The birth of the Temples of Humankind

A tale by Fenice Felce, one of the original founders of Damanhur posted here to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Temples of Humankind opening to the world.

For a while we had been asking Falco to start building the Temples of Humankind. He always replied with a smile that it was not the right time yet. Meanwhile, we had purchased an old house on a hill that overlooked the town of Vidracco. The all-stone house was nudged up against the earth and surrounded by thick vegetation. In a small clearing on the side of the house, there was a large walnut tree that majestically overlooked everything.

The place exuded harmony and had a magical atmosphere that enveloped all that was there. We began restoration work on the land, removing brambles, cutting grass and cleaning everywhere. In the end, we found ourselves with a cottage in the woods like the ones you read about in fairy tales. Amazing!

On the house beside the front door, a hawk was painted inside a hexagon with the words, “Think well of others,” which is the basis of our way of life. We loved the place. After the day’s work constructing the village of Damanhur and clearing the land, we went by foot in the evening to this magical place up on the mountain, because the dirt road full of vegetation did not allow for cars to pass. We prepared dinner, which was served on two large wooden tables positioned under the big walnut tree, which also held a nice swing for our kids to have fun and play.

During our communal dinners, we exchanged comments, ideas, projects and laughter, and afterward, there was the long-awaited moment of “the talks around the fire.” Sitting in a circle on low benches, wooden stumps and large stones, with wool blankets over our shoulders to protect from the dampness of the night, we asked so many questions to Falco, who answered with humor, happiness and joy that permeated our hearts, as the fire participated by crackling, fuming and shooting out bunches of sparks.

One evening with the sky full of bright stars, we repeated the same question, “When can we begin to build the Temples?” Falco told us to hold hands, close our eyes and think about something beautiful, asking the heavens in the sky if it was the right moment. He said that if it was the right moment, the heavens would respond with a sign. So we did, repeating the question three times to the heavens while the energy, emotion and hope of the night made our hearts quiver.

When we opened our eyes, a big ball of fire streaked across the entire sky, leaving behind a luminous trail which rained down a shower of golden sparks right above our circle. The heavens had answered! Smiling and seeing our eyes filled with wonder, Falco said, “If you want, you can begin digging…”

One of the greatest satisfactions was to see the eyes full of wonder and expressions of amazement of our spiritual brothers and sisters, as we brought them to see the Temples for the first time: the corridors, paintings, stained glass windows, rooms and secret passages of this fantastic creation.

One day, at the entrance of the Temples, Falco had left a sign that said, “Oh those of you who are excavating here, consider this: You’re putting your hands in a place where only God has put his hands before you.”

– Fenice Felce