jeannefiorini

If you live near or are planning to visit the great State of Maine this spring or summer, here are a few tips to enrich your visit to the Pine Tree State and in particular, the fine city of Portland Maine.

Portland is often touted as a “small city with big city appeal,” and we certainly live up to the post-card image of this seaside town. But there’s a lot to do in Portland besides shopping, eating lobster, and looking at lighthouses … not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I’m talking about the unseen treasures that lie beneath the surface, the things that are the reason people come for a visit and end up staying for decades. Once you’ve been here, you’ll have to agree that there is something transcendent about Portland Maine.

But you won’t need Mysterious Madam Zohar reading your mind in order to have an authentic metaphysical experience in Portland. All you need do is put yourself in a position to see the world from a different perspective and allow your mind to surpass everyday reality.

Here are 10 easy ways to access the transcendence of the metaphysical realms without leaving the area and without spending too much money:

1. Visit the Portland Museum of Art. Being the presence of art allows for a speedy transcendence of everyday reality, and this museum (designed by the firm of I.M. Pei) really packs a wallop.
2. Take a ride on the Casco Bay Ferry. Take the trip to Peak’s Island, or better yet take the Mail Boat run. You’ll be a different person by the time you arrive back at the dock.
3. Get your astrological chart done. There’s nothing like looking at your life from a cosmic viewpoint to bring a new perspective. Pick up a free copy of Portland’s Spiritual Renaissance magazine to find an astrologer that suits you.
4. Get a really good haircut. It’s cheaper than therapy and lots more fun. Amore Styles in the Old Port and Beauty Heals in Falmouth come highly recommended.
5. See a performance at the Merrill Auditorium. Portland boasts a state-of-the-art facility with the Merrill, and that’s not even counting the one-of-a-kind, massive Kotchmar Organ. Any offering here is sure to bring you to another plane of consciousness.
6. Take a stroll around Mackworth Island. The walking path itself is meditative, but the beloved pet cemetery and the fairy house village put this place over the top.
7. Purchase some “real art.” It doesn’t need to cost a small fortune; there are many local artists whose work can be had at reasonable prices. Check out Julie Vohs, Creative Spiral, and Heather Libby for a start. Loving–and owning– art is sublime.
8. Treat yourself to a great massage. Try Nine Stones on the waterfront’s Commercial Street, the ways to pamper and renew yourself here are endless.
9. Have your Tarot cards read. Check out TarotWorks, or visit Magick Bridges for a look at life through the archetypes of the Tarot.
10. Sit on a park bench on the Eastern Promenade. An old-fashioned park and walking path flanked by Casco Bay on one side and magnificent Victorian mansions on the other. Pretty much any time of day, any time of year, it’s pure bliss to watch the world go by from this magical perch.

OK, do you really need any more reasons to be here now?