the caucasus mountains

and their mysteries

by Taliesin

Georgian Alphabet

In December 2025, I decided to take a family trip to the Caucasus region, visiting Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The purpose of this article is to explore their cultures and mysteries, with a focus on Georgia and Armenia, and to show that even when we least expect it, we can discover insights into alchemy and the mysteries of life, if we remain open and curious

georgia – sakartvelo

In their own language, Georgia is called Sakartvelo, meaning ‘the land of the Kartveli people.’ According to tradition, the Kartveli trace their ancestry to Kartlos, a legendary forefather whose descendants settled the region known as Kartli. Over the centuries, these tribes formed early kingdoms such as Colchis and Iberia, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Empires rose and fell around them, but the Kartveli preserved a strong sense of identity through their customs, faith, and especially their language, which is not related to the Indo-European language family.

Christianity in Georgia

Georgia has also a unique type of Christianity. According to Georgian Christian tradition, Christianity reached the land of Kartli in the 1st century CE, during the time of the Apostles. Because of this, the Georgian Church considers itself Apostolic, meaning its roots go back directly to Christ’s disciples. Georgian tradition holds that the faith first reached the land through the apostles in the 1st century, but it was in the early 4th century that Christianity truly took root through Saint Nino, a woman from Cappadocia who arrived in the kingdom of Kartli carrying a simple cross made of grapevine branches bound with her own hair. Through prayer and healing, she converted Queen Nana, and later King Mirian III, who according to legend was struck blind while hunting and regained his sight only after calling upon the Christian God. This miracle led the king to proclaim Christianity the state religion, making Georgia one of the earliest officially Christian kingdoms in the world.

Saint Nino’s cross, one of the most important symbols of Georgian Christianity

wine and the qvevri

Georgia is widely recognized as the cradle of wine, with archaeological evidence suggesting that Georgians have been producing wine for over 8,000 years, making it the oldest known wine-making tradition in the world. Archaeologists have found 8,000-year-old clay vessels (qvevri) in sites such as Dmanisi, Gadachrili Gora, and Shulaveri, containing traces of grape residue. These vessels, often buried underground, reflect the qvevri method, a unique technique still used today in Georgia, where grapes are crushed, fermented, and aged in large clay jars buried in the earth. Brother Ibn Hamda attested that the same method is also observed in Aramaic-speaking communities in Syria.
Wine in Georgia was far more than a drink, it became a sacred element of religious life. With the adoption of Christianity in the 4th century, wine came to symbolize the blood of Christ in the Georgian Orthodox Church. Christian monasteries in Georgia have historically been centers of viticulture, with monks preserving vine stocks, ancient techniques, and often producing wine for liturgy and hospitality.
Monastic involvement often emphasizes handcrafted, small-batch production that reflects local traditions. I had the opportunity to visit Dariali Monastery, a relatively new complex built in 2005 near the Russian border. As part of their daily routine, the monks produce wine and brandy, using grapes from the Telavi region, which has warm soil, while making the wine in the mountain climate.
This grapes are placed in Qvevris, clay vessels buried in the earth, where it rests in silence. Here, the fermentation begins, not hurried by human hands but guided by the slow work of nature itself. The cold mountain air tempers the process, letting sweetness remain, a quiet reminder of patience and balance. Fermentation begins naturally with the yeast present on the grapes, converting sugar into alcohol. The cold conditions of the mountain climate slow the fermentation process. As a result, the fermentation is naturally interrupted before all the sugar is converted. This interruption leaves a significant amount of residual sugar in the wine, giving it a natural semi-sweet taste without any added sweeteners.
It was without a doubt the most delicious wine I have ever tasted, with a wonderfully sublime sweetness. The monks use the land and their centuries-old traditions to create a truly unique wine. called qvevri.

Dariali Monastery in the Caucasus Mountains, near the Russian border

Qvevris — clay vessels buried in the earth for wine fermentation

Armenia – Hayastan

In my opinion, Armenia has a fascinating history. The country is deeply connected to biblical tradition. According to legend, Mount Ararat, now within modern-day Turkey, is the resting place of Noah’s Ark. Armenian tradition holds that Hayk, the legendary founder of the Armenian people, was a great-great-grandson of Togarmah, who, according to the Bible, was a grandson of Japheth, one of Noah’s three sons (Genesis 10:2). This links Hayk, and by extension the Armenian people, to the biblical lineage of Noah. The first historic state in the region was Urartu (9th–6th centuries BCE), a powerful kingdom that laid the foundations of Armenian culture, architecture, and political organization. The people and kings of Urartu played a crucial role in shaping early Armenian civilization.
Hayk is considered the founder of the Armenian nation, and the Armenians call themselves “Hay”, with their country “Hayastan” meaning “land of Hayk.” This connection to Noah’s family is part of why Armenian tradition sees itself as one of the oldest continuous peoples in the world, with a history that traces back to the early post-flood generations described in the Bible.
Mount Ararat, where Noah’s Ark is said to have come to rest, reinforces this link in Armenian cultural memory, symbolically tying the land, its people, and their legendary founder to biblical history. Noah → Japhet → Togarmah → Hayk

Mount Ararat

Armenia is recognized as the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion, traditionally in 301 AD, under King Tiridates III. This was largely due to the efforts of St. Gregory the Illuminator, who converted the king and the royal court, establishing the Armenian Apostolic Church. Christianity quickly became central to Armenian national identity, guiding culture, law, and daily life.
The Armenian cross holds deep spiritual and cultural significance. Unlike typical crosses, Armenian crosses often feature intricate designs, combining floral and geometric patterns. These crosses, called “khachkars” (cross-stones), serve as both religious symbols and memorials. They symbolize faith, eternal life, and the enduring spirit of the Armenian people, often carved in stone and placed at churches, monasteries, and cemeteries.

khachkars and sacred stone

Khachkars (cross-stones) inside Geghard Monastery

To preserve and transmit Christian teachings in their own language, Armenians needed a written script. In the early 5th century, Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian monk and scholar, created the Armenian alphabet. This enabled the translation of the Bible and other sacred texts into Armenian, ensuring that the Armenian people could read and understand Christianity in their native tongue. The alphabet also helped unify the nation culturally and preserved Armenian literature, history, and identity through centuries of foreign domination.
Through adopting Christianity, creating their unique cross symbols, and developing an alphabet for sacred texts

mesrop mashtot, and the armenian alphabet.

Armenian churches are among the oldest Christian structures in the world, reflecting a unique architectural tradition that developed after Armenia adopted Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD. Many Armenian churches are characterized by a dark, quiet interior, with small windows and thick stone walls. This design is intentional and symbolic rather than a practical limitation.
The darkness inside the church is meant to create a contemplative and sacred atmosphere, drawing worshippers away from the distractions of the outside world. In Armenian Christian thought, the dim interior represents the spiritual truth that light comes from within the inner light of faith, prayer, and divine presence in each person. Just as a candle or lamp glows softly in the dark, the faithful are encouraged to cultivate their own inner spiritual light.

Matenadaran — repository of ancient Armenian manuscripts

Churches and Inner Light

Geghard Monastery — a place of darkness, silence, and contemplation

matenadaran

The Matenadaran, officially called the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, is located in Yerevan, Armenia, and is one of the world’s most important repositories of ancient texts. Founded in 1959, it preserves over 17,000 manuscripts, The manuscript collection at the Matenadaran includes works on a wide range of sciences, including alchemy and medicine, alongside theology, philosophy, history, and other disciplines. These manuscripts contain detailed knowledge about herbs, their uses, plant properties, and therapeutic combinations, reflecting the sophisticated medical traditions of medieval Armenian scholars.

Matenadaran — repository of ancient Armenian manuscripts

You can even find texts linked to the Jewish Babylonian tradition of incantation bowls, a fascinating topic in which Babylonian Jews used a form of magic to create bowls for protection. However, this subject will not be explored here

babylonian incantation bowls

Jewish Babylonian tradition of incantation bowls

the royal elixir

In The Mantenederan Museum, there are manuscripts contain herbal and medical knowledge from the Middle Ages that describe complex mixtures of herbs, roots, and plant extracts used for health and vitality. In the Middle Ages, this elixir was reportedly used by Armenian kings and nobles as a tonic believed to promote strength, youthfulness, and wellbeing; it was considered a royal health preparation, hence its name. The original recipes were encoded and kept in monastic or scholarly circles, often written in a style that combined medicinal knowledge with spiritual and ritual practice. Preparation and use were traditionally accompanied by prayers and rites in monasteries, reflecting the integration of health, spirituality, and manuscript culture in medieval Armenian. Currently the elixir is prepared at the Matenadaran and preserved in oak barrels. According to ancient traditions barrels are then transported to the “Hermit Caves” in the region of Vayots Dzor where monks realize Church rites, accompanying them with healing prayers and sacred chants. The ceremony of collecting and harvesting of the rare mountainous herbs takes place according to the way described in manuscripts, on specific lunar days, which fortifies the elixir’s strength, aroma and flavour.
Contents: The elixir is prepared from the Armenian hawthorn (Crataegus armena) fruits, cochineal (Porphyrophora hamelii) and extracts of 54 aromatic herbs, roots and flowers, including Mastica mutica, Herba Ziziphorae, Rhizoma Calami, Radix Nardostachyos, Flores Cephalariae, Semen Myristicae, Fructus Cubebae, Stigmata Croci, Rhizoma Iridis, Folia Myrti, Hermit Herb. It contains also natural mountain honey. The preparation of the elixir lasts three years.
Since ancient times, the Elixir is well known for its healing and strengthening action. The Elixir stimulates the immune system, improves blood circulation, as well as respiratory, digestive and nervous systems’ functions. It also contributes to overcoming fatigue, feelings of anxiety and depression. According to medieval physicians, it “heals the heart and makes the spirit happy”.

Jewish Babylonian tradition of incantation bowls

conclusion

In summary, this trip offered many lessons I had previously encountered at Inner Garden during my journey; from the simplicity of creating tinctures, to the beauty of fermentation and the natural process of producing wine, and to the Armenian churches, which highlight the importance of building our own inner temple: Ora et Labore. As Brother Spagyria often reminded us during his AIR class: “There is nothing to discover in life; it must be experienced”

Ora et Labora.

Taliesin — 18/01/2025