Today (July 1986), we left for Volterra to prepare a room for Shri Mataji at the Hotel San Lino. The countryside was beautiful, with fields of sunflowers and maize, and as Shri Mataji has said, it is similar to Maharashtra. We decorated Her armchair, arranged some flowers and She arrived earlier than expected. After a siesta of a couple of hours, at about seven in the evening we went out with Her to go shopping for alabaster, which is a speciality of this area. Not only is alabaster found here, but also there are expert craftsmen who transform it into sophisticated artefacts. As we went into a number of shops, Shri Mataji noted the price and quality of many of these objects. This was in order to buy the collective present for Sahasrara Day, and also various private purchases, for Her new house in England and for one in India.
After a short walk around the main square and that area, Shri Mataji went towards a viewpoint at the edge of the countryside, from where we could take in the view in the direction of the sea. She told us that the Etruscans, who used to live here, were originally Egyptian, and were Zoroastrians, with the influence of the Egyptians and Greeks. She also said that the vibrations of this place were very heavy on the left, while at Marina di Pietrasanta She had spoken of the right side, and above all of the right Nabhi of the Romans. After our walk, we returned to the hotel, and while some of the Sahaja Yogis organised a collective supper, one lady and I stayed with Shri Mataji. While the other lady massaged Her Lotus Feet, I took the opportunity to show Her a photo I had taken at the Guru Puja at Gmunden.
It was a photo in which Her Lotus Feet are reflected on the gold which covered the wooden base on which they rested. In the middle is a painted Shri Ganesha, which is sending a luminous reflection. Shri Mataji very much liked the photo, and asked for copies for our centres, and to take to the Krishna Puja in Switzerland, and also to India. She said that the Indians preferred puja photos, because through these their faith and devotion can be expressed.
She said that She loves flowers so much, wherever She goes, and long ago Markandeya compared the Feet of the Devi to flowers, and described how the Trimurtis, (Shri Brahma, Shri Vishnu and Shri Shiva) worshipped Her toenails, which for them were like diamonds in their crowns. I showed Her the crown that we had almost finished making, in the form of the sun, with seven petals, and another twelve petals at the sides. She liked it very much, but said the colour was too uniform and to change some crystals for others which were lighter, and then She said – a great blessing – that She would take it to India and have it mounted in silver, so it could remain permanently. What an honour – thank You Mother!
Then Shri Mataji spoke about magnolias, saying that the flowers on these plants in India had a much stronger and sweeter smell, without the bitter smell that ours had. She added that if we put vibrated water on our magnolias perhaps the scent would change.
In the evening we were all together, about fifty people, also the new people from Rome and Milan, in a restaurant just outside Volterra, on the road to Cedina – I think it was called ‘Da Stefano’. Shri Mataji was seated facing the group and replied to a question on the difference between the soul and the Spirit. Fortunately the talk was recorded.
Alessandra Pallini