Volcanoes, wine, and spiritual energy
“Wine initiates us into the volcanic mysteries of the soil, and its hidden mineral riches.” – Marguerite Yourcenar, Memoirs of Hadrian
Mount Etna is one of the tallest peaks in Italy outside of the Alps and is an active volcano, in a nearly constant state of activity. Volcanic ash is porous and as it mixed with rocks it creates a hospitable environment for plants to absorb water through their roots. The lava flows fill the ashy soil with nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, and potassium. This combination of fertile soil and steep elevation, under a warm Sicilian climate, produces wines that are ripe and refreshing. Powerful and elegant.
Red wines are predominantly made of the native grape Nerello Mascalese, and a bit of Nerello Capuccio. White wines are predominantly made of the native grape Carricante, as well as Catarratto.
Mesmerizing in its power and elegance, the volcano has long been a symbol of destruction, temperament, and warning. There are many mythological and philosophical interpretations that evoke both a form and formlessness to volcanoes. While these interpretations have mostly become relics under scientific observation, science does not argue a volcano’s presence as a powerful agent of change – a creator and a destroyer. Bridging all groups of thought, scientific and spiritual, can build a more comprehensive understanding of how volcanoes shape the earth and the people among it.
“Man feels himself isolated in the cosmos. He is no longer involved in nature and has lost his emotional participation in natural events, which hitherto had a symbolic meaning for him. Thunder is no longer the voice of a god, nor is lightning his avenging missile. No river contains a spirit, no tree means a man’s life, no snake is the embodiment of wisdom, and no mountain still harbours a great demon [. . .] His immediate communication with nature is gone forever, and the emotional energy it generated has sunk into the unconscious.” – C.G. Jung, Symbolic Life, “Healing the Split,” 255
“Volcanism is a key element in planetary habitability. That’s because volcanic outgassing helps a planet maintain moderate, life-inviting temperature, regulating the atmosphere by cycling gases such as carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the mantle.” – NASA
“Anthropologists no longer regard myths as naive views of nature that retreat from consciousness as science advances. These supernatural explanations still hold powerful sway, not because they are factual, but because they represent people’s core beliefs. Myths are much more pervasive and play a greater role than previously thought in all societies, even highly scientific ones, such as our own.” – John Dvorak, American Scientist
