I was finally able to visit Prague where both my grandfather and great grandfather were born. Besides connecting with my ancestry, I wanted to heal an old wound they suffered from the church. My dad had told me the story of how my great grandfather, Josef, who was a blacksmith, was asked by his priest to donate his work to the church. He was a simple man of no great means and was not able to do so. As the story goes, standing in front of the congregation, the priest told everyone not to patronize Josef’s business. That broke him. He immigrated to the U.S. and died before his son, my grandfather, already on his way, arrived.
I wanted to find the church, and do a ritual of forgiveness, although no one in the family knew what church, nor where it was. To help me, I asked my spirit guides and also contacted a friend who was a dowser who previously had helped me with improving my own dowsing skills. We worked on locating the church before I left on the trip. When I walked into St. Nicholas Church in Lesser Town Prague, I knew it was the church by the powerful emotions I felt. The following day I went back to confirm that this was the church where Josef had suffered. It was! I prayed for forgiveness for the priest, and all others who were involved. I asked for healing for my great grandfather, grandfather, and all generations who were affected by this event. It had truly left many through the generations with a victim consciousness. I asked for help from my spirit guides knowing that I could not do this alone. I cried and cried sitting in that church. It was an incredibly beautiful church built in the Baroque and Rococo style. The statues were so large and towering that I felt small, and it seemed to me that was intentional. There were white marble statues, gold gilded statues, shinning pink marble walls and gold filigree everywhere. It was truly magnificent. It was a powerful experience and I felt I had accomplished what I’d come for, besides seeing this most beautiful of cities.
On our way back to the Brussels airport, we picked Cologne, Germany to overnight. It was my birthday and, after dinner and a jaw-dropping organ concert in the Cologne Cathedral, it started to rain, thunder and lightning. It was a full moon as well as an eclipse, and quite a show! We opened our hotel room windows and watched below as it cleared and washed the cathedral steps of lots of people, dogs, noise and various musicians. We slept well, with the windows open, the smell of clean rain and the quiet. The storm had cleared my energy, old Prague memories and I felt refreshed and grateful. What a birthday gift.
When I returned home I dreamed about St. Nicholas Church and knew I needed to paint a mandala. I called it “It Broke My Heart.” I have one more thing to do to complete this journey. I need to find my great grandfather’s grave and bless it. I don’t believe that any family member ever did, and no one knows where exactly it is. My cousin has traced his death certificate to Baltimore. I know I shall find it, and I also know that he will help me.
