Cupramontana, a small village nested in the endless hills of Marche, has been a part of my journey for over ten years. Time and time again I have returned to the village and its surrounding countryside, over the past two years to assist my mum on her yearly retreats often held at the magnificent Villa Arsicci.
There is a beauty and peace in Cupramontana that is difficult to give words to. Here you become one with nature and feel the surrounding life move with you. Hiking up and down the steep hills, through golden and emerald fields, vineyards and streets woven into the undulating landscape I always return to the peaceful yet wild fire and force within.
The hills rising up from the depths of Earth, the clouds descending into valleys and the everchanging weather is a breathtaking, forever compelling view that I never tire of.
The serene beauty, majestic landscape and comforting nature have the wonderful ability to distance one from everything else; here you are present. Present to witness the smallest changes in the sky, present to connect with the earth.
Present in yourself and brought to your knees by the fiery land where the elements rule and nature thrives.
Cupramontana - a dive into the deep end
In all its serenity Cupramontana and its surrounding areas are rarely a serene or peaceful experience. Once you get settled and are cut out from the rest of the world, suddenly living by, through and with nature, what has been pushed down bubbles up. You are brought to face yourself, all the aches and ouches, all that diminishes the fire within, all that needs confronting so that you can step deeper within – and forward.
Here you burn to ashes to become rooted to yourself and the magnificent wildfire you are.
And in this land of fire, air and earth this process is rarely settle. Quite the opposite: it is big feelings, strong reactions, seemingly random accidents and an endless quiet in which you are given space and no other choice than to face the boundaries and limits within.
This is most of the time a rather brutal experience, a direct dive into the deep end, but once you resurface you stand taller than the surrounding hills. You shine brighter than the sun. You move as one with the universe.
Marche - a land of flourishing life
Marche is a beautiful place to reconnect with oneself. There is a calming softness in the air despite the dramatic journey within, a happily bubbling river of life that nourishes in a very fundamental way.
The Earth itself rises as an aid, giving us the perfect steep hills to climb over and over again to physically connect with the fire within, to physically release all that needs to be let go of. At the same time, nature stands securely and softly by your side, healing, cleansing and supporting you with its ancient wisdom. There is room to breathe, to sit still and watch the everchanging clouds dance in front of your eyes. There is space. Space around you. Space created within.
And the deeper you connect with the wild within, become at peace with who you are, the clearer the wild connects with you, intriguingly following your journey, allowing you to connect with the wilderness around you and within you on a deeper level.
In this beautiful land wild and free walk side by side with ancient traditions. The Earth holds an immense wisdom and the earthly energy is balanced by shining portals of light that support the land and the life it holds.
While fire and earth are dominant here, air and water are no less significant or powerful. The area has a balance that allows life – life at its purest and wildest. Life to flourish and grow as it is meant to in its natural cycles.
A place for new beginnings
I am forever grateful for the chances that have led me to Cupramontana and Marche. The peace and strength the land and its energy have given me, helped me find within, is immense. Always waiting to return, looking forward to the long walks, encounters with foxes, wolves, boars and birds - nature in all its wild and free forms.
The more I return, the more time I spend in Marche, the deeper the experience becomes; deeply rooted within, whole and alive, I become whole and alive with my surroundings. Once all the internal walls are down, the depths have resurfaced and I am at peace in my fire, a new path opens up, a new way to see, live and experience this wise land that carries the secrets of life in its soil.
The long journey within has been just a beginning, this past decade just a scratch on the surface of all that life holds.
Excitedly looking forward to what is to come, what calls to me, where I am guided, and happy to share my journey with you, all that springs up from wherever life takes me.
Thank you for existing and sharing this magnificent world with me! I’m beyond grateful for you being here, reading this.
With love from love,
Ida.
A Soulful Voyage, this labour of love, is possible only through your help and support.