Faery Seekers Circle #9 Story Readings thread

And here we go....

This is Leo62's spread:

The spread goes like this (I copied this from Geraldin Amaral's website at http://www.tarotpassages.com/Pages2/2003JuneSprd.htm):

1 The Hero/ine

2 The Conflict/Challenge

3 An Ally

4 Past Influences

5 The Future

6 The Resolution


The Beginning of the Story:

The first card represents the main character in your story (the hero/heroine). Hints: Does he/she have a name? What is it? What is the hero’s overall mood as the story begins? Where does the story begin? What is happening to the hero/heroine? note: this card is given you by the person who gives you your character

The Conflict/Plot:

The second card represents the challenge or block facing the hero/heroine. Hints: Who ore what are the adversaries that get in the way of the hero’s success? What challenges must the hero face in order to succeed? What will the hero have to confront or embrace during this story?

The third card represents what can help the hero/heroine. Hint: Is it another person? Or are there characteristics of the hero/heroine that need to be transformed in order for the hero to meet the challenge?

The fourth card represents aspects from the past that are influencing his/her current thinking/behaving. These could be either negative influences or positive influences.

The Climax/Resolution/Denouement:

The fifth card shows you the future, how the story will evolve and develop. Hint: What happens next to the Hero/Heroine?

The final card shows you how the story gets resolved or ends. It may tell you of a defining moment in the Hero’s life. Hint: Will the Hero live differently from this point on? Does some part die? Is some part reborn? If so what? Who is there with the Hero at the end, what is the final outcome?

I will start out by saying that I had not intended to write such a literal story at all. But then I received my character...and the other cards and well...

Yes. this is the short version. Still too long....


THE MOON EGG

Young, and still a bit impetuous, the acolyte bounded up the stairs carved into the sacred rock, until he arrived, huffing, out of breath, and sheepishly grinning, at the temple that awaited near the top.

He stopped before the pink flowering tree, where his Master alighted on a stump, keeping very still…one eye closed, the other eye, milky and pale as the moon, open and transfixed on nothing …and everything.

“M-master?” the boy tentatively queried, “Master, I came to ask you a question.”

The old sage opened the other eye, and sighed.
Somewhere nearby, a windchime quietly tinkled the first notes of a long forgotten song.

“You may speak.” Said the Master.

“well…I uh…was just wondering…when will I be initiated into the Great Mysteries?” he looked down as his sandals, embarrassed. “It’s just that…well…many other boys my age have already come and gone from the temple…and I still remain, without knowing anything.”

“Hush”, the Master said gently, putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder in reassurance. ”There are many things you already know…but the Universe will decide when you are ready for the true test. You are still eager, which can be a blessing. But you are not yet ready for the changes that will occur.”

“What about you? Did you think you were ready when you had your initiation?”

The sage laughed softly. “Oh no…I was terrified…of many things. But perhaps more afraid of what would be if I had failed. Come,” he said, gesturing inside the canopy of trees that made up the temple.
“I will tell you the tale of my initiation…into the first Mysteries of the world.”

“When I was a young boy, the world was still fairly new as well. There was no Time, no Night nor Day…there was simply the Great Light. We did work when we wished, and rested when we felt the need. And there was pleasure and joy through all existence.

But then suddenly, without warning…the light went away, and the world was plunged into a deep darkness, without ceasing….and without end.

Everyone grew fearful, and unhappy that the light had gone away…for no one could see…and no one could work.

The elders had a council. For many days, they met secretly to discuss what must be done. And when they appeared again, they spoke of a vision. One boy would end this darkness. No one was more surprised than me…when they came to ask if I would take the treacherous journey to the farthest end of the world, to retrieve the Golden Egg of Light.

I told them I would try. The journey would take me through a long black tunnel beneath the world, and through a river that flowed with blood. Then I was to pass through a veil of fire, and find my way over a wide canyon that was glistening with pointed rocks as sharp as swords.

The black tunnel was not difficult to traverse, since it was already just as dark in the world above…and the river of blood made me wet and sticky, but I got through with my wits intact.

It was when I came to the wall of fire that I stopped.

Imagine being blinded for a long time…and then to see light…but this light was a curtain of flame that danced wickedly hot before me. The flames were as tall as mountains.

I could not move forward. I was so full of fear, of being burned alive, that I thought I might never have the courage to see this through.

But then I remembered the Great Light.

Such Joy there was in the world then! Such love and beauty and rapture swelled in my heart…and I closed my eyes with that memory…and I stepped forward.

The flames did not burn me at all. In fact I could not even feel them as I continued with the thoughts of joy and light in my heart.
But when I opened my eyes…there was a new trial before me.

The canyon was so wide, and far that there seemed to be no way anyone could ever cross it. Even if I were to leap…I would never be able to see the other side. And below me there were sharp blades of rock, that glinted in the light of the wall of fire behind me.

Impossible. There was just nothing that could be done.
My terror was all encompassing.
I knew no human could ever accomplish this, and I cried , out of shame and guilt and fear.
I had failed. I even thought to myself that it was better to be blind in the darkness for all time then to have to cross that terrible chasm.

A small voice was in my ear then, asking me why I was crying.

I looked up to see a tiny little hummingbird, with wings of iridescence, hovering near the edge.

‘I cannot do this impossible task!’ I cried!

‘why not?’ the bird asked ‘it’s not impossible for me, it shouldn’t be impossible for you.’

‘but I have no wings! I am not a bird! Don’t you see that?’

‘What I see…is what I choose to see.’ She said . “you must transform your way of thinking. It will, in turn transform your way of seeing.’

I thought this over for a long while. How do I transform my thinking?
And then it simply happened.
I gave up my fear of being impaled on rocks as sharp as swords. I gave up my fear of failure, and not making it to the other side.

And as I changed my fear into faith…I looked at the impossible chasm again…and realized that it had been an illusion. The hummingbird next to me also changed as I looked at her. She now stood before me as a beautiful woman, with the same iridescent wings.

‘oh thank you!’ I cried. She simply smiled and replied ,’I did nothing. It was you who transformed yourself.’

Then her smile wavered. ‘ Your task is not yet over…for you must now face the Lunare…and all the nightmares you have ever dreamt.’

And then she was gone, and I took a step into the air, and arrived safely in a wonderous garden.

In the center of the garden stood a basket containing three eggs, each with a soft glow emanating from within.

I chose one egg , placing it carefully in my hat.

As I turned to make my way back, I heard the terrifying sound of thousands of hooves beating the ground, and I turned away as a thousand nightmares sprang up from the garden gate…their manes flying and their nostrils blaring.

But again…I thought of the joy of the light returning to my village…and I thought of the way that my fear had been turned into faith and hope.

When I looked up, the pack of wild horses were gone, and one shining woman, with the legs of a horse like a great sphinx stood in full glory before me.

‘I am the Lunare,’ she spoke, in a voice like thunder, ’And I cannot let you leave with that egg you have stolen!’

I explained to her the nature of my quest, how the elders had sent me after their vision. How I was chosen to return light to the world. How I had travelled through earth, through water of life, through fire and through Air to come this far.

‘Then you must trade me something for the light. Give me a sacrifice.’

‘Take my sight!’ I cried! The world would have remained in darkness anyway, if I had not come…I will trade my eyes, for the chance that others may see again!’

‘More noble than required’, the Lunare said blandly. ‘you could have just offered your hat. Very well, since you give freely, I shall only take one of your eyes.’

And she did.

I blinked away the tears and set off on the long road back, guided by the light glowing from my egg.
But while my eye focused on what was ahead…where my other eye had been was seeing something altogether different.

I grew so confused that I stumbled…and my hat containing the egg…flew up, out of my hands…where it broke against the sky.

The eggshell shattered into millions of tiny shining fragments and they became stars. The yolk…white and silvery, slipped into the firmament and became the moon…lighting up the world with a soft glow.

The sun soon arrived in the world as well…but that is not my story to tell.”


The Master finished speaking and glanced at the boy to gauge his reaction to the tale.

“But I don’t wanna give up an eye!” he whined

“Yes. The Universe is wise to be patient with you. You are certainly not yet ready for the initiation into the Mysteries.” He sighed.

The windchime gently played.



Cards chosen…1. The Hero, The Sage. 2. Conflict/Challenge, Singer Of Initiation. 3. Ally, Nelys the Alchemist. 4. Past Influences, Ekstasis. 5. The Future, Undressing of a Salad. 6. Resolution, Epona’s Wild Daughter

Wow Chronata - what a fabulous story. A creation myth, no less!! Proper feedback tomorrow

I loved it too

Loved your story, chronata. I really liked how the sage recalls his own time as an apprentice. Made me see the Sage in a new light.

The first few lines are an elaboration on Chronatas character sketch. I loved it so I kept it in the story:

If you decide to travel to the other side of the mountain, you have a good chance of meeting an old man, perhaps older than the mountain he sits upon. There is a spark of wonder and agelessness in his laughing eyes. Everything he does he does with intense deliberation...slowly and serenely. His days are spend looking at the wonder that surrounds him. In spring he marvels at the growth of the leaves. In summer he laughs at the antics of the young goats. In autumn the patterns of the migrating birds are mirrored by the pattern of lines across his face, and in winter snow covers him, just as it covers the rock. Terransi is content with his live on the mountain. All the things he will ever need are here, and will always be here.

Terransi sits on his rock. He almost looks as if he is a part of it. A young traveler in a hurry might not even notice him. Indeed, this hypothetical traveler might stumble over the rock-man. One day, the hypothetical traveler becomes a real possibility as a young man is very surprised when he steps on a rock that cries out.


“Ow, I am terribly sorry, wise man (for you must surely be wise to be able to become invisible). I hope I did not hurt you” the young man says. “Ai!” Terransi says. “You did hurt me, oh, impatient one, but don’t worry, it will heal. Time heals everything. By the way, I am not as wise or as invisible as you made me out to be. If you but look where you put your feet, you will be as wise as me.”

“But if you are not wise” the somewhat miffed youth asks, “then why do you spend all your time on a mountain top, meditating?” “I do not meditate, I look at the mountain. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

The traveler looks around, and sees a pasture, not unlike many other pastures he has passed. He has no wish to be impolite, and he says to himself: “Ah well, every fool has his own paradise.” He kind of likes this little eightlegged man with its weathered skin, so he answers: “It is indeed beautiful. But do you always sit on that exact rock, in that exact way?” “Well, yes”, Terransi answers.

“But you can only see the cherry trees from here. Wouldn’t you also like to see the lake?” The traveler shakes his head, unable to understand that level of stillness, and continues it’s journey. Terransi thinks about what the traveler had said, and he wonders how the lake would look like. He then does something very radical. He turns on his rock, facing the lake instead of the trees.

So now Terransi looks at the lake and although the lake is very beautiful, he feels kind of sad that he is no longer able to watch the cherry trees grow. He feels he’s missing part of spring, so he turns around again. But now he cannot see the lake. Although the cherry blossoms are very beautiful, he still desires to see the lake, so he turns again. Poor Terransi, he is no longer peaceful or calm.

Terransi turns and turns until the rock is worn away to a pebble, but still he cannot see every part of the mountain at the same time.

Sitting on a pebble is very uncomfortable, and so Terransi decides to stand up. When he is standing up, he hears a deep rumbling voice: “Ah, so there you are” Terransi looks around, but he sees nothing but the trees and the lake. “I thought you were one of my rocks, but apparently you decided to not be a rock anymore”, the booming voice continues. Now Terransi understands: the mountain itself is talking to him.

Hello mountain, he says. I really think you are quite beautiful, but I no longer seem to be able to enjoy your peace as much as I’ve always done. I am sad. I will always miss a part of your wonder. I can sit as still and look as long as I can, and I still will not see everything.

The mountain starts laughing, and answers: Terransi, you have not always been here, remember? You did not always pretend to be a rock, and observe my slopes. You once were a hero in the world beneath. You did great deeds and fought many big and small battles, as all heroes do.

After a while, though, you got weary and bored. You were jaded, and no amount of damsels in distress or great golden treasures could interest you. So you came to me, to rest and to heal. Slowly, you began to forget all those things that made you jaded, and you looked at the world in wonder again. In this process, you forgot that you were not only Terransi, man of earth, but also Anansi, man of man. You are no rock, Anansi, and cannot expect to be satisfied with the live of one.

Terransi thinks about this. He flexes each of his eight legs, and realizes that most rocks do indeed not have legs. This discovery somewhat startles him, and causes all his legs to collapse at the same time.

Oh, he says. But if I am not a rock, than why am I in one place all the time? The mountain remained silent. The idea of not being a rock was not very appealing. It seemed to Terransi that moving 8 legs at the same time was very complicated. He spends some time pondering this. After a while, he decides it might be easier to just be a rock. But since a rock cannot move, he needs to choose whether he wants to look at the trees or at the lake for the rest of eternity. Terranansi realizes that looking at the trees was fine, as long as he also has a choice to do something else. This is a very unrocklike sentiment.

Terranansi notices this, and decides that if he is no rock, he might as well go swimming in the lake. It looked very inviting. And if he is heading towards the lake, he will also pass that mysterious hole in the ground. Maybe this is a good time to look what’s inside of it.

If you decide to travel to the other side of the mountain, you have a good chance of meeting a young boy. There is a spark of wonder and agelessness in his laughing eyes. Everything he does he does with intense deliberation, and intense pleasure. Maybe the tiger will come to you to complain about the prank the boy played on him, or maybe you will find some of his books on why cherry blossoms grow, and on how the mountain was created. If you do meet the boy, hold on to both your heart and your money, because he will steal both in a heartbeat.


(Short explanation: Anansi is the main character in many legends in West Africa and the Caribbean. He is a joker, sometimes a hero, sometimes a pain in the behind, but always inspiring)


Cards:
1.Card 43 - Geeeeeooo the Slooow

2. Card 60 - The Pook

3. Card 8 - The Singer of Courage (r)

4. Card 4 - He of the Fiery Sword (r)

5. Card 61 - G. Hobyah

6. Card 45 - Taitin the Sylph

Oh my, Rosered!
That story is incredible!


I find a personal inspiration in it, as well.

Terransi is that side of me that sits and dreams...does nothing...and does it very slowly.

He is my rock.

Being a flighty stressy Gemini...I don't get to connect with him very much...as I am constantly doing something...

I love that Terransi is also Anansi!
I am rather familiar with that trickster too!

The framing paragraphs are really wonderful little pieces of poetry...they flow so beautifully.

Thanks for such a lovely story...it stands alone so well as a tale...but also makes so much sense to me as a reading!

Feedback for Chronata's story

This was just a wonderful story. Thank-you Chronata

Although it has a lot of personal relevance for me, I feel this is also a story that stands on its own - it's much more than simply a card reading...

The opening dialogue between the boy and the Sage: I identified with both sides of this! The Sage is like that quiet, inner voice of wisdom that my "boyis"h side is usually too busy or distracted to hear.

And then - the classic quest. The journey through dark tunnels and veils of fire I can relate to in terms of an inner quest - the tunnel in particular reminds me of shamanic journeying, something I practiced for several years.

The canyon-crossing episode has particular poignance for me. This idea of transforming one's way of thinking and then of seeing is something that is very much part of my life at the moment - in fact I'm trying to write a novel about it!

The encounter with Lunare is pretty scary - but again, it all depends on the way you look at it...The idea of sacrificing an eye is a pretty direct metaphor for changing one's way of seeing, and I think points to a truth that these things are not simply a matter of airy-fairy "positive-thinking" - there is a price to pay for this kind of "sight."

However, I love the way that Lunare says "you could have just offered your hat!" This is an equally important truth, for me; it's not necessary to be all melodramatic and get into big-time suffering when it comes to sacrifice.

...and I love the whining apprentice at the end - I think that's the bit I identify with most

A Faery Story for Annabelle4

Annabelle - I kind of wandered off from your character description...the Faeries had their own agenda!

1. The hero/ine: 63. Indi
2. The conflict/challenge: 46. Friends
3. An Ally: 3. The Guardian at the Gate
4. Past influences: 11. The Singer of Transfiguration
5. The future: 62. The Glanconer
6. The resolution: 15. The Journeyman

Indi was lost, contemplating the beauty of the worlds that she held in her hands. They were all so wonderful and she could not choose. So many, many possibilities. And what about all those stars shining in the sky, all those other bright globes beyond her reach? She was hypnotised into a wide-eyed frenzy at the wonder of it all. So many futures; how could she choose just one?

Of course, she could have asked for advice and help, but she was ashamed to confess her secret to her friends and loved ones. So she suffered in silence, lost in the multiplication of possibilities. She grew thin and anxious, and those around her noticed her preoccupation and quiet.
One night she dreamed that a door opened on a shining light. In the light stood a shape, a mere outline of shadow crowned with stars. The shadow lengthened and fell on the sleeping Indi.

“Indi,” the shadow whispered, “remember me?”
“Yes,” said Indi. “Of course I remember; you are my Guardian. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been waiting for you,” said the Guardian. “and I’m getting impatient. The Gate won’t stay open forever. You know the deal. This isn’t your first time.”
Indi squirmed with guilt. She had let down her Guardian.
“No,” said the Guardian, answering her thought, “there is no need for shame. You have been through the fires of Transfiguration and been made new. You crossed the threshold once, now you must do so again. I know that you have been Transfigured and everything seems new and shining and beautiful and you want to grasp it all, but that is impossible. Yes, you have heard the song of Transfiguration and you are shining from it, but you are also human, a limited being. You must choose your world, one world, for you cannot have them all.”

Indi woke suddenly with the Guardian’s words echoing in her mind. It was still dark, the very darkest part of the night just before dawn. She put on her coat and went out into the garden. The stars seem to sing out to her in impossibly complex harmonies. She tilted her head back and spun round, trying to encapsulate them all in her gaze. But she couldn’t. How badly she longed for them, all of them. She wanted to grasp them all in the palm of her hand, pull the stars to her, make a chain of them like a diamond necklace, adorn herself. She craved, so badly, and it made her want to grab what was forever beyond her reach. Such perfection, such glamour. Nothing else in life could match this! No-one would understand. It was no use telling anyone or explaining to other people – how could they know?

Then she remembered the words of the Guardian; she must not lose herself. She needed to make a choice and she needed people to help her. There were those who would understand, who were on the same journey as her.

She would find them, and they would propel her forward, into a new world with a new vision. Her heart lightened, even though she was afraid. All she needed to do was take the first step, into the unknown.

Hi Chronata,

Thank you for feedback. Since i admire your way of telling stories (I think MM-tarot is so creative!) it meant a lot to me that you enjoyed this tale.

Terransi is that side of me that sits and dreams...does nothing...and does it very slowly.

He is my rock.

Being a flighty stressy Gemini...I don't get to connect with him very much...as I am constantly doing something...

Click to expand...

To me this story really was about integrating different parts of self, so it was very interesting to read that you feel that he is a part of you that doesn't come out much.

I find a personal inspiration in it, as well.

Click to expand...

Flighty stressy scorpion that I am, I asked the faeries if you would like the story i was planning to write. They left it to Penelope Dreamweaver to answer me. Thought it might be neat to know

Chronata, you sometimes seem to have eight legs too, to me! You're always doing so many things at once, it seems impossible that you only have two hands!

Overall, I liked writing the story more than I thought I would. I started thinking about some stuff too, so it really was a worthwhile exercise. I also really enjoyed reading Chronata's and Leo62's stories. Can't wait to read rest.