Trypillya Maiden Mountain. Women's places of power in Ukraine

Devich-gora (Devich-gora, Devichya Gora)- this is the name of the high hill above the Dnieper, located in the center of the village of Trypillya. Most likely, this name is related to the ancient Slavic cult of a female deity: the goddess Virgo, the foremother goddess.

Devichya Mountain is the highest point in the Obukhov region - its height above the Dnieper level is 55 m, and above sea level 186 m.

At the very top of Devich Mountain, a settlement and burial ground of the Zarubintsy culture (II century BC), and an ancient Slavic temple (VI century) were discovered.

From the top of the Maiden Mountain there is a stunning panorama of the Dnieper, Tripoli, and nearby hills. From here you can see how three rivers flow into the Dnieper (Stugna, Krasnaya and Bobritsa), forming three wide fields, three arable plains. People have settled here for a long time: archaeologists have discovered settlements of tribes of farmers of the 4th-3rd millennium BC.

As an old legend tells, women preparing for childbirth came to this mountain, to a Slavic sanctuary, and asked the Gods for blessings to bear and give birth to a healthy child.

Many modern researchers claim that Maiden Mountain is a bearer of positive energy. Perhaps this is because the Apostle Andrew walked here. Or maybe because this is where our ancestors sent their loved ones to eternity - and now many believe that their spirits live on this mountain. Having visited Devich Mountain in Tripoli, you can get a charge of positive energy.

How to get there

Minibuses and buses run from Kyiv from the Vydubychi metro station to the city of Tripoli (where Devich Gora is located). Minibuses go towards Tripoli every half hour.

Cycling routes (velorout) Trypillia - Kyiv (Option of passing by the FIFTH detachment)

Trypillya - Khalepye - Vitachiv - Zhukovtsy - Shcherbanovka - Derevyana - Obukhov - Neshcheriv - Tarasovka - New Bezradichi - Bolshiye Dmitrovichi - Podgortsy - Khodosovka - Foresters - Goloseevo - Kyiv

The artistic part.

It so happened that on a weekday it was a day off and that’s why I immediately wanted to go somewhere. The idea for the route was suggested by Tokha, because... two days earlier, also on a weekday, he gathered a company quite large, as for the middle of the week. The route (Trypillia-Kyiv) immediately seemed interesting, 80% of which had already been ridden in a combination of different routes, because it includes a variable gradient (up and down) as we like, as well as a variety of landscapes. As they say, there is no limit to perfection and you always want to improve somewhere and bring something of your own :), but without significantly increasing the distance. And Slavka was able to keep me company.

I will not give a full description of the route, because... it is already in the report of the previous group, but I will only point out the fundamental differences. There are 4 such places along the entire route.

And so, it was decided to move the start of the station earlier from Shcherbanovka to Trypillya.

This made it possible to capture the very first attraction, namely Devich Mountain.

Devich-gora (Divich-gora, Devichya Gora) is a high hill above the Dnieper in the center of the village of Trypillya. The name is probably associated with the ancient Slavic cult of a female deity - the foremother goddess, the goddess of the Virgin. At the top of Devich Mountain, a settlement and burial ground of the Zarubintsy culture (II century BC), as well as an ancient Slavic temple (VI century), were discovered. It is believed that there was a sanctuary of the pagan maiden goddess here. The altar consisted of nine hemispherical depressions in which ritual food was cooked. From the top of Devich Gora (Divic Mountain) a magnificent panorama of Tripoli, the Dnieper and the surrounding hills opens.

It is better to approach it from the side of the railway, this will give you the opportunity to climb a technical dirt slope. The height relative to the Dnieper is an impressive 55 meters! There will be a place to sweat;)

From the top of the mountain there is a very beautiful view of the Dnieper and nearby cities and towns.

Then we go down the mountain and take a country road to the original track. There is no difference until Khalepya, but when we reach the center of the village, we go to the left and find ourselves on a beautiful path. But before that you need to cross a small river. Along the way, there are several bridges on the left side, although if you really want to, you can take a more extreme approach to this issue.

The single track has its own hills and descents. The path goes out to the lake, from which a fairly steep slope awaits.

If you believe Google, in this section of several kilometers you will expect about 100m of total elevation gain.

Before Vytachev we again go out to the base route and follow it all the way to Khodosovka. In front of the lake with a flooded bunker, the main track goes straight along the asphalt, and we turned left (where else :)). Our option is 2 km longer and passes through a forested area. In Lesniki the tracks will converge again. This section can be “ignored”, there is nothing special, an ordinary pine forest, although if you still have the energy, time and don’t want to drive along the road with cars, then you can go here.

An ancient tradition says that there comes a time when the Spirits of the area begin to teach you. Therefore, you are going to go where the road takes you. The Celtic bard and druid are always a wanderer. A blind bandura player carries with him the whole world of ancient Gods to tell people about it. The buffoon-storyteller goes to God knows where to convey the myth of the creation of the world.
You are not going somewhere towards the goal. Your goal is the Path itself. Everyone you meet along the way is your goal. Everything you see along the way is your meaning. The main thing is to be able to see, hear and feel the Earth on which you walk. Believe your feelings, which will guide you to where you are needed and where they are waiting for you on the physical plane, or on the subtle plane. My story will be about such travels.

Beyond distant lands, in the distant kingdom, in the kingdom of the sacred number three of the Great Goddess.....

If you look at the spectrum visible to the human eye, you will find that it is located between its two opposites, violet and red. The color of Mokosh and the color of Lada. From the purple color of the Chaos magic of the Witch and Sorceress to the red, structured role of the Wife and Mother. And we may only live our lives on one spectrum, but the world is much wider. And that’s why sometimes I really want to live all its colors.
I have been searching for many years and bit by bit collecting knowledge about these opposing roles and archetypes and the energies that are between them. And again and again I encounter their presence in any tradition. And probably the surest path for me is not only the meditations that come to me during practices and communication with the energy of these Goddesses, but also the places where their energy can be felt most clearly. And these are again two opposites - lowlands, where you can find the water energies of Mokosh and hills, where Lada is most clearly felt. Two forms of the primordial Great Goddess. Two sides of transformation: the secret inner Makos and the Lada manifested in the world. Both are magical and both are integral parts of the female psyche. Makosh, who generates wisdom and brings the souls of children into this world, and Lada, who bears and gives birth to children into the material world. Two interconnected and integral components of a woman.

In the world of plants, their energies manifest themselves through Elderberry and Willow for Mokosh and Birch and Viburnum for Lada.
Natural symbols of the Great Goddesses are also different. These are cold, dark waters of wells, lakes, swamps
Mokosh and the light, windswept hills of Lada. Any of these places can become a sanctuary.
People come to Mokoshi for healing and transformation. People turn to Lada for a happy female “social” destiny and the birth of children. But is it possible to give birth to a child without the participation of the conductor of children’s souls into our world, Mokosh? Is a change in status from bride to wife and mother really possible without the initiation and transformation bestowed by Mokosh?
Two interconnected incarnations of a woman. You cannot separate them, you cannot separate them within yourself. And in order to get to know them more deeply, I invite you to take a journey with me to the places of their power. And as much as I travel, everywhere I find these two symbols side by side - Mountain and Source. Sky, Sun, Wind and Water, Earth. Yin and Yang women. Lada and Makosh.

DEVICH MOUNTAIN. TRIPOLIA.

Actually, we were on our way to the Trypillya Museum when our friendly group of women suddenly announced that we needed to turn left. Because this is how the right road goes.
Our driver, knowing our trio, did not argue and point to the navigator and turned left. Getting out of the car, we looked around, trying to understand why we were stopped there. There was a small road leading up to the left and we decided to follow it since it called.
Climbing up the road, we found ourselves in a magical space that clearly served as a sanctuary in ancient times. Having already returned home, we learned that the sacred Maiden Mountain had invited us to visit. The site of the ancient sanctuary of the Great Goddess of our ancestors. But that was later, but for now we were exploring the space we found ourselves in.

Energetically, the place turned out to be very interesting. An ideal place for rituals: a harmonious combination of the energies of Wind, Sun, Water and Earth. From a high mountain A completely magical view of the Dnieper opens up. Here you can stand with your arms outstretched and catch the energy of the wind, enjoying the feeling of flying. Or you can just sit and watch the majestic Dnieper roll its waves.
Here you can balance the four elements and turn to the Elemental Goddesses. It was not for nothing that the ancients built a sanctuary here and it has come down to us under the name Devich Gora. After all, the name of a place of power is given by its character and it is always associated with the energy of space. It was by the energy of the area that the priests, oracles and prophetesses determined which temple and which deity would stand here. Therefore, the name Maiden Mountain reflects the energy of the place - feminine, virgin, Goddess Diva-Diana. And at the foot of the majestic Dnieper, Mother Makosh rolls her waves.
Archaeological excavations confirm that there was a settlement and burial ground of the Zarubintsy culture of the 2nd century BC. and an ancient Slavic temple from the 6th century. They also suggest that there was a sanctuary of the Virgin Goddess here. It is possible that the nine hemispherical depressions discovered here, for a ritual offering to the deity, symbolize the nine months of gestation by the mother. And local residents, from generation to generation, pass on stories that if you bring an offering here, the Virgin Goddess will help you conceive and give birth to a child.
Three times three nine is an ancient symbol of the trinity goddess unfolding in the nine months necessary for the emergence of new life into this world. 9 offerings, 9 elements, 9 spells for a new destiny. If you go here, take milk and live grains with you. Offer gifts to the goddesses. And they will not leave your requests unattended.
It's interesting that in sanctuaries of Perun They also find recesses in the temples, but their number is eight. Is it possible to assume that the sanctuary of female deities had 9 pits (fire pits) for offerings, unlike the male ones? Similar nine-pit sanctuaries were discovered in the ancient settlement of old Ryazan. In Novgorod, during excavations, a ritual complex of nine ladles was discovered.
A similar Maiden-mountain altar from the beginning of the 10th century was excavated in Moravia (the settlement of Pohanskoe), although without signs of fire. And the memories of the sanctuary remained in two mountains nearby named Devin and the name of the river Dyya (Goddess)
If you look at it more broadly, there are mountains with the name Devich in Zdolbunov. The famous Maiden Rocks in the Ternopil region. There are mountains with this name in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Poland. In Krakow there is a Panianski Skely.
Needless to say, even in Kyiv the famous Lysaya Gora on the banks of the Lybid River was once called Divich Gora. This is mentioned in the book by I.I. Fundukley in 1847 “Let’s wonder about the two Dnieper mountains under the Libida ridge: one of them on the right side was called in ancient times Divich-mountain, and on the left hand Busovitsa and Busovoy Mountain” (Zaika, 2005). Perhaps Bald Mountain is actually also the remains of an ancient cult of worship to the female deity Diva.
What is especially interesting is that at the foot of the Kyiv Bald Mountain, there was once a small lake where, according to legend, there were mermaids. And on the mountain itself there are many Elderberry bushes. But birch and fruit trees are practically absent. On the entire mountain I found only one birch tree on a small hill. There the Rodnovers have now set up a sanctuary for Lada. And yet for me Bald Mountain in Kyiv this is the kingdom of Mokosh. Those who were there will probably agree with me. The fairytale forest with deep ravines seems to be shrouded in mystery. Even on sunny days it reigns here cool and shade. And in August-September here you can collect delicious elderberries for a magical tincture.
Not so far from Kyiv and Tripoli in Sakhnovka ( Sakhnivka, Cherkasy region) on the bank of the river Ros there is another one Devich Gora. A gold plate was found here depicting a holiday in honor of the Scythian female deity. And to this day, three crosses stand on its top, like a symbol of the triune Goddess, bringing her energies of sacred space to our time.
And of course, we must mention Babina Gora and the settlement nearby the city of Zarubintsi (Zarubintsi, Cherkasy region). Burials of infant skulls were discovered here. Moreover, there are no ritual accessories with them, as for ordinary burials. Was it ritual offering to the Goddess? Zarubintsy, like Knyazhya Krinitsya nearby, store many secrets of the ancient priestesses.

TRAKHTEMIROV.

The peninsula and reserve of Trakhtemirov deserves a separate story and a trip lasting several days. People have lived here since Neolithic times and continue to live to this day. This place has many legends and myths. But to experience them fully, you need to come here for an overnight stay and wander around the peninsula slowly, without rushing anywhere. Find your own places of power. According to my feelings, the energy here is yang, masculine. Having been here, you begin to understand what the Ukrainian Cossacks are. Where did this free spirit, which has no barriers, come from? And if we take the female component, then this is of course the archetype of the energies of the Amazon.

Here you need to find your place. Not far from height 220, for example, there is a small birch grove. It is very good to perform meditations on new paths. “Lens” enhances thought forms. And if you look for women’s places of power, there are two very powerful ones here. This Krinitsa and Babina Gora are born.
Rozhena Krynitsa is located on the northwestern outskirts of the village Buchak three kilometers from the settlement ( Coordinates 49*52”45.79N, 31*24”58.94E) According to legend, the beautiful Rozhena gave water to the Kyiv princes Svyatoslav, Igor and Vladimir from this well when they went on military campaigns. You can douse yourself with this water because it has healing properties. Let me remind you that wells are an indispensable attribute of Mokosh’s places of power.
Babina Gora is the remains of an ancient settlement that still attracts pilgrims. The name itself suggests that you can feel the energies here. Ancient Female Deity Zarubintsy culture of our ancestors. As you can see, again we encounter a combination of a water source and a mountain open to the winds.
For me, Trakhtemirov carries a very different energy character. I haven't been everywhere yet. But these are always magical meetings with amazing people. For some reason, the decision to go there always turns out to be spontaneous. It’s as if something doesn’t give me the opportunity to prepare and plan a route. Every time I go into the unknown without a goal and without a planned route. I invite you to one of my travels.
I love dreams in which unusual guests come to me. And that night the dream was unusually vivid. I stood on the slope of the Dnieper bank of Trakhtemirov and smoked a pipe with a Cossack from the times of the Zaporozhye Sich. He was not old, but his hair under his cap and mustache were already covered with gray. He told me some stories. And then I got serious showed how you can see something that is far away by adjusting your vision using special hand movements. And actually repeating these movements, I clearly saw everything that was happening on the other bank of the Dnieper. Then there were other things and at the end he said that I should come to him.
The dream was interrupted by a call from a friend who wanted to come for a correction. Thoughts about sleep would not let me go. We had to find a way to get to Trakhtemirov A. I already agreed to take a minibus and walk there for 5 kilometers, when fate smiled at me. Well, or Trakhtemirov’s spirits arranged everything. Because my friend, having arrived for correction, during a conversation mentioned the Zaporozhye Sich and somehow smoothly the conversation turned to Trakhtemirov. Less than a few hours after my dream guest, a trip to this amazing place of power was already planned for the next day.
The end of September was blessed with warm weather. The conversation about the times of the Cossacks and the history of the Sich flowed softly all the way. The only thing that bothered me was that we did not have a guide to Trakhtemirov. The maximum I could find my way to at that time was height 220. And then there were chances that I could get confused at the fork in the paths.
This worried me, but I hoped that the well-known guide in Trakhtemirov Oleg, nicknamed Skif, would be at home and we could turn to him. As a thank you to our possible guide, we bought beer.
The next morning we set off. It’s good that at least last time I left a mark on the navigator, because like decent “esotourists” we turned onto the wrong road. Because it is time to make offerings to the spirits of the road! Having completed the ritual and thanks to the spirits (or the navigator), we will continue on our way.
Having arrived at the reserve and making an offering to the spirits of the area, we walked along the road. Last time we didn’t go down to the trident tree, but I really wanted to find it. And I had a completely clear feeling that the Cossack Mukha was waiting for me somewhere here.
The amazing expanse of the Dnieper, opening here from the steep, is a meeting with a powerful force. And there's no explanation why this land calls such delight and rapture at this connection of Heaven, River and Earth. It seems that I can stand here for an eternity like a trident tree on the shore and drink this strength and power. And images of those who lived here for centuries pass by. Trypillians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Antes, ancient Russians, Cossacks whisper their tales about their lives and the stories of those who happened to them. Women and men, old people and children. Everyone who lived here left and wrote down their experiences and their lives, leaving them as a legacy to those who know how to see. Trypillians performing their rituals on the high bank. Scythian fearless warriors who built ramparts in the 7th-5th centuries BC. Sarmatian women warriors who left legends about fearless Amazons at the turn of the millennium. Pagan women who collected herbs here and made offerings to the Great Goddess. Cossacks and Sich, who became a legend about the courage and greatness of Ukrainian soldiers. They left, but left their tales, and if you listen carefully, you can hear them in the whisper of the grass, in the pattern of prints on the road, in the sun's rays in the foliage, in the aroma of wild herbs. Every time I come here, I hear their stories, not yet told, but written in this space by Mokosh’s web.
I love putting down my roots here, becoming an integral part of this space. Transforming into one. Disappear like a person, dissolving in the smell of herbs and the soft wind playing the flute of my dreams of the past. And listen, listen and listen again to what the Spirits of the area tell me. Dance with them and talk about old times while listening to their stories.
So on this visit, we went down to the trident tree, sat down on a stone nearby and froze in anticipation of miracles. The silence filled with the music of the wind whispering in the void between the sky and the Dnieper... was abruptly interrupted by a loud male voice from above:

-Get the fuck out of here...!!!

Oops.. the meditation was interrupted.. this is a sign... are we really at the wrong time and in the wrong place? Or a test for the truth of a desire?
Should I leave or not? Who was shouting to us? But for some reason this rude shout caused a wave of fun and laughter. No, we're not going anywhere. The air here is too sweet and easy to breathe.
A few minutes later, we heard footsteps and a young man with a shaven haircut walked towards us, as if out of nowhere.
– Does Panna have a cigarette?
Black, clear eyes and a sly grin shone on his face, as if he had stepped out of a Cossack painting. Illusion or reality? Nope, the most real reality. Moreover, it was clearly visible that yesterday the engine guy had gone a little overboard. I immediately remembered the beer for the guide that was in my backpack. My offer of beer was met with a sigh of relief followed by an offer to give us a tour of the area. You never know through whom the spirits will accept the offering.
Feeling of unreality of reality. That's why I love Trakhtemirov. It seems that the situation is quite banal, but in this place and time it fascinated with its unexpectedness and magic.
Descending in the Cossack Mukha cross and smoking a Cossack cradle with Oleksa (that was the name of our guide), I heard many stories about this place. About ancestors and their strength and courage. About how the Cossacks lived here five hundred years ago and how the paintings seemed to emerge from the past. This is where kulish is cooked, and this is where young warriors train. On the plateau, healers collect medicinal herbs, and every morning and evening warriors rush down the hills to plunge into the waters of the Dnieper and wash away the dust of the ending day.

Crossroads of times. Time with the Cossacks turned into eternity and at the same time flashed by like a moment. The old Cossack cemetery and stories about ancient tombstones. The shape of the tombstone of each Cossack sleeping here tells in which battles he took part. Few people know that the comrades of the famous character magician Sirko, who took part in the Battle of Dunkirk, are buried here. For decades, no one could take this impregnable fortress, until Mazarin invited the Ukrainian Cossacks to help. And there, along with those same musketeers (remember Dumas?), the Cossacks fought. And they didn’t just fight, but took an impregnable fortress, becoming a legend of European military art. If you are here, please offer a glass of beer in memory of their valor and bravery.
Only after being here and breathing this air of freemen, I was able to understand a lot about that time and the energies that created this amazing military community of Cossacks.
Coming here you can see and feel different eras. And may the spirits of the area be favorable to you.

MOUNT TOTOHA. MEDVIN.

We went to Totkha during the amazing time of timelessness of the autumn equinox. Warm weather and a weekday provided us with the opportunity to stay overnight and experience all the magic of this place in contact with ourselves without interference.
Having approached, we saw a low hill on the edge of the village surrounded by fertile fields. Since we were already at the top
meditators, we did not immediately climb up the main path. As they say, “a smart person won’t climb a mountain, a smart person will go around a mountain.” We decided to go in from the side and make our first stop on one of the Totokha hills. The sun gave us autumn bliss and we turned around the tea table and brewed ourselves some magical pu-erh. The power of the place demanded attention to itself and therefore, the best thing for me was to bury my feet in the warm earth and perform the Taoist practice of the Living Tree.
I really enjoy doing this practice in places of power. Then there will be no distortion if you “over-type”. The warmth of the earth penetrated the bones, connecting with the energy of the sky and the sun. You could stand like that for an eternity, losing yourself in the birdsong and gaining clarity.
When the mountain was empty of pilgrims and the sun began to set, we moved to that part of Totohi, which forms a long hill overgrown with thickets of euonymus.
I always pay attention to plants of places of power. They directly reflect the energy of space and its properties. Euonymus carries the energy of centering. This is an opportunity to build an internal axis. Moreover, this is embodied in social practical implementation. On the other hand, euonymus is exactly the wood from which the spindle was made. And the spindle is a symbol of Mokosh.
Totoha is famous for the fact that people come to her for changes. This means that the yang component of Mokosh is completely appropriate here.
Warm night was falling. The aromas of Indian summer enveloped us in a cozy space. The fire of the fire added mystery and one could imagine oneself as an ancient priestess before a night ritual.
We went out onto the mountain and made an offering to the spirits of the area. As if hearing our request for help in the ritual, suddenly a fire began to glow in the distance. The light was approaching and suddenly... a car drove up to the mountain and three women got out. It was like something out of a fairy tale: a young blonde, a middle-aged red-haired woman and an elderly woman in a headscarf. All three were clearly tipsy. The adventure became like a mystical drama, or a comedy.
When they climbed the mountain and saw us, they laughed and asked, “Why are you here? And do you know what needs to be done here?”

With one voice, we joyfully told them that we had no idea what to do here. And while the younger ladies showed us what to do, the old woman talked and explained what and why. And at the end, laughing, she added that when they drink too much and have to go to work early in the morning, they come here. After the mountain, in the morning there is no hangover and you go to work like a cucumber!
This is why I love places of power. So this is for the ability to joke and at the same time remain completely serious and magical.
Thus, in the middle of the night, we received knowledge about what and how to do here from three women who clearly fit into the . Whether they were messengers of the Great Goddess - I don’t know. But for me they were definitely a manifestation of her magic and magic.
The messengers of Her Majesty the Great Goddess left, and we were again left in the silence of the magical night of the equinoxes.
The night sky opened up into a huge picture of constellations and the Milky Way, with a luminous belt, marked the waist of the Goddess of the Night. Taking our tools, we each settled in one of the points of the triangle of power. The sounds of the flute soared into the air, opening up the space of the ritual. As if hearing a call, a light breeze rushed in answer, tousled our hair and turned our clothes into fluttering wings. Slowly we began our ritual dance. By changing the pattern of energies, we changed places in the triangle of power. The rhythm of the dance either accelerated or became slow and drawn-out. Lines of force, like Mokosh's web, stopped us in the right place, giving us the opportunity to see and feel the energy of space.
The mystery of the ritual in a sacred place cannot be described. You can try to convey it in a personal story or display it in a mandala. But the most important thing will always remain beyond the boundaries of verbal transmission. To experience this, you need to take personal part. Only then is it possible that the mystery about which the messages of the ancients speak will occur. About communication with the Higher Powers within yourself and outside.
The flute was replaced by a tambourine, exploding the silence of the night. It was as if the earth parted and my feet began to sink deeper and deeper, reaching the very depths and foundations. The bones were exposed, revealing our true essence and nature. Each has their own, and at the same time common.
At such moments, the concept of time always disappears. The ritual allows you to go beyond human linear perception and enter the world of myths and legends, the world of Gods and Archetypes. There is no concept of time here and only eternity exists with its ever-repeating play. The memory of ancestors and past incarnations emerges. The Amazon of ancient Scythia comes to life again and again, climbing the hill to address the Great Cybele-Api. The pagan prays to Lada and Mokosh for children and family happiness. The wife of a Zaporozhye Cossack asks the Mother of God to protect her husband from the arrows of the Poles and Tatars. Each of them awakens in us during the ritual. The dance of life at the top of Totoha opens a channel to our ancestors and who we were in past incarnations. The mystery of the great Goddess does not die. It returns again and again in the feminine mysteries of our time.
The sound of the tambourine fades and in the silence of the night everyone receives answers to their questions. Or simply listens to the silence within yourself, revealing yourself to your true nature. And only the spread out tent of the sky sees this secret in the depths of each of us. And only the Moon illuminates with its light the thin energy lines stretching in this sacred space.

It's time for dreams. And a thin web, woven from Mokosh’s dreams and visions, closes his eyes. And only the great Weaver knows what needs to be given to each of us at this moment between the border of reality and sleep.
And now the sky is turning pale and soon a thin scarlet thread of dawn will appear on the horizon. The time has come to bathe before sunrise in the holy spring that flows next to the mountain. A small spring with amazingly tasty water and Willow growing nearby is an ideal place for a morning ritual.
Having taken off our clothes and washed ourselves with water from the source, we settled down on the branches of the Willow above the eye of Mokosh. I don’t know where so much sonorousness and laughter came from in us. We just laughed, sitting on the branches and feeling like forest monkeys and mermaids. The naked body, washed by the pre-dawn water, became light and sometimes it seemed that in just a moment we would fly into the air or melt in the rays of the rising sun, like a fairy-tale mirage.
Across the road from the source, the wind played with tall stalks of corn, which suddenly parted and a man stepped out onto the road. His face fell in surprise. Like an ancient deity with a beard, naked to the waist, he looked sternly at us, groaned and disappeared into the green field, as if he had never existed.
And I thought, this is how legends about mermaids on branches are created...
As soon as we got down from the branches and got dressed, a team of male meditators in white robes appeared as if out of nowhere on the top of Totoha. They lured us in, attracted male energy...
Here it is journey to Totoha On the days of the autumn equinox, something happened to us.

STONE VILLAGE. OLEVSK.

Many people admire the stone megaliths of Great Britain, completely unaware of the Ukrainian megaliths. But there are many of them on our Earth. These places of power are hidden from the eyes of the profane, but may they be revealed to the seeker. One of these amazing megalithic complexes is STONE VILLAGE.
One of the legends says that she created it with the help of magic. Duchess Olga. Another one tells about an ungrateful village that refused to give bread to Jesus during his wanderings across the earth. There are many legends, you can
choose the one you like. But the fact is that this place leaves an indelible impression on a person of any religion.
Huge boulders, like petrified houses, occupy an area of ​​more than 15 hectares. The feeling of magic and enchantment permeates the entire space here. It is difficult to describe all the music that sounds inside when you dance on one of the megaliths to the sound of a tambourine. Here, like nowhere else, you can ground yourself and feel the “bones” of the earth.
Try to find “your” boulder here and ask it to tell you a story. Feel the warm moss on its surface with your hands and examine the cracks to read your own fairy tale. Put your ear to hear your song. Dance your earth dance with him.
The spirits of this area love milk. Wash the boulder with untouched milk, show your respect to it and, if necessary, ask for help. Many people say that everything that is asked for here is fulfilled. Here, like nowhere else, you can feel maternal energy of breathing Mokosha. Slow, unhurried, thorough...

THE ANCIENT TEMPLE OF THE GODDESS OF UKRAINE. NEBELIVKA.

This amazing place is practically unknown to everyone. But this is one of the most striking discoveries in the world of archeology. This is an ancient temple of the Mother Goddess, which is about 6000 years old. In its form it is very similar to the Sumerian temple of Eridu of the ancient interfluve. Its enormous size is amazing and one can only imagine what impression it made on its ancient parishioners. Two floors of a building measuring 60x20 meters.
Walls painted red. Eight slabs for sacrifices. On one of these slabs the remains of offerings in the form of charred lamb bones remained.
And perhaps it is one of the cult centers of the Arrat culture hidden for millennia, about which ancient Sumerian clay tablets write?
We don't know why the Trypillians burned down their temples and settlements every 60-80 years, but this find shows that they had huge temples of the Goddess. Perhaps we just haven't found them yet.
In any case, you can and should go here if you want to touch the feminine energies of ancient sanctuaries. But do not look for the remains of the temple, but listen to the song of the earth and wind. And then the ancient world may reveal its secrets...

STONE GRAVE. ANCIENT SANCTUARY OF ARRATA. MELITOPOL.

Scientists say that this place was created by an ancient volcano. But legends and myths tell what is here
there was an ancient temple of the Gods. There is too much here that is strange and unclear how it arose.
The trip here was, as always, spontaneous for us. Literally in one day we bought tickets, organized a hotel and heaven gave us a local guide.
Having reached the reserve, we entered the open gate. And no one stopped us, asked for tickets or sent us to the storage room to hand over our backpacks. We learned later that there are entry rules here.
Instead of going straight to the top like all tourists, we decided to take the path on the right. The favorite rule “the smart one won’t get ahead” again bogged down the tourist logic. And again I was convinced that in such places you need to trust the body.
Our path wound like a snake from the megaliths lying to the side of the sacred stone hill, leading directly to the ancient well, where, according to legend, the Amazons threw newborn boys. The well of the Moon still retained its rounded outline and the coins brought as a gift to the spirits of the area flew down, hitting the ancient stones with a ringing sound.
The offering is made and now you can go upstairs. A thin path, like a small sand snake, took us up to the stone
plateau. Only when you are up here do you begin to realize the full power of the ancient place. And it becomes clear why, over the centuries, different cultures and peoples who came to these steppes created sanctuaries here again and again.
The flow that fills this space lifts and carries to the top, at the same time giving a feeling of rooting and support.
Our attention was immediately drawn to a stone that differed in structure from the entire stone complex. Like the skin of a sand lizard, it spread out in cracked patterns. And in the center, the entrance to the womb of the Great Goddess, gaped a sacrificial stone bowl.
After meditating near the altar, we went downstairs, where there once was an entrance to the Sorcerer’s cave. Previously, magicians conducted initiation rituals here near the stone head of the Serpent. But in recent years, the entrance has been covered with sand, like other artifacts.
By the way, the sand you see here does not belong to this area. It was brought here by helicopters to hide the caves with ancient drawings from human eyes. Or maybe to hide the secret of this mysterious place, sacred for thousands of years.
Although, how can one hide the strange, huge, cut like a pie with a sharp knife?
stone blocks. The clear edges of the “faults” immediately evoke thoughts of aliens or ancient, unknown to us, but high-tech civilizations.

And what was our surprise at the picture that the heater revealed to us. It’s as if we had fallen into the gorge of initiation into male power.

The entire space around us was filled with images of male sexual power. Various shapes and sizes. I don't know This temple of male sexuality has an artificial or natural origin, but for a long time we could not come to our senses from this space, extraordinary in its symbolism.
Even our guide was surprised, because no one had ever seen this place in many years. We sat in complete silence, amazed at the wonders of nature shown to us by the spirits of the area.

The next place we wanted to touch was the stone of knowledge. Fire element triangular shape
This stone brings the opportunity to touch all the knowledge and wisdom of the world. The vibrations emanating from it are very subtle and elusive and it is not always possible to immediately find it. But the spirits of the area were favorable to us and the warm energy of the knowledge stone attracted us to itself like a magnet.
Many answers came during meditation on the stone of knowledge, but even more questions. Everyone got the advice they came for.

But what happened next is more reminiscent of a fairy tale than a true story. The Mermaid Stone has long been hidden from visitors. It is too different from the work of ancient earthlings. Rather, it looks like a decoration on the capital of an unearthly temple that has sunk into the ground here. They say that there were several such decorations, but they were all hidden under the sand.
We were lucky and someone before us dug up a stone mermaid and therefore we didn’t have to look for her. The amazing relief and quality of stone processing are simply amazing. Oh, how I wanted to sing here, something funny and cheerful. Our women's laughter, like a bell, echoed, reflecting from the stone
slabs The sonorous Shidiridi Dana, an ancient chant: “Hail the Goddess Dana, Mother of the great heavenly and earthly waters.”
Our voices died down and silence came. It was as if our song was accepted by the great Goddess Mermaid. And suddenly in this silence a man’s voice sounded:
- Come on, bury what you dug up!
“Actually, we didn’t dig up anything, that’s just how it was,” we started making excuses.
- Bury it anyway!
The director of the reserve discovered our secret abode near Rusalka.
As I scooped a handful of sand into my palm, I felt as if someone had placed a small object in my palm. A small branch of a dried tree, like a tiny mermaid, lay in my hand, one to one displaying the contours of the stone capital of an ancient temple. The fin and rounded belly were clearly a copy of an ancient artifact magically reflected in a piece of dry wood.
Thus, without realizing it, the man became part of the magical action of the spirits of the area.
And now, as I write these lines, the little mermaid, the gift of the Spirits, is standing on my table, showing off her rounded belly and sending me the warm energy of this amazing temple of the Gods unknown to us.

APPLE TREE COLONY. KROLEVETS.

This place is not often visited by excursions. It is located away from the tourist routes, but if you want to plunge into the amazing feminine energies, then it makes sense to come here for the whole day.

Getting here is very easy. There is a train station here. Therefore, you can arrive in the morning and leave in the evening by train. Just 3 hours from Kyiv and you will find yourself in one of the most mysterious places on earth.
The colony apple tree was planted more than 200 years ago. And somehow, magically, a whole garden appeared from one trunk. The apple tree miraculously sprouted in a circle, forming a mystical little apple orchard-mandala. You can just sit here all day, enjoying the silence and wonderful blooms in spring. And in the fall, admire the beautiful, bright, shining apple fruits.
And when you’ve had enough of this peace and quiet, take the road to the lodge, surrounded by ancient, century-old willows. It’s like you’re in a Dryad’s fairy tale. Along the road, cherry trees create a snowstorm of airy pink and white petals in the spring. The aroma of flowering trees fills the air with a riot of colors and feminine energies. Near the mirrored table, the body itself dances and invites you to dance in circles in the meadow along the emerald grass. And if you get tired, you can just sit, dangling your legs in the warm water and admiring the glare of the reflections of old trees, smiling at the images appearing in the water. And I want to come back here again and again to this lightness of the dance of the Dryad Apple Tree and Willow Tree.

Eugenie McQueen © 2015

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Yesterday I went to Tripoli. On the one hand, I wanted to look at Nikolai Prikhodko’s exhibition purely for myself, on the other hand, it was good material to work with :)

I was amazed by the image of Maiden Mountain. And who would have thought that this gloomy hill was once so alive and very cheerful?! When it gets a little warmer, the mud dries out a little, we’ll definitely have to climb up there again. What amazing energy there! What a view from the top!

Boris Rybakov wrote in “Paganism of Ancient Rus'”:
“The Maiden Mountain is located in the same Middle Dnieper region on the outskirts of the village of Tripolye (chronicled Trepol) on the Dnieper. On the top of the mountain rising above the Dnieper in the Zarubinets time, a kind of altar-furnace was built, which is a composition of nine hemispherical depressions. In all likelihood this peculiar altar with nine nests was intended for vessels in which any potions or grains could be brewed during the festive ceremony... The number 9 in combination with the maiden name of this huge and very impressive mountain suggests (as well as about the fortune-telling bowl with nine marks of the month), that the creators of the altar with nine component parts primarily correlated this central structure of the Maiden Mountain with the nine months of pregnancy. The Virgin Goddess, as a stable idea of ​​a female agrarian deity, was obviously thought of, like the Christian Mother of God, not just as a girl, but as such , who had already “carried in her womb” and had nine months to prepare for the birth of a new life. ...On the side opposite the Dnieper, the Maiden Mountain descends into nothingness along a wide, gentle slope, as if specially intended for solemn ritual processions from the settlement to the altar of the virgin goddess at the top. Of great interest is a general view of this entire Middle Dnieper region, in which Devich Gora near Tripoli is located. The most important monuments of Zarubintsy culture are concentrated here. The largest number of antique imported items from the Black Sea region were also found here."

Some people still believe that the remains of these earthen vats are visible on the mountain. As for me, these are just pits, possibly left after the Second World War (there were actually fighting near the mountain) :), but the legend is beautiful.
Maiden Mountain has always been considered a bald mountain; nothing has ever grown on it except grass. It was only after the war that attempts were made to plant bushes and trees. At the foot of the mountain this more or less worked out, but what was left of the bushes at the top looked very sad.
According to the stories of local residents, the famous herbalist Evgeny Tovstukha preferred to collect herbs on Devich Gora and said that only here they have enhanced healing properties.
According to another story from local residents))), Devich Mountain is a disastrous place where witches and other evil spirits gathered. They say that at night you can hear some strange sounds coming from the top. Considering that there is also a cemetery nearby, I think in the eyes of many suspicious citizens this area looks terrifying))))
Today Devich Gora is a rather dirty and unkempt place. It’s strange, because it is inextricably linked with our history and culture. Although, perhaps, it’s time to get used to the fact that no one in this country can “take over” history and culture.
But, in any case, this mountain is one of my favorite places in the area, so I was interested to see what it looked like in the early twentieth century.

MOVCHAZNY SPIVETS TRIPILSHCHINY MYKOLA PRIKHODKO

At the beginning of the cruelty, the Kiev Regional Archaeological Museum opened an exhibition of paintings by our fellow countryman, amateur artist, michaz singer of the Trypilshchyna Mikoli Prikhodka. A talented little man, who in his entire life has never had the chance to take up painting professionally, having subsequently deprived himself of his life, although not even as great a decline as is demonstrated at Tripilla.

Mikola Tikhonovich Prikhodko was born on September 17, 1923 in Tripilly to his original Kolgospnytsya family. I was a different child from four siblings and had one brother and two sisters. As many of the participants of the complex front-war rocks, young Mikola graduated from the 7th grade of school and started working. The share was awarded to this sailor of the 1st and 2nd class of the waterways of the Dnieper basin.
And then the Friend of the World escaped from life and took two whole lives (1943 - 1945) from the Fatherland. For a long time, Mikola Prikhodko worked at the Austrian mine, as well as a lot of spivitch workers-ostarbeiters, but the world about the house was not deprived of it. So, having gotten angry, he immediately flew back to Ukraine, to the native Tripill.
Mikola Prikhodko dedicated his life to the school - from the start to the Tripilsky boarding school, and then - from the primary school. The schools themselves have saved their robots from the trees. A simple school carpenter not only finished his work, but also loved to work with wood, so the workers of both initial investments, where Mikola Tikhonovich worked, still save chairs, frames, vases, pots for kvitas, made by hand talented fellow countryman.
Mikoly’s tiny little artist’s artistic development has gone back to childhood, so it’s possible that the Radyansky rural cotton boy from the first third of the 20th century allowed himself to be enrolled in the art academy, if only from It was hard for everyone - not the ones with the farbs. However, the thirst for creativity did not deprive the talented tripilian throughout his life, he himself mastered various artistic techniques, he himself marveled at the composition and appearance of his paintings, he himself made sketches, he himself learned to mix farbi. He painted at night, so as not to ruin the secret of his work, because he was a modest person and was often afraid to show anyone the results of his efforts. The crop yielded its first fruits in the 65th year of Mikoli Tikhonovich’s life. Illustrations of the works of Taras Shevchenko, landscapes, and paintings of the native lands began to appear on the canvases.
Nina in the archaeological museum you can get acquainted with the sketches of the carved works of Mikoly Prikhodka, carved by a simple sheep, as well as with pastoral paintings from literature and life, written by farbs. However, the most prominent exhibits are three images of three different churches that were built at Tripilla - St. Vvedenskaya, St. Nicholas and the Holy Most Pure. Today, these great beaus have not lost a stone. The first church was taken by half, Mykolayivska (near Divich Gora) and the Holy Presentation (on Kiselivtsa - the place behind Divich Gora) was destroyed at the Radian clock. And without even knowing the memories of Mikoli Prikhodka’s youth today, we can recognize what Tripilla was like at the beginning of the last century.
Mykola Prikhodko died in 1997, because of his great family and will continue to be famous in the Tripilly region. To take care of the rumors about the artist, his squad, the embroiderer Efrosiniya Naumivna Prikhodko (her daughter Rudik), lives in Obukhivshchyna, has two daughters, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Onuk Evgen continues his grandfather’s burials and also works with wood.
The exhibition opened less than two years ago, but during that time more than 300 people came to marvel at Tripill last year. The exhibition will last for another hour, so for a symbolic fee you can find out what the historical Tripilly lands were like more than a hundred years ago, and also get to know the modest, but bright, specialness of Mikoly Prikhodka.

Devich Mountain is the highest point in the Obukhov region and one of the main ones in the Kiev region. Fantastic panoramas open up from this large hill, and it itself is surrounded by an aura of mysticism.

If you want to go to and see with a special aura, there are many options. There are at least five bald mountains in Kyiv alone. And outside the capital, there are places to recharge yourself with positive energy. Here you have, and a mysterious, and a lot of different points on the map, which scientists call geopathogenic zones, and psychics and esotericists call places of power. Maiden Mountain is another “sister” of similar objects. It’s easy to find the miracle peak; just drive up to the village of Trypillya from Kyiv.

Experts associate the name of the mountain with an ancient cult - the veneration of the supreme female deity, the Virgin, the mother of all things. Other names of natural attractions are Devichya Gora, Divich Gora. It is believed that this is where the sanctuary of the pagan goddess was once located. At the very least, a settlement and burial ground of the Zarubintsy culture, which existed in the 2nd century BC, were discovered at the top. e., as well as a Slavic temple dating back to the 6th century AD. e.

Folk legends say that in ancient times not only witches flocked to Devich Gora to organize a Sabbath there, but also ordinary women came with a beautiful and completely earthly purpose. By turning to supernatural forces and performing a certain ritual on Maiden Mountain, they say, one could receive a blessing for the unborn child and a guarantee that the baby would be born healthy.

Residents of the surrounding villages to this day tell amazing stories about strange sounds periodically coming from the mountain, and lights that no, no, and even some traveler will notice. And the healing properties of Devich Mountain are also confirmed by research. In any case, the soul here is truly filled with calmness, peace and harmony. Check it out for yourself - go to Trypillia, meet the memory of your ancestors and one of the most interesting mysteries of nature!

How to get there: Devich Gora on the map

Additional Information

How to find: Kiev region, Obukhov district, village. Trypillya, st. Queen