Photo of the "Popolo" (People)

Back in Florence again... at least for another 12 days, then it is off to Austria. But that is not what I want to write about today!

I say back in Florence again, because I have just arrived from two days at Damanhur, where I went for the Foto di Popolo (Photo of the People).

Popolo? What does that mean?

What popolo are you talking about?!

THE POPOLO SPIRITUALE, of course!

(Spiritual People of Damanhur - imagine it being shouted by a large number of happy people!)

Popolo Spiritual, 2015 (CC BY-ND 2.0)

On 6 December 1986, after a period of nine months of ritual preparation and much anticipation, Falco Tarassaco--spiritual founder of Damanhur--announced in front of a packed theartre the birth of the Popolo of Damanhur! Connected to the energy of the Way of the Monks and Nuns, and fortified by a ritual connection to the divinity Damanhur Get created by the community, the popolo is a container of thoughts, talents, emotions, experiences, and so much more.

The desire to recognize ourselves as part of a common soul has inspired those at Damanhur to conceive of the idea of creating a new Popolo made up of different ethnicities and cultures, strongly united around shared values. The Popolo Spirituale is an extension of the concept of the Damanhurian Popolo, and participation is open to anyone who wishes to contribute—according to their own beliefs—to the spiritual and material growth of the planet through solidarity, mutual respect and love for the environment.¹

This is my favorite definition of the popolo:

The Popolo Spirituale is a collective entity, alive and in constant evolution, which arises from the integration of the characteristics, experiences and aspirations of all those who choose to join. It energetically connects its members, contains their experiences and allows them to be shared amongst all who take part.¹

I firmly believe that I learnd Italian so quickly because of the popolo. Every morning, I would connect to the container of the people and channel the language skills of one particular person. He has this way with words that I love, so I would visualize myself downloading this through my popolo bracelet. It must have worked, because I learned Italian faster than just about anyone I now. And just in case you are wondering, I also speak other langauges, but other than my mother tongues, none as good as Italian!

A Living Entity

greeting people at the annual family shot in Damanhur

Popolo 2016 (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Popolo 2017 (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The Popolo Spirituale is constantly growing. And every year, we gather together on the Monday before the last day of the Damanhurian year--our new year begins on 1 September--and take a giant photo together. Hundreds of people come from all over the world to be a part of the photo!

This year, I got to be one of those people that comes just for the photo. On Sunday morning, bright and early, I met up with some fellow initiates from the center in Florence and we drove four hours to the mothership! What a joy to see my nucleo family and my cat, Mysticat (click here for his story)! Sunday afternoon, I stayed home helping the person whose turn it was to cook dinner. Cooking for 25ish people is pretty heavy duty, so I happily chopped, cleaned, and set the table. Then in the evening, I went to the Full Moon Rite of the Oracle. Another full day at Damanhur!

It's Photo Time

Monday morning was all about family, work, and catching up. Then around 4pm, I got dressed and headed down to Damjl, our capital, with Bombo (Bumble Bee, remember we have animal/nature spirit names).

As you have probably already guessed, the picture is a special occassion, so people get all dressed up. The preferred clothing is Damanhurian fashion, which is mainly designed with Sacred Langauge in either hand-painted silk, using our own weaved fabric, or with custom designs created with conscious awareness. We have several clothing designers in the community, so there are always new fashion lines to choose from. If you don't have any Damanhurian clothes, then plain white or light colors will be just fine. I love walking around and seeing the latest fashions! Here are some for you to see:

I am part of the Way of the Knights, and as such I am part of the security detail. So even though I had on a painted silk blouse and big boots, I carried a radio and was accutely aware of where everyone was throughout the evening's events. Honestly, I love security. I find it an honor and blessing to be there for the popolo, and I am happy to be of service during all our events and rituals.

What? What did you ask? Is there a picture of me? Hmm.... I am not that big of a picture girl during these types of things. But since you asked, here is one snapped by a housemate with my fellow Knight, Aquila di mare (Bald Eagle):

I am the one on the left

Being a part of the popolo is a big part of my life. Not only does it connect me with all kinds of fascinating people, it also pushes me to think positively and optimistacally--something that believe it or not, is not a part of my nature. I always tell people that I am the most postive negative person they will ever meet, since my brain has a tendency to wander down the critical and sceptical path. When this happens, I can stop and ask myself, "Is this helpful?" There are times when being critical is useful, but more often than not, it is destructive. If I find myself where I don't want to be going, I remind myself that members of the Popolo Spirituale¹:

Think positively of himself/herself and others.

Nourish the union with the other members of the Popolo, and does what he/she can to support them through trust, respect, clarity and solidarity.

Believe in the value of the continuous inner transformation.

Know how to accept and appreciate diversity.

Base his/her relationship with the environment and others on values of spirituality, research and ecology; he/she respects and conserves resources and avoids all forms of pollution and waste as much as possible.

Promote and disseminate these principles so that others can share them and create a network of "points of light" around the planet.

Now do you understand why I love being part of the popolo?

References

Popolo Spirituale on Damanhur website

All photos are mine unless otherwise stated