The Desert of Death

An ode to safety, following your inner compass and taking action
About my trip to a volcano named Mount Etna and how this changed my perspective of fear
By not listening to then listening to the body's signals when entering the landscapes of the unknown

I was taken through the darkness within as I drove up

Images of what could haven as I kept swiping them away, singing a mantra. I had chosen this day specifically months before as the supermoon would rise over the island of sicily, and the myths sharing about the fairies dancing on the

Around and beyond. Made a few stops to soack in the landscapes in my eye sight in which I had never experienced live before. Other times, my camera would do this for me, in order to capture something I might have missed, wanted to capsule in a forever memory or preserve an atmoshphere for sharing, when words aren't always living up to the image of sensorial experiences

The road I was looking for was unclear and so I walked back and forth and talk to the few people on the parkin slot, as I had chosen the Northern side of Mount Etna to discover. One was sharing about parking fees without realizin they were getting tricked by a stranger and a local then assured me about how I could freely park there for as long as I wished to, as it was outside the tourist season.

Finally, the paths showed up, behind some sleeping busses waiting for the next season to invite newcomers by. I passed by and decided to start grounding my body in the forest-like area, before walking up to the crater I had decided to meet. Something kept dragging me down and away and so, I kept stopping to breathe in and move as I breathed out.

The heavyness of my body occured and the time called me to turn around and start walking up the volcano stones if I would want to get back before it turned dark. Up I went. Step by step as I soaked in the beautiful sights of the mountains around. Compared to my homeland, this felt like a dream taken out of the documentaries I have watched in the telebox from since I was a child. As I walked the words "death... Death". appeared. I wondered but took it as my body trying to let go of some anxiety of the unknown and tried not to think deeper into it, but moving my body in the directions I had planned.

A beige dog suddenly appeared and soon, two parents with their two childs, assuring me the road along the crater was just beyond the corner and shared about their amazing experience walking along it together. But aftet the corner another one, yet another and another, kept appearing. I walked for about an hour before "that" corner, leading up to the path around the crater, appeared. Wondering how the difference of distance seem to people.
As I got closer to the passage, my body felt tighter at tighter and I kept stopping as something poured me away. Like being pushed and pulled at the same time. And so I kept breathing in, and walking while breathing out. Stopping. Breathing in and walking while breathing out. Untill I reached the top.

Then.
Absolutely chaos. Within me. My physical, mental and spiritual body started trembling, shaking and melting in the glimpse of an eye and next thing, I find myself laying down on the ground, shaking. The crater, next to my face, seemed like a black whole and the sense of something sucking you down, like I was about to puke or my eyes popping out at the same time.
All at the same time, the sun vanished behind clouds, the storm appeared but everything was silent. The only thing I could hear, was the sounds of my breath. Barely.
Out of my mouth the following words appeared:

"Death, death, death... The desert of death".

In front of me a 2metres wide path was the surface to lead me around the crater. If I collapsed again, I would see death in the eyes, literally and so my eyes grabbed out and reached two suitable stones, fitting perfect in each hand. Visualizing myself on a staircase, holding onto the rib and so, I immediatele turned 360 degress and went back the same path as I came from.
It felt like the area told me to turn around and so I did. As fast as I could.

Out of the mouth I kept saying" Death death" until my body stopped and I got the feeling of directing all of my anxiety into the right stone. I then projected all my intensity in it and in front of me, an opening of lava stones looking like a vulva, appeared, as a rebirth. I place the lava stone intentionally, took a deep breathe and then walked as fast as I could in the darkness that slowly reached me, and binded af blindfold of mist around my eyes and that whole area. Only the dead trees and shapes of the vulcano was visible. I walked in the misty darkness for an hour before reaching the vehicle that could take me back.

And then the sun was hidden behind clouds, the wind arised and I could either continue, all alone in the darkness on a 2m wide road with complete fall down to death on both sides, or I could turn around. I grabbed two lava stones, one in each hand and visually mentalized holding onto a staircase. Leading me back the way I came from. My legs trembled and if felt like something behind me, shifted back and forth to dragging me back to pushing me away.
Even though the storm was huge, there was deadly silence. Nothing could come out, like a black whole sucking all sound. Except my breath, the sound of my breath and the ice cold mist from my mouth. Black surrounding and dead trees. Completely alone in what felt like death.

It took me about an hour to get back down to the car and I made a stop against a tree, to feel the physical sensation of being held from behind. Then the mist came and blocked my vision from 5-10meters in front of me and it was 1h long drive down the wavy mountain roads. I made a few stops with the car, as the owls starting talking to each other. Finally - the first sign of life. Untill the sign became a sight in front of the car - where the light captured this owly creature, turning around it's head 360 degrees followed by the unfolding of it's massive big wings, to help it reach heights I couldn't withing my rolling vehicle.


I was met with openness
To the darkness in the wild where nothing grows
And with danger

Two weeks later I looked the sentence up online, out of curiouisty after sharing this with a dear friend, whom suggested it to me. Turns out that specific area where I collapsed on the black lava stones, carries the nickname; "the desert of death".


Below you'll find some pictures from this area.
I would reccomand, before looking at them, making sure you're seated comfortable. Maybe taking a glass of water, having your feet in the ground, footbath or able to to so afterwards.