the hotel.
Today we begin our exploration and experiences of the sacred Goddess temples
of Malta! After breakfast we depart by coach to the Village of Mgarr
(im-jarr), a small town in the southeast part of Gozo, a typical rural
village situated in an isolated region, to visit the temples of Ta
Hagrat and Skorba.
Our first stop is at the Skorba
temples, megalithic remains on the northern edge of Zebbieg which
have provided detailed and informative insight into the earliest periods of
Malta's Neolithic culture. The site was only excavated in the early 1960s,
rather late in comparison to other megalithic sites, some of which had been
studied since the early 19th century. The site's importance has led to its
listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a listing it shares with six other
megalithic temples in Malta.
 The remains on the site are a series of
megalithic uprights (one of them 3.4m high), the lowest course of the
temples' foundations, paving slabs with libation holes in the entrance
passage, and the torba or cement-like floor of a three-apse temple, a shape
that is typical of the Ġgantija phase. Unfortunately, the greater part of
the first two apses and the whole of the façade have been razed to ground
level. But the north wall is in a better state of preservation. Originally,
the entrance of the temple opened on a court, but in later additions during
the Tarxien phase, the temple's doorway was closed off, with altars set in
the corners formed by the closure. East of this temple, a second monument
was added in the Tarxien phase, with four apses and a central niche. For a
period of roughly twelve centuries before the temples were built, a village
already stood on the site. Its oldest extant structure is the long straight
wall to the west of the temples’ first entrance. Deposits at its base
contained material from the first known human occupation of the island, the
Għar Dalam phase, including charcoal, which carbon analysis dated to 4850
BCE.
Andrea
will facilitate a meditation to assist us to use our “psychic archaeology”
to tune into the lives of the Mother Goddess people who lived here in
ancient times.
Next we visit the Ta Hagrat temples, of
which the larger temple dates from the Ġgantija phase (3600–3200 BCE); the
smaller is dated to
the Saflieni phase (3300–3000 BCE).
 Major
Temple: The Ġgantija phase temple is typically
trefoil, with a concave
façade opening onto a spacious semicircular forecourt. The façade contains a
monumental doorway in the center and a bench at its base. Two steps lead up
to the main entrance and a corridor flanked by upright megaliths of
coralline limestone. Three are placed on each side and support large
hard-stone slabs. The corridor beyond the entrance is paved with large stone
blocks placed with great accuracy.
The corridor leads into a central
torba court, radiating three semi-circular chambers. These were partially
walled off at some time in the Saflieni phase; pottery shards were recovered
from the internal packing of this wall. The apses are constructed with
roughly-hewn stone walls and have a rock floor. Corbelling visible on the
walls of the apses suggest that the temple was roofed.
 Minor Temple:
The Saflieni phase temple rests to the north and is 21 ft. long, and is
entered through the eastern apse of the larger temple. Smaller stones have
been used in its construction and it exhibits irregularities in design
considered archaic or provincial.
We’ll take time for meditation
to
connect with these ancient energies.
Optional Box Lunch. We’ll take time
to share with each other about our experiences at the Goddess temples this
morning.
After lunch we’re off to visit the village of Mdina, the old
capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the
center of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls
suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers.
Mdina is commonly called the "Silent City" by natives and visitors. The town
is still confined within its walls, and has a population of just over three
hundred, but it is contiguous with the village of Rabat, which takes its
name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 11,000.
Mdina is fascinating to visit for its timeless atmosphere as well as its
cultural and religious treasures.
The history here goes back more
than 4000 years. According to tradition it was here that in 60 CE that the
Apostle St. Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the
Islands. He supposedly resided inside the grotto known as Fuori le Mura
(outside the city walls) now known as St. Paul’s Grotto in Rabat. The late
17th-century St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina stands on the traditional site of
the house of the governor Publius, who received St. Paul when he was
shipwrecked on Malta.
Mdina has had different names and titles
depending on its rulers and its role but its medieval name describes it best
– ‘Citta’ Notabile’: the noble city. It was home then, as now, to Malta’s
noble families; some are descendants of the Norman, Sicilian and Spanish
overlords who made Mdina their home from the 12th century onwards.
Impressive palaces line its narrow, shady streets. Mdina is one of Europe’s
finest examples of an ancient walled city and extraordinary in its mix of
medieval and Baroque architecture. During our tour we will stop at the
bastions of Mdina to admire the extensive views of Malta from one of the
highest points on the island.
We return to the hotel later afternoon.
You have free time tonight and dinner
is on your own.
Overnight Valetta.
The Grand Hotel Excelsior.
Day 4. Tuesday, October 15. Tarxien Temples and Private Entrance(s) at the
Hypogeum; Optional Art Process with Connie Rodriguez; Dinner at Ta' Marija Maltese Restaurant (B/D)
Buffet Breakfast at your leisure. Begins at 6:00AM
9:00AM – Be in the
hotel lobby ready to depart.
 9:15AM – Depart the hotel to the
Tarxien (tar-she-en) Temples, which date from 3600-2500 BCE and are the most complex of all temple
sites in Malta. The temples are renowned for the detail of their carvings, which
include domestic animals carved in relief, altars,
and screens decorated with spiral designs and other patterns. The spiral
is the most common design in megalithic art on Malta, and indeed around the world.
Believed by some to represent eternity, the design is expressed in a wide variety of forms
across the islands and clearly had a significant meaning for the ancient Maltese peoples.
Of particular note is a chamber set into the thickness of the wall between the South and
Central temples, which is famous for its relief of two bulls and a sow.
The site seems to have been used extensively for rituals, which probably
involved animal sacrifice.
In the
Bronze
Age (2400-1500 BCE), Tarxien was reused as a cremation cemetery.
The site lay hidden for centuries until its discovery in 1914, when farmers struck large
stone blocks while ploughing a field. Sir Temistocles Zammit, Malta’s first director
of museums, excavated the site in 1915-17.
   
 
 The Tarxien temple complex consists of four temples connected by a
square court. The temples each have separate entrances. Uniquely, the central
temple consists of six apses. This is the only known example of such a layout and it
represents a final phase in the long evolution of Maltese temple architecture. A narrow
staircase connects the central temple to the east temple.
Fertility goddess figures (now in the national museum in Valetta)
discovered in the ruins indicate that the temples were dedicated to the Earth
Mother/the Mother Goddess, as were many Maltese temples. The most
famous of these figures is a sculpture of large hips with feet, dubbed the
"Fat Lady.
Spherical stones found at the site have provided a valuable clue as to how
the great stones of Malta's megalithic temples may have been moved into
place; some researchers believe they were rolled on the stones while being
towed with ropes. We’ll discuss this and other theories about the ancient
megalithic building techniques.
We’ll take time to meditate
among
the ancient stones and temples.
Then we’re off to the Hypogeum for our PRIVATE
ENTRANCE. The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni, or underground cavity
carved from solid rock, is a unique monument and superb example of
architecture in the negative. Excavation has yielded a wealth of
archaeological material including pottery, human bones, personal
ornaments such as beads and amulets, little carved animals and larger
figurines.
When discovered it contained the bodies of over 7,000 people. Three
stories deep, it contains rock-cut features such as a 'speaking chamber', trilithons,
lintelled-doorways, a large cistern and a 'holy of holies' surrounded by 'embryonic'
chambers. The Hypogeum is one of the greatest remaining structures from prehistory.
Its pristine condition allows us to see the past through the eyes of our ancestors.
  
The purpose of the Hypogeum is one of the most
highly debated in circles of megalithic architecture. This amazing and very
unique underground space offers us a rare glimpse at the prehistoric synthesis of
funerary, solar-worship and shamanic traditions. Perhaps the central chamber's several
small rounded cubicles carved into the walls were originally intended for 'living' people
as part of a ritual, in which they would have had to lie inside in a fetal position.
Traces of ergot have been found in the chamber called the 'cistern'; one of the physical
effects of ergot is to constrict bodily muscles, resulting in a forced fetal position. In
these small cubicles, echoes from the 'speaking' chamber reverberate into a rhythm that is
similar to the human heartbeat.
The entrance to the Hypogeum is through an unsuspecting doorway
in an unsuspecting street. It was first discovered in 1902, when builders broke
through whilst building foundations for a house. At first, the hole was covered over and
the event was kept quiet but word of the discovery soon got out and the museum authorities
moved in to protect it. Although underground, the Hypogeum was built near the top of a
natural hill overlooking the Marsa. The nearby Hal Tarxien, temple complex was built
higher still on the same face of the hill.
Although most of the Hypogeum is underground, the entrance to it was
built with megaliths, placed in what was presumably the natural entrance of the original
cave. The original entrance consisted of a large square opening in its center (a porthole
slab). This slab was later smashed and disposed of to make way for the new housing estate.
The first excavations in 1902 were performed by Fr. Magri, S.J. but
unfortunately shortly after its commencement, he left the island to take a missionary post
abroad where he died, leaving no records of his observations. Following this, the work was
passed on to Prof. Themi Zammit, who worked on it for the next five years. The 1990-1992
excavations suggested that there may have once been a monumental structure built directly
on top.
 The speaking
chamber has a hole known as the oracle hole in the wall carved
with a rounded interior surface. A design was painted in red-ochre onto the ceiling of the
chamber; it starts off on one side with a honeycomb design and transforms into a
collection of 'floral' spirals on the other. It's speculated that the oracle hole was part
of a ceremonial process. Words spoken into it make an echo which reverberates throughout
the hypogeum. The results of recent scientific study suggests that
the 6,000 year-old hypogeum could have been specifically designed to conduct and
manipulate sound to produce certain effects on the human brain. In this way,
people in the hypogeum experienced mood changes while listening to chanting.
Some scientists believe that certain sound vibration frequencies created when sound is
emitted within its walls are actually altering human brain functions of
those within earshot. According to a laboratory study, exposure to a tone within this
frequency, particularly at 110-111 hz seems to create a shift of
brain function, "turning on" an area of the brain that bio-behavioral
scientists believe relates to mood, empathy and social behavior.
We’ll have a sound meditation here to support altering our
consciousness to higher frequencies.
The hypogeum includes replicas of features from megalithic structures above ground on
Malta. It is possible to see both trilithons and 'doorways' in the same style as those
found in the numerous temples on the islands. It was also the place where the famous
terracotta figure called the Sleeping Lady was found in a cistern
containing numerous offerings. Two of these clay figurines were found in the Hypogeum. One
(right) in a sleeping position, and the other of similar design, but with the woman lying
face down. They were both found in the main chamber. Some researchers believe they represent humans involved in dream incubation.
Afterwards we return to the
hotel. You have free time for lunch on your own. And time to explore more of the area!
4:00PM – Optional
Meditation/ Journey Back in
Time, a
journaling and art process with Connie Rodriguez
in the hotel conference room. Connie will
lead us in a meditation to travel into the past where you may find yourself
experiencing another time, another era. After this inner journey, you will
have the opportunity to sketch with pastels and journal both the images from
your experience. She will provide you with paper to use for this time of
solitude to bring your experience into consciousness. You may also wish to
bring your journal and a small kit of pastel chalk for this part of the day.
We will conclude the afternoon with group sharing of the lives, images or
experience that emerged while journeying inward.
 TBA – Be in the hotel lobby ready to depart.
TBA – Depart
for our group dinner at the Ta’ Marija Maltese restaurant located in the village of Mosta for a lively and enjoyable evening of dinner and
entertainment.
Overnight Valetta.
The Grand Hotel Excelsior.
Day
5. Wednesday, October 16. Hagar Qi / Mnajdra Temples and Blue Grotto (B)
Buffet Breakfast at your leisure.
Begins at 6:00AM
9:00AM – Be in the hotel lobby ready to depart
9:15AM – Depart the hotel to the temple of
 After breakfast we head to the
Hagar Qi (ha-jah-een), Located on a hilltop overlooking the
sea and the islet of Filfla, it’s the
best-preserved of several
ancient limestone temples in Malta. It dates from the Ggantija
 phase - which is about
3600
to 3200 BCE. Unlike most other Maltese temples, it is
a single temple
rather than a complex of two or three. Other temple ruins stand a few feet away from the
main temple and the forecourt and facade follow the pattern typical
of temples across the Islands. Particularly noteworthy are the larger
standing
stones at the corners, which are notched to take the second of the horizontal
courses above, which are traditional megalithic building techniques.
A stone decorated with
spiral designs and a
free-standing altar
decorated
on all sides were found here. The right apse has an interesting inner enclosure made of
low stone slabs. The left apse has three high table altars and a low-standing pillar at
the end. Three steps up from the left apse lead to an additional chamber. In the outer
enclosing wall, the first upright stone behind the right-hand corner of the façade is one
of the largest of any temple, at about 21 ft. long and close to 20 tons in weight.
 
  
Other related ruins have been uncovered near the main temple, and two Mother Goddess
statues discovered here are now in display in the national museum in Valetta.
Take some time for a meditation to
connect once again with the Mother Goddess energies.
Then we head down the hill to Mnajdra (mna-ee-dra),
a complex site consisting of three conjoined Neolithic temples
overlooking an oval forecourt. The first and oldest temple dates back to 3600-3200 BCE,
while the most impressive of the temples is the third, constructed between 3150-2500
BCE. This temple is perhaps the finest surviving on the Islands.
The masonry here shows intricate knowledge of building techniques and excellent
workmanship. And though Mnajdra is less than a mile downhill from the Hagar
Qi temple
complex, the two complexes seem to have built at different times, and their relationship
is not known.
 The first and oldest temple
(northern/eastern) is a simple three-apsed structure dating from c.3600-3200 BCE,
not long after Ggantija was built. The small walls have been reconstructed but the small
uprights, with their pitted decoration, are original.
The middle temple is the largest and
was the last to be built, closer to 2000 BCE. It was inserted between the other two and
set at a higher level, and is unusual in having a great 9 ft. high porthole slab (now
broken) as its main entrance, with a second doorway beside it. To the left of the passage
leading to the inner apses is an engraving of a temple facade.
The most impressive of the Mnajdra temples is the lower (southern/western) temple,
with a largely
intact façade and bench constructed sometime between 3150 and 2500 BCE. Its corbelled
walls indicated the temple was roofed (as at Ggantija), and the stone slabs are decorated
with intriguing spiral carvings and dotted patterns. The porthole niche to the left is
especially impressive, framed in a trilithon and two strangely tapered megaliths on either
side.
In the right-hand apse of the lower temple is a porthole doorway at the
top of a flight of steps giving access to an intramural chamber. An oracle hole opens from
that chamber and another oracle hole in a recess communicates with the back and outside of
the temple. Within the first side chamber is an altar on a double-hourglass shaped pillar.
The lower temple is astronomically aligned. On the equinoxes the rays of
the sun pass directly through the temple’s main doorway and light up the main axis.
At the summer solstice, the sun lights up the edge of a megalith to the left of the
doorway, connecting the first pair of chambers to the inner chambers. At the winter
solstice, the same effect can be seen on the corresponding megalith on the right hand
side.
We'll have time for meditation to assist
moving us into higher states of awareness.
Optional Box Lunch.
Another time for sharing our morning’s experiences.
We then head to the south of the island to the area known as Wied Iz-Zurrieq or more
commonly known as the Blue Grotto. Weather permitting, we’ll have a
short boat trip to the Grotto. This natural picturesque grotto and its neighboring system
of caverns mirrors the brilliant phosphorescent colors of the underwater flora. From Wied
iz-Zurrieq lookout point we will also see the small island of Filfla, which is uninhabited
except for a unique species of lizards. .
We return to hotel later afternoon. You have free time.
Dinner is on your own this evening.
Overnight Valetta.
The Grand Hotel Excelsior.
Day 6. Thursday, October 17. Gozo: Ggantija, The Citadel;
Dream Process with Connie Rodriguez (B)
Buffet Breakfast at your leisure. Begins at 6:00AM
8:00AM – Be in the hotel lobby ready to depart.
8:15AM – Depart the hotel for the ferry terminal. We take the ferry for a full day on
Gozo to visit more Goddess temples!
Our first stop is at the Ggantija (gii-gan-tii-ya) Prehistoric Temples in Xaghra (sha-ra). The Ggantija temples are the
earliest of a series of megalithic temples
 here. The ancient builders erected the two
Ggantija temples during the Neolithic Age (c. 3600-2500 BCE, which makes these temples more than 5500 years old
and some of the world's oldest humanmade religious structures. Together with other similar structures, these have been
designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
According to local Gozitan folklore, giants built these temples and used them as places of worship. Evidence indicates there was an oracle
here, as at the much-later Temple of Apollo at Delphi. A priestess prophesied while in a
trance, possessed by the spirit of the goddess. Ggantija also seems to have been a place
to pray for healing. In ancient times, the temples dedicated to the
Mother Goddess at Ggantija drew pilgrims from across the island and even from North Africa
and Sicily.
During our visit take time for meditation to connect to the ancient Mother Goddess energies.
Optional Box Lunch. Another time for sharing our morning’s experiences.
Then we visit the medieval part of the city of Victoria – The Citadel,
an historic fortified city or castle. It's on Malta's tentative list of future World Heritage
Sites by UNESCO, who describe it as a small fortified town. The area is known to have been
first fortified during the Bronze Age c. 1500 BCE, was later developed by the Phoenicians
and continued development until, by Roman times, it had become a complex Acropolis. Up
until the 18th Century it was the only fortified refuge against attack for the inhabitants
of the island. The northern side of the Citadel dates back to the period of the Crown of
Aragon, while the southern flank, overlooking Victoria, was re-constructed between 1599
and 1603 by the Knights of St. John. The massive defensive stone walls of the
fortifications which rise above the town and were built by the Knights to protect the
village communities from foraging corsairs attempting to take slaves and threatening
invasion of Moslem forces fighting Christendom. In July 1551 a small Turkish force under
Dragut attacked the Citadel, which succumbed with little resistance. Those taking refuge
within its walls were taken as slaves and the castle reduced to ruins. Within its walls
lies a fine 17th century baroque Cathedral designed by Lorenzo Gafà, the
Maltese architect who also built the Cathedral of Mdina. Some researchers say that it lies
on the site where a Roman temple dedicated to Juno once stood. It is most
famous for the remarkable trompe l'oeil painting on its ceiling, which depicts the
interior of a dome that was never built.
In the later afternoon we board the ferryboat to return to Malta and our
hotel, arriving in the later afternoon.
Dinner is on your
own.
7:30PM -
Optional Dream process and
sharing in group
with Connie Rodriguez
in the hotel conference room. We'll focus specifically on those dreams that
have been elicited while on the island. Keep a journal of your dreams as Dream Psyche may be active during this pilgrimage.
Overnight Valetta.
The Grand Hotel Excelsior.
Day 7. Friday, October 18. Free Day; Farewell Dinner (D)
Buffet Breakfast at your leisure. Begins
at 6:00AM
You have free time this morning and early afternoon to
explore more of Malta on your own.
7:30PM – We’ll gather at the hotel
restaurant for our Farewell Dinner. On our last evening
here we share our fond memories of our time in this ancient megalithic
Goddess land. Hopefully we’ve had many of our questions answered as to who
built these unique and amazing structures. And surely we will carry the
energies of the Great Mother Goddess home with us, to light our way always!
Overnight Valetta. The Grand Hotel Excelsior.
Day 8. Saturday, October 19. Depart Malta (B)
Buffet Breakfast at your leisure. Begins at 6:00AM
Tour ends after
breakfast.
Check out of the hotel and depart to the airport to check in
for your international flight.
This itinerary is subject to change due to
conditions beyond our control.
TOUR INCLUSIONS
MAIN TOUR INCLUDES:
- 7 night’s accommodation at the 4-star boutique hotel, including taxes
- Daily Breakfast, 3 Dinners
- Air-conditioned motor coach
- All entrance fees to sites listed in itinerary
- All fees related to visiting special sites which are open only by appointment
- Round-trip ferry tickets to Gozo
- 24 hour emergency assistance by ground operator support staff
- Pre-Paid Gratuities
SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS:
- Travel in a smaller group with other like-minded spiritual seekers
- Escorted by SSJs Director Andrea Mikana-Pinkham, Featured Speaker
- Special Featured Guest Speaker & Artist Connie Rodriguez PhD
- Excellent English-speaking Tour Guide
- Private entrances for our group at the Hypogeum
NOT INCLUDED:
- Round-trip International Air to Malta (MLA)
-
Optional box lunches
- Cost to obtain valid passport
- Meals not included in the itinerary; drinks at meals
- Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks, internet service, telephone
calls. Any item that is not specifically detailed in the itinerary
TOUR PRICING
This Sacred Sites Journey to
MALTA is LAND ONLY. You are responsible to book your round-trip flights as per instructions in Day 1 of the tour itinerary.
Spiritual Pilgrimage to Sacred Temples of the Mother Goddess, October 12 -
19, 2019
Per Person, double occupancy, land only: Pricing to be posted soon!
Single Room Supplement: Pricing to be posted soon!
ROOMMATES: Would you like to meet and make a new friend on your journey? If you're not
traveling on the journey with anyone you know, and would like for SSJ to try to match you
up with a suitable roommate, we'll be happy to try to do so.
Per our Terms and Conditions, we will hold the registration for the trip open
until 30 days before the departure date (or later if possible) in order to try to match
you with someone. If by that date we have not been able to do so, and there is no one to
share your room, you will be responsible to pay for the single supplement. If you would
like to be matched with a roommate, please register early.
TOUR REGISTRATION
After reading the information above, if you'd like to join us,
HERE'S
HOW:
If you've traveled with us
before during the last three years,
please email Andrea Mikana-Pinkham at info@SacredSitesJourneys.com
to request a Registration Form.
If you haven't traveled with us before,
or it's been more than three years since you've done so,
(Life does change very rapidly these days!),
in order that we will be better able to support you on this Sacred
Sites Journey to ENGLAND,
we ask that you fill out and return an Application Form.
To request this, email Andrea Mikana-Pinkham at info@SacredSitesJourneys.com
Once your participation is assured, you will be provided
with
a
Registration Form and our
Terms and Conditions.
At that time
you will be required to submit a
deposit of
$450.00
to reserve your place.
Final payment will be due 60 days before the journey begins, on August 13,
2019.
Questions? Email Andrea Mikana-Pinkham
at info@SacredSitesJourneys.com
Or call our office at 888
501-3853 (Toll free in the US) or 928 284-2384
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
Sacred Sites Journeys are smoke-free sacred travel experiences.
All forms of tobacco, as well as e-cigarettes are not allowed at any time.
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Heartlight Fellowship.
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