Journeys' Prelude: 1992
Waiting at the Crossroads:
In the stillness of the vale,
at a crossroads of this trail,
sits a Warrior - Elvenkind -
who waits for the appointed time
when moons conjoin in full attire
presaging Prophecy's "Silver Fire"
knowing that, by three days passed,
will come a traveler - Human-cast.
The Elf's an Escort to the Throne,
although beyond that, naught is known...
He honors what his King requests,
pledging his Life to guard this Guest.
Crossing the Faery Veil:
A sacred ring and magic blade
allow thee passage through this glade
that has no touch of mortal man,
'cept those drawn hence by Spirit's hand.
Meeting with the Elf Scout:
"What draws thee, human, to this place
that offers nothing to thy race?
What dares thee, human, to come hence?
What overrides thy common sense?
Must be 'tis time that both Worlds meet,
unless it's dying that thee seek...
But, no, I see it in thy mind --
your Quest is true, and it is Time."
At Oberon's Throne:
"So tell me, human, is it true?
Has Darkness touched thy world, too?
And does that Shadow follow thee?
or have you somehow gotten free?
The Prophet said that thee would come
when moons conjoined and shone as one;
but no one thought there'd come that day
when "Man" would walk on Elven clay;
still, here you are and here am I,
to forge alliance in reply
to Evil tamperings in the Web --
We'll stand with thee, I give my Pledge."
Faery Journey North: 2002
What a treat this evening, while watering the yard! Of a sudden, I became aware of a presence beside me. Elven. Taller. Male. Way younger. At least by feel. From what I've read of Elven lore, perhaps my age, but by his terms, just a young'un. We thought it prudent not to use names in our journals. So I called him "Emerald Boy". Lord knows what he called me. He would only chuckle and say I couldn't pronounce it anyway. Something about a silver lightning-bug. He told me he was from the North. I mentioned that I thought I had journeyed North, so he must be East, but the directions were just different from his perspective and dimension. He chuckled again, and said, "No. You yourself said you needed to start all over again. So here I am." I thought about that, and thought about where I had been for the last North venture. He said, "Forget all that. That's gone. Very gone. This is now. This is here. This is all there is. So.... What do you want to know?" Well, I did think about that for a while. What did I want to know? I mean, I didn't need to ask about his "home" , because the both of us were journeying both worlds at once -- both in his "home"; both in "mine". And the concept, skills, and purpose of shamanism were no different -- just culturally filtered. So I had to ask myself, well, what then? I thought about asking for wisdom, but the nuances of that were either universal or culturally-specific, so that would be a circular experience. I was looking for something else. I decided I would pursue the notion of interconnectedness with him. He explained that trying to translate that would bleach out the colors of his knowledge, sharing it with me, although he would if I asked. I suggested meditative journeying to "feel" what "felt" when experiencing interconnectedness. He said I would still be filtering culturally, regardless of how advanced my journeying skills were. He told me that all of my previous journey-learning had only opened the first couple of Doors of my Inner Sight and Knowing. To learn the wisdom of his People, I had to become totally immersed. Without losing my self, my awareness of my self. He told me that even learning his language, I would still be translating and interpreting it in terms and concepts I knew from a Terran human point-of-view. It would not be his. He reminded me that in the type of counseling I was developing for myself, I was allowing the person to describe her own cosmology, her story, her metaphor, her world. Understanding her behaviors, emotions, thoughts, attachments and inner wisdom from her point-of-view. Understanding that rational was personal perception and social acceptance. Sometimes these meshed well enough; sometimes they were diametrically opposed. When there was too much friction between, harm was done. He said, "You cannot know me, or my wisdom, unless you know my world. If you choose that journey of immersion, then I will guide you. At the same time, I will be learning your world through you." It was quite dark by the time I got to the rest of the yard, and I kind of sprayed water where I knew there were plants and such. I said to my self, "Well, the water will land where the Lord wants it." I had forgotten my companion, somewhat, when I heard him ask, "Do you follow a specific Person?" I really hesitated because I pride myself with my universal spiritual understanding of the One Creative Force, and attempted to re-frame my earlier phrase. He quietly responded, "It's okay. Many wise men come to many peoples to give them hints of places unknown, thoughts unimagined, actions unbelievable, and wisdom unrecognizable. They always speak of harming none. There is no shame in this. It's not like you have made him a laser-focus excluding all else. And not that that is bad, mind you. Just a different perspective and not yours. I know you. I've listened and watched. Just be who you are. You understand that particular wise man because you were with him, immersed in his reality. You learned his wisdom in your heart, way beyond your mind. This is your gift. Being able to immerse so completely as to shape-shift into others' worlds. This is how you can experience mine. You are ready now, because you have finally become aware enough of your own identity as to not lose it in another's. I will teach you, in your quiet moments, I will teach you my language, culture, philosophy, spirituality, and relationships. I will teach you the wisdom of my People when you are ready; when you have become one of us, as much as you can. Even twins can never know what it's like to walk in the other's shoes. But I can help you get that close. If you choose." "Yes," I replied;"I do choose. I am honored by your willingness to share. I'm honored to journey with you, to share Paths, to share Spirit."
Well, I have spent some more time in the North realm, and learned a few words... like for a type of "mead" and "scone", which is wonderful stuff for sure. Also discovered the word for "tree" is the same of the word for "life" in Elven, in this place. Then later, Emerald and I went for a walk and I began to "feel", "sense" the greenery around me: the trees and such. I began to realize that here the boundaries around "things" isn't as solid or rigid as they seem... when I let go and perceived the truth here, I realized that the trees moved like kelp or seaweed in the deep ocean... and in a sense, everything did... like a dance, all interconnected... this could make a Human dizzy for sure. And I realized that when I went to touch the tree, it was like the feeling of entering an energy zone... you know, a different energy than mine... but I don't know how to explain it, really. Anyway, I drifted back from my Journey still letting my mind sift through those experiences.
Journey to the East
I set an Intent to see what might lay "East". This is what happened.
Before me, manifested a table with four chairs, like in an inn/ tavern/ something. Emerald Boy, from the North, was there, with 2 friends: Starphire Blue and Dark Ruby. These names came to me because of the color of the energy aura that just visibly glows around them all the time. At the table, they began "playing" with their energy -- making balls, globes, and then using threads to make pyramids, duodecahedrons, snowflakes, and webs... it was like luminous "tinker toys" energy stuff ( don't know a better word ), like glass blowers drawing out threads and creating things... it's really hard to explain, really, but I think I have given you the idea.
They invited me to join them, but that puzzled me, as I had no clue of how that would be possible. They told me to look at myself... and there - in that place and time - I had this golden energy all around. So then I sat down with them at the table ( I had been standing, watching, amazed at what they were doing) and began trying to weave designs and make little balls of gold energy fibers and stuff. (I use the term "stuff" a lot because the words just won't translate).
Emerald said, "See, this is how you will learn East, because for your Journey, it is "illumination"... but your thoughts limit it and limit you. Illumination is the energy of Creation, of Life. It sings; it hums; it dances... it heals; it transforms; it transcends... it is you; it is me; it is all... it is river, mountain, tree and Unicorn... Learn to taste it - on the tip of your soul; learn its texture; harmonize with it; dance with it - let it lead; let it roll off your fingers like rain; let it race through your arteries; drink it; thank it; and learn you are One with it... This will keep you busy for a while."
Then he chuckled, and disappeared... the whole thing did; and I had returned from my Journey.
Gateway to East
opens to my Call-
sings Her own reply-
knows me, after all;
here my birth is honored -
destiny revealed -
surrounded by protection,
the Truth within is sealed;
and so She shows me now
what rite was done back then,
so I can know myself
and start my Quest again.
Tones of Light
Having just finished a deep relaxation exercise with appropriate music in the background, I came back just needing to debrief. (It is during the debriefing times that I tend to have some of the deepest revelations…don’t ask me why…it’s just the way I am.) In any case, I was drifting on the music and found myself on a large flat boulder – a good 6-7 feet long, 3-4 feet across, and 4-5 feet high. It was basically smooth…the kind you could nap on or at least journey, using a small rolled-up blanket for a pillow. It was near the edge of a piece of land, like a cliff but not as abrupt, overlooking a wide valley that stretched out forever full of meadows and forests. I was sitting on it -- drawing in the view as the sun began to cautiously creep over the edge of the horizon, brushing away the misty gray-blue cobwebs of early dawn. Its rays reached out to touch me, and the boulder, and all the land around me – like a gentle hug that barely wrinkles the aura. I heard tones, in the very sunbeams themselves – as if the breath of Spirit were stroking crystal glass. And I knew I could do that, too. I reached out and ran my finger down a strand of sunlight and listened. What a glorious tone! I immersed myself in this experience, this song, this learning, so far beyond where I have ever gone. I ran my fingers down different strands, different tones – all pure, all sweet, all melting my heart to tears. How incredible! Now, this isn’t to say I hadn’t thought about this kind of thing and imagined that this could be; but to experience it… wow! To have the experience given to me, revealed to me, granted me – wow! (I know there must be a better word, but I don’t know it) And then, I thought about the strands connecting all things to all things – you know, the interconnectedness of all creation, dimensions, time, etc. – and that all these strands were also tones of light (did that make sense?). I thought about the strands that weave us, as individuals, together – how we each have a tone with harmonics and such…so that, in a healing sense, I could tell when someone was out of harmony and could invite the person to re-align into harmony, even in the Fey realm and with trees and such… healing! (I’m still working on that…deep, deep water there). I could see that as a community, we would have a specific tone with harmonics. And then, all of this just got so overwhelming, I just let it drift on top of my stream to filter down into my deep waters later.
What I realized much later was that I was facing the sunrise…me. I usually love watching sunsets, not sunrises…this is not a morning person. I made the connection to the East, and illumination, and I realized that this was yet another lesson from my Faery friends. I knew that, even if I couldn’t "hear" the tone – even if the tone was from a far different spectrum than I understood—I knew I would be able to "know" if it wasn’t "pure" – if there was some disharmony. I knew this was an offering from the Shining Ones. I knew Emerald had been close by all day, but I hadn’t realized until later how much my journey had been under his tutelage.