Nothing in life is a coincidence, and the universe operates within a predetermined mathematical order. Despite all the divisions and deepening separations on Earth, this year Ramadan, Passover, and Easter were celebrated together, seemingly conveying a message of unity. Taking advantage of the Easter holiday in Germany, I embarked on a journey to Turkey. Don't be fooled by the term 'holiday'; I realized that I never embark on journeys that lack the excitement of discovery, or that journeys labeled as vacations inevitably turn into explorations. Mountains, stones, and landscapes began to feel like they wanted to speak to me, revealing the hidden history of each region. I know you're curious about where this journey will take me. If you're ready, fasten your seatbelts; I want you to stay in one piece at the end of this fast-paced journey through time and space. As you know, some journeys are not suitable for everyone, but we learn on the road...
After successfully staging 'The Daughters of Cybele' in Berlin on March 20, I decided to embark on another journey following in the footsteps of Cybele. As I set off, two mountains associated with Cybele came to mind: Mount Ida (Kaz Dağları) in Edremit and Mount Murat in the Afyon region. Due to my longing for water and the sea, the Balıkesir Edremit region, whose real name is Adra-mit, prevailed. Accompanied by a valuable friend who has always provided me with excellent guidance, we set off. What I requested from him was to stay at a thermal hotel where I could unload the burden of Berlin, so to speak, and cleanse myself. Due to foggy conditions, our sea journey from Istanbul couldn't take place as planned, but miraculously, we secured Turkish Airlines tickets and traveled by air. Someone must have wished for us to descend upon Adra-mit from the sky. Since I trusted my friend's choices, I left it to him to decide on the hotel and the region where we would stay. When we landed and set off by shuttle, neither of us knew what to expect.
Our hotel was located in Güre, Edremit. Edremit, famous for Mount Ida, one of the regions with the highest oxygen levels in the world, was also a sacred land that witnessed many special historical events. The Iliad by Homer was written in Güre. The source of the wooden logs on which the Trojan horse ended the Trojan War and the ships that conquered Istanbul is also here. Additionally, as you can read in detail in my article 'Messiah and the Change of Ages' written in January 2020, the founder of Rome, the son of Venus, the Trojan prince Aeneas, along with members of his dynasty, set sail from the shores of Adra-mit to establish a new empire. It is said that Zeus watched the Trojan War from Mount Ida. While all these details excited me enough, none of them surprised me as much as the location of the hotel.
When we told the shuttle driver that we wanted to go to Güre, he assured us that it was right in the center, and we would easily find our hotel. However, when we arrived at the center and got off the shuttle, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the statue of Artemis (Artemis) of Cybele right in the middle of the road, at the entrance to the road leading to our hotel. I had no idea why that statue was there. After examining the details of Artemis in amazement for a while, we started walking towards the hotel. As we walked past the Afrodit Baths, the mother of Prince Aeneas in the Trojan myth, I was no longer surprised. Another detail that caught my attention was the archaeological site on the left side of the road, which was roughly covered with makeshift materials. A little further, at the 'Yellow Girl' statue, the modern version of the Cybele-Artemis Cult, the 'kaz' (goose) that gave its name to the region awaited us. It was no coincidence that our hotel, with its simplicity and warmth, was waiting for us right next to the archaeological site, facing the 'Yellow Girl' statue.
Being in Turkey and near water during the period of April 4-12, when the rare conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune took place in Pisces, was my special choice, but I didn't choose where we stayed. According to my research, the place we stayed was called 'Astyra,' which, according to Strabo, belonged to the Mysians. The name of the region was derived from a temple dedicated to Artemis Astyrene. It seems that the rituals performed in this temple dedicated to Artemis were led by the 'Antandrosians.'
Now, if I tell you that the word 'Astyra' is related to Easter celebrated during the same period as the special days of the three Abrahamic religions, would you believe me? I can almost hear you asking how. Let me explain: The origin of the Easter holiday, also known as Easter, is based on a Germanic goddess called Ostara in Paganism. The Germanic Goddess Ostara heralds the beginning of spring, symbolizing the opportunity for growth and rebirth after the stagnation of winter. The word 'Ostara' means to shine, to sparkle. She is the same as Cybele, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Venus, who bear the same names. Ostara and Astyra mean the same thing. Both are derived from the Mesopotamian Goddess Ishtar. The word 'Ishtar' forms the root of the words Star, Astarte, Astra, Sitare, and Settar.
The goddess is depicted as a bottomless pit in many sacred texts. Indeed, no matter how deep you dive, you can't see the bottom. But no matter how much time passes or how much the legends change shape, just like the coincidence of Ramadan and Passover being celebrated at the same time indicating unity, all stories still point to one place! What do you think?
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