Meet my partner in adventure: Sulay Casas, or “Suly” out of love.
I had the whole afternoon to myself before her arrival that night. Now, the question: what to do with it?”
Salina Turda popped up on Google search.
A salt mine in Transylvania, why not?
Just 40 minutes from Cluj and the high concentrations of salt in the air promised exactly what I needed – relief for the sore throat that had lingered for a couple of days.
Mining here dates back to the 8th century BC, continued through the Middle Ages until its closure in 1932. Sixty years later, it was reborn as Salina Turda: an underground tourist destination of built heritage: part amusement park and part medical facility.
Beneath the earth, the Turda Salt Mine has five chambers: Iosif, Crivac, Terezia, Rudolf, and Gizela. Descending into its vast chamber felt like stepping into another world, or perhaps a sci-fi set. Stunning stalactites and salt crust seemed shimmered like galaxies. It felt cosmic, yet grounded.
Carved 112 meters below the surface, the bell-shaped Terizia blew my mind. Futuristic yet sacred. The dance between the feeling of vastness, the crips air, the monochromatic ceiling in dark gray and brown, and the glimmering lake with a salt concentration of 260 grams/ liter: a masterpiece!
As I was returning to the surface, I thought to myself: Why salt? What does this have to do with this journey?
Couple of more steps, and I had the sensation of having a tilak (mark made with sandalwood, ash, clay, or vermillion paste in Hindu tradition). I touched just below the center of my forehead, between my eyebrows, and to my surprise, I had, in fact, salt there. I took this as a welcoming and auspicious sign.
Then I recognized that I was feeling rooted, balanced, and breathing better.
I also remember the key role of this mineral in human evolution and health (eating, drinking, breathing), and its ubiquitous role in the sacred.
Salt for cleaning, purification and protection (evil spirits, bad luck).
Salt for preservation (food and what cannot be seen: truth, purity, values).
Salt as an offering (a sign of value, sincerity, truth).
Salt as part of the tria prima of alchemy (salt, sulfur and mercury).
Salt as a remainder of the deep body – Earth connection.
Note to self/ discovery:
Romania is a salt-rich country.
Salt deposits and saltwater sources have been exploited since the early Neolithic. By 2019, over 200 salt mines have been identified, 40 are still active, and several salt-related natural reserves, archeological and cultural sites have been protected.
Most of the salt mines are in Carpathian Mountains and in the Transylvania basin.
And so, the journey continues.
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